Indonesia

Facing growing competition from cheaper Chinese rivals like Sany Heavy Industry, Komatsu released lower-priced excavators in Southeast Asia in the summer of 2021.
Construction

Booming Southeast Asia lifts Komatsu profits to pre-pandemic heights

Cheaper, more targeted machinery expands company's reach in Indonesia

1 February 2022
The Indonesian government allowed some coal exports during the ban, as importing countries lobbied for exemptions.
Commodities

Indonesia to end coal export ban with tighter local supply rules

Minors will have to report fulfillment data monthly, face harsher penalties

31 January 2022
Fintech and logistics were among the major targets for investors pouring money into Southeast Asian startups in 2021. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

'Gold rush': ASEAN startup fundraising more than doubled in 2021

Fintech and logistics lead growth as region mints 25 new unicorns

31 January 2022
The Okura Residences Jakarta, as seen in this artist's rendering, is due to open in the Indonesian capital during 2025.
Travel & Leisure

Japan's Hotel Okura to run luxury serviced apartments in Jakarta

Hotel-apartment complex to open in Indonesian capital during 2025

29 January 2022
Malaysia's Axiata Group sees promise in Indonesia's growing digital economy.
Telecommunication

Axiata buys majority in Indonesian pay TV operator

Malaysian telcom group views deal as way to solidify its regional position

27 January 2022
Japan recently extended its strict entry ban, affecting even Asian people with visas for long-term work or study. (Photo by Arisa Moriyama) 
Japan immigration

Japan's entry ban keeps Indonesian, Filipino workers in limbo

Some patiently wait, but others raise voices against strict border controls

26 January 2022
A barista serves coffee in one of Seoul's many trendy cafes, the demand for which is growing throughout Asia due to the emergence of a new breed of pandemic era coffee connoisseurs. (Photo by Jean Chung)
The Big Story

Asia's coffee revolution: From Indonesia to Vietnam, homegrown beans are back

More disposable income and TikTok trends push coffee ahead of tea

26 January 2022
Joko Widodo inspects an area planned to be Indonesia's new capital at Sepaku district in East Kalimantan in December 2019: his administration needs to ensure legal certainty of the project.
26 January 2022
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's choice of name for the new capital comes from the term "nusantara," which was historically introduced by the Majapahit kingdom, a Java-based empire from the 13th to 15th centuries that conquered all of Indonesia. (Source photos by Jun Suzuki and Reuters) 
Politics

Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, sparks controversy

Critics call out 'Java-centric' name, rushed passage of law, corruption concerns

25 January 2022
Joko Widodo is confident investments will flow into Indonesia if "we stop [exports of] bauxite, we stop copper, we stop tin, we stop gold, everything stops, stops, stops."
Asia Insight

Indonesia's drive to lift resource curse shakes global producers

Jokowi sees export ban on tin, gold, copper as invitation to foreign investors

25 January 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Garuda Indonesia particularly hard, with the airline struggling to stay solvent.
Transportation

Indonesia court extends Garuda's debt restructuring process

National airline struggles to avert bankruptcy as creditors demand payment

21 January 2022
Grab and Singtel expand their financial businesses by investing in an Indonesian bank. (Source photos courtesy of Grab and Reuters) 
Finance

Singapore's Grab, Singtel take stakes in Indonesia's Bank Fama

Superapp provider and telecom major increase bets on promise of banking sector

21 January 2022
From left, IHH Healthcare Group CIO Linus Tham and Siloam International Hospitals Deputy President Director Caroline Riady 
Health Care

Southeast Asian hospitals look to high-tech future in metaverse

Malaysia's IHH, Indonesia's Siloam see big opportunities in VR, other tech

21 January 2022
President Joko Widodo launches InJourney, a new holding company for state-owned enterprises in tourism-related businesses, in West Nusa Tenggara Province on Jan. 13. (Photo courtesy of Indonesia’s presidential office)
Companies

Indonesia pushes state-owned industry consolidation and IPO plans

Tourism and food latest sectors targeted as government seeks economic recovery

19 January 2022
Indonesia's new capital city is set to be built in East Kalimantan Province on the island of Borneo. (Photo by Jun Suzuki)
Politics

Indonesia names new capital 'Nusantara' as parliament approves shift

Relocation from Jakarta to Borneo designated a '10-year national priority'

18 January 2022
Bukalapak President Teddy Oetomo is taking the e-commerce platform into digital banking. (Source photos by Reuters and courtesy of Bukalapak) 
Interview

Bukalapak president says wide ecosystem key for digital banks

Indonesian e-commerce platform to join fray with Allo Bank investment

14 January 2022
A UOB branch in Singapore. The bank's acquisition of Citigroup's consumer banking businesses in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam enables it to instantly expand its customer base from 2.9 million retail customers to 5.3 million in the four markets.
Finance

Citi sells ASEAN assets to Singapore's UOB in $3.6bn deal

Purchase of commercial banking units comes as region's digital battle heats up

14 January 2022
Coal barges in Samarinda, Indonesia. Coal and other fossil fuels generate the vast majority of electricity in Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.
Climate Change

Japan's ammonia push in Southeast Asia seen as aiding coal

Critics say co-firing approach is just 'Band-Aid' for fossil fuels

14 January 2022
Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif told lawmakers on Thursday that only miners that have met their local sales quota can export coal. (Screenshot from official youtube channel of the Indonesian parliament)
Commodities

Indonesia to amend local coal supply rules to improve compliance

Minister says miners that do not meet 25% domestic sales not allowed to export

13 January 2022
Indonesia, the world's biggest thermal coal exporter, has allowed 37 loaded coal vessels to depart after they secured approvals from authorities.
Commodities

Indonesia relaxes export ban to allow 37 coal vessels to depart

Partial easing comes amid pressure from Asian nations and to avoid 'fire risks'

13 January 2022
Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, right, Indonesia's coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment, has named departing Bukalapak CEO Rachmat Kaimuddin as his special adviser. (Photo from ministry's Twitter account)
Politics

Jokowi taps Indonesia's corporate stars for policymaking input

Bukalapak CEO joins revolving door between public and private sectors

13 January 2022
Construction site of the high-speed railway that will connect Jakarta to Bandung during the groundbreaking ceremony in Cikalong Wetan in January 2016.
Opinion

Indonesia should choose its investment partners more wisely

Fallout from Jakarta-Bandung rail project may damage ties with Japan and China

13 January 2022
Indonesia subsidizes regular-grade gasolines to keep prices low. Last year, fuel subsidies, including for diesel, electricity and liquefied petroleum gas, reached 142 trillion rupiah ($9.9 billion)
Climate Change

Indonesia backtracks on cleaner gasoline plan over inflation fear

Pertamina to keep selling regular fuels, defying country's zero-carbon pledge

12 January 2022
The ARJ21 at Shanghai Pudong International Airport in December 2021. China's first homegrown passenger plane seats from 78 to 90 passengers. It is set to make its long-awaited overseas debut after receiving approval from Indonesia's Transportation Ministry. (Photo by Yao Tianqi)
Aerospace & Defense Industries

China's homegrown jet seeks to spread its wings in Indonesia

Without standard certificate, ARJ21 struggles to be adopted by overseas carriers

12 January 2022
Piles of coal are seen in Indonesia's East Kalimantan Province
Commodities

Indonesia reviews coal export ban Wednesday, with ships set to go

Move comes as Philippines, Japan call on Jakarta to restart shipments

11 January 2022