Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines Corruption

  • Wiretapping Scandal Cools Relations between Indonesia and Australia

    Relations between Indonesia and Australia have cooled considerably after it became known that Australia's Intelligence Service agency tried to follow telephone conversations of various high positioned Indonesian politicians as well as their inner circle, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, his wife Kristiani Herawati and vice-president Boediono, for 15 days in August 2009. This information became known a few days ago due to leaked documents by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

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  • World Bank: Indonesia Improves in the 'Doing Business 2014' Ranking

    On Friday (25/10), the World Bank released its 'Doing Business 2014' report in which it "ranks countries on their overall 'ease of doing business', and analyzes reforms to business regulation - identifying which economies are strengthening their business environment the most." In total 189 countries were analyzed. Indonesia, traditionally characterized by a complex and difficult investment environment, managed to climb 8 places in the ranking. Southeast Asia’s largest economy rose from number 128 to 120 in the 2014 edition.

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  • Another High Profile Corruption Case in Indonesia's Judiciary: Akil Mochtar

    Indonesia's credentials in terms of corruption eradication received another blow when Akil Mochtar, the chief justice of Indonesia's Constitutional Court (Mahkamah Konstitusi), was detained by the country's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Wednesday evening (02/10). Allegedly, Mochtar accepted a bribe to influence the court's ruling on the Gunung Mas election dispute in Central Kalimantan. In this regional election, Hambit Bintih (together with Arton S. Dohong) was re-elected as district head of Gunung Mas.

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  • Survey Indicates Declining Popularity of Yudhoyono's Democratic Party

    According to a new survey, the Democratic Party (Partai Demokrat), the political vehicle of president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is increasingly losing popular support. The survey indicates that currently only 7.1 percent of respondents will vote for the Democratic Party in next year's legislative elections. The survey was conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and involved 1,635 respondents from 31 provinces. In combination with results of earlier surveys in the last 12 months, it shows declining support for the party.

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  • Chairman of Yudhoyono's Democratic Party Named Suspect in Corruption Case

    Although it has been in the air for a while, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) finally named Anas Urbaningrum, chairman of president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party (PD), a suspect in the Hambalang corruption case. This case, in which Anas is charged with accepting a bribe to ensure a contract, is the last in a series of blows to the Democratic Party, which has seen its popularity erode drastically in recent months.

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  • Governor of Riau Declared a Suspect in Pekanbaru Corruption Case

    Today, the governor of the Riau province (on Sumatra), Rusli Zainal, was officially declared a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Board (KPK). Zainal is accused of taking bribes from the management of state-controlled Adhi Karya, a construction company, in exchange for a contract to build facilities for last year's National Games in Pekanbaru, the capital city of Riau. The KPK stated that they found convincing evidence to underpin its allegation.

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  • Beef Import Scandal Might Involve More PKS Members

    The corruption scandal which led to the resignation last week of Luthfi Hasan Ishak, chairman of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) - Indonesia's fourth-largest political party - is likely to make more victims in the party, and will put the Muslim-party in a negative light. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) stated that the corruption scandal might involve more people within the PKS, including the party’s new chairman, Anis Matta and Agriculture minister Suswono.

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  • Continued Emergence of Scandals Undermines Trust in Indonesian Politics

    Today, most Indonesian newspapers opened with negative headlines concerning the country's political arena. In Indonesian politics, scandals - whether connected to corruption or other issues - are frequently reported and seriously undermine people's (both domestic and foreign) confidence in the nation's governance. In today's newspapers, three cases were center of attention and illustrate the problems within Indonesia's political elite.

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Latest Columns Corruption

  • Revised Tax Holiday and Tax Allowance to Attract Investments in Indonesia

    Apart from the five tax incentives that I have mentioned in a previous column, the Indonesian government also intends to ease two other tax rules in order to boost investments in Indonesia from 2014 onwards. These are the tax holiday and tax allowance. Relaxation of the tax holiday involves an alteration to the period as well as the size of the investment, and relaxation of procedural difficulties. Relaxation of the tax allowance involves the revision of the number of sectors that are eligible and a relaxation of procedures in the form of tax clearance.

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  • Indonesian Democracy & its Rising Consumer Class: Three Bottlenecks (Part II)

    Agung Budiono - Pol-Tracking Institute - Indonesia Investments - Indonesian Democracy

    In my previous column, I outlined the emergence of a new and promising class of Indonesian consumers that is most likely to bring a positive effect on the country's economic growth in the years ahead. I also pointed out that the level of prosperity of a population is an influential factor towards the state (and future) of democracy in a country: the wealthier a population becomes in terms of per capita GDP, the longer the life expectancy of its democracy will be.

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  • The Tough Road of Yudhoyono's Democratic Party towards the 2014 Elections

    Last Saturday, the Democratic Party (PD) selected Indonesia's president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as the new chairman of the crumbling political party through an extraordinary congress in Bali. Yudhoyono thus replaced former chairman Anas Urbaningrum, who resigned from his post last month after being accused of involvement in a corruption case. It will be Yudhoyono's task to repair the image of his PD party, while still performing his duties as president.

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  • Names that Top the Presidential Polls Are Not Considered a Step Foreward

    Yesterday Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI), a leading Indonesian public opinion research institute, published the result of a survey that indicated Megawati Soekarnoputri is leading the poll to become the country's next president in 2014. In the survey she is closely followed by Aburizal Bakrie and Prabowo Subianto. This preliminary result can be regarded negative as these names are 'products' of the old regime and thus will not support further democratization.

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  • Low Competitiveness Blocks Development of Indonesia's Manufacturing Sector

    Despite the fact that Indonesia reported the world's third-highest GDP growth in 2012 (behind China's 7.4 percent and Saudi Arabia's 7.1 percent), supported by rising consumption by a burgeoning middle class and significant increased foreign direct investment, the country's performance in terms of competitiveness is disappointing. It is cheaper to import products from countries that contain competitive businesses than to produce them in Indonesia.

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  • Agus Martowardojo Nominated for Governor of Indonesia's Central Bank

    President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has nominated Agus D.W. Martowardojo, currently serving as Finance minister, to replace Darmin Nasution as governor of Bank Indonesia, Indonesia's central bank. Nasution, who has been governor since September 2010, will see his term end in May this year. To become the next governor, Martowardojo still needs approval of Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR), and that might be a bottleneck.

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  • President Yudhoyono Back to Take Leadership of his Crumbling Democratic Party

    Just a few years ago, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party (in Indonesian Partai Demokrat or PD) enjoyed huge popularity among Indonesia's population. More than one fifth of the electorate voted for the 'Democrats' in the 2009 parliamentary election, a notable achievement in Indonesia's pluralistic society. In particular, the party's hard stance towards corruption was likened by the people. Now, however, the party crumbles under its own weight.

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