Various Indonesian business sectors continue to expand: Airlangga

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto noted that various business sectors continue to expand, driven by first-quarter 2026 investment realizations that exceeded the government's target.

"I believe that whenever there is an opportunity to scale up, business owners will naturally increase production. They always want to leverage these opportunities, so higher sales are naturally what they look forward to," he said in Jakarta on Monday.

His remarks come amid rising economic uncertainty driven by global dynamics and domestic challenges, which have prompted some businesses to take a more cautious approach to expansion.

Airlangga pointed to several economic and industrial zones that continue to show an expansionary trend.

This includes the planned expansion of the Gresik Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in East Java to accommodate high investment interest and support the development of an integrated industrial and port ecosystem.

Since its establishment under Government Regulation No. 71 of 2021, the Gresik SEZ has grown into a new economic growth hub in East Java.

As of the first quarter of 2026, the SEZ has recorded Rp113.4 trillion (approximately US$6.35 billion) in cumulative investment, with post-establishment investment reaching Rp108.2 trillion—a surge of more than 1,900 percent compared to before it was designated an SEZ.

In terms of job creation, the Gresik SEZ has generated 45,860 jobs, with more than 44,000 of these positions created after the area secured SEZ status.

In addition, Airlangga noted that the occupancy rates for the Kendal and Batang SEZs in Central Java have also neared maximum capacity.

"I am also seeing interest from the data center sector, with an additional demand of 1.32 GW or 1.2 GW currently ready to enter Indonesia," he said.

Data from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs show that investment realizations in the first quarter of 2026 reached Rp498.79 trillion, surpassing the government's target and marking a 7.22 percent increase year-on-year (yoy). Job creation also rose to 706,569 people, up 18.93 percent (yoy).

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Translator: Shofi Ayudiana, Raka Adji

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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