Anindya Bakrie Urges Business-Friendly Climate to Keep Jobs Flowing

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Kadin Indonesia Chairman Anindya Bakrie said Indonesia must create a more supportive business climate on Thursday, Jan 15, 2026 in Jakarta to meet the government’s growth targets of 5.4 percent in 2026 and 8 percent by 2029, warning that stressed domestic businesses would struggle to create jobs. He likened local entrepreneurs to egg-laying chickens, saying constant pressure would prevent them from producing economic output and employment.

Bakrie said the government’s recent efforts to improve the investment climate and roll out growth programs were appreciated, but business certainty and comfort remained incomplete. He added that as a strategic partner of the government, Kadin supported national development agendas while offering policy notes to ensure effective implementation.

Foreign direct investment was described as vital for job creation, purchasing power, and growth acceleration. However, Bakrie stressed that domestic businesses must receive equal attention to prevent imbalances in the economy.

“Do not let domestic chickens become so stressed that they cannot lay eggs,” Anindya Novyan Bakrie said during the Global and Domestic Economic Outlook 2026 seminar. “Investment needs calm conditions so businesses can keep producing and hiring.”

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Citing Kadin Indonesia Institute’s inaugural Business Pulse survey, Bakrie said 47 percent of respondents planned investment or business expansion in the first half of 2026. He noted that regulation and bureaucracy remained the main obstacles, with licensing and ease of doing business still the most frequent complaints.

Bakrie said Kadin aimed to serve as a collaboration platform and data hub for businesses, adding that economic projections only mattered if followed by real economic activity. “Without real economics moving, the economic wheel will not keep turning,” he said.

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He said the seminar’s pro-growth, pro-job, pro-poor, and pro-environment theme reflected Indonesia’s real economic needs. According to Bakrie, growth must align with job creation, small business support, and environmental sustainability to ensure healthy development in sectors such as food security, energy security, and clean energy.

Bakrie also highlighted the role of economists in helping businesses interpret global, national, and regional trends. He said entrepreneurs often focused on micro issues, making macroeconomic perspectives essential amid rising global uncertainty.

He warned that global dynamics had shifted beyond trade wars to physical conflict and competition over strategic resources. Bakrie said such geopolitical and geoeconomic tensions suppressed global expansion appetite, requiring Indonesia to remain calm but realistic.

Despite global pressures, Bakrie said Indonesia’s fundamentals remained solid, citing growth around 5 percent, inflation below 3 percent, a trade surplus, and positive trade performance. He said these indicators must be preserved to maintain business confidence.

“Egg-laying chickens around the world are under stress,” Bakrie said. “The question is whether Indonesian chickens are also stressed. Pressure exists, but we have no choice except to keep laying eggs.”

He said policy direction under President Prabowo Subianto was on track despite implementation challenges, pointing to programs such as 30,000 nutrition service units and a target of three million homes per year. Bakrie said these initiatives could generate millions of jobs and strengthen downstream industries.

Bakrie said Kadin’s role was critical as a bridge between government macro policy and real-sector execution. He said the organization must translate state agendas into tangible empowerment opportunities for businesses.

He acknowledged ongoing challenges, including unemployment near 4.8 percent, youth job seekers at about 17 percent, and a high ICOR that demanded efficiency gains. He said Kadin’s 2025 national meeting focused on job creation, productivity, trade expansion, industrial downstreaming, and faster investment.

“In the end, the easiest chicken to convince to keep laying eggs is the domestic one,” Bakrie said. He added that strengthening local businesses was the foundation for a resilient and sustainable economy amid global uncertainty.