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Energy Subsidies in Indonesia

The GSI program of work for Indonesia undertakes research and policy engagement on subsidies for fuel consumers and producers, as well as breaking down barriers to renewable energy and ensuring long-term, sustainable reform processes.

Research

Objectives
  • Reduce expenditure on fossil fuel subsidies that promote unsustainable environmental and social impacts
  • Reform subsidies to level the playing field for clean energy
  • Improve the fair social distribution of subsidy expenditure
  • Build a greater understanding of the negative health impacts of fossil fuels, and how these are exacerbated by fossil fuel subsidies
Collaborations

In carrying forward this work, the Global Subsidies Initiative has collaborated with a number of organizations, including Tim Nasional Percepatan Penanggulangan Kemiskinan, Universitas Gadjah Mada, European Climate Foundation, ENERGIA, and the Embassies of Denmark and Sweden.

Reports: Making the Switch: From fossil fuel subsidies to sustainable energy

Removal of consumer subsidies can lead to carbon emission reductions (6 to 8 per cent by 2050 globally), Reductions that can be improved further with a switch or a "SWAP" towards sustainable energy. This report describes the scale and impact of fossil fuel subsidies on sustainable development. It describes the SWAP concept to switch savings made from fossil fuel subsidy reform, towards sustainable energy, energy efficiency and safety nets. The report provides potential SWAP outlines for Bangladesh, Indonesia, Morocco and Zambia. "Making the Switch" was written for the Nordic Council Ministers by the Global Subsidies Initiative of IISD and Gaia Consulting.

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Reports: Chapter 4, Indonesia: Pricing Reforms, Social Assistance, and the Importance of Perceptions, The Political Economy of Energy Subsidy Reform

This World Bank book, edited by by Gabriela Inchauste and David G. Victor, brings together detailed chapters on the political economy of subsidy reform in four countries—the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Indonesia and Jordan —and draws overall lessons from their experiences. IISD's Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) contributed Chapter 4, "Indonesia: Pricing Reforms, Social Assistance and the Importance of Perceptions," on Indonesia's experiences with overcoming political obstacles to gasoline and diesel subsidy reforms. The chapter begins by reviewing the economic, fiscal and political context surrounding these subsidies. It then places them in their historical context, outlining the history surrounding their creation as well as the six major reform attempts since the 1997—98 Asian Financial Crisis.

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Reports: Indonesia's Financially Sustainable Electricity Sector

In addition to Indonesia’s objective of increasing the share of renewable energy in their generation mix, the country’s electricity sector is facing a number of challenges, notably the need to meet rising demand for electricity and to serve consumers in geographically remote regions. This report demonstrates that subsidies are still an important part of the state-owned electricity company and that remote areas are not seeing previous improvements in the same way as populated ones are. Also, coal generation is getting the main focus of the capacity-increase programs, despite the important potential of renewable sources.

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