Indonesia Ministry of Finance calls for stronger intra ASEAN trade and financial cooperation as global uncertainty becomes the new normal

At a seminar in Jakarta, Indonesia's Deputy Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara said global uncertainty has become a structural condition for Southeast Asia and that ASEAN must build regional stability more actively rather than rely on it being provided externally. In that context, he pointed to deeper intra-ASEAN trade, lower non-tariff barriers, and stronger cooperation in the digital economy and green transition as key economic priorities. He also highlighted prudent macroeconomic policy, stronger food and energy security, and fuller use of regional financial arrangements including the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization and local currency settlement. Suahasil said ASEAN should avoid being drawn into a single geopolitical bloc and instead engage major economies including the United States, China, India, the European Union and Japan. He added that the Ministry of Finance will strengthen regional policy coordination through research cooperation with the National Economic Council and the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office. In the same remarks, he cited Indonesia's first quarter 2026 growth of 5.61%, inflation of 2.4%, and a budget deficit of 2.9%, and linked the government's 8% growth target to higher productivity, infrastructure development and stronger human capital.