STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA AT THE ANNUAL SESSION OF THE PEOPLE’S CONSULTATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA AND THE JOINT SESSION OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA AND HOUSE OF REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE 79th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROCLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA, JAKARTA, AUGUST 16, 2024
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
May peace be upon us all,
Om Swastyastu,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greetings of Virtue,
- Distinguished Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Prof. Dr. (H.C.) K.H. Ma’ruf Amin and Hj. Wury Estu Ma’ruf Amin,
- Honorable Speaker, Deputy Speakers, and Members of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) of the Republic of Indonesia,
- Honorable Speaker, Deputy Speakers, and Members of the House of Representatives (DPR) of the Republic of Indonesia,
- Honorable Speaker, Deputy Speakers, and Members of the House of Regional Representatives (DPD) of the Republic of Indonesia,
- Honorable Heads, Deputy Heads, and Members of State Institutions,
- Distinguished Prof. Dr. (H.C.) Hj. Megawati Soekarnoputri, Fifth President of the Republic of Indonesia,
- Distinguished General (retd.) of the Indonesian National Defense Forces Prof. Dr. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Sixth President of the Republic of Indonesia,
- Distinguished General (retd.) of the Indonesian National Defense Forces Try Sutrisno,
- Distinguished Dr. (H.C.) H. Muhammad Jusuf Kalla and Hj. Mufidah Jusuf Kalla,
- Distinguished Prof. Dr. H. Boediono and Hj. Herawati Boediono,
- Distinguished Hj. Shinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid,
- Distinguished Karlinah Djaja Atmaja Wirahadikusumah,
- Excellencies Ambassadors of Friendly Countries and Heads of Representative of International Agencies and Organizations,
- Distinguished Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet, the Attorney General, Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), Chief of the Indonesian National Police (Polri), and Chief of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN),
- Distinguished Chairpersons of Political Parties,
- Ladies and Gentlemen, My Fellow Citizens, Esteemed Guests,
This year marks my 10th anniversary as President of the Republic of Indonesia. This year also marks the 5th anniversary of Prof. Dr. (H.C.) K.H. Ma’ruf Amin as the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia. It is a great responsibility and trust that we had never imagined before. It is a great mandate and task that we had never thought before.
Since I received this mandate for the first time, I realized there would be hardships we must endure, there would be many challenges we must address. Nevertheless, from the outset, I was sure and confident I was not alone. There were aspirations and hopes of the community. Support and prayers of the people continued to be by my side and made me strong. Smiles, greetings, and prayers from all of you, my fellow citizens, have become my fountain of strength.
Today, August 16, 2024, as Prof. Dr. (H.C.) K.H. Ma’ruf Amin and I stand here for the last time, allow us to express our heartfelt gratitude. Our profound gratitude goes to all of you, to all Indonesian people wherever you are, who have remained strong for the past decade with me in surmounting every challenge, taking every step, and facing every change so we as a great nation can arrive at this juncture – a juncture that can serve as a milestone to reach our common progress in days to come.
Alhamdulillah, in the past 10 years, we have been able to build a new foundation and civilization, with Indonesia-centered development, building from peripheries, building from villages, and building from outermost areas. Therefore, to date, we have built 366,000 kilometers of village roads,1.9 million meters of village bridges, and 2,700 kilometers of new toll roads, 6,000 kilometers of national roads, 50 new ports and airports, and 43 dams, and 1.1 million hectares of new irrigation canals.
With these developments, we have successfully lowered logistic fares from 24 percent to 14 percent in 2023. We have been able to boost our competitive edge from rank 44 to rank 27 in 2024. We are able to strengthen our unity due to more equal and balanced access. Furthermore, our resilience as a nation has been proven by our endurance in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, in facing climate change, and in facing the escalating global geopolitics.
Alhamdulillah, we must be grateful that Indonesia has emerged as one of few countries that recorded a faster recovery, even continued to grow. Our economic growth has been consistent above 5 percent amid many countries that do not post growth and even slow down. Regions in Eastern Indonesia such as Papua and Maluku in fact have been able to grow above 6 percent and North Maluku above 20 percent.
Inflation has also remained in check at around 2-3 percent, as many countries has been experiencing an extraordinarily high inflation rate, some have even recorded more than 200 percent inflation rate. We could reduce extreme poverty rate from previously 6.1 percent to 0.8 percent in 2024. We could lower stunting rate from previously at 37.2 percent into 21.5 percent in 2023. We could also lower unemployment rate from previously at 5.7 percent to 4.8 percent in 2024.
Measures to protect underprivileged people have also brought broad benefits for the people. A budget of Rp361 trillion for the Health Indonesia Card in the past 10 years has been used for health services for more than 92 million participants of the National Health Insurance (JKN) per year, starting from early age children to senior citizens all over Indonesia.
A budget of Rp113 trillion for the Smart Indonesia Card in the past 10 years has been used for educating more than 20 million students per year covering students from elementary school to senior high school/vocational school across Indonesia. A budget of Rp225 trillion for the Family Hope Program in the past 10 years has been used to boost the economy of 10 million underprivileged families per year. A budget of Rp60.3 trillion for the Pre-Employment Card Program in the past 5 years has been used to upskill 18.8 million workers across Indonesia.
This is the development that we are all aiming for; the development that reaches all levels of society; the development that brings an impact to the wide community; the development that creates opportunities to grow together.
Ladies and Gentlemen, My Fellow Citizens,
Despite the challenges, we have taken a major step to boost productivity and added value by stopping export of raw materials and processing them at home instead. Although many countries sue us, oppose us, and even attempt to thwart us, we as a sovereign nation, as a great nation, remain steadfast and even continue to march forward. We started with nickel, bauxite, and copper, and we will continue with tin, and other potential sectors, such as plantation agriculture and marine.
Alhamdulillah, as of now, we have built smelters and processing industries for nickel bauxite and copper that have created more than 200,000 jobs and boosted state revenue by more than Rp158 trillion for the past 8 years.
We want the resources in this country, which were endowed by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala for this country, to be managed to the greatest benefits for the people, to be leveraged fully for the wellbeing of the people. To that end, we have reclaimed our assets that for decades have been managed by foreign entities, that for decades have been exploited by foreign entities, such as Freeport, the Rokan Block, and Newmont. Alhamdulillah, we were able to reassume control of those assets.
In addition, as the world is shifting its future toward green economy, Indonesia does not want to lose momentum since she harbors great potentials in the green economy sector, which amount to over 3,600 GW from hydropower, wind power, solar power, geothermal energy, tidal power, and bioenergy. We remain consistent in taking part in the global effort of energy transition in a careful and gradual manner. The energy transition that we aim to realize is a just energy transition that is affordable and accessible to the people.
In the sectors of technology and digitalization, we must also be grateful. For the first time, we have Ina Digital, an integrated digitalized government service to accelerate and to give ease in public service.
We continue to expand electrification coverage to reach 99 percent in 2024. In addition, internet coverage has also been expanded to reach 79 percent in 2024. This will be a favorable ecosystem to promote MSME digitalization and the development of Indonesian startups, producing more young brilliant entrepreneurs in this country.
We also continue to pay special attention to the support for local products by prioritizing the spendings of State Budget, Regional Budgets, and SOEs for local products as we want to make sure what comes from the people will return to the people and bring the greatest benefits for the people.
In the legal field, we must be grateful that after 79 years of independence, we finally have a new Criminal Code as an endeavor to modernize Indonesian legal system, as well as Law on Job Creation that revises 80 laws and 1,200 articles as an endeavor to deregulate overlapping regulations.
We also have Law on Sexual Violence to provide stronger and more concrete protection, especially for women and children.
Ladies and Gentlemen, My Fellow Citizens,
This is our shared hard work. This is our great common foundation. This is proof that our unity, our harmony, our hard work, and mutual cooperation will propel Indonesia to move forward.
To that end, I highly appreciate and commend the support and cooperation of all state institutions in propping up Indonesia’s progress, starting from the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI) that has actively played its role in solidifying national ideology, reinforcing the plan to formulate Principles of State Policies, and maintaining harmony among national figures.
The House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI) has performed its legislative functions in performing the functions of budgeting and monitoring, formulating the 2025 State Budget Bill for transition and succession of the Government, and finalizing a big number of strategic laws, such as Law on State Capital, Law on Special Region of Jakarta, Law on Electronic Information and Transactions, Law on State Civil Apparatus, and Law on Maternal and Child Welfare.
Meanwhile, the House of Regional Representatives (DPD RI) continues to oversee self-sufficiency of autonomous regions, initiate bills, monitor the implementation of laws and regional regulations, and give special attention to agriculture and food sectors.
In the meantime, the Audit Board of the Republic of Indonesia (BPK RI) has monitored the use of State Budget and reinforced the trust in and leadership of Indonesia at the global level through its active participation in global organizations and forums.
The Constitutional Court (MK) of the Republic of Indonesia has handled more than 202 judicial review cases and adjudicated election disputes.
In the meantime, the Supreme Court (MA) of the Republic of Indonesia and judicial institutions under its jurisdiction have adjudicated cases and strengthened restorative justice to align the interests of victims with the responsibilities of defendants without imposing any punishment.
Judicial Commission (KY) of the Republic of Indonesia has actively played its role to produce honest and respectable Judges to maintain trust and fulfill the demand of our people of our judiciary institutions in our nation.
My fellow Citizens,
Ten years is not a long period to solve all problems in our nation. I am fully aware that as a person with all flaws, with all my limitation, and a human being that is far from perfect, it is possible that sometimes I overlook things. I may commit mistakes in some of the measures I have taken and it is very possible that I have committed a lot of mistakes.
To that end, at the conclusion of my administration, let me express my sincere thoughts to you, My Fellow Citizens, to all Indonesian people.
Prof. KH Ma’ruf Amin and I would like to extend our apology. Apology for anyone who feels disappointed, for every hope that has not been materialized, for every dream that has not been realized. Once again let us extend our apology. This is the best that we could do for the people of Indonesia, for the state and nation of Indonesia.
I am aware that the achievement that we make today is not complete yet. We have not come to the finish line. Some achievement may not be as satisfactory as what you hope for. However, I am convinced and believe that with our unity and cooperation, with continuity that we maintain, Indonesia, as a sovereign and a strong nation will make a leap of progress and achieve the 2045 Golden Indonesia vision.
Lastly, to President-elect, General (retd.) of Indonesian National Defense Forces Prabowo Subianto, next year Insha Allah, you will deliver the State of the Nation Address. On October 20, 2024, allow me to pass the leadership baton to you. Allow me also to share with you the hopes and dreams of all Indonesian people from Sabang to Merauke, from Miangas to the Island of Rote, from the peripheries, from the outermost regions, from rural and urban areas to you.
May Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, God Almighty, continue to grace us with His guidance and ease for the nation of Indonesia under your leadership in the next tenure.
Long live the Republic of Indonesia!
Long live the land of Pancasila!
Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!
I thank you.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti Om.
Namo Buddhaya.
Jakarta, August 16, 2024
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
JOKO WIDODO