Opportunities and Challenges for Empowered Migrant Workers

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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.

The Great Potential of Migrant Workers, Not Just a Way to Alleviate Unemployment

The role of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) is potentially greater than efforts to alleviate unemployment. PMI can be directed to become an agent of Indonesia's economic development because it has the potential to attract investment and transfer technology. One of the efforts that can be made is to continue to improve skills and improve the governance of the ecosystem.
This spirit was the common thread in the Roundtable Decision: The Economic Power of Indonesian Migrant Workers organized by Suar.id, Thursday (18/9/2025) in Jakarta. Present as speakers were Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar, Member of Parliament & Chairman of Panasonic Gobel Rachmat Gobel, Director General of Promotion and Utilization of Overseas Employment Opportunities of the Ministry of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers / Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Agency (P2MI) Dwi Setiawan Susanto, and Director of Protection of Indonesian Citizens of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) Judha Nugraha.
Also present as speakers were the Chairman of the Employment Division of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) Bob Azam and Staff of Legal Aid Division Migrant Care Yusuf Ardabil. The event was moderated by Suar.id Editor-in-Chief Sutta Dharmasaputra.

Read the full story here.

Whether or not the Ministry of SOEs is merged into Danantara, its main task is asset optimization

The appointment of Erick Thohir as Minister of Youth and Sports in the latest reshuffle of the Red and White Cabinet has raised a number of predictions from various circles. This is because in the ministerial inauguration on Wednesday (17/9/2025), the seat of the Minister of BUMN was left temporarily vacant.
There are strong signals that the Ministry of SOEs, which has been transforming state-owned companies, will be merged into the seven-month-old Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency (Danantara).
So how do businesses and experts respond to this?

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Between Diminishing BI's Independence and Restoring its Original Mandate

The House of Representatives is again attempting to undermine the independence of Bank Indonesia (BI) through various new articles in the draft revision of Law Number 4 of 2023 on Financial Sector Development and Strengthening (P2SK). In the draft revision, there are a number of articles that are considered to want to reduce BI's independence, so it is feared that it could interfere with the optimal functioning of the central bank as a monetary authority.
Some of the articles proposed by the DPR include regulating the DPR's authority to dismiss members of the BI Board of Governors based on considerations that are fully conducted in private. In addition, the House also wants to increase BI's "duties" to not only maintain stability, but also get more involved in economic growth.

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Paid Internship Incentives: Companies Benefit, Unemployment Decreases

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said that the implementation of the Fresh Graduate Internship Program is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025, or around October to December 2025. The budget prepared by the government reaches Rp 198 billion for the first phase.
This program is open to all companies, both private and state-owned, that want to cooperate in providing internship positions. The government hopes that through this program, new graduates can be better prepared to face the world of work while also reducing the educated unemployment rate in Indonesia.
Paramadina University economic observer Wijayanto Samirin believes that this paid internship is quite promising and can reduce unemployment if taken seriously.

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Reaping More Empowering Job Opportunities Abroad

The demand for foreign workers from developed countries is increasing. This opportunity is a breath of fresh air for prospective migrant workers. However, the role of the government is not only important regarding protection, but also about empowerment and placement of migrant workers according to the needs in the destination country.
Based on data from the Ministry of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (KP2MI), the placement of migrant workers to various countries showed a fluctuating trend during the period 2018-2023. Going forward, KP2MI projects an increase in the total placement of PMI from 297,000 workers from 2024 to 338,000 in 2026.
Overseas employment opportunities for 2025 are quite large, reaching 1,575,221 job positions. Based on KP2MI data, Taiwan is the country with the largest placement quota (1,139,486), followed by Hong Kong (149,720) and Singapore (99,464). In terms of positions, the biggest opportunities are still dominated by the domestic and health services sectors.

Read more here.

Talkshow "Smart Money Management, Smart Business": Talkshow Choose Jakarta Session 2 held on September 19, 2025, at 14.15-15.00 WIB, at Main Stage, Hall B as part of the JITEX 2025 series, is organized to provide insight into smart financial management as the key to business enlargement. The session will feature speakers from various sectors, including Elisabeth Ratu Rante Allo (Head of DKI Jakarta PPKUKM Agency), Vicky Saputra (CEO & Co Founder of Netzme), Anggie Setia Ariningsih (Vice Chairman III of the Indonesian Fintech Association), Duan Akelyaman (Country Director of Glints TapLoker), and Gahayu Handari (Owner of Jivana Tea). Information related to the event series can be accessed directly through JITEX 2025 social media.

Tempo's Index52 Issuer Appreciation Night together with IDN Financials 2025: This event will host a BRICS 2025 Talkshow themed "Navigating Global Challengers and Strengthening Cooperation with the Global South and BRICS", Friday, (19/9/2025) at 18.30 at the Grand Ballroom, Fairmont Hotel, Jakarta. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto was present to give the keynote speech. Also present were ambassadors of BRICS member countries, namely Sergei Gennadievich Tolchenov (Russia), Sandeep Chakravorty (India), Wang Lutong (China), and Mpetjane Kgaogelo Lekgoro (South Africa), as well as panelists from OJK and Apindo.