Yura Syahrul – According to the World Bank, inequality levels in Indonesia have steadily increased over the last 15 years. The rate at which this inequality has risen is the fastest among countries in the East Asia region.

A series of economic policy (kebijakan ekonomi) initiatives launched by the administration of President Joko Widodo (left) and Vice-President Jusuf Kalla (right) aimed at boosting economic growth, none of which address the fundamental problems plaguing the country such as corruption, dependency on raw material exports, foreign domination of the

Abraham Utama, Jakarta – A new life begins after 50. This is what has been the case for a number of retired Indonesian military (TNI) generals, because shedding their official military uniforms has not necessarily meant ending their careers.

Chest reads ‘state budget’, folder reads ‘projects’

Indonesia’s foreign debt continues to rise, primarily because private sector debt is growing. Of the various issues related to private sector foreign debt, the composition of new debts to pay old debts needs to be given attention. The ‘nomenclature’ of this kind of foreign debt is referred to as ‘refinancing’.

Jakarta – Starting in 2015, the wage remuneration system will be revised. Workers will be paid based on education level, productivity, length of employment, achievements and position. Demands for wage increases will only be implemented if a company is profitable.

Anggi Kusumadewi, Erick Tanjung – Indonesia’s newly appointed military (TNI) chief, General Moeldoko, will deploy TNI forces to maintain state security and protect investments in Indonesia. This was conveyed by Moeldoko at a ceremony to hand over command at the TNI’s headquarters in Cilangkap in Jakarta on Wednesday September 4.

Zulfi Suhendra, Jakarta – A number of companies and industrial zones have been included as Indonesian National Vital Objects (OVNI) in the industrial sector and now come under government protection. This protection covers security threats against OVNIs.

Jakarta – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Rieke Diah Pitaloka has criticised President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s (SBY) state of the nation speech as being no different from a work of science fiction.

Shesar Andriawan/FMB, Jakarta – According to Budi Wardoyo, the national secretary of Politics of the People and the Joint Labour Secretariat (Sekber Buruh) working body, complaints [by employers] about the large number of public holidays that cause a drop in productivity are simply a red herring.