For years, Indonesia¡¯s raw materials have been ferried from remote mines and plantations to global markets by armies of traders who handle negotiations, loans and even cranes and river barges.?
Now the government is taking over, hoping to save billions of dollars it says are otherwise lost in transit.?
Under the surprise plan, the country will take control of exports of the country¡¯s major commodities. It¡¯s a sweeping move reminiscent of the country¡¯s authoritarian past ¡ª radical even for President Prabowo Subianto, a former general who has sought to harness the country¡¯s raw materials and centralize economic management since he took power in 2024.
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