Indonesian govt seeks up to US$125bil in loans to modernise military

Japanese Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo (right) escorts Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (centre) at the end of a joint news conference following a signing ceremony for the “two-plus-two” meeting between the countries in Tokyo, on March 31, 2021. Prabowo has been making frequent overseas visits in search of potential defence procurement targets. - Reuters

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/ANN): The DefenCe Ministry is set to embark on a multibillion dollar shopping spree to moderniSe the country’s aging defense equipment in a new 25-year defence procurement plan, a draft presidential regulation reveals.

But lacking transparency has once again overshadowed the ministry’s plans to bolster Indonesia’s defence system, with military experts flagging possible conflicts of interest.