The financial restructuring, reorganisation, liquidation and insolvency of business entities and partnerships in Indonesia can be dealt with through court-supervised proceedings or out-of-court processes.
Court-supervised proceedings are primarily governed by Law No 37 of 2004 on Bankruptcy and Suspension of Payments, as partly amended by Law No 4 of 2023 on Financial Sector Development and Reinforcement (the “Omnibus Financial Law”) (the “Indonesian Bankruptcy Law”, or IBL), together with civil procedure law, which includes Supreme Court Decree No 109/MA/SK/IV/2020 on the Guide Book for Resolving Bankruptcy and Suspension of Payments Cases, dated 29 April 2020 (the “Supreme Court Manual”).
Out-of-court processes are governed by contract law, as set out in the Indonesian Civil Code (ICC), and by other relevant laws and regulations, depending upon the nature of the organisation, as follows.
The IBL provides for the following two types of court-supervised restructuring and insolvency proceedings, which may be initiated either voluntarily (by the debtor) or involuntarily (by creditors) by the submission of a petition to the commercial court:
The bankruptcy and PKPU processes are intertwined because restructuring can emerge from a bankruptcy proceeding, since the IBL gives a bankrupt debtor the opportunity to offer a composition plan, while liquidation can result from a PKPU proceeding, especially if such proceeding fails to produce a composition plan that is acceptable to the creditors.
Bankruptcy Proceedings
If the commercial court approves a bankruptcy petition, the IBL states that it is required to render a bankruptcy declaration and appoint one or more receiver(s) and a supervisory judge.
After the bankruptcy declaration is rendered by the commercial court, the affairs of the bankrupt debtor are handled and managed by one or more court-appointed receivers. The directors of the debtor, if it is a legal entity, lose their authority to manage the bankrupt debtor’s affairs and estate, as these authorities are transferred to the receiver. The receiver is subject to the supervision of a court-appointed supervisory judge.
PKPU Proceedings
If the commercial court approves a PKPU petition, the debtor will be given a provisional PKPU for up to 45 days, and one or more administrator(s) and a supervisory judge will be appointed. The 45-day provisional PKPU may be extended up to a maximum of 270 days, whereupon it becomes a permanent PKPU.
After the PKPU declaration is rendered by the commercial court, the affairs and the estate of a debtor in PKPU proceedings are handled and managed jointly by the director(s) of the company and one or more court-appointed administrators. The administrator is subject to the supervision of a court-appointed supervisory judge. The debtor is still entitled to manage and dispose of its assets, but only jointly with the administrator. The debtor cannot conduct any management or ownership actions relating to all or part of its assets without the approval of the administrator.
Any violation of this provision will entitle the administrator to take whatever action is required to ensure that the debtor’s assets are not jeopardised by the debtor’s action. The debtor's performance of its obligations arising after the commencement of the PKPU proceedings, without the administrator’s consent, may only be imposed on the debtor’s assets to the extent that such assets gain advantage/benefit from this performance.
Dissolution and Liquidation Proceedings
The ICL provides for another type of out-of-court insolvency proceeding, known as a dissolution and liquidation proceeding (“D&L proceeding”), whereby a liquidator is appointed. Under this procedure, no restructuring can be done as it is aimed at liquidation, and the end result will be the termination of the company’s legal entity status.
A receiver is appointed in bankruptcy proceedings, while an administrator is appointed in PKPU proceedings. The person appointed as a receiver or administrator is either a licensed lawyer or a licensed public accountant who has taken a special course, passed the examination and been registered with the Ministry of Law (a restructuring/insolvency professional).
The Receiver
The receiver has the following roles, rights and responsibilities (in bankruptcy proceedings):
The Administrator
The administrator has the following roles, rights and responsibilities (in PKPU proceedings):
The receiver and administrator report their tasks to the supervisory judge and the commercial court.
The commercial court may nominate a restructuring/insolvency professional as administrator or receiver based on a proposal from the petitioner, or at its own discretion. The commercial court may reject the nominated officers if they are not independent, have a conflict of interest or are handling three or more cases at the same time. Alternatively, officers of the Inheritance Agency (Balai Harta Peninggalan, or BHP – a state trustee) will be appointed.
The commercial court may replace an appointed receiver/administrator based on:
The Supervisory Judge
The supervisory judge has the following roles and responsibilities (in bankruptcy and PKPU proceedings):
The supervisory judge is appointed by the commercial court in the bankruptcy decision or the PKPU decision.
The Liquidator
In the context of D&L proceedings, the liquidator has the following roles, rights and responsibilities:
The liquidator reports to either the General Meeting of Shareholders or the district court that appoints them.
Preferred Claims
There are several types of preferred claims.
Preferred claims that rank higher than secured claims
Preferred claims that rank higher than secured claims will need to be paid from the bankruptcy estate, including but not limited to the assets of the debtor that have been encumbered by in rem security rights (in the form of mortgage, pledges, hypothec, fiduciary security) being held by the secured claims, ahead of the unsecured claims. These include the following.
Preferred claims that rank lower than secured creditors' claims
Secured claims of specific statutorily preferred creditors whose preferences relate only to the debtor’s specific assets, as stipulated by Article 1139 of the ICC, will rank higher if the specific relevant assets are subject to in rem security rights of the secured claim.
General preferred claims
General preferred claims will need to be paid from the assets under the bankruptcy estate that have not been encumbered by in rem security rights being held by the secured claims, ahead of the unsecured claims.
General statutorily preferred creditors of the debtor’s assets in general, as stipulated by Article 1149 of the ICC, include the revenue authorities and the outstanding rights of the employees of the bankrupt debtor, other than outstanding wages (eg, severance payments).
Secured Claims
Secured claims are claims that are secured with in rem security rights over the debtor’s particular assets. In practice, there is some uncertainty and conflicting views as to whether a secured creditor holding collateral that is provided by a non-debtor third party would be considered a secured creditor in PKPU proceedings, due to the lack of clarity regarding the term “secured creditors” in the IBL, and to conflicting practice in different PKPU case precedents.
Unsecured Claims
Unsecured claims are not secured with any in rem security rights and do not have any privilege granted by the prevailing laws and regulations. They will be paid from the assets under the bankruptcy estate that have not been encumbered by in rem security rights held by the secured claims, after the general preferred claims have been paid in full.
The subordination of the creditor’s claim of any class during the bankruptcy proceedings or the PKPU proceedings is not recognised under the IBL.
Subordinated Claims
The IBL does not recognise the concept of the subordination of shareholder claims, although in practice a proposed restructuring plan may incorporate such concept.
As mentioned in 2.1 Types of Creditors, the IBL recognises a priority claim that is ranked higher than a secured creditor claim (ie, “preferred claims”). However, in addition to such preferred claims, the IBL also recognises bankruptcy estate claims (also known as post-bankruptcy claims) as claims that would normally rank higher than any other type of claim. Bankruptcy estate claims are essentially claims against the bankruptcy estate that arise during the bankruptcy proceedings after the bankruptcy declaration is rendered, such as:
Liens/Security
The types of security that may be taken by secured creditors consist of mortgages over land (Hak Tanggungan), fiduciary security, pledge and hypothec.
A mortgage is used to secure certain real estate titles over land and fixtures attaching to it. Other immovable assets (which arguably include land with land titles that may not be mortgaged, as well as uncertified land) and movable, tangible and intangible assets (including but not limited to receivables, insurance proceeds and intellectual property rights) may be secured by a fiduciary transfer (also referred to as a “fiduciary assignment”).
Assets that can be secured by a fiduciary transfer (other than immovable assets) can also be secured by pledge. Due to the requirement under a pledge that the pledged property be delivered to the creditor, most assets are secured by a fiduciary transfer, as it does not include this requirement. An exception to this is shares of an Indonesian company and bank account balances, which in practice are normally secured by pledge.
A hypothec is used to secure registered vessels/ships that have a gross tonnage of more than 20 cubic metres or the equivalent of seven gross tonnage.
The formalities to establish security under Indonesian law (other than pledge) are, in general:
Rights and Remedies
Beyond the restructuring/insolvency context, the rights and remedies that secured creditors have to enforce their security upon the debtor’s default on its secured obligations include selling the security through public auction (or private sale in certain circumstances). This can be done either:
Unsecured creditors have no specific rights and remedies under the IBL outside the restructuring and insolvency context. Nonetheless, the IBL allows a bankruptcy petitioner (whether a preferred, secured or unsecured creditor) to request the commercial court to:
As far as is known, there have been no cases to date involving either of these processes in Indonesia.
There are no formal regulatory processes or requirements for an out-of-court restructuring, but the following points should be observed.
There is no mandatory consensual restructuring negotiation before the commencement of a formal “statutory process”. Debtors often prefer a court-supervised process due to the benefits the IBL provides to debtors, which include:
Standstill agreements, default waivers and similar agreements, as part of an informal and consensual restructuring process or negotiation, are not uncommon in Indonesia; many of the practices common in larger/more complex restructurings are followed or mirrored (with local adaptations), especially in larger restructurings.
A standstill agreement generally contains obligations for the company aimed at, for example, providing the creditor with more detailed information on the financial circumstances of the company. It is also common to require the inclusion of more covenants, especially relating to the financial condition or actions of the company, and to request additional security as part of the restructuring arrangement.
Standstill agreements have become more common since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the restructuring plan, the borrower will normally be granted a grace period for repayment of the loan. Alternatively, in a more general sense, a default waiver is always an option, subject to the outcomes of negotiations between the creditor and debtor.
There are no statutory requirements or legal doctrine imposing duties on creditors. As a general rule, a creditor is entitled to act in its own interest and may decline any proposal for an out-of-court restructuring.
As there is no statutory provision enabling a cram-down to deal with dissenting creditors in an out-of-court restructuring, a consensual, agreed out-of-court financial restructuring or work-out may not be entirely effective if not all creditors participate in the process and/or agree with the proposal. As the non-participating and/or dissenting creditors are not bound by the agreed restructuring, each of them may initiate legal proceedings against the debtor on the basis of default, which would jeopardise the “partially” agreed restructuring implementation.
An out-of-court restructuring is based on private contractual agreements between the debtor and its creditors. The disadvantage of informal restructuring is that the debtor is unable to take advantage of the features provided by court-supervised restructuring, including a stay period that prevents the enforcement of creditors’ rights against the debtor during the restructuring process and a cram-down on dissenting and non-participating creditors. Therefore, the restructuring can only be effective towards the participating creditors.
A petition for PKPU and bankruptcy may be filed by the following.
The petition will be granted if the following requirements are fulfilled:
Aside from this substantive test, an additional test for deciding whether a PKPU can be granted relates to whether the debtor cannot, or foresees (or its creditors foresees) that it will be unable to, pay its debts as they become due and payable.
The Supreme Court Manual provides that the PKPU and bankruptcy petition can be initiated on individuals, legal entities (ie, limited liability companies, foundations and co-operations) and civil partnerships (ie, unlimited liability partnerships, limited liability partnerships and other forms of civil partnership).
During PKPU proceedings, the appointed administrator is required to announce the PKPU decision as soon as possible in the state gazette, and in at least two daily newspapers determined by the supervisory judge. The announcement will contain the supervisory judge’s determination on:
All claims submitted by the creditors to the administrator must be verified against the debtor’s record/book and report, based on the rules of verification set out in the IBL. Furthermore, the administrator/receiver will issue a permanent list of creditors containing the recognised amount of claims of creditors.
The PKPU may be terminated at the request of the supervisory judge or one or more creditors, or upon the recommendation of the commercial court, if certain conditions are fulfilled – eg, the debtor is acting in bad faith in managing its assets during the PKPU, or has inflicted loss to the creditor and others. This may result in the debtor being declared bankrupt.
The debtor may, at any time, request that the commercial court lifts the PKPU, on the basis that the debtor is now able to start repaying its debts. In this situation, the commercial court will summon the administrator and the creditors before making a decision.
The IBL provides the opportunity for a debtor to offer a composition plan that restructures the rights of creditors, parties to an agreement, shareholders and relevant parties, subject to negotiation between the debtors and such relevant parties.
Under the IBL, shareholders have limited rights in bankruptcy proceedings, and are typically last in line to receive any distributions from the liquidation of assets after all secured and unsecured creditors have been paid. While creditors have more representation during bankruptcy and PKPU proceedings, creditors can negotiate and vote upon the composition plan proposed by the debtor.
A meeting of creditors must be called within 45 days of granting the provisional PKPU. At this meeting, the secured and unsecured creditors must:
In PKPU proceedings, the decision to approve the composition plan, extend the PKPU period or grant a permanent PKPU requires approval from:
Dissenting Creditors
There are no special procedural protections and rights in statutory insolvency and restructuring proceedings other than the IBL rule requiring dissenting secured creditors to be compensated by either the value of the collateral (as determined by the collateral documents) or the collateral value determined by an appraiser, whichever is lower.
New Money
New money can be introduced by various parties, including current or new shareholders, secured creditors or new creditors. However, under Indonesian law, it is not possible to grant these new money providers any super-priority liens or rights, whether within or outside formal insolvency proceedings.
Providers of new money may require in rem security rights over unencumbered assets or second/subsequent-rank already-encumbered assets, as a condition for their investment. This allows them to take precedence over unsecured creditors but not over existing secured or preferred creditors, unless those creditors consent. Since not all creditors may participate in or agree to the out-of-court restructuring process, there is a risk that the transaction could be invalidated or annulled in bankruptcy for being prejudicial to other creditors.
If a composition plan is approved and confirmed, and becomes final and binding, it will bind all creditors except the dissenting secured creditors. Subsequently, the debtor will no longer have PKPU status.
However, bankruptcy will be declared immediately, and the bankruptcy estate will be in a state of insolvency, if:
The IBL adopts the principle of fairness, which implies that the provisions regarding bankruptcy provide a sense of justice for the interested parties. This principle of fairness is designed to prevent the arbitrariness of creditors who seek payment of their respective claims against the debtor, without considering other creditors. The debtor is expected to observe this principle when formulating their restructuring plan.
The commercial court is the judicial authority ratifying the approved composition plan that passed the voting process. In the scheduled judge’s deliberation hearing, the commercial court must decide whether or not to confirm the approved plan, and provide its reasoning. The commercial court may only refuse to ratify the plan if:
Failure to fulfil the composition plan post-restructuring
This can lead to a challenge to the composition plan of the debtor, as approved by the creditors and homologated by the commercial court (homologated plan), by dissenting creditors via a cassation or case review petition to the Supreme Court. It can also lead to the filing of a petition to nullify a homologated plan by a creditor due to the debtor’s subsequent default in performing its obligations, as cited in the composition plan. The debtor must show that the allegation has no ground. Under the IBL, the commercial court may grant the debtor a 30-day grace period to fulfil its obligation. If the debtor fails, the commercial court will nullify the plan and declare the debtor bankrupt.
Upon the PKPU, the debtor will still be entitled to manage and dispose of its business and assets, but only jointly with the administrator; the debtor cannot conduct any management or ownership actions over all or part of its assets without the approval of the administrator. Any violation of this provision will entitle the administrator to take any action required to ensure that the debtor’s assets are not jeopardised. Performance by the debtor of an obligation arising after the commencement of the PKPU proceedings without the administrator’s consent can only be imposed on the debtor’s assets to the extent that the debtor’s assets gain advantage/benefits from this performance.
The IBL provisions allow the debtor and the administrator in PKPU proceedings, or the receiver in bankruptcy proceedings, to obtain new financing from a third party after obtaining the supervisory judge’s approval. If this new financing requires security from the debtor’s assets, however, the security can only be provided from the debtor’s assets that are free from any encumbrances or existing security right. Therefore, the claims under the new financing do not constitute priority claims, other than the privilege right under the security interest being provided (if any).
The administrator plays a crucial role in managing the debtor’s assets and facilitating a restructuring plan (see 1.3 Statutory Officers regarding the roles, rights and responsibilities of the administrator). The administrator collaborates with the debtor, who maintains control of their business under the administrator’s guidance. The primary objective of the administrator is to balance the protection of creditors’ interests with providing the debtor an opportunity to restructure its debts and sustain business operations.
Shareholders’ Position
Shareholders maintain their statutory voting and other rights as long as the exercise of such rights does not affect the powers of the administrator or the procedures prescribed by the IBL.
Secured Creditors’ Rights and Remedies
The secured creditors’ right to enforce their security is subject to a stay for the entire period of the PKPU proceedings, which can be up to a maximum of 270 days from the PKPU decision being granted. Nonetheless, the IBL provides that secured creditors have the right to seek relief from an automatic stay under both bankruptcy and PKPU, by filing for a lifting of the stay petition.
If a composition plan has been confirmed in the PKPU proceedings, such plan will bind all creditors (secured and unsecured) except dissenting secured creditors, who will be compensated by the debtor at the lowest of the value of the collateral (the collateral value as determined either by the collateral documents or by an appraiser appointed by the supervisory judge) or the actual claim directly secured by in rem rights (relating to property, not a person).
Unsecured Creditors’ Rights and Remedies
Under the IBL, unsecured creditors are entitled to vote on the composition plan being offered by the debtor in both bankruptcy and PKPU proceedings. A composition plan will be deemed approved by the creditors if it fulfils PKPU voting requirements (as mentioned in 4.2 Statutory Restructuring, Rehabilitation and Reorganisation Procedure) and bankruptcy voting requirements (as mentioned in 5.2 Course of the Liquidation Procedure).
Failure to secure majority approval from the unsecured creditors may either:
Rights of Set-Off
Any person that has a debt to or a claim against a debtor can set off that debt or claim in bankruptcy or PKPU proceedings, provided that the debt, claim or any legal action raising the debt or claim has occurred prior to the commencement of the PKPU or bankruptcy proceedings.
Trading of Claims Against a Company
It is possible for claims against a company under PKPU/bankruptcy proceedings to be traded, taking the following into account:
The transfer of claim needs to be notified to the administrator in the PKPU and to the receiver team in bankruptcy proceedings.
Existing Equity Owners
The IBL is silent on whether equity owners can receive or retain any ownership or other property on account of their ownership interests. However, equity owners can always receive or retain ownership or other property due to their ownership interests, to the extent that this does not relate to the debtor’s assets.
The parties eligible to file a bankruptcy petition, as well as those to whom it applies, are subject to the same rules as the PKPU, as outlined in 4.1 Opening of Statutory Restructuring, Rehabilitation and Reorganisation.
The debtor (individual or corporate entities) must be declared bankrupt once the satisfaction of both of the following tests for bankruptcy can be summarily proven in bankruptcy proceedings before the commercial court:
While the IBL regulates all details of bankruptcy proceedings, the ICL only regulates how the D&L proceedings must be performed in general. The special features/requirements of a bankruptcy proceeding (eg, the stay period, public auction of assets, power to set aside a contract, requirements to become a liquidator and possibility for a creditors’ committee) do not exist in D&L proceedings.
The initiation of a bankruptcy petition against the debtor does not affect the debtor’s legal status. Therefore, the debtor may continue to operate its business as usual during the adjudication of the bankruptcy proceedings. The legal consequences of bankruptcy will only take effect once a bankruptcy declaration is issued by the commercial court, where the board of directors (BOD) of the debtor loses its authority to manage the bankrupt debtor’s affairs and estate because these authorities are transferred to the receiver; see 1.2 Types of Insolvency.
After the bankruptcy declaration is rendered, the receiver must announce the supervisory judge’s determination on the following to all known creditors, in writing (in the state gazette and at least two daily newspapers):
All claims submitted by the creditors to the appointed receiver must be verified against the debtor’s record/book and report, based on the rules of verification set out in the IBL.
After a bankruptcy declaration is rendered, the bankrupt debtor is entitled to submit a composition plan. In bankruptcy proceedings, the decision to approve the composition plan requires approval from more than half the unsecured creditors who are present or represented at the meeting, whose rights are acknowledged or provisionally acknowledged, and who represent at least two-thirds of the total amount of the unsecured claims of the unsecured creditors present or represented at the meeting (whose rights are also acknowledged or provisionally acknowledged).
In the scheduled judge’s deliberation hearing, the commercial court must decide whether or not to confirm the approved composition plan, together with the grounds for doing so. The commercial court may only refuse to confirm the approved composition plan if:
If a composition plan is approved and confirmed, and becomes final and binding, it will bind all unsecured creditors.
The bankruptcy estate will be in a state of insolvency if:
Pre-Existing Agreement
In bankruptcy proceedings
Pursuant to Article 28 of the IBL, claims initiated by a debtor against any party, including shareholders, affiliates and agents as defendant, prior to or during the course of the bankruptcy proceedings, must be suspended at the defendant’s request, to allow the defendant to summon the receiver and request that they take over the case. This must be done within a time period determined by the judges. If the receiver fails to appear in response to the summons, or refuses to take over the case, the defendant may submit a petition for the claim to be dismissed. If the defendant does not request dismissal of the claim, the case between the debtor and defendant may be continued beyond the scope of the debtor’s estate. The receiver is authorised to take over the case, at any time, and request that the debtor be expelled from the case.
In PKPU proceedings
Pursuant to Article 213 of the IBL, commencement of a petition for bankruptcy or PKPU proceedings would not prevent the continuation of an existing ongoing claim, nor the commencement of a new claim, provided that the debtor did not become an applicant or defendant in a (new) claim regarding a right or obligation that relates to its assets without the administrator’s approval. The elements to succeed are the same as those that would have been applicable had the debtor brought the claims before the insolvency.
If the assets of the bankruptcy estate are insufficient to cover the costs of the bankruptcy, the commercial court may decide to terminate the bankruptcy immediately, upon the recommendation of the supervisory judge and after consulting with the temporary committee of creditors (if any) and the bankrupt debtor. Consequently, the bankrupt entity’s debt is dissolved once the termination is confirmed by a final and binding decision of the commercial court due to the insufficiency of the bankruptcy estate.
Conversely, if the bankruptcy estate is sufficient to fully satisfy all creditors’ claims, the bankruptcy will be concluded. The receiver will announce this termination in the state gazette and a newspaper. In this scenario, the debtor has the right to request rehabilitation, allowing the court to restore the debtor to their original status before the bankruptcy by officially acknowledging that the debtor has fulfilled all its obligations.
Shareholders’ Position
Shareholders retain their statutory voting, and other rights, provided that exercising these rights does not interfere with the powers of the receiver or the procedures set out in the IBL. Regarding the distribution of liquidation proceeds, shareholders rank behind all creditors.
Secured Creditors’ Rights and Remedies
Under court-supervised restructuring/insolvency proceedings, the secured creditors’ right to enforce their security is subject to a stay for a maximum of 90 days after a bankruptcy declaration is rendered in bankruptcy proceedings. After the stay period has expired, the secured creditor is free to enforce its security, but must be able to complete the enforcement process within two months of the bankruptcy estate being in a state of insolvency. Otherwise, the receiver will take over security enforcement, and the bankruptcy costs (including the receiver’s fee) will need to be deducted from the sale proceeds. The automatic stay in this provision is aimed at:
During the stay period, no legal actions to obtain payment in respect of receivables may be brought before a court.
Unsecured Creditors’ Rights and Remedies
See 4.6 The Position of Shareholders and Creditors in Restructuring, Rehabilitation and Reorganisation.
The IBL is the only source of law related to the international aspect of restructuring and insolvency; only three articles are stipulated regarding the matter, mainly focusing on the elaboration of the IBL’s universality principle.
Indonesia has not ratified any treaties related to international insolvency proceedings in another country, nor has it adopted the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency.
Both the bankruptcy and PKPU procedures apply to debtors that have their domicile in Indonesia. The IBL provides that the commercial court also has the authority to declare bankruptcy or PKPU for a debtor who does not reside in Indonesia but conducts their profession or business there. In this case, the court that has jurisdiction to adjudicate the petition will be the commercial court that has jurisdiction over the debtor’s domicile or headquarters in Indonesia. Theoretically, a debtor incorporated outside of Indonesia can still undergo restructuring or insolvency proceedings in Indonesia, provided they meet the requirement of conducting their profession or business within the country.
The IBL adopts the territoriality principle, meaning that Indonesian law shall apply to all bankruptcy and PKPU cases handled by the court, regardless of whether or not the debtor has assets outside of Indonesia. This means that foreign court judgments in foreign insolvency proceedings are not recognised in Indonesia. As a result, judgments from overseas restructuring and insolvency cases cannot be enforced within the country. A foreign creditor who secures a judgment abroad must relitigate the matter through a local proceeding governed by the IBL, through either PKPU or bankruptcy proceedings.
Unless there is an applicable convention between Indonesia and the state where the judgment is rendered, foreign court judgments will not be recognised or enforced by the Indonesian courts; no such convention yet exists. However, a foreign court judgment could be offered, accepted and given such evidentiary weight as the Indonesian court may deem appropriate under the circumstances as to the applicable laws of that jurisdiction. In practice, there is a precedent where the commercial court followed a foreign court (moratorium) judgment raised by a party in deciding a PKPU case. In this regard, the Indonesian courts have very broad fact-finding powers and a high level of discretion in relation to the manner in which those powers are exercised.
A court ruling that drew considerable attention was issued in 2025, involving the enforcement of an international arbitral award against a debtor that had undergone PKPU proceedings and successfully obtained court confirmation (homologation) of its composition plan. In court case No 200/Pdt.Sus-Arb/2023/PN Jkt.Pst (PT Mahkota Sentosa Utama vs China Light Industry International Engineering & China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission), the Central Jakarta District Court annulled the execution writ (exequatur) of China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) Arbitral Award No 0831/2019, citing a violation of Indonesian public policy. Despite the general finality of arbitral award recognition under Supreme Court Regulation No 3 of 2023, the court held that the homologated composition plan from PT Mahkota Sentosa Utama’s 2020 PKPU proceedings prevailed over the arbitral award. The court emphasised that such a homologated composition plan would bind all creditors under Indonesian law, and enforcing an arbitral award contradicting it would undermine the integrity of the legal system. This ruling highlights that, under certain circumstances, a court-sanctioned composition plan may take precedence over an international arbitral award that has been registered in Indonesian court, particularly when enforcing the arbitral award could compromise the rights of creditors established through the PKPU process.
There is no official or unofficial system of co-operation, or protocols or other arrangements, between the Indonesian courts and those in foreign jurisdictions to co-ordinate restructuring or insolvency proceedings.
All creditors, whether domestic or foreign, are treated equally under Indonesian law. However, the IBL contains specific provisions allowing creditors domiciled abroad to submit their claims in bankruptcy/PKPU proceedings after the expiry of the claim submission deadline, provided that certain other requirements are also fulfilled.
Liability for a company could be attributed to a director after a company is declared bankrupt if the bankruptcy of the company is a result of negligence by the BOD or the board of commissioners (BOC). In that case, if the assets of the company are not sufficient to cover the entire obligations of the company in the bankruptcy proceedings, each member of the BOD/BOC is jointly and severally liable for the remaining obligations of the company that cannot be covered by the bankrupt company’s estate. To claim against the BOD/BOC, a lawsuit needs to be filed by the receiver of the bankrupt company in order to prove the fault or negligence of the BOD/BOC on the basis of tort under Articles 1365 and 1366 of the ICC. There could also be criminal liability under the Indonesian Penal Code for the BOD and/or the BOC.
However, the members of the BOD and/or the BOC will not be liable if it can be proved that:
As stated in 7.1 Duties of Directors, the BOD and/or the BOC of the bankrupt debtor may be held jointly and severally liable for paying the company’s debts if such bankruptcy resulted from their fault or negligence, and if the company’s assets are insufficient to settle its debts towards the creditors.
The ICL and the IBL do not stipulate obligations and liabilities related to bankruptcy situations for officers other than the BOD and BOC.
The IBL does not stipulate any specific director disqualification or criminal liability as a result of a company being declared bankrupt or under PKPU. In other regulatory regimes (outside the IBL), a director found guilty of causing a company’s bankruptcy may lose qualification to become a director in certain other businesses, such as in the banking sector.
While creditors may assert direct fiduciary breach claims against the directors outside bankruptcy, such claims can only be asserted by the receiver in bankruptcy proceedings.
The IBL provides that the bankruptcy receiver could request nullification of a transaction carried out by the debtor before its bankruptcy. The receiver must prove that:
While there is no strict look-back period, the IBL imposes the burden of proof on a third party (to the transaction) for denying the existence of knowledge that the transaction was detrimental to creditors for a transaction conducted within one year before the bankruptcy declaration. For transactions conducted prior to one year before the bankruptcy declaration, the burden of proof rests with the receiver.
If the transaction was concluded within one year of the bankruptcy declaration (when the transaction was not mandatory for the debtor unless it could be proven otherwise), both the debtor and the third party with whom the transaction was concluded would be deemed to know that the transaction was detrimental to the creditors if:
The IBL provides that claims to set aside or annul a transaction can only be asserted by the receiver in bankruptcy proceedings. Outside bankruptcy proceedings, any concerned creditor may request the nullification of a detrimental transaction carried out by the debtor based on a lawsuit under the ICC, in which case the burden of proof rests with the creditor.
The IBL does not specify the consequences of a successful annulment claim by the receiver. However, a notable example of a successful annulment claim can be found in the 2015 bankruptcy case of a local airline company, PT Metro Batavia (Batavia Air). In this case, the receiver filed an annulment claim regarding a transaction that occurred within one year prior to the bankruptcy, between the company’s director and the purchaser of a plot of land that the receiver claimed was part of the bankruptcy estate. The panel of judges at the Supreme Court (at the civil review level) found that the object of the transaction belonged to the company and decided to grant the claim. The court further ruled that the transaction was conducted in bad faith and was therefore deemed to have never existed. As a result, the purchaser was ordered to vacate the land, and the object was declared to be part of the bankruptcy estate. In addition, the director of PT Metro Batavia was ordered to return the purchase money to the purchaser.
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Background
In Indonesia, the regulation concerning insolvency was first comprehensively and expressly stipulated under Law No 37 of 2004 regarding Bankruptcy and Suspension of Debt Payment Obligations (“Law 37/2004”). In principle, the enactment of Law 37/2004 was driven by the need for legal reform in the area of insolvency, particularly following the monetary crisis of 1998. During that period, the government enacted Government Regulation in Lieu of Law No 1 of 1998 concerning the Amendment to the Bankruptcy Law (“Perppu 1/1998”), which essentially amended Staatsblad 1905 No 217 in conjunction withStaatsblad 1906 No 348 (Faillissements-Verordening or FV), as several provisions therein were deemed no longer relevant to the circumstances prevailing in 1998.
In principle, upon the enactment of Law 37/2004, Indonesia entered a new phase in the handling of legal matters related to insolvency. Law 37/2004 expressly introduced two main mechanisms, namely:
In today’s global economy, these mechanisms are increasingly tested by modern commercial realities. Many Indonesian debtors now maintain complex financial structures involving multiple foreign investors, lenders or lessors, resulting in obligations denominated in various currencies and governed by different legal systems. Consequently, financial distress or default involving such debtors often extends beyond national borders, giving rise to cross-border insolvency situations that involve both domestic and foreign stakeholders.
This changing landscape illustrates how the principles established under Law 37/2004 must now be interpreted in the context of international financing and investment, where insolvency no longer concerns local creditors alone, but may also affect foreign financial institutions, offshore lessors and cross-border investors with exposure to Indonesian entities.
Cross-Border Insolvency
Indonesia adheres to the territorial principle for cross-border insolvency rules, so foreign insolvency decisions cannot be enforced in Indonesia. If there are foreign creditors who wish to file for insolvency proceedings against Indonesian entities, the process will start from scratch, where they must file for PKPU or bankruptcy.
In both PKPU and bankruptcy, debtors and creditors have the same opportunity to reach a settlement. However, the difference is that, in bankruptcy, only unsecured creditors have the right to vote on the settlement, while in PKPU both secured and unsecured creditors can vote on the settlement proposed by the debtor.
Since the enactment of Law No 37 of 2004, Indonesia has not yet undertaken any significant reformed to its insolvency framework, particularly in relation to cross-border insolvency. The current regime remains domestic in scope and lacks clear provisions for recognising and co-ordinating foreign insolvency proceedings.
Indonesia has not yet adopted the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Model Law on Cross Border Insolvency (1997) (the “UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency”), an internationally recognised framework that promotes co-operation between courts and insolvency practitioners across jurisdictions. Its adoption would enhance legal certainty, transparency and efficiency in cross-border cases involving Indonesian entities and foreign creditors. The Model Law’s key features include:
Conversely, in its development, insolvency decisions on companies in Indonesia have been recognised in several countries that have adopted the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency. The most recent case is the Garuda Indonesia insolvency case, which involved many foreign creditors. The Garuda Indonesia PKPU decision was recognised by the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) and the United States Bankruptcy Court. This provides certainty and security for stakeholders involved in the Indonesian PKPU process, because with this recognition of the Garuda Indonesia insolvency decision, Garuda Indonesia obtained relief or a stay in those countries.
The Indonesian government has drafted a revision to the bankruptcy law in Indonesia. The House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia has also included the Bill on Bankruptcy and PKPU in the National Legislation Program List for 2025–29. It is hoped that this bankruptcy law can be amended soon to adopt the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency in order to provide greater comfort for stakeholders, especially foreign stakeholders.
Recognition of Foreign Creditors’ Claims Under the Indonesian Bankruptcy and PKPU Law
The issue of a debtor’s default that results in debt restructuring is not limited to relationships between debtors and creditors domiciled within Indonesia. Such circumstances may also arise in situations involving cross-border financing or debt relationships between an Indonesian debtor and a foreign creditor.
In principle, under the bankruptcy and PKPU regimes applicable in various jurisdictions, the participation of foreign parties in insolvency proceedings constitutes a matter of cross-border insolvency, that is, an insolvency proceeding involving foreign elements where the debtor, its assets or its creditors are situated in more than one jurisdiction.
Legal standing of foreign creditors
Law 37/2004 does not distinguish between local and foreign creditors. Pursuant to Article 2 paragraph (1), as long as there are two or more creditors (regardless of nationality) and at least one due and payable debt, a debtor may be petitioned for bankruptcy or PKPU. Consequently, a foreign creditor has full legal standing to:
Acknowledgment of debt in all currencies
Based on Article 1 point 6 of Law 37/2004, the Law 37/2004 expressly provides that a debt may be expressed in a sum of money, whether in Indonesian currency or in foreign currency. This explicit formulation reinforces the recognition of claims submitted by foreign creditors, since debts denominated in foreign currencies are commonly found in cross-border legal relationships between debtors and foreign creditors.
Accordingly, the inclusion of both domestic and foreign currencies within the statutory definition of “debt” demonstrates the legislature’s intent to ensure that foreign-denominated obligations are fully recognised and enforceable within Indonesia’s bankruptcy and PKPU framework.
In the context of cross-border financing, the acknowledgment of debts in all currencies serves several important legal and economic functions.
First, it reflects Indonesia’s alignment with the principles of monetary neutrality and creditor equality, ensuring that creditors holding claims in US dollars, euros or other foreign currencies are afforded the same legal protection and procedural rights as creditors whose claims are in rupiah.
This parity strengthens Indonesia’s credibility as a jurisdiction open to foreign investment and financing.
Second, the inclusion of foreign-denominated obligations prevents the exclusion of significant classes of creditors from insolvency proceedings, particularly those arising from offshore loan agreements, bond issuances or cross-border trade transactions.
Many Indonesian corporations rely on external financing from international financial institutions, export credit agencies or global bond markets, where transactions are typically documented in foreign currencies.
Recognising such debts within the scope of Law 37/2004 ensures that these creditors may participate in the verification and voting processes during PKPU or bankruptcy proceedings, thus reinforcing procedural fairness and legal certainty.
Third, the recognition of debts in foreign currencies has practical implications for the administration of the bankruptcy estate. Although the claim may be denominated in a foreign currency, for the purpose of distribution, the amount is usually converted into Indonesian rupiah based on the prevailing exchange rate on the date of the bankruptcy declaration.
Governing law of the agreements
Although foreign creditors appear adequately protected through the recognition of debts denominated in foreign currencies under Law 37/2004, foreign creditors – particularly investors, lenders and lessors – need to ensure that their agreements with Indonesian counterparties are governed by Indonesian law. This is related to the territorial principle in Indonesian cross-border insolvency law. The use of Indonesian law as the governing law is not only relevant where the debtor is domiciled in Indonesia, but also critical in cases where the debtor is a foreign entity (for example, a holding company incorporated in a neighbouring jurisdiction) that has a guarantor or security provider domiciled in Indonesia.
This approach helps safeguard the enforceability and recognition of claims submitted by foreign creditors in Indonesian insolvency proceedings. Under Law 37/2004, the recognition of debt is premised on the concept of a “debt that can be proven in a simple manner” (simple evidence requirement). The primary risk in choosing a foreign governing law is the potential difficulty in meeting this standard of proof, as there are situations where an obligation may not yet be deemed to have arisen – or may only materialise upon the commencement of bankruptcy or PKPU proceedings.
Accordingly, the use of Indonesian law as the governing law ensures greater legal certainty, simplifies evidentiary requirements and strengthens the position of foreign creditors before Indonesian commercial courts in the event of insolvency proceedings.
Regulatory Updates
In principle, to date, Law 37/2004 has not undergone any substantive amendment. The limited changes related to this law have only resulted from:
Nevertheless, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia has taken an active and progressive role in providing judicial guidance to Indonesian judges, particularly those serving in the commercial courts, to ensure a consistent perspective and uniformity in handling bankruptcy and PKPU cases.
Although such guidelines do not constitute binding sources of law in the same way as legislation, they serve as important interpretive references for business actors – especially investors, lenders and lessors – as well as for legal practitioners seeking to understand the judicial approach and reasoning commonly adopted by Indonesian courts in insolvency proceedings.
Accordingly, the Supreme Court guidelines, issued through its Circular Letters (Surat Edaran Mahkamah Agung; SEMA), have also been included, to provide readers with a clearer understanding of how these judicial directions influence the practical interpretation and application of bankruptcy and PKPU law in Indonesia.
In the past two years, the practice of bankruptcy and PKPU in Indonesia has experienced significant developments through two Supreme Court Circular Letters, SEMA No 3 of 2023 and SEMA No 2 of 2024. Although these SEMAs do not formally amend Law 37/2004, they have had a substantial impact on commercial court practice.
It is important to note that SEMA, as a form of policy regulation (beleidsregel), cannot be equated with legislation that has direct and general binding force. Therefore, a SEMA cannot automatically serve as a legal basis for adjudicating a case.
Nevertheless, SEMA serves as a judicial guideline aimed at filling legal gaps within the judicial system. In this context, the Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court formulated guidance to address the scope of simple proof and the limits of guarantor liability in bankruptcy and PKPU cases, areas that have long generated inconsistent interpretations among judges in similar cases.
Accordingly, these SEMAs now function as interpretive guidance for commercial judges, particularly in assessing the existence of simple evidence and defining the extent of third party or personal guarantor liability in bankruptcy proceedings.
SEMA No 3 of 2023: developers do not meet the simple evidence requirements
Through SEMA No 3 of 2023, the Supreme Court introduced a new direction in bankruptcy and PKPU law, specifically concerning property developers of apartments and/or condominium units. Previously, numerous bankruptcy and PKPU petitions were filed by unit buyers against developers due to delays in construction or handover, and some were even granted by the court.
Under Article 8 paragraph (4) of Law 37/2004, a bankruptcy petition may be granted if it can be simply proven that:
However, the concept of “simple evidence” has often been subject to debate, particularly in disputes between property developers and unit buyers. The relationship between the two is not always based on debt, but frequently involves complex contractual issues, construction delays and the management of buyer funds.
For example, in decision No 1349 K/Pdt.Sus-Pailit/2023 jo No 320/Pdt.Sus-PKPU/2022/PN.Niaga.Jkt.Pst, where the debtor was PT Sekar Artha Sentosa (PT SAS), the Supreme Court held that since PT SAS was a developer of apartment buildings with multiple units owned by different buyers under separate ownership titles, the case could not be considered “simple proof” within the meaning of Article 8 paragraph (4) of Law 37/2004. Therefore, the PKPU Petition was rejected.
Through SEMA No 3 of 2023, the Supreme Court clarified that the legal relationship between buyers and developers is inherently complex, encompassing not only contractual obligations but also issues of licensing, construction progress and third-party involvement, such as of banks or contractors.
Accordingly, the Supreme Court explicitly states that:
“Petition for bankruptcy or PKPU against developers of apartments and/or condominiums do not satisfy the criteria of simple evidence as stipulated in Article 8 paragraph (4) of Law 37/2004 on Bankruptcy and Suspension of Debt Payment Obligations”.
This clarification serves to protect developers and investors from the misuse of PKPU as a form of commercial pressure, thereby enhancing project stability and investor confidence in the property sector.
SEMA No 2 of 2024: limiting the liability of personal guarantors and third parties
The next development came with SEMA No 2 of 2024, particularly Civil Chamber Formulation No 3, which reaffirms the limits of liability of guarantors (borgtocht) and third parties in bankruptcy and PKPU cases.
The Supreme Court established two key principles:
Before this clarification, it was common in practice for third-party assets to be wrongfully included in the bankruptcy estate, causing legal uncertainty and violating the principle of assets separation.
Through SEMA No 2 of 2024, the Supreme Court provides concrete legal protection for third parties who are often affected in bankruptcy of PKPU proceedings. The Supreme Court emphasized that a guarantor’s liability is not automatically and proportionally.
This approach strengthens both fairness and legal certainty, preventing the misuse of bankruptcy proceedings as a means of seizing third-party assets. Ultimately, SEMA No 2 of 2024 signifies a shift in Indonesian insolvency law towards greater protection of third-party property rights and the enforcement of proportionality between creditors, debtors and guarantors/third parties.
These two SEMAs reflect the Supreme Court’s ongoing effort to harmonise bankruptcy law with commercial realities and substantive justice:
Thus, both SEMAs represent an important step towards building a more balanced, equitable and legally certain bankruptcy framework in Indonesia.
Conclusion
Law No 37 of 2004 remains the cornerstone of Indonesia’s bankruptcy and restructuring framework. Despite its relative maturity, the law has yet to undergo comprehensive reform to address the evolving dynamics of modern commerce, particularly in the era of globalisation where Indonesian debtors frequently maintain financial ties with multiple foreign investors, lenders and lessors.
While the existing provisions – especially those recognising debts in both domestic and foreign currencies – have established a sound legal foundation for cross-border participation, the absence of detailed rules on the co-ordination and recognition of foreign insolvency proceedings continues to present challenges.
In sum, Indonesia stands at a critical juncture – where maintaining the balance between national legal sovereignty and global financial integration will determine the resilience, fairness and predictability of its insolvency regime moving forward.
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