Today (06/08), the first session of defeated presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto’s legal challenge started. Based on data from the General Elections Commission (KPU), Indonesia’s July 2014 presidential election was won by Joko Widodo (Jokowi) with 53.15 percent to 46.85 percent of the votes. However, Subianto claims that the KPU’s outcome was influenced by fraud and other violations, leading to 50 million troubled votes in more than 200,000 Indonesian polling stations, and therefore challenges the result at the Constitutional Court.

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The structure of tax revenue in Indonesia has not changed in the past decade resulting in the country’s still low tax-to-GDP ratio of between 12 and 13 percent. Emerging countries such as Indonesia typically have a low tax-to-GDP ratio as the government’s financial management is inadequate (and plagued by corruption). However, it is important for Indonesia to raise this ratio in order to have more funds available to finance the budget deficit, infrastructure development, healthcare, education and other social programs to combat poverty.

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The performance of the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate and stocks has been impacted by defeated presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto’s withdrawal from the General Elections Commission’s electoral process on Tuesday (22/07). Although the Commission (KPU) has not publicly announced the outcome of the 2014 presidential election yet, Subianto’s response is a clear sign that rival Joko Widodo - as expected - has won the election. Subianto claims that the KPU is corrupt and will challenge the outcome in the Constitutional Court.

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On 20 July 2014, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve political and economic topics such as the presidential election, the influence of the Malaysia Airlines crash, two high profile corruption cases, coal mining, an update on July inflation, and more.

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Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who will end his second and final five-year term in October 2014, announced to meet both presidential candidates (Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo) in the country’s State Palace on Sunday (20/07). In this meeting, president Yudhoyono will emphasize the importance of a peaceful and orderly transition to the next government. Currently, it remains unknown who of the two candidates won the presidential election (held on 9 July 2014). Due to the tight race, chances of social unrest increase.

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Two days after the sentencing of central banker Budi Mulya, the next high profile verdict has been delivered in Indonesia. Andi Mallarangeng, the country’s former Youth and Sport Affairs minister, was sentenced to four years imprisonment and a fine of IDR 200 million on Friday (18/07) by the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court for his role in the construction of the Hambalang sports complex in Bogor (West Java). This sentence is much lighter than the prosecutors' demand for ten years imprisonment.

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Although investors in Indonesian stocks received positive news from the USA after Federal Reserve Head Janet Yellen stated on Tuesday (15/07) that the US economic recovery remains incomplete therefore justifying the continuation of a loose monetary policy for the foreseeable future as well as solid economic expansion of 7.5 percent (yoy) in China during the second quarter of 2014, the domestic political context in Southeast Asia’s largest economy remains a concern. What are the latest political developments in Indonesia?

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After a trading week that was characterized by high gains in the stock and financial markets on optimism that Joko Widodo (Jokowi) will become the next president of Indonesia, both the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate and benchmark Jakarta Composite Index fell today (11/07). This seems an obvious sign that the euphoria about a Jokowi win has waned and investors are looking again to the true economic fundamentals of Southeast Asia’s largest economy. By 13:00 pm local Jakarta time, the Jakarta Composite Index had fallen 1.66 percent.

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On 06 July 2014, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve political and economic topics such as the presidential election, a rupiah and stock market update, an analysis of inflation and the trade balance, corruption, poverty, GDP growth, prospects of the copper price, and more.

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Late on Monday evening (30/06), Indonesia’s Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court sentenced former Chief Justice of the country's Constitutional Court (Mahkamah Konstitusi) Akil Mochtar to life imprisonment as he was found guilty of corruption as well as money laundering. Mochtar was arrested in October 2013 by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) after investigators had been tapping his telephone. This corruption case is another blow for the reputation of Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

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The month of August is typically a month of celebration because every 17th of August Indonesia celebrates its Independence Day. Indeed, the country commemorated and celebrated this day (as usual) on 17 August 2025. However, by the end of the month matters had changed drastically. In fact, Indonesia was on fire amid widespread civil disturbance.

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For Indonesia August is typically a month in which politics are on the foreground as the country commemorates its Independence Day on each 17th of August. This is an important day in Indonesian history as well as an occasion for many festivities and celebrations around the country.

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As is widely known, corruption is a widespread problem in Indonesia. Often we read about new corruption cases being unveiled that (typically) involve Indonesian state officials joining hands with the private sector in a (supposedly) win-win deal related to public procurement.

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On 17 May 2023 the Attorney General’s Office of Indonesia officially named Johnny G. Plate, Minister of Communication and Information, a suspect in a corruption case that involves the construction of base transceivers stations across the Archipelago. Plate was also immediately arrested in Jakarta.

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Throughout my life in Indonesia I have noticed that when dealing with government institutions, for example when arranging a residence permit (KITAS/KITAP), a work permit (IMTA) or a building permit (IMB), there are two options: (1) do everything according to official guidelines (based on laws, regulations, and policies) but expect to see a delay, or (2) pay a higher price at the start but ‘get things done quickly’.

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On 9 August 2021, Indonesian President Joko Widodo witnessed the launch of the new Online Single Submission (OSS) system at the Investment Ministry (also known as the Investment Coordinating Board, abbreviated as BKPM).

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One characteristic of the Indonesian economy is that the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) play an important role in this USD $1.0 trillion economy. They not only play an important role because some of them rank among Indonesia’s biggest companies (in terms of profit, sales and assets), thereby generating plenty of money for the government (in the form of tax revenue or dividend) while at the same time creating jobs for millions of Indonesians.

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In Transparency International’s ‘Corruption Perceptions Index’ (CPI), Indonesia is rising slowly, yet continuously. In the latest edition, which was released in January 2019, Indonesia ranked 89th with a score of 38 points (the CPI uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is fully corrupt and 100 is completely clean).

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Those consumers and investors who purchased one or more apartment units in the Meikarta megacity project in Bekasi (West Java) are currently facing uncertain times. A new corruption scandal has put the future of the Meikarta project in jeopardy and therefore those who have already bought a Meikarta apartment fear that their money and apartment unit is lost. Those who are still making monthly mortgage payments to the bank, are confused whether they need to continue these payments (hence risking losing more money) or stop the monthly payment.

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Although Indonesia's score was unchanged, the nation's ranking fell in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index, compiled by Berlin-based Transparency International. In the 2017 edition, Southeast Asia's largest economy Indonesia ranks 96th, down from 90th in last year's edition. The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption (based on input from experts and businessmen), uses a scale from 0.0 (highly corrupt) to 1.0 (very clean).

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