Cabinet Secretariat Holds FGD on Structural Transformation of Agricultural Sector

Deputy to Cabinet Secretary for Economic Affairs Satya Bhakti Parikesit opens a FGD on Structural Transformation of the Agricultural Sector as an Effort to Speed up National Economic Growth, virtually, from his office at the Ministry of State Secretariat building. (Photo by: Public Relations/Agung)

In an effort to realize policy reforms in the food and agriculture sectors to meet food needs, Cabinet Secretariat, on Wednesday (18/11), held an online Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Structural Transformation of the Agricultural Sector as an Effort to Speed up National Economic Growth.

“This is also in line with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warning which states that one of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming years is a food crisis. The directive (of the President) is clear, that is, to secure food, staple goods. We are instructed to anticipate this food crisis,” Deputy to Cabinet Secretary for Economic Affairs Satya Bhakti Parikesit said in his office at Ministry of State Secretariat building.

Following up the President’s directive, Bhakti continued, Cabinet Secretariat exercised its functions in assessing and providing recommendations on the Government’s policies and programs to the President and Vice President by holding this FGD to seek inputs from various parties.

“We will formulate (the inputs), we will hold more FGDs until we can obtain a comprehensive study to be submitted to the President. Through the President’s approval, we will send them to ministers or discuss it later in the limited meeting,” the Deputy said.

Furthermore, Bhakti said, efforts to improve the agricultural sector are carried out as it is one of the top four contributors to national economic growth. “From 2014 to 2019, the agricultural sector contributed the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of up to Rp1,004 trillion. This means that in 2019, it has increased by 23% compared to that of 2013, “he said.

In the midst of the pandemic, Bhakti added, the agricultural sector still made a major contribution to economic growth. Citing data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) some time ago, Bhakti unveiled that the agricultural sector continued to grow by 3.06% year-on-year (yoy) amid the contraction in national economic growth.

“The agricultural sector has an added value advantage in contributing to the national economy. The President has issued several directives to maintain or even increase the large contribution of the agricultural sector,” he said.

The Government, Bhakti stated, has set a target of 5.4-6% for the agricultural sector in the 2020-2024 National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN). To achieve this target, the Government is faced with enormous challenges such as the current pandemic, he said.

“To improve the growth rate of the national agricultural sector, the Government is still facing several challenges. A rate of population growth and an increase in the quality of life of the people that is not accompanied by acceleration in the growth rate of the agricultural sector still prevail. This becomes a problem in achieving these targets,” Bhakti said.

Bhakti also expressed hope that the FGD can result in efforts or programs to resolve issues in the sector. (FID/UN)

Translated by: Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Reviewed by: Muhardi