Jakarta – Aryanto Nugroho, National Coordinator of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia, served as the keynote speaker in the Friday Discussion hosted by the Jimly School of Law and Government (JSLG) in collaboration with the Faculty of Law at Jambi University. The thematic constitutional discussion, held online on March 21, 2025, focused on “Environmental and Spatial Planning Issues in Natural Resource Downstreaming Policies.”
Prof. Taufiqurrohman Syahuri, an expert council member of JSLG and a professor at FH UPN Jakarta, attended and opened the event, which was moderated by Dr. Wahyu Nugroho, Deputy Director of JSLG.
Prof. Taufiqurrohman Syahuri began the discussion by exploring Indonesia’s philosophy and constitutional framework of natural resource management. He pointed out that much of Indonesia’s governance system is influenced by foreign models, including Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, which states that the state controls the earth, water, and natural wealth for the prosperity of the people. He also questioned why, despite Indonesia’s vast natural resources, its citizens still bear a significant tax burden.
Aryanto identified several key challenges in the downstream use of natural resources, including dependence on foreign investment, inadequate infrastructure and energy capacity, limited human resource quality and technology transfer, inconsistent regulations, social and environmental impacts, the competitiveness of downstream products, and financing and incentives.
He also warned about the “resource curse” phenomenon in natural resource management, where resource-rich countries often face economic and social problems. He cited studies indicating that this phenomenon has occurred in several Indonesian provinces.
The discussion further emphasized the importance of transparency, public participation, and accountability in managing natural resources. Aryanto explained that transparency is about publishing data and ensuring public access to information. Participation must involve communities in decision-making processes, and accountability means the government must provide space for citizens to challenge policies.
Concluding the discussion, Aryanto stressed that downstream efforts should balance economic value-added with support for the energy transition. He also highlighted the need to focus on specific downstream industries and economic diversification in post-mining regions.
The complete Thematic Constitutional Discussion can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPJhxD55dOk&t=3828s