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Restrictions to control Covid-19 spread have brought international trade and investment to a halt. Global trade is predicted to fall by 13 – 32%, while foreign direct investment (FDI) may sink even deeper by 30% and 40%. With the world headed to recession, economic recovery post COVID-19 depends on resuming, strengthening, and diversifying global trade networks and investment. In our latest policy brief, we assess Indonesia's Omnibus Bill initiative and outline several recommendations to support making Indonesia more attractive to investments that might open Indonesians to more job prospects, and bring innovation and growth to domestic industries.

For the majority of Indonesians, rice is a must in every meal. So important is rice that much of Indonesia's food security lies in this commodity. The government has intervened extensively and monopolised rice markets for decades, yet, Indonesians continue to be met with expensive rice prices at markets, and farmers struggle to build decent livelihoods for themselves. In this paper we discuss how the Indonesian government should explore the feasibility of solutions such as a commodity futures market to stabilise prices and support farmers to get a fair return on their harvests.