Jakarta – Deputy for Macro Development Planning at the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, Eka Chandra Buana, emphasized that the government has positioned Danantara and the Asta Cita program as strategic instruments to free Indonesia from the middle-income trap and realize the grand vision of Golden Indonesia 2045.
The Asta Cita program is considered a flagship program in the 2025–2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) and is designed to strengthen the foundations of medium- to long-term economic growth.
Eka explained that the current direction of national development policy is based on the trident of development, namely sustainable economic growth, equality and poverty reduction, and the development of quality human resources (HR).
“Danantara encourages investment in priority sectors with a high multiplier effect,” said Eka.
Eka assessed that Danantara is projected to become the main catalyst for strengthening the national economic structure through financing strategic sectors.
This view was reinforced by the Director of Macroeconomic Planning and Development Model Development at Bappenas, Ibnu Yahya, who highlighted the structural challenges of the national economy.
“Danantara must be directed to increase product complexity, not only in mining but also in high-value-added products,” he explained.
Bappenas itself is targeting an increase in the manufacturing industry’s share from 21.9 percent to 28 percent in the first phase of the RPJPN, in line with the increasing number of middle-income residents.
Meanwhile, from a 2026 macro policy perspective, Danantara views fiscal and monetary synergy as the primary economic trident in driving faster growth.
Fiscal policy is considered to have the most tangible impact with its pro-growth orientation and the removal of administrative barriers to speed up budget disbursement.
The Free Nutritious Meals priority program, for example, with its accelerated opening of food stations in various regions, is considered capable of ensuring a more consistent demand-side boost by 2026.
From a monetary perspective, the impact of the 125 basis point interest rate cut through 2025 is expected to begin to be fully felt the following year.
“Demand for working capital loans, in particular, is expected to recover along with renewed business activity and associated operating costs,” as stated in the Danantara Economic Outlook 2026 document.
Danantara also emphasized its role as a domestic catalyst, both through the distribution of initial capital by Danantara Investment Management (DIM) and the optimization of state-owned enterprises by Danantara Asset Management (DAM).
This is a promising sign, as an investment-led model is the safest path for Indonesia to maintain higher GDP growth in the long term.
