Indonesia's Economy
Indonesia: The high cost of high-speed rail
The first high-speed railway in Southeast Asia began operating in October, four years behind schedule and considerably over budget. “Whoosh” railway can reach speeds of up to 350…
Commentary
Concerns over China-backed high-speed railway do not derail Indonesia’s agency
Originally published in Channel News Asia, 6 November 2023.
Geopolitics and the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway
The long-delayed, China-backed Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway opened to the public on 2 October, with the journey of its first bullet train bringing to a conclusion the…
Indonesia and its bid for OECD membership
In July this year, Indonesia officially announced its interest in becoming a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Indonesia’s Minister of…
Indonesia’s “golden visa” pitch to big-wheel investors
In a June visit to Jakarta, American artificial intelligence entrepreneur Sam Altman remarked to Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister of Maritime and…
Jokowi’s visit to Australia is about much more than electric vehicles
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo carries a personal ambition in his visit to Australia this week, to secure Australia’s support for Indonesia’s nascent electric vehicle ambitions…
Indonesia’s nickel superhighway
Indonesia currently has the most significant nickel deposit in the world, putting it in a prime position to build advanced industries such as renewable energy, in which rare…
Indonesia’s uncertain climb up the nickel value chain
Indonesia has historically had limited success with industrial policy. That may now be changing, with recent interventionist policies targeting the nickel sector suggesting…
Making sense of Indonesia’s fuel riots
With less than two months until the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia has gone into public security mode. The government is facing a major public backlash after President Joko Widodo…
The Indonesia Investment Authority: Jokowi’s trouble-shooter?
Since President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) entered office in 2014, his priority has been infrastructure construction, with his re-election in 2019 partly due to the government’s…