Will Indonesia’s plan to join Brics bank lead to heavier debt burden?

By Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s plan to join the Brics-led New Development Bank (NDB) and fulfil a payment requirement for membership has spurred a debate on whether the move is feasible given the country’s strained finances to fund President Prabowo Subianto’s priority projects. Earlier this year, Prabowo announced that Indonesia was planning to join the […]

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Indonesian president asks Trump for meeting with son Eric in ‘hot mic’ moment

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto asked US President Donald Trump on Monday if he could meet with Trump’s son Eric, an executive vice president of the Trump Organization, according to comments by the leaders picked up by a microphone after Trump had addressed a Gaza-focused summit in Egypt. Trump and Prabowo, who were also seen on […]

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Indonesia races to contain fallout from radiation scare tied to US-bound food shipments

Indonesia is racing to contain the fallout from a radioactive contamination scare after traces of caesium-137 were detected in shipments of cloves and frozen shrimp to the United States, prompting import blocks on two major exporters and urgent clean-up efforts in an industrial zone west of Jakarta. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first […]

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What Prabowo’s ‘bold’ UN speech means for Indonesia’s stance on Israel-Gaza war

Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to send tens of thousands of peacekeepers to conflict zones and said the country could recognise Israel, but only if Palestinian statehood is first acknowledged. The idea of conditional recognition for Israel drew sharp reactions at home, with critics accusing Prabowo of undermining Indonesia’s pro-Palestinian stance, […]

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Indonesian government puts out full page newspaper ad on military’s expanded role

Indonesia’s defence ministry put out a full-page advertisement in the country’s largest newspaper on Monday, detailing and defending key non-defence programmes being run by the military, amid criticism of the force’s increased role under President Prabowo Subianto. Since being elected as president last year, Prabowo has expanded the number of government posts for military personnel […]

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Indonesia’s ‘proud nepo baby’ tycoon Gita Sjahrir embraces her privilege

By Jean Iau At first glance, Gita Sjahrir is often mistaken for just another secretary or typist. It’s only when her surname is mentioned that colleagues realise she is, in fact, a managing director of one of Indonesia’s leading power companies. Earlier this year, the 43-year-old assumed responsibility for investor relations at TBS Energi, which […]

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Will Indonesia’s US$80 billion sea wall hold firm against environmental critics?

By Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is seeking China’s help to build a US$80 billion giant sea wall along the northern coast of Java in a project that officials see as essential to protecting millions of residents and key industries from rising seas and sinking land, despite criticisms over its financial and environmental costs. President Prabowo […]

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Indonesia’s new finance chief plans US$12 billion boost to jump-start lending

Bloomberg Indonesia’s new finance minister wants to immediately flood the economy with roughly US$12 billion in cash to jump-start lending, proving his commitment to President Prabowo Subianto’s growth agenda barely three days into the job. The government would transfer half of the 400 trillion rupiah in cash reserves that it held with the central bank […]

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