House of Representatives Discusses Mineral Exchange Plan and Critical Mineral Prospects

Jakarta – The government and the House of Representatives (DPR) are preparing the establishment of a mineral and strategic commodity exchange, expected to commence on 1 January 2027, to strengthen downstream processing and national competitiveness whilst enabling Indonesia to influence national reference price movements.

Chairman of Commission XII of the DPR RI, Bambang Patijaya, stated that the formation of the mineral exchange is part of measures to avoid transfer pricing and under-invoicing practices, as well as to improve the governance of Indonesia’s mineral supply chain.

Furthermore, the DPR RI is pushing for efforts to explore the potential of rare earth metals, which are highly sought after globally to support the development of telecommunications technology through to defence and security technology. Regions such as Bangka Belitung, a tin producer, also contain rare earth elements, and similar potential has been discovered in Sulawesi.

Therefore, efforts are needed to strengthen governance, technology, investment, and the market for rare earth metals, which must be prioritised by the government.