Jakarta. Bank Indonesia (BI) has thrown its support behind the government's plan to establish the Indonesia International Financial Center (PFII), saying the initiative could strengthen the country's external position by attracting more long-term investment and easing pressure from its persistent services trade deficit.

Senior Deputy Governor Destry Damayanti said Indonesia's persistent services trade deficit continues to weigh on the country's balance of payments despite a merchandise trade surplus.

The Trade Ministry’s balance of payments data showed that the country's services trade deficit reached $19.8 billion in 2025, with services exports totaling $42.8 billion and imports totaling $62.6 billion.

"We have maintained a goods trade surplus, but services remain in deficit, which ultimately affects our overall balance of payments," Destry said at the Investment Forum 2026 at the Indonesia Stock Exchange in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Destry said the planned financial center would help improve Indonesia's balance of payments by attracting greater capital inflows, including both portfolio investment and foreign direct investment (FDI).

"Investment in the real sector is naturally long-term and gives greater confidence in our economy. Those funds will be deployed and circulated in productive economic activities," she said.

BI also welcomed the establishment of Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI), which aims to consolidate the management of Indonesia's natural resource commodity exports.

According to Destry, the initiative could improve governance in commodity trade while helping curb practices such as under-invoicing and transfer pricing that have long challenged international trade.

"With DSI, especially if it is supported by a mineral exchange, pricing will become much more transparent. Just like the stock exchange, quoted prices, executed transactions, and traded volumes will all be visible in real time," Destry added.