​​​​​​Jakarta. OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann is expected to fly to Jakarta later this month, according to a senior government official, as Jakarta remains hopeful for a seat at the rich country club.

The OECD — short for Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development — is known to set global standards and best practices. Indonesia has spent the past few years trying to convince members to grant it a seat, believing the stringent standards can push up national economic growth. Cormann has been in Jakarta back and forth since its bid.

To the press, Chief Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto revealed that Cormann would be making another visit to discuss the Indonesian economy. 

“OECD Secretary-General [Cormann] will head to Indonesia this November. He will discuss the group’s research findings on the Indonesian economy,” Airlangga said.

He did not say whether Cormann would meet President Prabowo Subianto.

Indonesia announced it had registered a 5.47% year-on-year (yoy) growth in the third quarter of 2026, outperforming expectations. 

Airlangga said that several international financial institutions had projected Indonesia’s economy to expand by at least 5% for 2026 and 2027.

As a case in point, the OECD’s latest report expected a 5.2% growth for this year, but a slower pace of 5.1% in 2027.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) expects a 5.2% yoy for both years.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) sets its projections for the said two years at 5.1%.

Indonesia's candidacy began in 2024. The elite club has pushed Jakarta into undertaking the uphill task of having to pass OECD’s deep-dive evaluations into its policies, including on open trade and investment. As a case in point, Indonesia — often marred by graft news — is stepping up its efforts to overhaul rules on corruption, including plans to criminalize foreign bribery.

In November 2024 or about a month after President Prabowo Subianto rose to power, Cormann met the retired army general in Jakarta to also deliver economic reports and discuss the accession process.

OECD makes up nearly half of the global economy. The 38-member club includes the US, the UK, France, and even Israel with whom Jakarta doesn't have official ties. Jakarta needs the approval of the entire group to enter.

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