Indonesia eyes capital market deepening as funding needs soar

Speaking at the 49th anniversary of the Indonesia Stock Exchange’s reactivation in Jakarta, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto emphasized that maintaining investor trust remains vital to funding national growth.

“The capital market serves as a primary proxy for the economy that investors closely monitor,” Hartarto said, noting that all major international agencies—including S&P, Fitch, and Moody’s—maintain Indonesia’s investment-grade rating.

To meet rising capital demands, the government plans to diversify sovereign debt issuances beyond local instruments to include international offerings like Samurai Bonds and Chinese Renminbi-denominated Panda Bonds, which recently secured an AAA local rating from Lianhe Credit.

Diversifying borrowing instruments will strengthen Indonesia’s overall market positioning, Hartarto added.

Parallel to debt diversification, financial regulators are introducing new asset classes. The Financial Services Authority (OJK) recently approved Electronic Gold Receipts (EGRs) as underlying securities for Gold Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), a move expected to boost liquidity and connect local bullion banks directly with the stock exchange.

Related news: Indonesia launches Sharia-compliant Gold ETF to boost market

Translator: Muhammad Heriyanto, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak