In today’s geopolitical landscape, defined by the dominance of digital technology and economic globalization, personal data has become a strategic asset—arguably more valuable than oil or coal. Amid growing cooperation between Indonesia and the United States, including negotiations over zero-tariff agreements for digital products, one important question emerges: Is Indonesia quietly surrendering its digital sovereignty by allowing foreign access to its citizens’ personal data?

When allegations of fraud shook Indonesia’s aquaculture unicorn eFishery earlier this year, the fallout was not limited to one company. It triggered wider concerns about governance across the country’s booming startup sector—long fueled by optimism, foreign capital, and charismatic founders. The incident was a reminder that Indonesia’s digital economy can no longer rely on growth alone; it needs guardrails.

Far from media coverage, Gunawan Yusuf actually entered into a business dispute against Bambang Trihatmodjo, long-time friend and business partner of Anthoni Salim (Salim Group), and former brother-in-law of President Prabowo Subianto. On December 5, 2017, the South Jakarta District Court registered a pre-trial lawsuit against the General Crimes Directorate of the Bareskrim. 

For more than two decades, Gunawan Yusuf (owner of Makindo and Sugar Group of Companies/SGC) has faced series of legal cases related to his fund management company Makindo and SGC, one of the largest players in domestic sugar industry. The most notable cases are against Tong Keng Siong, Bambang Trihatmodjo, and, of course, Salim Group/Marubeni. Let’s review them.

Gunawan Yusuf and his sister Purwanti Lee or Dr Lee Purwati Couhault have been examined several times by prosecutors in the past few months as a follow-up of testimony from corrupt Supreme Court official Zarof that he received Rp50 billion for his service in helping Sugar Group of Companies (SGC) in the case against Marubeni Corporation and Salim Group. 

President Prabowo Subianto has promised to deliver economic justice through inclusive downstreaming, rural development, and pro-people industrialization. But as several flagship national strategic projects (PSN) unfold in Mempawah, Fakfak, and Merauke, one question emerges: to whom are these projects really for?

Recent developments in Coretax’s implementation highlight not only its architectural shortcomings but also user-level operational burdens that have surfaced despite DJP’s claim of system stability post-April 2025. The issuance of PER-7, PER-8, and PER-11/PJ/2025 revealed a regulatory shift that forces full digital compliance from taxpayers, especially for 13 administrative services, ranging from tax exemption requests to VAT registrations. While this marks a step forward in modernizing tax processes, the sudden transition has overwhelmed both small taxpayers and internal tax officers.

State-owned EPC firm Adhi Karya (ADHI) has just released its first half financial results with net profit of Rp7.54 billion, crashed by 45% from the corresponding period of 2024. Second quarter looked better in terms of net profit, but that’s not the whole story.

It is hard to believe that DCI Indonesia (DCII), a data center company co-owned by Salim Group, is now worth Rp689 trillion, more than twice the value of telco giant Telkom (TLKM). The stock gained 514% since February, mainly due to growing influence of ETF in a changed market structure.

Simon Genting Pte Ltd, a joint venture between Genting Plantations Berhad and Simon Property Group Inc (NYSE: SPG), heats up the premium outlet market in the country.