Indonesia's Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya publicly challenged independent economic analysts at an April 10 press briefing, claiming their inflation data does not match official figures. The remarks, directed broadly at analysts and observers, drew swift attention for their unusually confrontational tone from a senior government official. The episode has been labeled 'observer inflation' in local discourse, capturing the tension between government-reported data and independent assessments. The practical concern is institutional: when a Cabinet-level official dismisses outside data as simply wrong without detailed methodological rebuttal, it raises questions about the credibility of Indonesia's statistical environment and the space for independent economic analysis. For investors and policy professionals tracking Southeast Asia's largest economy, the episode signals potential friction between official communications and third-party data sourcing. How the government responds to requests for methodological transparency will determine whether this remains a rhetorical skirmish or escalates into a broader credibility question around Indonesian economic data.
India's government plans to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act to restore UPI merchant discount rates, ending the zero-MDR regime in place since January 2020.
India's government has introduced the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing changes to payments regulation, income tax, and the Finance Act to attract FDI and support Make in India. The Bill's final shape will depend on parliamentary debate and committee review.
The government's Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposes to replace the blanket UPI MDR ban with a system allowing the Centre to notify which payment modes stay fee-free.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rs 5,000 crore Bhogapuram greenfield airport in Andhra Pradesh, built under a public-private partnership model. He also laid foundation stones for infrastructure projects worth nearly Rs 18,000 crore in the state, signalling a broad investment push for the region.
