Rupiah weakened to Rp18,066 per USD Wednesday (Jul 8) on the rise of Dollar Index (DXY) as market participants see higher possibility of Fed rate hike in September. Escalated tensions in the Middle East, meanwhile, lifted Brent crude oil futures to US$78 per barrel.

For years, Indonesia has searched for ways to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) expand beyond local markets while gaining better access to financing. Digital platforms have undoubtedly opened new opportunities, but they have also created a new dependency. Millions of MSMEs now rely on a handful of marketplaces that control customer access, transaction data and, increasingly, financial services. Against this backdrop, the launch of the Indonesia Open Network (ION) appears to offer a compelling alternative.

When news emerged that functional allowance for lecturers has remained largely unchanged for nearly two decades, the public reaction quickly split into two camps. One argued that lecturers have been neglected by the state. Another, led by many senior academics, countered that the claim was misleading because lecturers today receive certification allowances, remuneration, research incentives and various other forms of compensation.

Composite index of Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) advanced 1.19% on Tuesday (Jul 7) as domestic investors responded some ‘positive news’, including foreign exchange reserves data and tax-non tax revenues of the State budget 2026. 

Shares of PT Abadi Nusantara Hijau Investama Tbk (PACK), majority controlled by China’s CNGR Group, ended flat at Rp230 on Tuesday (Jul 7) to make a market capitalization of Rp7.45 trillion. 

Some 16 agreements were signed in Jakarta Tuesday (Jul 7) during the state visit of India PM Narendra Modi including cooperation in defence industry, minerals for steel supply chain, steel, and critical mineral. 

TB Hasanuddin, lawmaker from PDIP, the only political party outside the ruling coalition of Prabowo, recently revealed cost of military training and basic cooperatives training per manager. The combined cost for those two training is Rp45 million per manager. We are talking about 30,000 prospective managers with total cost of Rp1.35 trillion.

Rice fields, mountain slopes, and the middle of the forest are probably not the first places that come to mind when people think of village cooperatives. But that is what appears to be happening, judging from the viral videos circulating online. The public joked about it, saying, “Who is the target market for these cooperatives? Local ghosts?” While the question may sound funny at first, it raises a valid concern that deserves serious attention.

National banks offered USD bank notes for Rp18,070 this morning, while foreign banks at Rp18,135. Higher DXY, the first trade deficit in six years, and continued net sell of Indonesian equities by foreign investors contributed to rupiah’s ‘new normal’.