Prasasti: DSI to be Prepared, State Aims to Prevent Foreign Exchange Leakage from Natural Resource Exports

The government is strengthening governance of export of strategic natural resource commodities by establishing a body or aggregator named Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI). The move is projected to become an instrument to optimise the foreign exchange earnings from exports while strengthening Indonesia’s bargaining position in global markets. In the initial phase, the policy covers palm oil, coal, and ferroalloys—commodities with large export values. The policy was also conveyed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in a Plenary Session of the House of Representatives on the Macro-Economic Framework and Key Fiscal Policy (KEM-PPKF) 2027 on Wednesday 20 May 2026. Fuad Bawazier, a member of the Prasasti Board of Trustees, said that forming the DSI addresses structural issues that have long plagued export governance of natural resource commodities. “The strengthening of governance of natural-resource commodity exports through the DSI is an important and strategic agenda,” Fuad said in a statement on Friday 22 May 2026. Prasasti Center for Policy Studies views the establishment of a natural-resource export body under the DSI as a timely move amid pressure on the rupiah and the need to strengthen the state’s revenue base. According to Prasasti, transparency in the exports of strategic commodities directly affects foreign exchange reserves and exchange-rate stability. When some export value is not recorded or not repatriated, pressure on the rupiah increases and fiscal space becomes tighter. Therefore, the policy is seen as aligned with the direction of the KEM-PPKF 2027, which emphasises strengthening downstream processing, economic resilience, and optimising state revenue. The presence of an export aggregator is understood as an effort to strengthen state control at the point of export transactions. The aim is not to add layers of bureaucracy, but to ensure export value is recorded more accurately, foreign exchange returns are more optimal, and Indonesia’s bargaining position in global markets becomes stronger. Fuad added that the export aggregation model is not new in Indonesia. Tin management via PT Timah and oil-and-gas governance via SKK Migas under the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) scheme have been cited as forms of partial aggregation that are already in operation. “Global experience shows that export aggregators can create significant economic impacts,” Fuad said. “Saudi Aramco recorded annual net profits in the range of USD 100-160 billion in recent years, with a record USD 161 billion in 2022. Similarly, some of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, such as Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, are supported by the management of the country’s exports of natural-resource commodities,” he continued. According to Fuad, this serves as an important reference that tools like the DSI have substantial potential to become the backbone of Indonesia’s revenue and long-term investment.