Indonesia has officially introduced its first Gold Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) as the nation works to expand its financial sector and position itself as a regional investment hub. 

The Financial Services Authority (OJK) launched the product on Monday, trading under the ticker XTRA. The new instrument enables retail and institutional investors to gain exposure to gold without the need to purchase and store physical bars. 

OJK Chairman Friderica Widyasari Dewi described the launch as the culmination of long-term planning within the country's maturing financial ecosystem.  

“Gold ETFs have actually been an aspiration of ours for perhaps 10 to 15 years through various studies and research,” Friderica said during the launch ceremony, as quoted by The Jakarta Globe. “Today, with changes in the law and other developments, we are ready to launch gold ETFs in Indonesia.” 

The government views the ETF as a critical piece of a broader economic expansion strategy. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated that the initiative is designed to connect the nation's gold sector across its entire value chain.  

“The Gold ETF is also a key instrument launched by OJK. We certainly hope that we can strengthen the gold ecosystem from upstream to downstream,” Airlangga said on Tuesday at the 2026 Members' Meeting of the Indonesian Issuers Association, as quoted by ANTARA News. 

Airlangga noted that the country's newly established bullion banking system has already catalyzed growth, allowing Indonesia to overtake Singapore in the regional gold sector. State-owned pawnshop Pegadaian managed approximately 70 tons of gold when the bullion bank was launched, a figure that has since grown to roughly 153 metric tons, carrying a total value of around USD 20 billion. 

Despite this steady expansion, the domestic market for gold investment products still has significant ground to cover before matching larger Asian economies. Highlighting the scale of established markets, Airlangga pointed out that in India, gold ETFs alone hold a valuation of USD 17 billion to USD 18 billion, illustrating the currently modest baseline of Indonesia's new market but also its vast potential for scale. 

Five investment managers are participating in the initial rollout: Indopremier Investment Management, Mandiri Manajemen Investasi, BRI Manajemen Investasi, Trimegah Asset Management, and Shinhan Asset Management Indonesia. The underlying gold is recorded via Electronic Gold Receipts (EGR) at the Indonesia Central Securities Depository. Additionally, the products have received a sharia compliance endorsement from the National Sharia Board of the Indonesian Ulema Council (DSN-MUI). 

While the total assets entering Indonesia's gold ETF are starting from a comparatively low base against global peers, officials maintain that the launch is a necessary building block for the expanding economy.  

“This is a positive step taken by Indonesia, especially amid the current uncertainty, as gold has always been a safe haven for investors,” Airlangga concluded.