Danantara DSI to Boost State Revenue, COO Says

JAKARTA — Danantara DSI is being positioned to lift state revenue by tightening oversight of strategic commodity transactions and closing leakages in export foreign exchange. Danantara Chief Operating Officer Dony Oskaria said the creation of PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI) grew out of the reality of transfer pricing and under invoicing practices that have been eating into potential state coffers.

Dony stressed that the new body is not just another layer of bureaucracy. DSI is being placed as a single intermediary for trade in strategic national commodities so transaction flows can be more orderly, transparent, and easier for the state to monitor.

“The important thing is that we agree on the idea first, that there has been a real fact here related to transfer pricing and under invoicing,” Dony said, as quoted from a circulated statement.

Danantara DSI is designed to plug revenue leakages

In his explanation, Dony linked Danantara DSI to efforts to close loopholes in export foreign exchange, or DHE. The government, he said, believes state cash collection cannot be optimized if international trade in key commodities still leaves room for value shifting and price reporting below actual levels.

Under invoicing pushes declared export values lower than real market prices. Transfer pricing can also shift profits to affiliated companies in other jurisdictions. If left unchecked, both practices cut into tax revenue and foreign exchange inflows.

That is where Danantara DSI is expected to step in. Not to weigh down businesses, but to tighten governance so large commodity transactions are recorded as they really are.

Dony also underlined that DSI management will safeguard the stability of the business ecosystem already operating in Indonesia. That message matters. The government wants state revenue to rise, but it does not want trade flows or industrial activity disrupted.

“In carrying out that mandate, DSI management emphasizes the importance of maintaining the stability of the business ecosystem that has been running so far in Indonesia,” Dony said in the same material.

The target is huge: billions of dollars in commodity trade

President Prabowo Subianto earlier said under invoicing, transfer pricing, and the flight of export foreign exchange have reached US$343 billion over the past 22 years. The figure shows the scale of leakage the government wants to seal through DSI’s formation.

For the government, that number is more than a statistic. Behind it lies lost room for revenue, whether from tax, foreign exchange, or the value added that should have flowed into state coffers.

That is why DSI is being cast as part of a bigger strategy to increase state income from the management of natural resources. The government wants every strategic commodity transaction traced more neatly from upstream to downstream.

The move also signals a new direction in commodity trade management. The state is no longer just acting as a regulator. It is also trying to strengthen points of oversight that have long been seen as weak.

Why Danantara DSI matters for businesses

Even as the government seeks to close leakages, business players remain a key part of the new setup. Dony reminded that Danantara DSI must not disturb the business climate that has already been established. If governance improves without adding new burdens, exporters and industrial players could actually gain clearer rules.

In commodity exports, certainty over prices, documents, and transaction channels plays a major role. When oversight mechanisms become clearer, companies that follow the rules usually get a safer space to operate without facing unfair practices from others.

For the state, tighter oversight can help narrow opportunities to shift profits abroad. The eventual effect is expected to show up in tax revenue, foreign exchange reserves, and state income from the natural resources sector.

For the public, the impact can also be felt. If state revenue improves, the government’s fiscal room to finance public spending programs also strengthens. That is why Danantara DSI does not stand alone. It is directly tied to the government’s ability to secure every rupiah and dollar from commodity trade.

DSI becomes a single intermediary for strategic commodities

Under the mandate described by Dony, DSI has officially been appointed as the single intermediary for strategic national commodity trade. That position gives DSI a key role in the new architecture of natural resource commerce, especially to ensure transaction values are recorded in line with actual conditions.

But a mandate this large also demands strict governance. The bigger a body’s role, the higher the accountability expected of it. DSI will need to maintain market trust while proving that its presence truly brings tangible benefits to state revenue.

The government is now focusing on a sector that has long generated large foreign exchange earnings. If oversight works effectively, the leakage said to total US$343 billion could be reduced little by little. The number is still enormous. Even closing one transaction gap could have a major impact on state coffers.

For now, Dony’s message is clear: DSI was built to strengthen oversight, curb transfer pricing and under invoicing, and push state revenue higher without adding pressure on businesses.

And that is where the stake lies. One policy, one institution, and one big bet on managing national commodities worth hundreds of billions of dollars.