Indonesia hikes rice import quota by 1.6m tonnes to bolster reserves
While acknowledging the current imbalance in the price of rice for consumers and producers, an official underlined that the government was prepared to respond to price…
Policy Matters
Inclusive marriage registry plan for local religious offices meets with questions, calls for dialogue
Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas announced on February 23 a plan to expand marriage registration services at local religious affairs offices to accommodate people of…
Indonesian media outlets expect to conclude deals with digital platforms by August
The new publisher’s rights regulation takes effect in August and aims to level the playing field between the media and big tech firms, which have garnered the lion’s share of…
Thailand to work with agricultural fair-trade body ‘The Cairns’
Thailand has vowed to collaborate with 19 of the world's largest agricultural exporters in taking concrete steps towards agricultural reform to secure and sustain global food…
Indonesia’s poverty-reduction target in 2024 unlikely to be met: Minister
Minister Muhadjir Effendy said the country's poverty rate in 2023 was 9.36 per cent, meaning that it would take a 1.85 per cent reduction to meet the target. He pointed out that…
Nepal trekking permit goes digital
Nepal has put an end to the manual system of issuing permits, nearly seven and a half decades after the country started issuing such permits to foreign trekkers.
P350 wage hike to hit biz sector hard: Employers
President of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines says any wage increase in the formal sector would benefit only about 16 per cent of the country’s workforce, leaving…
Rohingyas being forcibly recruited by Myanmar military: Report
The report comes after the UN special rapporteur on the country said that Myanmar's ruling military junta has "doubled down" on civilian attacks while showing signs of becoming…
Former foes Agus and Moeldoko now cabinet comrades
The cabinet position signals the Democratic Party’s alignment with the Gerindra Party-led alliance supporting presumptive president-elect Prabowo Subianto, who ran alongside…
Indonesia’s health ministry to require sugar content labels on beverages
The government is also expected to impose a sweetened drink tax this year, aiming to collect Rp 4.3 trillion (US$275.5 million) in revenue.