By: Naura Yuninda )*
The management of state assets continues to be one of the government’s main priorities in strengthening the foundations of the national economy. Amid the complexity of strategic assets spread across various sectors, the presence of the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency, or Danantara, plays an important role in ensuring that state wealth is managed more efficiently, in an integrated manner, and with a long-term orientation.
Through a professional approach and strengthened governance, Danantara has become a strategic instrument for the government to optimize the value of state assets so that they deliver maximum benefits for national development.
The government views efficiency in state asset management not merely as a cost-saving effort, but as part of a broader strategy to enhance productivity and economic competitiveness.
Danantara is positioned as the manager of state assets and investments capable of bridging fiscal, development, and investment interests. This role enables the state not only to safeguard asset values, but also to develop them sustainably through measured and accountable investment schemes.
President Prabowo Subianto has consistently emphasized the importance of professional, results-oriented management of state assets. In his view, the country’s substantial wealth must be managed with high discipline so that it can serve as a sustainable source of economic growth.
Through Danantara, the government encourages the optimal utilization of state assets, including in supporting national strategic projects that have a direct impact on job creation and the improvement of public welfare. The emphasis on efficiency is also intended to ensure that every state resource generates clear added value for the economy.
These efforts go hand in hand with steps to consolidate and restructure the management of state-owned enterprise (SOE/BUMN) assets. Previously, state assets under various entities were often not managed in a coordinated manner.
Danantara is present to strengthen this integration, enabling investment decisions to be made in a more strategic and centralized way. This approach allows the government to minimize inefficiencies, improve asset portfolio structures, and enhance overall financial performance.
Support for Danantara’s role has also come from the legislature. Vice Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, views the management of state assets through Danantara as an opportunity to increase the contribution of investments to state revenue.
According to Edhie, with capital and assets managed professionally, Danantara has significant potential to generate sustainable profits and dividends. This perspective reflects optimism that efficient state asset management can strengthen the government’s fiscal capacity without adding to the budgetary burden.
Beyond financial aspects, strengthened governance forms the core foundation of Danantara’s strategy. Danantara’s Chief Investment Officer, Pandu Patria Sjahrir, emphasizes the importance of institutional development and human resource strengthening in ensuring the success of state asset management.
This focus on institutional capacity and human capital places professionalism, risk management, and transparency as key principles in every investment decision. As a result, state asset management depends not only on the size of the assets, but also on the quality of their management.
In practice, Danantara also acts as a bridge between domestic potential and global investment opportunities. The government encourages synergy between Danantara and various stakeholders, including ministries and international partners, to expand access to funding and accelerate technology transfer. This cooperation strengthens Indonesia’s position on the global investment map and demonstrates the government’s seriousness in building a competitive and sustainable investment climate.
Efficiency in state asset management driven through Danantara also has an impact on strengthening SOEs. Through the restructuring of organizational frameworks and asset portfolios, SOEs are expected to become more adaptive to market dynamics and improve their competitiveness. The government views this step as part of a structural reform agenda aimed at creating healthy, productive SOEs capable of serving as engines of national economic growth.
Furthermore, efficient management of state assets provides broader fiscal space for the government. Returns from well-managed investments can be reallocated to finance priority programs, ranging from infrastructure development to improvements in public service quality. Thus, asset efficiency not only affects the state’s financial balance sheet, but also directly contributes to equitable development and improvements in people’s quality of life.
As part of the national economic reform agenda, optimizing Danantara’s role also strengthens public confidence in the direction of government policy. Consistency in efficient and measurable state asset management demonstrates the state’s seriousness in building a resilient, competitive economic system capable of addressing long-term challenges in a sustainable manner.
The government’s steps through Danantara reflect a visionary approach to managing state wealth. The focus on efficiency, strong governance, and long-term orientation shows that state asset management is no longer viewed as merely an administrative function, but as an integral development strategy.
With full support from the government, the legislature, and the professionals within it, Danantara has become an important part of efforts to strengthen the foundations of the national economy and ensure that state assets truly work for the benefit of the people.
*) The author is a public policy observer