Indonesia may be Southeast Asia’s largest economy, but it is also a net importer of oil. That reality means that when global crude prices spike, the impact quickly ripples through the government budget. This week, policymakers signaled that the risk is no longer theoretical.
resident Prabowo's sovereign wealth fund promises to reverse decades of premature deindustrialization and power an eight percent growth miracle. But if its capital flows into commodity pipelines instead of factory floors, Indonesia may be fast-tracking itself toward the very trap it is trying to escape.
In recent months, prediction markets like Polymarket have shattered taboos by letting users bet on geopolitical violence – and some of those bets have been chillingly prescient. As The Atlantic bluntly warned, “Insider trading is going to get people killed” because these “war markets are a national-security threat.”.
Indonesia's new President Prabowo Subianto has a bold vision for the economy - packaged in what he calls Prabowonomics. But what exactly is Prabowonomics? And how will Indonesian's fair under it?
Kuartal was built with a simple idea in mind: finance should not feel distant, confusing, or reserved for a small group of insiders. Markets shape our world, yet most people are left navigating them alone. Kuartal exists to change that. Here's how you can start.
Welcome to Kuartal. Kuartal was created with a simple idea in mind: people should have clearer access to information about the economy, markets, and businesses that shape our lives. In a world where financial information is often fragmented, overly technical, or hidden behind institutional walls, Kuartal exists to make it more accessible, understandable, and useful.
Today marks an exciting new chapter for Kuartal. Read more about what we have planned for 2026.
As someone who is managing a sizable portfolio closely monitoring Southeast Asian emerging markets, I've been reviewing the structural implications of the recently signed Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between Indonesia and the United States. While political back-patting is in full swing, a cold, hard look at the macroeconomic realities reveals a highly lopsided arrangement.
Over the years, some of you have asked whether Kuartal is “neutral” or “unbiased.” And the funny thing is, we’ve never claimed to be. I certainly haven’t made such claims. We have always had an angle, so to speak. We have principles that we believe in when it comes to what we believe is right and what we believe is fair.
In late 2025, catastrophic floods in Sumatra led to significant environmental and human damage, prompting a government intervention in corporate land management. President Prabowo Subianto's revocation of permits from 28 companies and their transfer to state-owned enterprises raises questions about genuine environmental accountability versus state control. This shift jeopardizes ecological restoration and may redefine Indonesia’s governance trajectory, risking repeated disasters under new ownership.