Establishment of DSI a Strategic Step to Boost Policy Effectiveness
The presence of PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI) is considered to have great potential in strengthening the governance of the national natural resources sector, particularly in managing exports and export proceeds. Economic observer from Gadjah Mada University, Eddy Jurnasin, noted that conceptually, the formation of DSI is a strategic step to increase policy effectiveness and strengthen cross-sector coordination.
According to him, the existence of DSI could be highly beneficial in terms of governance and cash flow management. Furthermore, policy coordination and information distribution between agencies could become faster and more efficient if implemented correctly.
“Conceptually and in terms of governance, the presence of DSI could be very beneficial. In addition to making governance and cash flows more transparent and effective, the flow of information and policy will also become faster and clearer,” Eddy stated in Yogyakarta on Wednesday (3/6/2026).
He explained that the greatest challenge in forming DSI lies in the field implementation stage. Currently, the government, through the Ministry of Trade and other ministries, possesses various export support institutions such as export centres and free trade agreement centres.
“Will these various institutions be merged into DSI? In other words, a corporate strategy regarding vertical integration is needed to prevent overlapping and confusion for entrepreneurs,” he said.
Eddy assessed that DSI has the potential to increase national export proceeds and strengthen Indonesia’s trade balance position. Based on data from the first quarter of 2026, Indonesia’s trade balance still recorded a surplus of US$3.32 billion.
“Therefore, Indonesia’s current account deficit is not contributed to by the balance of trade, but by other components,” he explained.
He elaborated that the current account consists of several components, namely exports-imports, primary income and payment, secondary income and payment, as well as unilateral transfers. Therefore, increasing exports alone does not automatically change the current account deficit into a surplus.
“DSI is certainly expected to increase export proceeds, and DSI is highly likely to boost the balance of trade. However, whether DSI can reverse the current account position from deficit to surplus is not certain, because Indonesia’s current account deficit stems from components other than the balance of trade,” Eddy revealed.
Nevertheless, he is optimistic that the existence of DSI could have a positive impact on strengthening national foreign exchange reserves. In his view, an increase in foreign exchange reserves will be a crucial factor in maintaining the stability of the rupiah exchange rate amidst global economic dynamics.
“Strengthening foreign exchange reserves is one of the factors to bolster rupiah stability. However, it must be remembered that exchange rates are determined by demand-and-supply mechanisms. Thus, various combinations of macro, fundamental, and technical factors will determine the exchange rate,” he said.
On the other hand, he hopes that the formation of DSI will serve as a momentum for the government to improve the national investment climate. He believes that strategies to increase foreign investment must be accompanied by regulatory improvements, legal certainty, and enhanced ease of doing business.
Previously, on 20 May 2026, President Prabowo Subianto announced a Government Regulation (PP) regarding the Export Governance of Natural Resource Commodities. This regulation stipulates that the export of strategic natural resources is to be conducted through a new State-Owned Enterprise named PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI).
Chief Investment Officer of Danantara, Pandu Patria Sjahrir, stated that DSI, which began operations on 1 June 2026, performs three main roles: strengthening transparency and trade reporting systems, supporting more optimal management of state foreign exchange, and conducting data consolidation and efficiency in the export governance of strategic natural resource commodities.