War In Ukraine
March 2022 WAR IN UKRAINE Some tell me the current thinking in Jakarta is that the Ukraine War is a two-month affair, a view I suspect may be wishful thinking. The conflict may not
Reforming the Sembako Economy
February 2022 Reforming the Sembako Economy Although Indonesia actively courts an image of a modernizing economy interested to develop high technologies, such as the electric vehicles, contrasting narratives often occur reminding us that the
Outlook for 2022
January 2022 OUTLOOK FOR 2022 Dusting off the crystal ball is always a daunting task; sometimes you just want to smash it, given the unpredictability of predicting. Here then, is my modest assessment of 2021
The Warehouse is Emptied
December 2021 THE WAREHOUSE IS EMPTIED At the end of July, at the height of the Delta variant’s impact, I learned that the City of NY had offered over 250 tons of surplus COVID-19 Personal
The Ghost of Ali Wardana
November 2021 THE GHOST OF ALI WARDANA In 1975 a bombshell hit the Indonesian economy: after many years of massive, short-term borrowing and corruption, the Indonesian government of President Suharto publicly declared Pertamina, the
Virus Update #85 October 18, 2021
Corona Virus Update #85 October 18, 2021 Cumulative number of reported cases: 4,235,384 (as of October 18) Deaths: 142,999 Recovered: 4,075,011 Fatality rate: 3.3% Rupiah to US: 14,096 Jakarta Stock Exchange Index: 6658