As the government seeks to shore up fiscal stability amid slowing tax revenue and rising spending pressures, it is turning to controversial new revenue measures, including imposing VAT on toll roads and removing tax exemptions for EV. These policies could slow adoption even as the country pushes electrification to reduce reliance on costly fuel imports.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has detained Samin Tan as a suspect in a graft case implicating several officials in the alleged illegal mining activities conducted by PT Asmin Koalindo Tuhup (PT AKT), of which Samin is a beneficial owner. This is not the first time the coal tycoon has faced legal trouble in a case implicating public servants, and the latest case comes amid President Prabowo Subianto’s broader crackdown on illegal mining. Meanwhile, the legal process also highlights the growing reach of the extrajudicial authority of the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH).

The financial independence of the Indonesian Military (TNI) has come under scrutiny following a leaked draft of a government regulation on TNI duties, which appears to open the door for funding from sources outside the state budget. The controversy, however, points to a deeper structural issue: Defense spending in Indonesia has long been deprioritized relative to other national priorities such as infrastructure development, energy subsidies, social assistance and food security.

Domestic workers work long hours and do all kind of chores for low wages and have little or no legal recourse in case of harassment or abuse, as they are completely at the mercy of their employers, or “masters” in this system of modern slavery that persists in Indonesia.

Indonesia’s economy is approaching a dangerous crossroads. While Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa projects robust 5.5 percent growth, he has also warned that the country is in “survival mode” amid escalating global tensions. Beneath the headline optimism, rising energy prices, weakening purchasing power and mounting fiscal and monetary pressures are exposing deeper structural cracks, raising a critical question: Can Indonesia withstand the shock, or is its resilience beginning to wear thin?

President Prabowo Subianto has reshuffled his cabinet for the fifth time just 18 months into his term. While the frequent adjustments may ostensibly reflect an effort to bolster effective governance, they also signal a state of perpetual political recalibration and unsteady organizational cohesion.

Danantara Indonesia has announced plans to consolidate 15 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and their logistics arms into a single “super” logistics entity in an effort to address longstanding structural issues in Indonesia’s state-owned logistics sector. The consolidation spans multiple segments, from railway distribution to fertilizer distribution, and combines both profitable and loss-making firms under the ambition of building a more integrated and efficient national logistics backbone.