Economy

Internet giants are the target of efforts to tighten the tax net for digital services.
Economy

From Thailand to Indonesia, taxes tighten for digital businesses

E-commerce has boomed in Asia during pandemic but new levies challenge profits

27 November 2020
Children from an orphanage in Bekasi receiving breakfast packages from FoodCycle Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of FoodCycle Indonesia)
Society

Indonesians take local approach to massive problem of food waste

Experts say more work is needed as country takes 'baby steps' forward

27 November 2020
A virtual meeting of leaders from 15 RCEP member countries, pictured in Hanoi on Nov. 15: the impetus came from ASEAN. (Photo by Tomoya Onishi)
Opinion

ASEAN must counter Chinese attempts to own RCEP trade agreement

Multilateral trade agreement will shore up the group's Asia centrality

27 November 2020
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, right, talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java, Indonesia on Oct. 29.
Economy

US to invest $2bn in Indonesia sovereign wealth fund

DFC's pledge shows Washington's commitment to combating Beijing's influence

23 November 2020
Both Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Bank Indonesia cut rates on Thursday. (Source photos by Takaki Kashiwabara and Reuters) 
Economy

Indonesia and Philippines cut rates as recessions bite

Both Southeast Asian economies have been battered by the coronavirus

19 November 2020
Jokowi's unsteady coronavirus response has sowed confusion and uncertainty.
Opinion

Indonesia's COVID-19 recession is a wake-up call

Doubts over Jokowi's ability to contain virus and restore growth

12 November 2020
People shop at a traditional market amid the coronavirus disease outbreak in Jakarta on Aug. 20.
Economy

Indonesia falls into recession for first time in two decades

GDP contracts 3.49% in Q3 as region's largest economy fought COVID ills

5 November 2020
Indonesian President Joko Widodo's government says the omnibus law will create an additional 1 million jobs a year and increase worker productivity, which is below average in Southeast Asia.
Politics

Jokowi signs controversial omnibus bill into law

Labor unions, students and Islamic groups have voiced objections

3 November 2020
Indonesian President Joko Widodo attends the 75th Indonesian Independence Day Commemoration Ceremony at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, in August. 
Politics

Jokowi stumbles in bid to make Indonesia a top-5 global economy

President advances deregulation but stalls on capital relocation and infrastructure

21 October 2020
Yoshihide Suga and Nguyen Xuan Phuc address reporters after agreeing to expand their border reopenings for business travelers.
International relations

Japan and Vietnam agree to accelerate business reopenings

Yoshihide Suga becomes first leader from major economy to visit post-COVID Hanoi

19 October 2020
Members of Indonesian Islamist groups take part in a protest against the omnibus law near the National Monument in Jakarta on October 13.
Politics

Hard-line Islamic groups lead protest over Indonesia omnibus law

President Joko Widodo backs legislation despite demonstrations

13 October 2020
President Joko Widodo refuses to back down from the new law, saying COVID-19 has created a jobs crisis. (Screen grab from YouTube)
Politics

Indonesians vent anger over job creation law: Five things to know

Jokowi refuses to backtrack, insisting 'millions can improve their lives'

9 October 2020
Demonstrators clash with police in Jakarta on Oct. 8 over the government's proposed labor reforms in a controversial "jobs creation" bill.
Politics

Indonesia protests intensify over contentious omnibus bill

Police and protesters clash in Jakarta on third day of demonstrations

8 October 2020
An internet user looks at a Facebook page at a cafe in Hanoi: digital protectionism is on the rise.
Opinion

Asian 'splinternet' threatens cross-border data collaboration

Why digital protectionism damages Asia's economic growth, innovation and security

7 October 2020
Stacks of containers are seen at Tanjung Priok port amid the coronavirus outbreak in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 3.
Economy

India and ASEAN set to return to growth in early 2021: JCER

Survey shows curbing COVID and income support keys to economic recovery

6 October 2020
Indonesian students and workers gather at the House of Representatives building in Central Jakarta to protest against the omnibus bill on job creation in July.
Politics

Indonesia's parliament passes contentious 'job creation' bill

Unions plan to launch a nationwide strike against omnibus legislation

5 October 2020
Singapore has established a new coastal and flood protection fund to help protect the country against rising sea levels.
Opinion

We cannot stop climate change, but we can be better prepared

Data and digital technology can help deliver more resilient infrastructure

29 September 2020
Easier money policies will not make the economy more competitive, productive or egalitarian.
Opinion

Jokowi's courtiers are panicking in dangerous ways

Assault on Bank Indonesia tells wider story as Asia returns to the 1960s

17 September 2020
A worker cleans beach chairs in Bali. The Indonesian province recently dropped a plan to begin welcoming foreign tourists.
Coronavirus

Phuket, Bali and Danang resorts gingerly weigh opening up

Tourism-dependent economies strained but on guard against COVID-19

17 September 2020
The longer Jokowi has spent in the presidential palace, the more he has become deeply embedded in elite politics; calls for economic reform have been hamstrung by his nationalistic instincts and lack of implementation.
The Big Story

Dream state: Jokowi struggles to build his vision for Indonesia

President Widodo's infrastructure success has defined his presidency. But will the pandemic expose the flaws in his model?

16 September 2020
Bank Indonesia's logo is seen at its headquarters in Jakarta on Sept. 2.
Economy

Indonesia's central bank independence comes under fresh attack

Lawmakers discuss proposals to put ministers on board of monetary authority

15 September 2020
A Bank Mandiri employee meets with a customer in Jakarta. To comply with Islamic law, banks can offer lease deals instead of interest-bearing loans. (Photo by Koya Jibiki)
Business trends

Islamic finance in Indonesia fends off coronavirus chill

Banks and app tap growing demand in world's largest Muslim country

10 September 2020
A resort lies empty on Bali's Kuta Beach. One area business owner said: "If you go to the villages and see the people, you would cry." (Photo by Ian Lloyd Neubauer)
Coronavirus

Bali's aborted border reopening brings despair but also relief

Despite economic pain, experts say COVID risk still too high for foreign tourism

30 August 2020
A fisherman prepares for the day on an empty beach in Bali during the coronavirus pandemic.
Coronavirus

Bali backpedals on reopening to international tourists in 2020

COVID-hit industry's hopes now hinge on domestic travel and 'workations'

24 August 2020
A medical personnel uses a bag-mask valve at an isolation facility in Metro Manila on May 1: few problems are insurmountable when collaborative science rise to the occasion.
Opinion

Reimagining Asia's response to COVID-19

Purpose-driven leadership, digital transformation and collective effort are critical

19 August 2020