23 October 2025 (closed)
Jakarta Composite Index (8,274.35) +120.80 +1.49%
Be aware that there are scammers active on WA pretending to be Indonesia Investments
Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.
Latest Reports Politics
The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) surprised markets by cutting its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.75 percent at the September 2025 monetary policy meeting. It was the sixth rate cut in a monetary easing cycle that started in September 2024.
On Monday, 8 September 2025, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto established a new ministry: the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Mochamad Irfan Yusuf (a grandson of Nahdlatul Ulama founder KH. Hasyim Asy'ari) was appointed as its minister. It is interesting to take a closer look at the purpose of (and reason behind) this new ministry.
After the drastic cabinet reshuffle on Monday 8 September 2025 - when Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto replaced five ministers and created one new ministry - it is interesting to take a look at how markets are responding to these developments after a night's rest.
Indonesia is facing chaotic times, with a series of large anti-government protests having occurred in late August 2025 (leading to at least 10 deaths and extensive damage to public assets). And more problems may loom after Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto decided to go for a cabinet reshuffle on 8 September 2025.
On Wednesday 20 August 2025, Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (in Indonesian: Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi, or KPK) detained 14 people and seized 22 luxury vehicles (involving 15 cars and seven motorcycles) as well as a significant amount of cash after a sting operation was conducted.
On 29 August 2025, the benchmark stock index of Indonesia was in deep red territory (after having touched an all-time record high position a day earlier), while the rupiah lost quite some value against the US dollar. Certainly, profit-taking played a key role. However, portfolio investors were particularly interested in profit-taking due to rising political and social chaos across Indonesia.
On Monday 6 January 2025, it was announced by Brazil - which currently holds Chairmanship - that Indonesia has officially become a full member of the BRICS bloc, an intergovernmental organization that is considered an alternative to the G7 bloc.
On Tuesday 05 November 2024 Indonesia Investments released the October 2024 edition of its monthly report, titled: "Eight President of Indonesia Enters Office – the Transition in Focus". It presents analyses of political, economic and social matters that were relevant in Indonesian society in October 2024.
On Sunday 20 October 2024, Prabowo Subianto was inaugurated as Indonesia’s eight president for the 2024-2029 period at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)/House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta.
On Friday 6 September 2024 Indonesia Investments released the August 2024 edition of its monthly report. This report discusses various economic, political and social topics that were relevant (to Indonesia) in the month of August 2024.
Latest Columns Politics
At the inauguration of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura)'s new central leadership board on Wednesday (22/02), Indonesian President Joko Widodo said "Indonesian democracy has recently gone over the top". He referred to the various controversial cases and demonstrations that have emerged in recent months involving hate speech related to race, religion, ethnicity and class.
It is not a coincidence that ethnic, religious and social tensions have risen in Indonesia ahead of Jakarta's gubernatorial election on 15 February 2017. Indonesian Police is currently making over hours as various people, including political and religious leaders, have been reported to police for blasphemy or hate speech. One of the people that is being trialed is incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Purnama Tjahja (Ahok), who is one of the three men who compete to become the capital's next governor.
On Friday (04/11) a massive demonstration is scheduled to be staged in Jakarta. In this protest rally thousands of people are expected to gather to ventilate their disapproval of incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Cahaya Purnama (better known as Ahok). The rally is organized by a coalition of Islamic groups including hard-line group Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) which has often used violence to achieve their targets. The Muslim groups accuse Ahok of blasphemy by misquoting Quranic verses during a speech in Kepulauan Seribu, off the coast of Jakarta, in early October.
After two years in office, the time is ripe now to take a look at the performance and accomplishments of the government under the leadership of Joko Widodo, often called Jokowi. Indonesia's seventh president was a bit unlucky. In the first year of his rule, commodity prices were at multi-year lows (curbing Indonesia's foreign exchange earnings) amid sluggish global economic growth, while capital outflows from Indonesia occurred on the back of monetary tightening in the USA, sending the rupiah to a 17-year low in September 2015.
On Friday (14/10) Indonesian President Joko Widodo appointed Ignasius Jonan as Indonesia's new Energy and Mineral Resources Minister. Jonan is the nation's former Transportation Minister who was replaced by Budi Karya Sumadi in a cabinet reshuffle in late July 2016. Meanwhile, the position of Energy and Mineral Resources Minister had been empty (although for the time being filled by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan) after the dismissal of Arcandra Tahar in mid-August 2016.
Although Indonesia’s economic growth slowed further in 2014, there is optimism that growth will accelerate in 2015 despite sluggish global economic conditions (curbing Indonesia’s export performance) and Bank Indonesia’s relatively high interest rate environment. Indonesia’s central bank has raised its BI rate several times over the past one and a half years in an effort to combat high inflation (caused by fuel price hikes), curb capital outflows ahead of US monetary tightening, limit the current account deficit and support the rupiah.
By the mid-1960s, politics and the economy of Indonesia had turned into disaster. After Independence in 1945 (and the cessation of hostilities with the Dutch in 1949), the young nation was plagued by hostile internal politics in which several political forces - consisting of the army, nationalists, Muslims, and communists - opposed each other. For over a decade, Sukarno, Indonesia’s first president, had reasonable success in keeping these forces in check by the force of his own personality. However, by the mid-1960s his failure became evident.
Indonesian stocks and the rupiah have rebounded on Friday due to several internal and external factors. During the first trading session on Friday (17/10), the benchmark stock index of Indonesia (Jakarta Composite Index, or IHSG) surged 0.94 percent to 4,998.14 points. Meanwhile, based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index, the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate had appreciated 0.26 percent to IDR 12,228 per US dollar by 12:30 pm local Jakarta time. Why do Indonesian stocks and the rupiah perform well on Friday?
Global credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service stated that it maintains a stable outlook for Indonesia’s sovereign and corporate debt rating in the next quarters due to the country’s healthy credit fundamentals, solid macroeconomy, and reduced political tensions. Moody’s believes that Indonesia’s fundamentals are strong enough to offset the negative impact of external pressures such as looming higher US interest rates and slowing economic growth in China. Moody’s had raised Indonesia’s sovereign debt rating to investment grade in late 2011.
Amid political uncertainty and a looming increase in US interest rates, Indonesian stocks and the rupiah exchange rate weakened considerably in the past week. Market participants are increasingly concerned about the situation in Indonesia’s parliament where a majority of political parties - named the Merah-Putih coalition (led by defeated presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto) - is expected to undermine president-elect Joko Widodo’s reform programs as well as the democratic foundations of the country.
