Pertamina CEO Dwi Soetjipto was seen pacing the floor of his third floor office at the headquarters of the state oil and gas company, last week. Assisted by his secretary, he gathered his personal documents and belongings. "Just tidying up," Dwi told Tempo last Thursday.

Short-term populist economic policies are increasingly dominating the world. One is protectionism. In his first days in office, US President Donald Trump immediately pulled his country out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Trump also invited Mexico and Canada to meet and reassess the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

As we enter 2017, the government has been busy seeking ways to stabilize the rupiah. With the Federal Reserve raising US dollar interest rates late last year, other world currencies, including the rupiah, have weakened. Our currency, which in the third quarter of last year averaged about Rp13,100 per US dollar, closed the year at Rp13,400. Unfortunately, the rupiah will continue to face pressure, given the Fed's plan to further raise interest rates this year.