Update on the PDNS corruption case
Nearly a year after the suspects were first named, the case has now entered a more decisive legal phase. Prosecutors have formally demanded prison sentences of up to 10 years for several defendants, including seven years for Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, along with fines and restitution. The prosecution also confirmed that the estimated state losses reached more than Rp140 billion, reinforcing earlier suspicions that the irregularities were not administrative errors but systemic corruption.
The latest on Pertamina corruption case
A watershed moment has arrived in the long-running corruption case tied to Indonesia’s state-owned energy giant, PT Pertamina. In a series of verdicts delivered in late February 2026, a Jakarta Corruption Court has sentenced several key figures in what prosecutors have portrayed as one of the most serious corruption cases in Indonesia’s modern history — not merely for the scale of alleged losses, but for what it reveals about legal accountability in sectors critical to national sovereignty.
Consistently undervalued Astra
Shares of Astra International (ASII), a diversified business group with interest in agriculture, automotive, finance, healthcare, heavy equipment, iCT, mining, and property, ended higher by 1.13% on Thursday (Feb 26) even when the company reported over three percent decline in net profit.
Quiet (mass) layoffs (5)
State bank BRI, second largest in terms of total assets, added around 1,000 employees last year to its total workforce of 82,192 by the end of the year, but Astra International (ASII), the largest employer in the country, dismissed 4,045 employees to 196,021 people by the end of 2025.
A hiccup in pickup truck hullabaloo?
Joao Angelo de Sousa Mota, CEO of Agrinas, who dropped his resignation last year after openly criticizing Danantara, openly defended the policy to import 105,000 pickup trucks from India even after ‘strong man’ Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, deputy chairman of President Prabowo’s Gerindra Party, asked for temporary suspension, pending examination by Prabowo himself upon returning home from weeks of overseas trip.
Asset seizure bill returns: reform or political choreography?
For years, Asset Seizure Bill (RUU Perampasan Aset) sat in legislative limbo, repeatedly promised yet quietly stalled. Anti-corruption activists pushed for it, law enforcement agencies endorsed it and successive presidents expressed rhetorical support. Yet political parties in the House of Representatives (DPR) never allowed it to move forward decisively. Now, suddenly, the bill has returned to the legislative agenda. The question is not only why—but why now.
Halal sovereignty or trade concession?
As public concern grows over the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between Indonesia and the United States, senior officials have moved quickly to reassure public that the country’s halal certification regime remains untouched. Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto, who led Indonesia’s negotiating team, stressed that the agreement focuses on trade and investment facilitation and does not undermine domestic regulations. Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya similarly framed the ART as a strategic economic step that preserves Indonesia’s national interests while strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Expanding MBG before fixing its flaws
Government’s flagship Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) program was introduced with a clear, politically compelling promise: to improve the nutrition of schoolchildren and strengthen the country’s future human capital. Yet even before its implementation for students has stabilized, the government is already preparing to expand the program to cover elderly citizens and people with disabilities. This expansion raises a fundamental question: Why broaden a program that has yet to resolve its own structural controversies?
BRI’s less convincing numbers
Shares of Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BBRI), the second largest financial group in terms of total assets, opened lower by 1% this morning as investors responded negatively the company’s full year financial report.
Quiet (mass) layoffs (4)
Maybank Indonesia Group, which consists of Bank Maybank (BNII), Maybank Finance (BIIF), and WOM Finance (WOMF), reduced its workforce significantly last year. Panin Group, which controls Bank Panin (PNBN), Clipan Finance (CFIN), Panin Sekuritas, and Panin Sharia (PNBS), also took similar steps without significant noise in the media.