Makassar Becomes the First City for Roadshow on Public Debate Regarding the Presence of Danantara

Makassar (ANTARA) - The Nagara Institute, an independent organisation focused on public policy research, has chosen the city of Makassar as the first location for a public debate on the existence of Danantara as the latest innovation to enhance the national economy. The main issue to be discussed is Danantara’s status as a superholding managing fantastical assets worth $900 billion or equivalent to Rp14,700 trillion. Director of the Nagara Institute, Akbar Faizal, in Makassar on Wednesday (15/4), urged the public to pay attention to this issue so that those in charge of state finances do not take their duties lightly. “We are witnessing a major shift in our economic history. We are here to ensure that the narrative on Danantara does not come only from one side, but also from the critical perspective of academics and experts who care about the future of the nation’s wealth,” he stated. The government describes Danantara as a new engine to boost Indonesia’s economic growth to 8 per cent. However, on the other hand, Danantara could become a gateway to economic destruction if it cannot be accounted for conceptually or is managed corruptly. The debate features experts from various disciplines, including senior economist from the Bright Institute, Awalil Rizky, policy observer Wijayanto Samirin, and legal expert Prof Aminuddin Ilmar. According to Akbar Faizal, amid a culture of corruption and abuse of authority, many parties are concerned that Danantara will become a gateway for mega-corruption that will create new vulnerabilities to the foundation of the national economy. Moreover, there is a new finding: there has been a trend of declining profits of state-owned enterprises from Rp327 trillion in 2023 to Rp304 trillion in 2024. This occurred after the government established Danantara. “This event is expected to produce recommendation points to the government and Danantara for improving BUMN management in the future,” he said.