Jakarta, 30th September 2025 – As Indonesia and the United Kingdom prepare to formalize their Strategic Partnership (SP) and Economic Growth Partnership (EGP) later this year, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the British Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia (BritCham) convened a joint forum to provide consolidated industry perspectives. The dialogue brought together senior representatives from government, business, and industry associations to ensure the forthcoming agreements are actionable and supportive of long-term prosperity.

Kadin Indonesia Institute on the Prosperity Pillar

Kadin Indonesia Institute was invited to present views on the Prosperity Pillar. Dr. Mulya Amri, Executive Director of Kadin Indonesia Institute, underscored opportunities for strengthening bilateral trade and investment. He highlighted the importance of regulatory harmonization on Local Content Requirements (TKDN), streamlining licensing through the Omnibus Law, and aligning product conformity standards.

Dr. Amri also stressed the need to equip MSMEs to comply with rules of origin and export requirements, which would enable them to access the UK market more effectively. His remarks emphasized that business-to-business collaboration must go hand-in-hand with regulatory reforms in order to generate tangible outcomes for Indonesian enterprises.

Beyond prosperity, Kadin also conveyed perspectives across the other three pillars. Mr. Yono Rudito (Peace Pillar Lead), Mr. George Mewengkang (People Pillar Lead), and Ms. Elim Sritaba (Planet Pillar Lead) each reiterated the need to safeguard Indonesia’s business interests, from defense industry cooperation and student mobility, to sustainable mining, carbon markets, and green finance. Together, these voices reinforced Kadin’s mandate to ensure that Indonesian businesses benefit directly from the new Strategic Partnership.

British Business Perspectives

The UK business community was represented by BritCham Indonesia, led by Mr. Ian Betts, Chair of the Defence and Security Committee (Peace Pillar Lead). Alongside Mr. Dendy Baruni (Prosperity Pillar Lead), Ms. Novita Manurung (People Pillar Lead), and Mr. Andy Crichton (Planet Pillar Lead), BritCham highlighted opportunities for UK companies to support Indonesia’s growth through technology transfer, skills development, and sustainable finance.

Their interventions emphasized the role of UK businesses in addressing barriers such as carbon standards misalignment, healthcare licensing and TKDN processes, and regulatory uncertainty in defense and security. The overall message was clear: British companies are ready to invest and collaborate, but clarity and predictability in regulation remain essential.

Government Support for the Private Sector

The forum was also marked by strong participation from both governments, underlining official support for private sector collaboration.

From the United Kingdom, the delegation was led by Mr. Niall Ahern, Head of Economics at the British Embassy Jakarta, and Mr. Ron Yip, UK Chief Negotiator for the EGP. They stressed that the EGP must deliver forward-looking, practical, and mutually beneficial outcomes for businesses, particularly by addressing non-tariff barriers and facilitating real changes in day-to-day trade.

From Indonesia, the government was represented by Ambassador Daniel Simanjuntak, Director-General for American and European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Irwan Sinaga, Deputy Assistant for Regional and Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. Ambassador Simanjuntak highlighted the absence of a formal Indonesia–UK CEPA and expressed optimism that the Strategic Partnership could lay the groundwork for more comprehensive economic agreements in the future. Mr. Sinaga underlined Indonesia’s priorities of digital transformation, health resilience, climate change, and regulatory efficiency, noting that effective reforms would build investor confidence and long-term impact.

Moving Forward

The dialogue concluded with a joint commitment from Kadin and BritCham to finalize the Point of View Paper, reflecting:

• UK business perspectives
• Indonesian business perspectives
• Common areas of interest
• Industry recommendations

This paper will be presented to both governments as an industry roadmap to guide the implementation of the Strategic Partnership.

By consolidating voices across all four pillars, the forum reaffirmed that the Indonesia–UK Strategic Partnership is not only a matter of diplomacy, but also a platform for practical, business-driven collaboration that supports sustainable growth and shared prosperity.