Indonesian Employers Prepare to Shape Major Policy Reforms

Indonesian employers are gaining a structured channel to help shape the labour, skills and business-conduct reforms that will accompany Indonesia's accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), reforms expected to touch how enterprises compete, hire, train and meet international market requirements in the years ahead.

These priorities were set out at the APINDO Strategy Workshop on OECD Accession, held in Jakarta on 24 September 2026. Representatives of APINDO, Indonesia's employers' organisation, the OECD, Business at OECD and the ILO discussed how employers can contribute evidence, influence policy and prepare enterprises for change.

APINDO is positioning itself to bring enterprise evidence directly into that reform process rather than respond to changes after they are decided. "This is a generational opportunity to advance policy and regulatory renewal," said Gary Rynhart of the ILO's Bureau for Employers' Activities (ACT/EMP). "APINDO has an important role in ensuring that enterprise evidence and experience inform the reform process."

APINDO has an important role in ensuring that enterprise evidence and experience inform the reform process. Gary Rynhart of the ILO's Bureau for Employers' Activities (ACT/EMP)

Three areas of engagement have been identified where APINDO's input can make a concrete difference:

• Labour policy: as reforms address wages, labour inspection, employment relationships, dispute resolution, social protection and platform work, APINDO can help ensure stronger worker protection is matched with productivity, regulatory clarity and workable implementation - grounded in enterprise evidence rather than assumption.
• Skills: with new skills demand emerging across manufacturing, digital industries, tourism, fisheries and critical-minerals value chains, employers and sector associations are set to take a defined role in identifying that demand, shaping training, and expanding work-based learning.
• Responsible business conduct: as labour, human-rights and supply-chain requirements from regulators, investors and international buyers grow, APINDO can translate these into practical guidance - particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises - while feeding real implementation experience back into policy discussions.

Phil O'Reilly, Chair of the Southeast Asia Contact Group at Business at OECD, said the accession process is a chance for APINDO to demonstrate its value to members, strengthen its policy expertise, and establish itself as a trusted partner in shaping reforms that affect Indonesian enterprises.

He encouraged APINDO to build this agenda into its existing committees, member surveys, sectoral engagement and advocacy, rather than creating a separate process.

"OECD accession should strengthen competitiveness, helping enterprises become more productive, trusted, sustainable and integrated into global markets and value chains," said Rinawati Prihatiningsih, Chair of APINDO's Multilateral Committee.

OECD accession should strengthen competitiveness, helping enterprises become more productive, trusted, sustainable and integrated into global markets and value chains. Rinawati Prihatiningsih, Chair of APINDO's Multilateral Committee.

"This will be a whole-of-country effort," added Mr Cahyadi, Assistant Deputy for Multilateral Economic Cooperation at Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs.

Massimo Geloso Grosso, Head of the OECD Jakarta Office, noted that accession could strengthen investor confidence and reduce investment risks, and pointed to its links with human-capital development, skills, and stronger labour-market and social policies.

APINDO will now consider and validate these initial priorities through its internal structures, and ACT/EMP will continue supporting the organisation to engage its members, strengthen its evidence base, and contribute effectively to reforms affecting Indonesian enterprises and workers.