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Replacing diminishing reserves and guaranteeing domestic energy security are two of Indonesia’s policy priorities. As such, oil and gas exploration and development are key areas in which the government is eager to progress. To encourage this, policymakers have adopted a series of reforms aimed at ushering in a new wave of foreign investment in the sector. Similarly, in a bid to offset declining oil fields in western Indonesia, the government is working to incentivise contractors to explore deep-sea areas along the eastern frontier. Substantial mineral reserves have put Indonesia on the brink of a new wave of development. Nevertheless, investors still need to contend with a legacy of regulatory uncertainty and a growing trend of resource nationalisation. While policymakers have made efforts to adjust the regulatory regime, exploration hurdles remain in place in the form of divestment rules and a lack of coordination between central and regional governments. This chapter also contains interviews with Ignasius Jonan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Arie Prabowo Ariotedjo, President Director, ANTAM.

Indonesia’s insurance sector is crowded, reflective of the country’s sizeable population – the world’s fourth largest, at around 265m – as well as its potential. Some 152 companies vied for premium in 2017, operating in an environment that, although it presents significant opportunity, also comes with a measure of insurable risks, in particular from extreme weather and natural disasters. In the highly competitive life market, agents reach out to consumers by offering unit-linked policies, which combine life coverage and regular investment income. While formal products remain outside the reach of most Indonesians for now, the wealthier segments of the market nonetheless represent an attractive target for insurers. This chapter also contains an interview with Jens Reisch, President Director, Prudential Indonesia.

Indonesia’s capital markets have been on a steady growth path in recent years, with market capitalisation and trading activity showing strong expansion since 2012. Meanwhile, the number of initial public offerings (IPOs) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) reached a 26-year high in 2018. Debt markets have been resilient despite widespread global volatility, which prompted significant outflows from emerging markets that year. Nonetheless, some challenges remain for stakeholders: factors such as illiquidity, potential election shocks and stringent regulatory requirements continue to weigh on domestic companies’ market participation. The authorities are seeking to encourage more IPOs and boost broader market liquidity, although regulatory challenges and elevated listing fees continue to impede progress.A planned small and medium-sized enterprise board has yet to be established. New regulations surrounding cryptocurrency trading could also affect plans to diversify IDX product offerings, even as reforms help the sector maintain its upward trajectory in 2019. This chapter also contains an interview with Inarno Djajadi, President Director, Indonesia Stock Exchange.

An increasingly prominent and disruptive force in the financial services sector, financial technology (fintech) comprises any innovative or technology-based financial service offered to consumers or businesses. Often viewed as a competitor to traditional financial service providers, fintech fills gaps left by the formal sector, offering an important avenue to boost financial inclusion in a country where smartphone and internet penetration rates are rising quickly, even as much of the population remains unbanked. Supported by rapid expansion of e-payment platforms and peer-to-peer (P2P) lending activities, Indonesia’s fintech industry is in the midst of a period of significant growth. P2P lending recorded a triple-digit increase in 2018, while e-payment services have grown more than six-fold since 2012, prompting a surge of new foreign investment into a vibrant and increasingly diverse start-up community. This chapter also contains interviews with Aldi Haryopratomo, CEO, GO-PAY, and Jason Thompson, CEO, OVO.

Twenty years on from a severe financial crisis the effects of which still define the industry, the banking sector in Indonesia is crowded but rich in opportunity. A diverse array of banks and non-bank financial institutions vie for existing customers and work to attract new ones, in what remains a lightly penetrated market. With the world’s fourth-largest population, Indonesia is seen as having great potential, and continues to attract foreign investment. Market strategies, however, are in a state of flux. A handful of major lenders, some of them state-owned, have built national branch networks and constitute formidable competition for any lender following a nationwide universal banking model. Lenders are increasingly looking at financial technologies, in particular those that reach consumers via their mobile phones, as a way to scale up without investing time and money building a physical presence. This chapter also contains interviews with Kartika Wirjoatmodjo, President Director and CEO, Bank Mandiri; Achmad Baiquni, President Director, Bank Negara Indonesia; and Batara Sianturi, CEO, Citi Indonesia, and Chairperson, International Banks Association of Indonesia.

Indonesia is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of natural resources. With extensive oil, gas and solid mineral deposits, it is also one of the largest global economies. In 2017 the economy passed the $1trn mark, making it the 16th largest in the world. Its growing middle class, emphasis on industrialisation and services, and drive to improve infrastructure are laying the foundations for continued economic growth. Indonesia is also now home to four unicorns – start-ups valued at $1bn or above – highlighting its potential to develop the entrepreneurial and creative industries. The country is also working to attract both foreign and domestic funding by opening up and incentivising investment in additional sectors, as well as the development of infrastructure. This chapter also contains interviews with Perry Warjiyo, Governor, Bank Indonesia; Triawan Munaf, Chairman, Creative Economy Agency; and Wimboh Santoso, Chairman, Financial Services Authority.