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Pancasila and Soemitronomics Proposed as Indonesia’s Economic Sovereignty Blueprint
A 2026 study by Albert Riyandi of Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika, Ali Alkatiri of the Ministry of MSMEs, and Anang Fahmi Luqmawan Putra of UIN Prof. KH Saifuddin Zuhri Purwokerto argues that Indonesia’s response to growing global economic competition should be rooted in a combination of Soemitronomics and the axiology of Pancasila. Published in the International Journal of Integrative Sciences (IJIS), the paper presents a framework that connects national values with economic policy and positions digital sovereignty as a strategic priority in the modern era.
The article arrives at a moment when countries worldwide are reassessing industrial policy, supply chains, and technological independence. Rather than framing development solely through growth indicators, the authors argue that Indonesia should define economic progress through sovereignty, value creation, and social justice.
Why the Research Matters Now
According to the study, global influence is increasingly concentrated in three interconnected spheres of power.
The first is Sovereign Power, represented by major states that shape trade systems and geopolitical arrangements. The second is Transcapital Power, driven by financial institutions, asset managers, and global capital networks. The third is Technology Power, controlled by companies operating in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, digital platforms, biotechnology, and strategic technologies.
The authors argue that developing countries, including Indonesia, operate within this structure from a comparatively weaker position. Their central question is not whether globalization can be avoided, but how Indonesia can strengthen its bargaining position while remaining aligned with constitutional and philosophical foundations.
Reintroducing Soemitronomics for the Digital Age
The paper builds its argument around the economic thought of Soemitro Djojohadikusumo, an Indonesian economist and statesman whose work emphasized that political independence cannot be separated from economic independence.
Drawing from historical writings and contemporary interpretation, the authors define Soemitronomics as a value-driven economic framework that prioritizes national sovereignty over market efficiency alone.
The study identifies seven strategic pillars of Soemitronomics:
- The state as the architect of economic transformation
- Industrialization as a national dignity project
- Domestic capital formation
- Selective integration into global markets
- Indonesia Incorporated (coordination between government, SOEs, private sector, and cooperatives)
- Cooperatives as economic democracy
- Data and technology sovereignty
According to the authors, these pillars are not presented as historical doctrine but as a practical development model for Indonesia’s current economic environment.
Pancasila Positioned as the Value Compass
A central contribution of the article is its attempt to connect economic policy with the philosophical structure of Pancasila.
The researchers rely on previous philosophical work on Pancasila’s axiological dimension—the study of values—to argue that each of the five principles can serve as guidance for economic decision-making.
In this interpretation:
- The First Principle supports a moral economy that protects human dignity.
- The Second Principle emphasizes human development and protection of vulnerable groups.
- The Third Principle supports coordinated national development.
- The Fourth Principle promotes democratic participation and cooperative ownership.
- The Fifth Principle prioritizes equitable distribution and social justice.
The paper also links these principles with the distributive justice theory of philosopher John Rawls, particularly the idea that public institutions should benefit those with the fewest advantages.
How the Study Was Conducted
The research did not collect survey or experimental data.
Instead, the authors used a qualitative systematic literature review combined with comparative geopolitical analysis. The study synthesized three major knowledge sources:
- Documentation of Soemitro Djojohadikusumo’s economic thought
- Academic literature on Pancasila’s philosophical foundations
- Contemporary geo-economic analysis of global power structures
Additional references included development economics, political philosophy, data colonialism studies, and digital governance literature. The analytical process compared these perspectives and translated them into contemporary policy interpretation.
Four Major Findings
The study reports four main conclusions.
First, Soemitronomics and Pancasila show structural alignment.
The authors conclude that Soemitro’s economic ideas function as an operational form of Pancasila’s values rather than a separate technocratic approach.
Second, Indonesia’s challenge is structural, not temporary.
The paper estimates that the combined scale of sovereign, financial, and technological power globally reaches approximately USD 165 trillion, creating long-term pressure that cannot be addressed through short-term economic adjustments alone.
Third, digital sovereignty has become essential.
The authors introduce the concept of a “digital ontology gap,” arguing that citizens should not be treated merely as users or data commodities within global technology systems. Instead, digital infrastructure should be designed around citizen sovereignty.
Fourth, contemporary Indonesian programs can be interpreted through the Soemitronomics framework.
The paper identifies the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) initiative and the Red and White Village Cooperative program as examples of how national development priorities may reflect Soemitronomics principles when implemented through localized supply chains and cooperative participation.
Implications for Policy and Society
The authors recommend that Indonesia strengthen what they describe as a national sovereignty architecture.
Their proposals include creating a digital sovereignty task force, expanding industrial policy, reinforcing domestic value creation, and building stronger cooperation with countries facing similar development challenges.
In one of the article’s central arguments, Riyandi and colleagues write that Pancasila should function as the nation’s value compass, while Soemitronomics serves as the strategic map that translates those values into policy choices.
The broader message of the paper is that economic resilience in the 21st century may depend not only on fiscal strength or trade performance, but also on who defines technological rules, owns strategic infrastructure, and shapes the values behind economic decisions.
Author Profiles
Albert Riyandi, S.E., M.M. — Lecturer at Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika, focusing on political economy and development studies.
Ali Alkatiri — Assistant Deputy for Small Business Production and Digitalization at Indonesia’s Ministry of MSMEs, specializing in economic transformation and digital policy.
Anang Fahmi Luqmawan Putra — Researcher and academic at UIN Prof. KH Saifuddin Zuhri Purwokerto, with interests in social policy and development studies.
Source
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ijis.v5i5.29
URL : https://journalijis.my.id/index.php/ijis/index
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