The plan to finance President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship Red and White Village Cooperatives (KDMP) program remains controversial, as the burden is set to fall on state-owned banks and the Village Fund. The Finance Ministry has stipulated that state-owned banks, supported by government liquidity, will finance the establishment of KDMP units, while the Village Fund will be used for repayment. Without strong governance, the program risks repeating the failures of the New Order regime’s Village Unit Cooperatives (KUD).

Escalating geopolitical tensions between Iran and the United States-Israel are putting pressure on global oil markets and pushing many economies into a defensive stance. Against this backdrop, Finance Minister, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, has maintained an outwardly optimistic outlook, projecting economic growth of 5.7 percent in the first quarter of 2026. Yet such confidence has been met with caution from economists and market participants. The concern is not merely how the government spends, but at what cost to fiscal credibility.

An ambitious national plan to develop 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar power capacity has gradually evolved from an idea floated by President Prabowo Subianto into a program now moving toward implementation. In recent months, the initiative has gained clearer institutional backing, with state asset fund Danantara emerging as the main investment and financing vehicle tasked with mobilizing capital for rollout. The initiative is framed as part of efforts to strengthen energy self-sufficiency, one of Prabowo's key national priorities, particularly amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that could disrupt global energy supplies.

The interim freeze by MSCI on Indonesia’s February market status review has shaken the country’s capital market and triggered a wave of reform initiatives. Authorities quickly responded with measures including investigations into past fraudulent trading cases, new disclosure rules and plans to demutualize the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). While these steps signal a stronger reform commitment, fundamental problems remain unresolved, undermining the role of Indonesia’s equity market as a source of long-term financing for economic growth.

The first batch of Indonesians evacuated from war-besieged Iran landed back home on March 11, after an overland journey that took them through Azerbaijan and Turkey before they were flown to Jakarta. Following this group of 22 people will be a few more batches in the coming days and weeks as citizens flee the ongoing United States-Israelis attacks.

Lampung Province's recorded an impressive balance of trade (BoT) performance at the start of 2026. The region achieved a BoT surplus of US$411.47 million, or about Rp 6.45 trillion, throughout January 2026.

Budget allocations for the free nutritious meal (MBG) program now dominate the education budget. A school feeding program that does not fundamentally serve a core educational purpose has instead become a primary focus within the government’s education spending framework. This shift raises significant questions about fiscal priorities and the long-term health of the nation’s pedagogical infrastructure.