Harga Menjaga Kedaulatan
Main Agenda – Trisakti Soekarno’s vision reminds us that sovereignty extends beyond political recognition. A nation can possess a flag, territory, government, and international acknowledgment, yet remains fragile if its economic foundation is controlled by external forces. Political independence without economic self-reliance easily transforms into a state of dependency.
Sejarah Memberi Pelajaran
Indonesia’s history offers a profound lesson. The political recognition of sovereignty, achieved via the Den Haag Conference on 2 November 1949, came at a significant cost. The Republic had to accept a federal state structure and shoulder the debt of the Dutch East Indies. Though the decision was bitter, the nation’s leaders viewed it as a crucial step to secure political independence. Some challenges were deferred, but the priority was ensuring Indonesia’s sovereignty was acknowledged and maintained.
Medan Pertempuran Ekonomi
This historical insight is vital, as every generation faces its own sovereignty test. Previously, the main challenge was securing political recognition, but today the battleground lies in economic territory. Can the nation fully control its strategic natural resources, or is it merely a formal owner, losing the added value to foreign hands?
Kebijakan DSI dan Tantangan Konstitusional
When President Prabowo Subianto announced the restructuring of natural resource exports on 20 May 2026, a fundamental question resurfaced. The policy was implemented through the creation of PT Danantara Sumber Daya Indonesia (DSI), a new state-owned enterprise under the Danantara Investment Authority. This move aimed to address long-standing practices, such as discrepancies in export reporting, underpriced transactions, and complex cross-border structures that siphon profits away from the nation.
Penjelasan Pasal 33 UUD 1945
Technically, these practices are termed under-counting, under-invoicing, and transfer pricing. Constitutionally, they directly impact the nation’s ability to fulfill its constitutional mandate under Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution. Article 33, paragraph (3), states that the earth, water, and natural wealth within it are owned by the state and used for the greatest prosperity of the people. This formulation is not merely economic; it is a constitutional directive ensuring natural resources serve the public interest, not private gain.
“Kemakmuran masyarakatlah yang diutamakan, bukan kemakmuran orang-seorang.”
Before amendments, the explanation of Article 33 underscored that societal prosperity should take precedence over individual wealth. Here lies the essence of Article 33: natural resources must not be treated as ordinary commodities. They are part of the constitutional promise that Indonesia’s wealth should return as benefits for its people.
Tafsir MK tentang Kekuasaan Negara
The Constitutional Court has offered critical interpretations. In several rulings, it emphasized that the phrase “dikuasai oleh negara” (owned by the state) should not be interpreted as mere formal ownership. State control encompasses functions such as policy-making, regulation, management, and oversight. In the electricity sector case, the Court affirmed that private involvement is acceptable as long as the state retains effective control over vital production branches. In the BP Migas case, it warned that institutional designs undermining the state’s effective control over natural resources may conflict with Article 33.
Therefore, the state cannot merely act as an issuer of permits, a tax collector, or a recipient of post-transaction reports. It must ensure that the true value of natural resources is accurately recorded, monitored, and returned to the public as benefits for welfare.
Persoalan Utama
At the core of the issue lies this reality: possessing natural resources does not automatically mean controlling their value. A country may own mines, plantations, and strategic commodities, yet lose authority over prices, volumes, buyers, and margins within the trade chain. The state can be present at the start with permits and at the end with taxes, but absent from the critical stage where value is formed, documented, and distributed to the public.
