A tragic cost of policy militarization
The deaths of two candidates for the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (Kopdes) management program during military-style training should force Indonesia to ask an uncomfortable question: why are future cooperative managers being trained like soldiers in the first place?
The politics of a phone call
In politics, symbolism often matters as much as substance. That is why Deputy Speaker of the House Sufmi Dasco Ahmad’s decision to publicly call Pertamina’s leadership during a national labor gathering deserves closer attention.
The politics of 8 percent rule
The most interesting aspect of 8 percent cap on ride-hailing platform commissions is not the number (Prabowo’s magic number) itself. It is the political process behind it.
Legalizing money laundering
Indonesia has basically legalized money laundering with the amendment of P2SK (Financial Sector Development and Strengthening) Law. Corruption money from free meal (MBG), village cooperatives (KDMP), or illicit money from illegal mining, logging, fishing, money from online gambling and narcotics are all welcomed in the so-called Patriot Bonds and Merah Putih Bonds to be issued by Danantara.
Rupiah & Prabowo’s statements
Rupiah moved closer to psychological level Rp18,000 per USD Tuesday (Jun 23) as DXY (US Dollar Index) gained to 101.4. President Prabowo Subianto’s statements regarding the currency on Tuesday didn’t help at all in the context of outlook.
Five more months of uncertainty
MSCI gives Indonesian authorities till November to address concerns from global institutional investors on transparency of share ownership structure and the coordinated trading practices in the stock market. For now, Indonesia is kept in the emerging market category, but without improvements it can be downgraded to frontier market after the November review.
Pakerin-Prima Master Bank’s problems: Revisiting Njoo Family Feud
The Financial Services Authority (OJK) revoked permits of Bank Prima Master early this year. The bank had a total assets of Rp1.61 trillion by September 30, 2025, while third party funds were claimed at Rp1.4 trillion.
More New Schools
People’s Schools, Garuda Schools, and now a new model is in the works: Integrated National Schools. Through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the government is reportedly set to build 100 Integrated National Schools starting this year, backed by a budget allocation of Rp 7.21 trillion. But what exactly distinguishes these schools from the special-school schemes already on the table, and what problem is the government trying to solve by creating yet another one?
The NIB debate
The government insists that the mandatory Nomor Induk Berusaha (NIB) requirement for e-commerce sellers has nothing to do with taxation. Legally speaking, that statement is correct. An NIB is a business identification number, not a tax bill. Registering a business does not automatically create a tax obligation, nor does it immediately increase state revenue.
Growing mass layoffs
PT Feng Tay Indonesia Enterprises, footwear manufacturer, has reportedly sent home 4,000 of its 16,000 workers due to a combination of factors, including global disruption of supply chain. PT Pakerin, a paper manufacturer, meanwhile, sends home 2,500 workers due to working capital issues.