Annual Session, Jokowi Conveys a Number of Strategies to Win Indonesia Gold in 2045

Jakarta, MINA – Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said that the government already has a strategy to take advantage of the opportunity to win Indonesia Gold 2045.

“Not only opportunities, but also the strategy to achieve it already exists, has been formulated. It’s just a matter of whether we want to focus our energy on moving forward, or instead waste our energy on things that are unproductive, divisive, and even make us take a step back,” said the President at the Annual Session of the Indonesian MPR and the Joint Session of DPR RI and DPD RI in the context of the 78th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Independence, in Jakarta, Wednesday morning.

The first strategy, said Jokowi, that the government is carrying out is preparing Indonesia’s human resources.

The President said, in 2022 the government had succeeded in reducing the stunting rate to 21.6 percent from the previous 37 percent in 2014, increasing the Human Development Index to 72.9, and increasing the Gender Empowerment Index to 76.5.

“[The government] has prepared a total social protection budget that adds up from 2015 to 2023 of IDR 3,212 trillion, including the Healthy Indonesia Card, Smart Indonesia Card [KIP], College KIP, PKH [Family Hope Program], Staple Food Cards, and protection for the elderly, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, as well as reskilling and upskilling workforce through Vocational Training Centers and the Pre-Employment Card Program,” said the President.

Second, the government also continues to intensify industrial downstream policies which can not only increase job creation which results in national productivity but also provide maximum added value.

“This is where the role of the green economy and downstream sector is our window of opportunity to achieve progress, because Indonesia is very rich in natural resources, including minerals, plantation products, marine products, as well as new and renewable energy sources,” he said.

The downstream that Indonesia wants to do, said the President, is a downstream that transfers technology, takes advantage of new and renewable energy sources, and minimizes environmental impact. This downstreaming must also optimize local content, partnering with micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), farmers and fishermen, so that the benefits are felt directly for the common people.

The President added, downstream was not only carried out on mineral commodities but also non-minerals such as palm oil, seaweed, coconut and other potential commodities.

“We are doing this effort and must continue. This is indeed bitter for the exporters of raw materials. It may also be bitter for state revenues in the short term. But if a large ecosystem has been formed, if the processing plant is operational, I am sure this will bear good fruit in the end, especially for the welfare of the Indonesian people,” said the President.

The President gave an example, since the government implemented a policy to stop nickel ore exports in 2020, downstream nickel investment has grown rapidly. In fact, currently there are 43 nickel processing factories which will open up enormous job opportunities.

The President also believes that if consistent downstreaming is carried out in various commodities, Indonesia’s per capita income, which will reach IDR 71 million in 2022, will significantly jump to double in the next 10 years.

“This is just one commodity and if we are consistent and able to downstream nickel, then copper, then bauxite, then CPO, and seaweed, and others, based on estimated calculations, in the next 10 years our per capita income will reached IDR 153 million (US$10,944). In 15 years, our per capita income will reach IDR 217 million or 15,860 US Dollars). In 22 years, our per capita income will reach IDR 331 million (25,025 US Dollars),” said the President.

Three Foundations to Win Indonesia Gold 2045.

In his speech, the President also revealed the three foundations needed to realize the vision of Indonesia Forward in 2045.

First, infrastructure development and connectivity which will ultimately increase Indonesia’s competitiveness.

“Based on the Institute for Management Development (IMD) report, our competitiveness in 2022 will increase from rank 44 to 34. This is the highest increase in the world,” said the President.

Second, the development of villages, outskirts, and outermost areas which ultimately equalizes the Indonesian economy. For this development, said the President, the government has disbursed Village Funds of up to IDR 539 trillion from 2015 to 2023.

Third, consistent structural reforms, especially the synchronization and simplification of regulations, ease of licensing, legal certainty, and prevention of corruption.

Concluding his speech, the President stressed that the effort to achieve Indonesia Gold 2045 is a sustainable effort in the long term.

“It’s not about who is president. No, not that, not that. But, are we able or not to work in accordance with what we have started at this time, whether we are brave or not, are we able to be consistent or not. Because all it takes is a long breath. Because we are not taking a walk in the afternoon, we are also not running a sprint, but what we should be doing is running a marathon to reach Gold Indonesia,” he concluded. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)