Exporters' Hopes in Danantara
In the midst of Indonesia’s economic transformation, a new institutional name has emerged as a beacon of hope: the Badan Pengelola Investasi Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara). For exporters who have fought global markets with inadequate resources for years, Danantara’s arrival is more than bureaucratic restructuring—it represents a glimmer of light in the long tunnel of financing and logistics challenges.
By the end of 2025, Indonesia’s export landscape presents a unique duality. On one hand, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) continues to record consistent trade surplus balances for more than 60 consecutive months. Non-oil-and-gas export values remain supported by flagship commodities such as coal, palm oil, and nickel downstream products in steel form.
Yet behind these impressive figures lies genuine fragility. Our export structure remains heavily dependent on global commodity price fluctuations. When China’s economy slows or American protectionist policies tighten, our exporters’ vitality weakens immediately. We are experiencing “vulnerable growth.”
Furthermore, SMEs contribute only 15-16% of total national exports, far behind neighbouring countries like Vietnam or Thailand. This reveals that the export boom has been enjoyed primarily by a handful of large corporations, whilst millions of small business operators struggle to breach the international gate.
Being an exporter in Indonesia often feels like running a marathon whilst carrying a heavy burden on one’s shoulders. Three primary obstacles frequently become “giant walls” for our foreign exchange earners.
First, Indonesian products often hit the wall of technical barriers to trade. Many exporters, particularly in the food and furniture sectors, must accept losses because their goods are held at destination ports due to sustainability certification problems or unmet sanitary standards.
Second, Indonesia’s logistics costs remain amongst the highest in ASEAN. Infrastructure disparity between production areas outside Java and major international ports makes local shipping costs sometimes higher than freight from Jakarta to Rotterdam.
Third, payment and default risk issues. In international trade, trust is the primary currency. Novice exporters often face dilemmas: requesting advance payment, which buyers frequently reject, or using open account arrangements, which carry high risk if foreign buyers default or act unscrupulously.
One of the greatest paradoxes in our export sector is the relationship between exporters and banking. Theoretically, exports are a national priority. Yet in field reality, the facts tell a different story.
First, collateral remains king. Our conventional banks remain heavily collateral-based. Even if an exporter holds a multi-million-dollar export contract from a trusted European buyer, banks often demand fixed asset security (land/buildings) valued far exceeding the requested credit.
Second, fear of non-downstream sectors. Banks tend to be bolder disbursing funds to mining sectors with clear downstream ecosystems. Meanwhile, creative sectors or organic agriculture with high value-added but dynamic market risks are often classified as high risk. This creates substantial financing gaps for mid-sized exporters.
Danantara: The New Engine of Hope
This is where Danantara enters as a game changer. Unlike previous institutions, Danantara is designed as a sovereign wealth fund that consolidates large BUMN assets, including major banks and other financial institutions.
The “Daya Anagata Nusantara” concept is not merely about collecting dividends but about creating leverage. With jumbo assets under its control, Danantara possesses the power to direct more aggressive yet measured financing policies for strategic sectors, including exports.
To ensure exporters’ hopes do not end in disappointment, concrete steps must be implemented by Danantara and the government. First, massive implementation of export credit insurance. Danantara must drive the establishment or strengthening of an export insurance system guaranteeing payment failure risk coverage up to 90%. If this risk is assumed by an institution under Danantara’s umbrella, banks will be bolder in providing contract-based financing without demanding burdensome physical collateral.
Second, integrated supply chain finance. Danantara can leverage big data from BUMN logistics and port operators to create a digital financing ecosystem. Once goods enter the port and are validated by customs systems, working capital financing should automatically be disbursed. This will resolve cash flow problems that have hampered exporter operations.
Third, Danantara could invest in warehouses at strategic global points. With these “forward offices,” small exporters can send goods in collective quantities (less than container load) to these warehouses, cutting shipping costs and accelerating delivery times to final buyers.
Indonesia cannot remain forever merely a spectator in the global supply chain. The challenges ahead are indeed serious, from climate crisis to geopolitical tensions, yet our potential is far greater.
Exporters’ hopes now rest on Danantara’s effectiveness. If this institution can transform from being merely an asset consolidator into an active architect of Indonesia’s export competitiveness, then perhaps the tunnel will finally see daylight.