High Gold Investment Interest Means Bullion Ecosystem Has Potential to Keep Growing

The bullion ecosystem is considered to open greater space for public gold to enter the financial system and provide added value for the economy. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said managing gold through gold banks can turn previously passive assets into more productive ones.

“This is also an added value in itself, because previously gold was simply considered unused in banking assets,” Airlangga said on the sidelines of the SUAR Forum 2026 in BSD City, Tangerang, Banten, Friday (21/8/2026).

Airlangga said gold banks, which have been operating for about a year since their launch in 2025, have managed around 153 tonnes of gold worth Rp360 trillion, or about US$20 billion.

According to him, the potential for developing the bullion ecosystem in Indonesia remains large. This is driven by high public interest in gold, especially because gold is seen as a safe-haven asset.

“The increase is extraordinary because gold has become a safe-haven investment. Moreover, we have also been promoting gold derivatives, namely ETFs. The potential to attract investment and gold management is still very high,” Airlangga said.

In addition to direct gold ownership, the government is also encouraging the development of gold-based investment instruments through Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). These instruments allow investors to gain exposure to gold through the capital market.

The development of the bullion ecosystem is also reflected in the increase in customer numbers and public gold holdings. Based on data from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs as of March 2026, the number of customers at bullion financial services institution PT Pegadaian increased from 3.2 million in February 2025 to 5.6 million in February 2026.