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Smart Salary spent yesterday morning surrounded by Indonesia’s sharpest business minds at the AFPI CEO Forum 2026. Mr. Entjik S. Djafar opened with warmth as Ketua Umum AFPI. Then Mr. Tiar N. Karbala, Special Staff to the President for MSMEs and Digital Technology (Staf Khusus Presiden for UMKM dan Teknologi Digital), spoke about policies that actually plan to reach MSMEs from warung owners to home-based tailors.
More magic happened during the keynote session with Ms. Avilani, Wakil Ketua Umum Bidang Analisis Kebijakan Makro Mikro Ekonomi Kadin Indonesia, Mr. Adief Razali, Kepala Departemen Pengawasan Lembaga Keuangan Mikro dan Lembaga Keuangan Lainnya OJK, and Mr. Hans Patuwo, CEO GoTo, guided by moderator Ms. Yasmine Meylia Sembiring, Direktur Eksekutif AFPI.
Key Take Aways From the Event:
Activating the 70 Million Growth Engine
The most significant opportunity for Indonesia lies in the 70 million people currently in the middle-lower income bracket. This group often lacks social safety nets like BPJS and faces fluctuating monthly incomes, leading traditional banks to view them as high-risk. However, they are not a problem to be solved but a growth engine waiting for the right tools. By utilizing Innovative Credit Scoring (ICS), digital platforms can now filter for creditworthiness without requiring the rigid collateral or assets demanded by conventional banks.
Bridging the Risk Gap in the Real Sector
While Indonesia’s financial institutions are prepared for extreme currency shocks such as the Rupiah hitting 17,000, the real sector remains exposed. In the current landscape, it is debtors and small businesses who truly bear the burden of economic volatility. To protect them, we must transition to human-centric risk models and adaptive regulations. For instance, digital financial education and support to real life conditions rather than exponential conferences with goals only focusing on numbers of attendees rather than impact.
Expanding Beyond Processing via Downstreaming
Indonesia’s “Hilirisasi” (downstreaming) strategy is a massive 618.1 billion opportunity that covers 28 commodities across eight sectors. This road map is designed to build entire value chains that will generate 857.9 billion in exports and create 3 million jobs by 2024. However, for this to truly benefit the population, the government must focus on building a workforce that can transition into these high-value manufacturing and agricultural roles.
Racing Against the Demographic Clock
Indonesia currently enjoys a demographic dividend, but this advantage has an expiration date. By 2045, the nation will face the same aging population pressures currently challenging developed countries. To avoid becoming a burden on the state, the current youthful generation must be transformed into a highly productive workforce. This requires a shift from capital-dependent growth to technology infusion and innovation to ensure long-term sustainability.
Forging Synergy through the Triple Helix
Achieving an ambitious 8% growth target requires more than numerical planning. It demands a Triple Helix collaboration where the Government, Universities, and Industry move in total alignment. In this model, the government provides strategic support, universities drive research and talent, and industry serves as the provider of community needs. This synergy is essential to navigate a global landscape where “certainty is uncertainty,” ensuring that growth translates into real productivity and dignity for the nation’s 30 million farmers and underserved communities.
Leaving the forum, I received great knowledge and not just a list of policies, but also a sense of hope because we, the people, are kept in mind. A target that to ordinary people for 8% economic growth is seemingly unlikely were given real solutions. This ensures true hope that will be shaping the motivation of the Indonesian People in order to reach Indonesia Emas 2045.
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