A majority of Indonesian energy and mining executives say Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has failed to meet industry expectations during his first year in office, according to a new survey by BCM Insights.
About 68% of more than 1,000 respondents from oil, gas, renewables and mining companies said government policies under Bahlil have not aligned with industry needs. The survey, conducted from Aug. 5 to Sept. 8, gave him an overall performance score of just 5.0 out of 10
Respondents rated Bahlil’s grasp of critical sector issues at 2.57 on a five-point scale, while the impact of his policies on investment climate received a 2.56 — both considered “not sufficient” by survey standards.
Sectoral assessments were similarly muted. In oil and gas, respondents scored government support for production and exploration at 2.90 and 2.66, respectively, with nearly 40% saying they saw no significant changes since Bahlil took office. In renewables, policy direction drew relatively better marks at 3.35, though tariff and incentive regulations lagged at 2.70. Mining respondents gave oversight of responsible practices and downstreaming policies 2.39 and 2.69, underscoring dissatisfaction with regulatory consistency.
Executives across all three industries pointed to regulatory simplification, faster permitting, and stronger governance as priorities for the ministry going forward. Calls for stricter enforcement against illegal mining and improved transparency in licensing were particularly strong among mining respondents.
While some cited improvements in areas such as permitting and investment coordination, almost 40% of oil and gas players and a similar share of mining executives said they observed no meaningful progress in the past year.
Read the complete survey report: here
