• Joko Widodo Orders Investigation into Indonesian Links in Panama Papers

    Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) called for an investigation into the Indonesian people and companies mentioned in the Panama Papers, the massive leak involving 11.5 million confidential documents from the database of Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca. These documents list names numerous people - including of political figures, businessmen, celebrities and sport stars - who have created secret shell companies and offshore accounts in tax havens (possibly in an effort to avoid tax obligations).

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  • Telekomunikasi Indonesia to Launch Telkom-4 Satellite in 2018

    State-controlled Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Indonesia's largest telecommunication and network provider, plans to launch its Telkom-4 satellite in 2018 through its subsidiary TelkomMetra. The Telkom-4 satellite, which will replace the aging Telkom-1 satellite, is equipped with 49 transponders that will be capable of beaming 100 Gbps mobile broadband across Indonesia, India and Southeast Asia. The USD $200 million satellite is expected to have a life span of 15 years.

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  • Corruption in Indonesia: Agung Podomoro Land & Pluit City

    One of Indonesia's largest listed property developers - Agung Podomoro Land - saw its shares plunge 10 percent on Monday (04/04) after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the country's anti-graft agency, named the company's President Director Ariesman Widjaja a suspect in a bribery case that also involves a Jakarta legislator. Allegedly, Muhammad Sanusi, legislator of the Jakarta provincial assembly and member of Prabowo Subianto's Great Indonesia Party (Gerindra), accepted money in exchange for support related to the Pluit City project.

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  • Asian Development Bank: Economic Growth Indonesia to Rebound in 2016

    The Asian Development Bank (ADB) expects Indonesia's economic growth to rebound in 2016 on the back of improving government spending realization (specifically on infrastructure development) and the series of economic policy packages that have been unveiled by the government since September 2015. Consumers and private investors are expected to respond positively to these government efforts hence contributing to macroeconomic growth.

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