Prabowo Emphasises That Foreign Investment Must Follow Rules and Market Prices

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - President Prabowo Subianto has emphasised that Indonesia’s openness to foreign investment, including from the United States, must still align with national interests.

According to him, discussions on economic cooperation such as tariff agreements do not change the basic principle that all incoming investments must comply with applicable domestic regulations, especially in the management of natural resources.

“Regarding critical minerals, I have already said, we are open. But everything at market price. At economic price,” he stated, as quoted on Sunday (22/3/2026).

He assured that Indonesia remains open to opportunities for foreign investors as long as they follow those provisions.

He explained that the involvement of foreign investors in the mining sector is not new for Indonesia.

The government has long provided space for cooperation, one of which is through the operations of PT Freeport Indonesia mine, which is now one of the major contributors to state revenue.

Nevertheless, he emphasised that the downstreaming policy remains the primary requirement in managing natural resources.

The government no longer permits the export of raw materials without undergoing processing domestically.

“Raw materials must be processed domestically. If they want to mine and process here, of course we will permit it,” he asserted.

“Critical minerals are commodities. As long as they pay according to international market prices, whoever manages it, we still get the economic value. The important thing is that we provide access with clear rules,” he said.

Thus, the government ensures that the door to investment remains open, but it must follow national regulations and support the downstreaming agenda to increase domestic value addition.