RRI.CO.ID - The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) has urged the government to ensure that communities surrounding industrial estates are involved in decision‑making and benefit directly from investments.

The proposal was raised during discussions on the Industrial Estate Bill, which is currently being deliberated by Commission VII of the DPR.

Commission VII lawmaker Putra Nababan stated that local communities should be included in the National Industrial Estate Council (DKIN), which is proposed in the bill. He argued that community participation in the council’s structure is crucial for developing industrial estates more inclusively and aligning them with regional needs.

“I see the National Industrial Estate Council initiated by this ministry as a strong step to break the deadlock of sectoral egos. However, I don’t see any elements within the council that involve local communities,” Putra said during a Public Hearing of the Industrial Estate Bill Working Committee with the Ministry of Industry’s Directorate General of Resilience, Regionalization, and International Industrial Access (KPAII) at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday, June 29, 2026.

Putra noted that the academic draft of the bill emphasizes the importance of creating space for community participation in industrial estate development. Therefore, he believes local communities must have representation in the institutions that will be established.

He stressed that industrial estates should not only pursue investment and economic growth but also improve community welfare through job creation, local economic empowerment, and equitable development.

“The academic draft states on page 33 that the main objective of development is to create a balanced spatial development plan, especially when reaching new potential areas and opening opportunities for local community participation,” he said.

In addition to community involvement, Putra requested that the bill strengthen Social and Environmental Responsibility (CSR) obligations. He emphasized that CSR programs should provide tangible benefits to communities rather than merely fulfill administrative requirements for companies.

“The problem is that corporations have historically downplayed CSR,” he said.

He asked the Ministry of Industry to include the proposal in the Problem Inventory List (DIM) of the Industrial Estate Bill so that estate managers are more clearly obligated to empower surrounding communities.

Meanwhile, Director General of Resilience, Regionalization, and International Industrial Access (KPAII) at the Ministry of Industry, Tri Supondy, stated that the government shares the same view that industrial estates must deliver social impacts in addition to economic benefits.

He explained that estate managers will be required to implement community empowerment programs as part of their social and environmental responsibility. The implementation of these programs will also be monitored and reported to both central and regional governments.

“The implementation of this program is part of the estate managers’ social and environmental responsibility and must be reported to the central government and regional administrations,” Tri said. ***