Rising Indonesia costs drag on public trust in Jokowi government

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo (centre) and Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan (left) visiting a trade exhibition in Tangerang on October 19, 2022. - AFP

JAKARTA (Bloomberg): Public trust in Indonesia’s government fell to the lowest since 2019, in part due to growing anger over rising living costs and several instances of police blunders, including their role in a deadly stampede at a soccer stadium.

Trust in President Joko Widodo’s government declined to 52%, according to an October survey by the research arm of one of Indonesia’s largest news outlets, Kompas. That’s the lowest since the start of his second term as president in 2019, according to the survey conducted between Sept. 24 and Oct. 7.