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‘We’re not foreign stooges’: President Jokowi asks Indonesians to be more accepting towards foreign workers
President Joko Widodo — who has long faced accusations that he and his government are puppets serving the interests of foreign countries and corporations — today spoke about the virtues of opening up jobs to foreign workers.
From startup to ‘grown up’: Indonesian e-commerce giant Bukalapak says it’s maximizing efficiency amid reports of layoffs
Bukalapak, one of Indonesia’s four startup unicorns, has been widely reported in recent days to be conducting mass layoffs, though the company says that it doesn’t serve as...
Indonesia nickel-ore export U-turn throws up investor red flag: analysts
Indonesia's surprise plan to roll out a nickel-ore export ban two years early could scare foreign investors away from Southeast Asia's biggest economy, analysts say, as it cements...
Government to raise tobacco excise tax by at least 10% in 2020
Indonesia’s notoriously low cigarette prices may soon be on the rise as the government is set to significantly increase the tobacco excise tax next year.
WhatsApp Pay reportedly coming to Indonesia to facilitate cheap money transfers between banks
Popular instant messaging app WhatsApp is said to be bringing its own e-payment feature to Indonesia, though reports coming from the country suggest that its functions may be...
Indonesia sets new e-payment record in July with IDR12.93 trillion in transactions
It looks like all those aggressive cashback promos by local e-payment services are continuing to convince more and more Indonesians to ditch cash for digital payments, as...
President Joko Widodo pledges capital move, economic boost in state-of-the-nation address
Indonesian leader Joko Widodo said Friday he would press on with plans to move the nation's capital and roll out measures to kickstart Southeast Asia's biggest economy as it feels...
E-cigarettes threaten existence of Indonesia’s tobacco farmers says head of tobacco farmers association
According to the head of the West Java chapter of the Indonesian Tobacco Farmers Association, "Millennial cigarettes, or what we call e-cigarettes, threaten the sustainability of...
Indonesian Ulema Council attempts to take back halal certification authority with lawsuit in Constitutional Court
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the country’s highest clerical body that also long held sole authority in providing halal certifications in Indonesia, is taking legal action...
Indonesian Broadcast Commission wants to monitor Netflix & Youtube, IT Ministry says it must have legal justification
Indonesians are becoming increasingly concerned about possible erosions to their video streaming liberties after the country’s censorship board, the Indonesian Broadcast...
Enjoy art, pop culture, and traditions in these five emerging destinations in Southeast Asia
Coconuts Jakarta Business
There’s a popular statistic among Indonesians - although its origin is unknown, hence its validity is questionable - that around 60 percent of Indonesia’s money flows through the main business strip of Jalan Sudirman to Jalan MH Thamrin in Jakarta. Whether it’s true or false, it’s certainly the most centralized business district in Indonesia, consisting of many of the world’s leading financial institutions like banks and insurance companies. This is partly the reason why Jakarta keeps on attracting outsiders - either Indonesians or expatriates - to look for jobs or for investment opportunities in Indonesia’s capital city. Indonesia’s not that bad a place to invest in either, as it’s one of the few countries in the world that has experienced a steady economic growth in recent years despite scares of global economic meltdown.