Economy

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, second from left, and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto after their last presidential debate in Jakarta on Apr. 13. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
Indonesia election

Jokowi and Prabowo clash over infrastructure in final debate

Charged campaign ends ahead of Wednesday's vote for Indonesia's presidency

14 April 2019
A farmer climbs a tree to harvest palm oil in West Bengal. The palm oil industry is trying to clean up its image.
Commodities

Asia cleans up commodities industry with transparent trading

Initiatives trace product origins in bid to tackle deforestation and corruption

13 April 2019
Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto speaks to supporters during a rally at the Kridosono Stadium on April 8 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Indonesia election

Capital flows into Indonesia slow over election concerns

Economists see growth decelerating if Jokowi loses

12 April 2019
Indonesian fishermen work near pipes flushing sewage into the Porong River in the province of East Java.
Environment

Southeast Asia looks for outside help to flush sewage problems

Water treatment projects lure foreign expertise to deal with rising raw effluent

12 April 2019
Both candidates, incumbent President Joko Widodo and former general Prabowo Subianto, have been silent on how to implement their policies.
Opinion

The real challenge for Indonesia's next president

Weak institutions have become a binding constraint on growth

10 April 2019
President Joko Widodo with supporters at a rally outside Jakarta on April 7: In the final weeks of campaigning ahead of the April 17 election, he and challenger Prabowo Subianto are facing shifts in the all-important youth vote. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
10 April 2019
Indonesian President Joko Widodo stands in front of a Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit train during the inauguration ceremony of the subway line in Jakarta on March 24. Construction of the flagship project began in 2013 when Jokowi was the city's governor.
Indonesia election

Jokowi takes three steps forward and two steps back

An economic report card ahead of this month's presidential election

8 April 2019
Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das is seen as politically malleable.
Opinion

Trump attacks on Fed set bad example for Asia

Myth of central bank independence helps protect objective monetary policy

8 April 2019
Indonesian Presidential Joko Widodo shakes hands with opponent Prabowo Subianto after a televised debate in Jakarta on Saturday.
Indonesia election

Prabowo nibbles into Jokowi's wide lead in Indonesia election race

Latest opinion surveys point to incumbent's high support among the less educated

2 April 2019
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1 April 2019
Jokowi has been reluctant to tackle the vested interests in the bureaucracy. 
Opinion

Indonesia must seize trade war opportunity

Jakarta needs export-boosting policies to draw global manufacturers diversifying away from China

27 March 2019
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (right) shakes hands with Governor of Jakarta Anies Baswedan during the launch of the Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit (MRT).
Economy

Indonesia's first subway makes its debut in congested capital

16 km line from southern Jakarta to city center to cut travel time in half

25 March 2019
A teller counts rupiah notes at a money changer in Jakarta. Indonesia's central bank has held key rates steady after hiking them six times last year to shore up the currency.
22 March 2019
© Illustration by Daniel Garcia
Asia Insight

Widodo's state-enterprise reform skirts election-year layoffs

Critics say painless restructuring offers insufficient efficiency gains

19 March 2019
MRT Jakarta expects to carry up to 378,000 passengers daily once the second phase of its network starts operating in 2025. The indonesian government estimates the economic cost of the city's traffic jams to amount to 65 trillion rupiah a year. (Photo by Bobby Nugroho)
Economy

Southeast Asia pins hopes on rail to ease chronic congestion

Urban transit networks set for long-awaited launch as traffic costs mount

19 March 2019
An attendant fills a vehicle with gas in the Philippines. Lower crude-oil prices has softened inflation across developing Asia.
Economy

Emerging Asia's inflation softens as oil and currencies steady

Upward pressure eases in Philippines while prices fall in Malaysia

16 March 2019
Tech companies, such as Google and Facebook, have come under fire for their seemingly indiscriminate personal data collection practices. 
Opinion

Handling Big Tech in ASEAN

Cooperate in crafting and enforcing privacy and competition rules in digital markets

12 March 2019
The Lion Air Flight 610 tragedy has rightly focused attention on doing more to ensure flight safety in Asia.
Opinion

Safety first in Asia's busy skies

Big data and cross-border cooperation will help

11 March 2019
Singapore's central business district. Banks from the city-state achieved strong profit growth in 2018 thanks to diverse operations and target markets.
Business trends

Southeast Asian banks log double-digit gains on strong lending

Singaporean players nab foreign cash, while Indonesia caters to individuals

8 March 2019
Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham, left, and Indonesian counterpart Enggartiasto Lukita shake hands after signing the economic partnership agreement in Jakarta on March 4.
Economy

Indonesia and Australia finally sign free trade deal

Canberra's plan to move Israel embassy to Jerusalem delayed agreement for months

4 March 2019
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1 March 2019
Campaigning for elections in 2019 means posting videos on YouTube. In this one, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, right, his family and Boy William take a drive and do a little jig. (From YouTube)
Politics

Widodo basks in Olympic hope to keep electoral lead

Indonesian president takes soft approach and appears in celebrity's YouTube video

28 February 2019
Shaktikanta Das, after less than two months as RBI governor, switched on the rupee printing press anew.
Opinion

Asian central banks risk overfilling punchbowl

Slowing growth calls for monetary easing, but electoral pressures may push states too far

28 February 2019
Improving infrastructure has been the signature policy of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, pictured here at a construction site of the Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit network in 2015. (Photo by Keiichiro Asahara)
Politics

Widodo slammed for infrastructure policy in second TV debate

Newly built railways and airports 'not being used,' opposition challenger says

18 February 2019
Singapore's spending on health care and other social programs will rise in 2019.
Economy

Southeast Asia's expansionary fiscal budgets put markets on edge

Governments struggle to maintain growth amid trade war and looming elections

16 February 2019