ASEAN Digital Market Opportunities, Strengthening Social Security, and the Rise of Textiles

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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.

Complete Transformation Ahead of ASEAN Digital Single Market

The 14th round of Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) negotiations held by the ASEAN Economic Community Council (AECC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday (24/10/2025) agreed on a substantial agreement. If it has been officially agreed, there will be a great opportunity for a single digital economy market in the ASEAN region that can be utilized by Indonesian entrepreneurs.
The DEFA includes a number of strategic provisions that reflect ASEAN's advanced approach to the digital economy.

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BPJS Health Arrears Bleaching Rp 20 Trillion Temporary Solution to Structural Problems

The government has prepared funds of around IDR 20 trillion to partially clear arrears of BPJS Health contributions for certain participants. This bleaching program is intended for independent participants who are now turning into contribution assistance recipients (PBI) and non-wage earners (PBPU) covered by local governments.
Pemutihan arrears BPJS Kesehatan is a policy that aims to remove outstanding contributions from participants. The hope is that it can help underprivileged people so that they can still obtain health services without being constrained by administrative problems. The total arrears amounted to around Rp 10 trillion with 23 million participants.

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Social Security for Informal Workers in UMKM Needed

The contribution of informal workers to the economy is considerable. However, their protection and basic rights are often neglected. Ensuring a social security program is a solution to reduce the vulnerability of informal workers. Data from the 2025 National Labor Force Survey (Sakernas) shows that 86.58 million or 59.4% of workers in Indonesia are informal. There are four things that must be considered: guaranteeing basic rights, social protection, improving skills, and an equitable and sustainable ecosystem.

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Purbaya's Used Clothes Import Eradication and Textile Industry Recovery

Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa will take action against illegal imports of used clothing (balpres) with fines, a step awaited by textile industry players to restore their competitiveness. This policy aims to create a deterrent effect while protecting domestic production.
The issue of ballpres is not just about used clothes. It concerns the long chain of the textile and textile products (TPT) industry that is interconnected, absorbs millions of workers, and is one of the sectors with the longest and most complex economic chain in Indonesia.

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Challenges for the National Textile Industry to Spur Exports

Textiles and apparel are Indonesia's leading export commodities. However, the development of the national textile industry is still faced with a surge in imported products sold at low prices. Data from the Ministry of Industry shows that the trade balance of textiles and textile products, especially apparel, has continued to erode in the last three years, both in volume and value. The volume and value of Indonesia's textile exports during the 2022-2024 period were always lower than textile imports with a widening difference.
The volume of textile imports is no less than 1 million tons annually with a value ranging from US$ 7 billion-US$ 8 billion per year. In 2022, textile import volume was 88,340 tons more than textile export volume. In 2023 and 2024 the difference became 69,090 tons and 183,560 tons, respectively. In fact, during the first seven months of 2025 the volume of textile imports was 211,520 tons more than textile exports.

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Bank Mandiri's Q3-2025 Performance Exposure will be held on Monday, (27/10/2025), starting at 15.00 WIB. This virtual/online press conference was organized by Bank Mandiri to present the company's performance results in the third quarter of 2025. The event is held virtually / online through the Zoom platform, presenting the board of directors of Bank Mandiri. This event is important because Bank Mandiri is one of the top 3 largest banks in the country in terms of total assets.

Free Mini Class on ESG Implementation Case Study. The class organized by the Energy Transition Academy together with IESR discusses the real practice of implementing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in companies, which is now a benchmark for sustainability and competitiveness of modern businesses. The Mini Class, which is part of the Free Class: Fundamentals of Corporate ESG will feature Singgih Ali Nurdin, an ESG Officer from KPP Mining as the main speaker who will discuss strategies, examples of implementation, reporting, and the benefits and challenges of ESG implementation. This class is scheduled for Monday, October 27, 2025, at 19.00 WIB until completion which is held online via Zoom. More information can be accessed through the Energy Transition Academy's Instagram social media.