Jokowi approves 20% rise in defence spending

THE country’s outgoing president has approved a 20% increase in defence spending through the end of next year, to upgrade the country’s military hardware in response to geopolitical developments, its finance minister said.

In a news conference on Wednesday, Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the approval came in a meeting she attended with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto.