The kingdom's economy has not bounced back after fully re-opening to tourists earlier this year, and has been battered by 14-year-high inflation and the economic knock-on effects of the Russian-Ukraine war.

Coal will still become one of Indonesia’s key growth drivers in years to come, despite a steady shift to renewable energy, as the ‘black gold’ commodity prices are poised to remain elevated due to robust demand amid supply disruptions.

The price of chicken eggs at the consumer level is up nearly a quarter from last year, setting a new record for the staple food and far exceeding the general inflation rate, as industry representatives blame government aid programs for causing a rapid spike in demand.

Had the pandemic not happened, the proportion of people in the region facing extreme poverty could have eased to 2.9 percent in 2020 instead of rising to 5 percent.

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Trade Representative Katherine Tai will co-host the meeting with ministerial-level officials from the 13 other members of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, including Australia, India, Japan and South Korea. 

The relocation of the nation’s capital to East Kalimantan will require a huge sum, some Rp 466.5 trillion (US$31.31 billion). Funds from the state budget are estimated at only Rp. 91.3 trillion, or 19.6 percent of total financing needs.

Gross domestic product fell by 11.0 percent in 2020, the Office for National Statistics said. This was a bigger drop than any of the ONS's previous estimates and the largest fall since 1709, according to historical data hosted by the Bank of England.

The government has reiterated a plan to create a bullion bank by merging Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) and PT Pegadaian in a bid to end Indonesia's dependence on ‘parking’ its gold reserves in Singapore.

The protectionist trade policies adopted by some trading partners amid persisting global uncertainty could pose a challenge as well as an opportunity for Indonesia's manufacturer exporters.

Wheat prices are expected to decline in the coming months as exporting countries enter harvesting season, but the Indonesian Flour Mills Association (Aptindo) says the longer-term trend also depends on fertilizer prices.

The high inflation rate in Indonesia is likely to continue in 2023 as Bank Indonesia projects that prices will remain stubbornly high next year, extending what the country has been suffering throughout this year.

In the first quarter of this year, the Trade Ministry recorded five new and three re-initiated cases of trade remedies imposed on Indonesian products by trading partners.

Another extension of the bank loan-restructuring program believed to be unlikely, but experts and borrowers say authorities may want to reconsider, arguing that some businesses need more time to fix their finances.

The budget plan for next year reflects determination to bring the deficit back down below 3 percent of GDP and leave enough fiscal space for any eventuality.

President Joko Widodo claims Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening its downstream industry has proved to be fruitful, as it allows the country to gradually shift from selling raw materials to value-added goods. 

The number of people living in poverty in 2021 rose to a total of almost 20 million or 18.1% of the population from 16.7 percent in 2018, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said, overshooting the government's target of 15.5 percent-17.5 percent. 

The price hike will be complemented with rules on subsidised fuel sales that will be issued this month, Energy Minister Arifin Tasrif was quoted as saying by several local media, including news website bisnis.com.

Stock markets mostly steadied and the dollar traded mixed as investors welcome signs of cooling US inflation, which nevertheless remains at the highest level in decades.

Indonesia’s trade surplus shrank in July but exports still exceeded imports for the 27th month in a row.

Southeast Asia's second-largest economy was hit hard during the pandemic, though visitor numbers are slowly improving with the relaxation of travel rules since May.

The world's third-largest economy grew 0.5 percent quarter-on-quarter due to stronger consumption and capital investment, but the rise was below market expectations of 0.7 percent.

Higher soyoil purchases by the world's biggest edible oil importer will support US soyoil prices, but will dent rival palm oil's share in Indian buying and force Malaysian and Indonesian sellers to offer discounts to regain the market share, traders said.

China's economy unexpectedly slowed in July, data showed on Monday, with factory and retail activity squeezed by Beijing's zero-COVID policy and a property crisis, while the central bank surprised markets with key lending rates cuts to revive demand.

The government is set to push for genetically modified organisms (GMO), in a bid to help the archipelago country fight food inflation, but experts and farmers say the move may do little to solve the problem.

The fact that women play such an important role in Indonesia’s economy raised the question as to how gender disparity could exist, especially in financial inclusion and tech workforce. 

Two more ships left Ukraine's Black Sea ports on Friday, including one laden with the first Ukrainian wheat to be exported under a UN-brokered deal.

The government is considering desperate measures to control the flow of the fuel subsidy, over fears that it may cost more than has been allocated, adding pressure to the state budget amid fiscal consolidation.

Indonesia’s shipments of crude palm oil (CPO) and its derivative products have begun to soar again following the halting of an export ban in May, yet the problem of excessive domestic stockpiles, which has led to a drop in CPO prices, still cannot be solved.

The dollar lost further ground versus other major currencies on Thursday, after traders reined in bets on an aggressive interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve after softer-than-expected US inflation data the previous day.

Moves by central banks worldwide to tighten borrowing costs in order to deal with rocketing prices have weighed down on global demand for Singapore's exports, with the government painting a grim picture for the rest of the year.