
Danantara: a new hope or a phantom menace?
Analysis, EconomyThe establishment of Danantara, Indonesia’s new sovereign wealth fund (SWF), has sparked both optimism and scepticism.

Danantara: It’s the politics, stupid!
Analysis, Economy, PoliciesFor many observers, Danantara potentially reproduces Indonesia’s predatory political economy. On this view, SOEs embody rising economic nationalism, that is state capitalism, and crowd out capital formation by private firms.
Yet, digging into its board structure, it is apparent that Danantara instead reflects combined forms of capitalism – private fossil-fuel and tech, as well as state capital – that have overall benefited from Indonesia’s oligarchic politics, as well sustaining its high costs.

Why Prabowo’s misguided ‘austerity’ is emblematic of his free-wheeling economic policy
Analysis, EconomyThe Prabowo Subianto administration begins 2025 with a massive Rp 306 trillion fiscal spending cut, representing over 8% of this year’s state budget, delivered by Presidential instruction 1/2025.

Return of the technocrats: Can Prabowo's economic team prove the doubters wrong?
Analysis, EconomyGiven Indonesia’s current gloomy political and economic landscape, the appointment of capable technocrats within the inner circle of national leadership is a breath of fresh air.

Can Indonesia’s tech sector take off from Australia’s ‘landing pads’?
Economy, PoliciesAs the largest economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia presents a compelling case for deeper engagement with Australia’s Landing Pads program.

How Prabowo’s 8% growth target will shape Indonesia’s fiscal policy
Analysis, Economy, PoliciesPresident-elect Prabowo Subianto has set an ambitious target of achieving 8% economic growth during his first term. This goal is driven by the intention to lift Indonesia out of the middle-income trap and propel it towards high-income status by 2045.
Talking Indonesia: starting a startup
Economy, Society, Talking IndonesiaIn this podcast, Elisabeth Kramer talks to entrepreneur Sujeet Ramgir, who came to Indonesia from India and went on to start a highly successful Indian food 'cloud kitchen' catering to the Jakarta market.
Indonesia's gig workers are living precariously. Can we fix the platform economy?
Economy, SocietyThe Indonesian gig economy has the potential to be a win-win for both workers and companies, but only if it's built on a foundation of fairness and dignity. Law reform, gig cooperatives and gig unions offer a path towards achieving this balance.
OECD: Why is Indonesia trying to join ‘the rich club’?
Economy, Explainer, Foreign PolicyOn 2 May 2024, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) presented Airlangga Hartarto, the Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, with a roadmap to guide accession discussions with Indonesia. The OECD review could have a big impact on Indonesia’s political and economic system. So what’s in it for Indonesia?