KEK as the Engine of Economic Acceleration

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The following is important information related to the development of the business universe that needs attention today based on the curation of the SUAR Team.

Indonesia's Special Economic Zones with Global Competitiveness

Special economic zones (SEZs) in a number of regions in Indonesia play an important role as centers of economic growth that attract large investments with various fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, as well as creating jobs for the community. The enormous potential of SEZs needs to be continuously developed in order to be competitive with SEZs in other countries.
However, when compared to SEZs in other countries, SEZs in Indonesia still have much to learn and improve upon. The area covered by Indonesian SEZs is still far smaller than that of several other countries. Therefore, investment in SEZs still needs to be encouraged. Local governments need to be more involved in the development of SEZs. The operation of SEZs is closely related to local governments in regencies/cities, so there needs to be clear regulations in this regard to ensure accountability.

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Promising to Help Overcome Investment Obstacles, Purbaya Forms 'The Bottlenecking Task Force'

Indonesia's weak competitiveness compared to a number of countries in Southeast Asia overshadows the target of accelerating Indonesia's economic growth to 8% in the next few years. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa compared Indonesia with a number of countries in the region, such as Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, as reflected in Nvidia's decision to choose Johor as its investment location over Indonesia. This has prompted the government to plan to boost the investment climate in Indonesia by removing all investment barriers. This will be done by forming a 'task force on bottlenecks' to address issues in the field.

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Promote Transparency, Companies Must Deposit Financial Statements Starting 2027

Government Regulation No. 43 of 2025 concerning Financial Reporting requires every company in Indonesia to submit financial reports to the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) starting in 2027. A number of experts believe that the requirement to submit financial reports through a single channel will strengthen transparency and investor perception of listed companies, thereby improving the overall quality of national financial data.

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Optimizing Geothermal Potential, Boosting the Economy while Driving Energy Transition

The energy transition requires strategies to convince communities around power plant sites to provide their support, including in the exploration of geothermal energy as one of Indonesia's abundant renewable energy sources. The practice ofdirect use of geothermal energy is an effective approach to boosting the community's economy, while paving the way for sustainable energy programs.

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Featured Video: Optimizing Special Economic Zones to Boost the Economy

Oil Palm Plantation Expansion in Sumatra

The island of Sumatra plays a very dominant role in Indonesia's palm oil industry. Of the total area of national palm oil plantations, which reaches 16 million hectares, more than half is located on the island of Sumatra. Over the past 1.5 decades, data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that the area of Indonesian palm oil plantations has increased from 9 million hectares in 2010 to 16 million hectares in 2024. With this 76% increase in area, production has reached 47 million tons, making Indonesia the world's leading producer of palm oil.
More than half, or around 55%, of the plantation area is located on the island of Sumatra. Its current area is around 8.7 million hectares, an increase of 53% over the last 1.5 decades. On the island of Sumatra, the province with the largest oil palm plantation area is Riau Province. In 2024, the area will be 3.4 million hectares, approximately 39% of the total oil palm area in Sumatra or 21% of the total national oil palm area. North Sumatra Province is the province with the second largest oil palm plantation area in Sumatra, with an area of 1.35 million hectares or 15.5% of the total oil palm area in Sumatra.

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Paramadina University and CSED-INDEF are organizing a panel discussion entitled "The Future of Global Islamic Finance: Trends, Opportunities & Directions". The panel discussion is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. WIB at the Damascus Room, Paramadina University, Cipayung Campus. The event aims to deepen insights into the rapid growth of global Islamic finance and its role in sustainable development. The discussion will feature international and national expert speakers, including Prof. Choong Lyol Lee (Korea University), Nurhastuty K. Wardhani, PhD (CSED-INDEF), and will be moderated by Didip Diandra, MBA. Further information can be accessed directly through INDEF's Instagram social media account.

Pamerindo Indonesia is organizing the largest manufacturing exhibition in Southeast Asia, the Manufacturing Indonesia Series, which will be held on December 3-6, 2025, at JIEXPO Kemayoran. This event is a solution for the manufacturing or processing industry as it brings together 1,400 related companies from 35 countries. Additionally, the event offers various experiences and engaging activities centered around digital manufacturing hubs, business matchmaking, seminar series, podcast sessions, and much more. The event is also held alongside three other industry events: Machine and Tool Indonesia, Tools and Hardware Indonesia, and Industrial Automation and Logistics Indonesia. Further information can be accessed directly through the official Manufacturing Indonesia website.