Cabinet Secretariat Holds FGD on Plantation Products Competitiveness

Deputy to Cabinet Secretary for Economic Affairs Satya Bhakti Parikesit Thursday (02/09) opens a FGD on “Strategies to Boost Competitiveness of Plantation Export Products on Plantation Commodities” virtually. (Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat/Agung)

Office of the Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Economic Affairs Thursday (02/09) held a virtual Focus Group Discussion (FGD) adopting the theme “Strategies to Boost Competitiveness of Plantation Export Products on Plantation Commodities: Part I”.

On that discussion, Deputy to Cabinet Secretary for Economic Affairs Satya Bhakti Parikesit gave a reminder related to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s directives on measures to boost competitiveness of plantation export products.

“The President ordered us to push for an increase in competitiveness of plantation export products and national products. He told us over and over again,” he said.

Bhakti went on to say that Indonesia has many featured products such as coconut, rubber, cacao, sugar cane, and tobacco, adding that those products can generate added values that can support our economy and become Indonesia’s strength in facing the current uncertain global economic conditions as long as we can manage it properly.

Bhakti also mentioned issues in plantation sector that need to be addressed, among others, limited plantation resources, uncertain prices, feedstock instability due to decreased productivity and quality of plantation products, and high disparities in development between plantation communities.

For that reasons, President Jokowi, he added, called on his Cabinet to make a creative and out-of-the-box breakthrough to solve the issues and to encourage export and investment.

“We are given a task to adopt policies that can support investment, particularly export-oriented investment, and also the export,” he said, adding that increase in investment and people’s purchasing power is key to boosting national economic growth amidst global uncertainties.

Bhakti also expressed hope the FGD can serve as an entry point to draw up recommendations and strategies to increase competitiveness of plantation export products.

The recommendations will be used to complete development agenda during President Jokowi’s administration, he added.

“Insight from the speakers and active role of participants of this FGD are important to ensure great quality and precision of recommendations that will be used to address issues in plantation sector and also the cross sectoral issues, as well as to contribute to the national economic growth and people’s welfare (farmers/ planters/business players) in general,” he concluded. (HDK/UN) (RAS/EP)