YOGYA Group, operator of YOGYA and GRIYA department stores, is among the oldest players in modern retail industry here. Two of its major competitors, MATAHARI and RAMAYANA, are listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) with market capitalization of Rp39 trillion and Rp9.8 trillion respectively. Will YOGYA eventually offer its shares to public?

Yusril Ihza Mahendra and Sukanto Tanoto have both sailed through five presidents with ups and downs, friends and nemesis in politics and business. Yusril was speech writer of then president Soeharto. Sukanto’s business was also flourished during Soeharto years. They were both ‘inner circle’ of then president Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Weeks into April 9 legislative election, Harry Tanoesoedibjo has intensified his nationwide tour in his capacity as ‘campaign manager’ of Hanura Party and vice president candidate from the party. On the other hand, Media Nusantara Citra (MNCN), considered a locomotive for Harry’s MNC Group, has lost 12.6% its value year-to-date despite the stock buyback program.

Kompas, the largest newspaper in the country, published an article of Hikmahanto Juwana titled ‘Freeport and Newmont’ in its op-ed section this morning. In the article, Kompas only mentioned Hikmahanto as ‘International Law Professor at Law School of University of Indonesia’. In the article, Hikmahanto, who is commissioner of state-owned mining company Aneka Tambang (ANTM), suggested the ruling administration and Indonesians to ‘fight Freeport and Newmont’.

Few years ago, when Purnomo Yusgiantoro (now defense minister) was energy and mineral resources, Mining and Energy Foundation (Yayasan Pengembangan Energi otherwise known YPE) handed out scholarships to 600 students. Back then, YPE chairman was Waryono Karno, who was also secretary general of the ministry. Waryono is now a corruption suspect, while yesterday KPK searched YPE’s office at Plaza Centris, Jakarta.

A lot of interesting events have happened at the capital city of Jakarta ever since Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice Governor Basuki “Ahok” Purnama took control of the city’s administration in 2013. This week in particular, two events are worth noting. The first is the Vice Governor receiving a donation of 51 garbage trucks from Chinese-Indonesian enterpreneurs associated with the Indonesian Chinese Entrepreneur Association (Perhimpunan Pengusaha Indonesia Tionghoa otherwise known as PERPIT). The second event is the signing of the letter of intent between the Jakarta Administration and Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd (otherwise known by its tradename Foxconn).

Shares of textile giant Sri Rejeki Isman (SRIL), popular as Sritex, dropped sharply by almost 7% Thursday (Feb 6) as investors digest two main stories of the day: Muhammad Lukminto, founder of Sritex, passed away in Singapore and SRIL kicks off the issuance of US$350 million Senior Notes.