Celebrating 20 Years in Indonesia, SingCham Expands to Bali

The Singapore Chamber of Commerce Indonesia (SingCham) commemorated its 20th anniversary by bringing together more than 100 senior business leaders, policymakers and academics in a forum titled Riding the Rebound: New Growth Paradigms. The forum served as a discussion space to foster closer collaboration between Singapore and Indonesia in facing global economic dynamics and uncertainty.

H.E. Kwok Fook Seng, Singapore’s Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia, attended as Guest of Honour and delivered remarks at the event held at The KPMG Clubhouse, Menara Astra, Jakarta. The forum also marked a significant moment for SingCham’s expansion with the inauguration of SingCham’s Bali Representative Office. The presence of this new representative office further extends SingCham’s reach beyond Jakarta, while strengthening support for the Singapore business community and investment activities that continue to grow across various regions of Indonesia.

The event took place amid increasingly close economic relations between Singapore and Indonesia. Singapore remains the largest foreign investor in Indonesia with realised investment of around US$20 billion in 2025, while bilateral trade value between the two countries was recorded at over US$60 billion. In celebration of two decades of contribution to strengthening business and people-to-people ties between the two countries, the forum was organised by SingCham Indonesia in collaboration with KPMG and NUS Business School.

Five Priorities for the New Phase of Singapore–Indonesia Partnership

Panellists in the discussion identified five key priorities expected to shape the future direction of business collaboration between Singapore and Indonesia:

• The use of AI needs to be balanced with investment in human resources;

• Indonesia’s new growth chapter will be driven by productivity and innovation;

• Closer Singapore–Indonesia collaboration will open new opportunities in the region;

• Business resilience has become a strategic necessity;

• Future growth will be built through talent and leadership.

Shoeb Kagda, Chairman of SingCham Indonesia, said, “Over the past two decades, SingCham has grown together with the Singapore business community in Indonesia. Starting as a chamber of commerce supporting companies entering the Indonesian market, SingCham has now evolved into a platform connecting business, government and academia to strengthen one of the most important bilateral economic relationships in Southeast Asia.”

“Celebrating 20 years of its journey, our focus is now also preparing to embrace future opportunities. The launch of the SingCham Bali Representative Office reflects the growing economic opportunities beyond Jakarta as well as our commitment to supporting companies wherever they choose to invest and grow in Indonesia. We believe that the next decade will be marked by ever closer collaboration, talent development and innovation between Singapore and Indonesia,” he said, as quoted from a written statement received in Jakarta on Sunday (23/8/2026).

Meanwhile, representing Programme Partner PT KPMG Sidhartha Advisory, Vincent Malayapillay, Head of Integration & Separation – Strategy, affirmed, “Businesses today are facing one of the most dynamic periods in recent years, influenced by technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty and evolving stakeholder expectations. Future success will increasingly depend on organisations that are agile, resilient and ready to embrace change. We are pleased to partner with SingCham in fostering meaningful dialogue and providing practical insights for business leaders to navigate this evolving business landscape.”