ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA AT THE ANNUAL SESSION OF THE PEOPLES CONSULTATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA 2018
Unofficial English Translation
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Peace and prosperity be upon us all,
Om Swastiastu,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greeting of Virtue.
Beloved People of Indonesia from Sabang to Merauke, from Miangas to Rote Island;
Honorable Speaker, Vice Speakers, and Members of the Peoples Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia;
Honorable Head, Deputy Heads, and Members of State Institutions;
Honorable Ministers of the Working Cabinet and Heads of Non-Ministerial Government Institutions;
Distinguished Bapak BJ Habibie, the Third President of the Republic of Indonesia;
Distinguished Ibu Hajjah Megawati Soekarnoputri, the Fifth President of the Republic of Indonesia;
Distinguished Bapak Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Sixth President of the Republic of Indonesia and Ibu Ani Yudhoyono;
Distinguished Bapak Try Sutrisno;
Distinguished Bapak Hamzah Haz;
Distinguished Bapak Boediono and Ibu Herawati Boediono;
Distinguished Ibu Shinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid;
Distinguished Ibu Karlina Umar Wirahadikusumah;
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
My Fellow Countrymen,
Let us together express our gratitude to Allah SWT God The Almighty, for His Blessings, we are able to attend the Annual Session of the Peoples Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia 2018.
Tomorrow, Indonesia celebrates its 73rd Anniversary of the Proclamation of Independence. It is a momentum to recall the spirit of the unity of Indonesia that has been evidenced by the founding fathers of the nation, pioneers, fighters, in struggling for and maintaining independence.
At that time, children of the nation put aside political, tribal, religious or group differences in order to realize its independence. The difference is no barrier to our freedom fighters to unite. It is in unity they found a huge energy to move the entire nation to share their thoughts and mind for the struggle to gain a free Indonesia. It is in unity the freedom fighters found solidarity, compassion, and the spirit of sharing among fellow countrymen-solidarity, caring, and sharing among fellow countrymen, in one nation, one language, and one Homeland.
Now, after 73 years of independence, we must continue to rejuvenate the spirit of independence fighters, to do concrete works to fulfill independence aspirations, to create social justice for Indonesian people.
On our journey to an independent nation, we have faced many challenges, obstacles, that have put the unity and integrity of our nation to the test. Thanks to our founding fathers, who have always reminded us on how to face challenges. They quip: the rise and fall of a nation depends on the nation itself: Unity means a strong nation, disunity means destruction.
It is not an overstatement to say on this very special occasion to call on the children of the nation present in this room and every Indonesian across the country to revert to the spirit of Indonesias unity, the spirit of caring, and sharing with others regardless of tribes, religions, or groups.
I am convinced if we stay united, sharing, and caring one another, then Indonesia is only known by name or by charts or images of a cluster of islands on the world map, but rather it will be a power respected by other nations in the world. I am optimistic that with the spirit of unity, caring, sharing with each others, and working closely together, we will able to face all challenges in the future to make achievement toward a bright and advanced Indonesia.
Fellow countrymen,
Honorable Members of the Assembly,
In my capacity as the Head of State, through this assembly, I have the opportunity to briefly report the performance of the State Institutions to all the Indonesian people. To deliver the performance report of the State Institutions is a good convention of state administration, so the Indonesian people could understand what has been performed by the State Institutions, in order to bring the spirit of openness and accountability that are intended to increase peoples trust and support for the State Institutions in their respective task implementation according to the constitution mandate.
This forum also brings back the spirit of togetherness and unity between the State Institutions in addressing the challenges faced by the nation and the state, particularly in fulfilling the independence promise as stated in the 1945 Constitution.
Peoples trust in the State Institutions is the source of our key strength to move on. State Institutions become strong and respectful institutions when people respect, put their trust, and also offer their support for the constitutional task that they assume. Thus, we must take the critique from the people against the State Institutions as a form of concern and hope that spur us on to work harder in order to fulfill the their hope. Therefore, we should put this forum as a means of togetherness of the State Instututions in order to build the peoples trust.
It has been nearly four years that the administration that I am in charged of has been fighting to recover peoples trust through the real work of developing the country from Sabang to Merauke, from Miangas to Rote Island, in an even and just manner. We want the people in the border areas, in the outermost islands, and in the underdeveloped areas to feel the presence of the State of the Republic of Indonesia. As a big nation with a massive geographical span, with 260 million people comprising 714 tribes, we have to make sure that the state will do its best to take care of and protect the entire people across the country.
Since the first year of the administration, we have built a strong foundation leading to a more developed Indonesia. Therefore, the Government focuses on the acceleration of infrastructure development and the improvement of the nations productivity and competitiveness. The acceleration of infrastructure development is not only intended to catch up on the lag in infrastructure development infrastructure compared to other countries, but it is also meant to generate new economic centres that are able to offer added values for the regions throughout the country. That is why infrastructure is not only being developed in Java, but also developed on the Island of Sumatra, the Island of Kalimantan, the Island of Sulawesi, the Maluku Islands, and the Nusa Tenggara Islands, to the Land of Papua, as a plural nation, we want to grow and be prosperous together from Sabang to Merauke, from Miangas to Rote Island.
One thing that we must bear in mind in building this nation involves building national mentality and character. Unfortunately, many people still hold misconceptions about the idea that when we build physical infrastructure, such as toll roads, airports, as well as MRTs and LRTs, they only view them from their physical perspective, yet in fact we are building a civilization, building cultural connectivity, and building infrastructure of a new culture. The development of physical infrastructure should be viewed as a mechanics to unite us, to accelerate the connectivity of cultures, creating a meeting point for different cultures throughout the Archipelago. The people of Aceh could be easily connected with the people of Papua, the people of Rote could be readily connected with our brothers and sisters in Miangas, so we could have a sense of togetherness- that we are one nation, one country.
Fellow Countrymen,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Government’s focus in the last four years has not only been on infrastructure development. As a country with a population of nearly 260 million, we believe that Indonesia’s future lies in our ability to gear up progressive and viable Indonesian people. Thus far, we often talk about the wealth of our natural resources, but we seem to neglect the fact that Indonesia has great power in the form of human resources. This is truly the biggest and strongest capital in our possession.
Therefore, building Indonesian people is our investment to face the future, to pave the way towards an advanced Indonesia. We groom Indonesian people to become excellent human beings, from the time of being a fetus in the womb to becoming an independent individual, to promote their welfare and their families. We work to ensure that every Indonesian child is born healthy and grows with adequate nutrition, and free from stunting. As they enter school age, it is hoped that no children, including the orphans, are to drop out of school because they cannot afford education. This commitment is materialized through the distribution of the Smart Indonesia Card which in 2017, which has reached more than 20 million students, as well as the expansion in the distribution of the Bidik Misi (Targeted Mission) scholarship program for college students.
In addition to equitable access and quality of education, we also pay attention to build healthy Indonesian people through Healthy Lifestyle Movement. With regard to provide social protection for underprivileged citizens, the Government has gradually increased the number of National Health Insurance (JKN) Recipients from 86.4 million people in 2014 to 92.4 million people in May 2018. We are happy that what we have done has paid off, the quality of Indonesian human life in the past four years has continued to improve. The Indonesias Human Development Index has increased from 68.90 in 2014 to 70.81 in 2017. With that result, Indonesia has entered High Human Development category.
We do not stop working. The Indonesian people must prosper. Therefore, education is an important ladder for Indonesian people to achieve better prosperity. The education process must be able to make Indonesian people more productive and competitive. Therefore, in the past four years, we have focused on strengthening vocational education and trainings to create skilled human resources who are ready to enter the workforce. In addition, we continue to encourage higher education to make breakthroughs, so that our university graduates can be more adaptive in the 4.0 Industrial Revolution era, including the ability in digital literacy, and able to create more creative and innovative young entrepreneurs.
The rapid growth of productive generation requires us to work harder to create and open new employment through increased competitiveness of investment and exports. In the past four years, the Government has carried out a major overhaul of the climate of Indonesias ease of doing business. Our primary goal is to make our economy more productive and competitive, while continuing to improve the nation’s self-sufficiency, so that it can provide added value, particularly by opening new jobs and absorbing unemployment. Alhamdulillah, praise be to God, through collective hard work, the open unemployment rate has decreased from 5.70 percent to 5.13 percent.
To achive welfare, we desire to proper together. For that reason, the Government does not only focus on large industries but also on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as 40 percent of those living in the lowest level. To target the 40 percent of people, the Government is running the Agrarian Reform and Social Forestry reform as well as creating a better access to capital for SMEs. To promote the development of SMEs, the Government has cut final income tax for SMEs at 0.5 percent, and extensified Smallholder Business Credit (KUR) in order that 12.3 million SMEs can enjoy it.
In addition, to ensure social security, the Government is making every effort to maintain the price stability of staple goods, distributing the Family Hope Program (PKH) to 10 million targeted beneficiaries, as well as rerforming the food aid system into a cashless aid program to make it right on target, and with a larger number of beneficiaries of 15.6 families in 2019. With real works, we are lowering and have successfully lowered the Gini Ratio which is an indicator of income inequality from 0.406 to 0.389.
Fellow Countrymen,
The measures taken by Indonesia to move forward require active participation from the State Institutions. During the past year, the Assembly in accordance with its constitutional duties continues to strive to act as a shared aspiration house, the nations house, and the guardian of the Pancasila ideology and peoples sovereignty. In performing its role, the Assembly, among others, has safeguarded and provided security that Indonesias constitutional system must reflect the spirit and soul which implement the values of Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Unity in Diversity. Therefore, the Assembly has formed an Ad Hoc Committee whose task is to prepare materials on the reformulation of the National Development Planning System and the Refinement of the State Administration System in our country.
The Assembly also continues its efforts to revitalize and re-actualize Pancasila as the nations principle, the ideology of the nation and state, and the source of national law. It is our hope that there will be an effective partnership between the Assembly and the Presidents Working Unit for the Implementation of Pancasila State Ideology (BPIP) to unite to safeguard the fostering of Pancasila ideology to the public, State and Government Institutions.
In the meantime, the House also continues to consolidate its function through improving the quality of the execution of all its constitutional duties. With regard to its legislative functions, the House has completed 16 Bills in the 2017 to 2018 Session Year. Some of them are direct answers to meet a number of urgent development challenges that our country is facing in the fields of security, law, employment, social, and health.
The House has accelerated the completion of the deliberation of the Bill on the amendment to Law Number 15 of 2003 on the Stipulation of the Government Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 1 of 2002 on Combating Criminal Acts of Terrorism into Law. The House has also completed the deliberation of the Bills on the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, the Bill on Red Cross, and the Bill on Health Quarantine.
As regard to the governances supervisory function, the House has established 46 Ad hoc Committees in various fields of development as well as conducted fit and proper tests on the proposal of the appointment of a number of public officials. The Tests are conducted to select candidates of the Central Information Commission members, Supreme Court Justice, members of the National Human Rights Commission, the Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) Commander, Constitutional Justice, members of the Indonesian Audit Board, and Governor and Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia. During 2018, the House has given their views for consideration and approval to 39 Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassadors for friendly countries.
Moreover, the House has also continued parliamentary diplomacy to strengthen cooperation between Indonesia and friendly countries. In July 2018, the House successfully hosted the Indonesia-Pacific Parliamentary Partnerships. Then the Bilateral Cooperation Group established several years ago has developed with the formation of two new partnerships with the parliaments of friendly countries of the Czech Republic and the European Union Parliament.
Fellow Countrymen,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As a regional representative institution, the Regional House of Representatives Council of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI) continues to affirm its constitutional roles in executing its legislative, consultative, and supervisory functions over the implementation of Laws on regional autonomy and the relations between central and regional governments. During 2018, the Council has played an significant role in supervising the policies of Moratorium on Regional Expansion, Simultaneous Regional Heads Election, Population Management, Evaluation of Special Autonomy Implementation, Improved Quality of Hajj Implementation, and Regulations on Teacher Profession and Welfare.
The Council also supports the utilization of renewable energy resources and their management in a sustainable manner. The Council also supports the equitable Fiscal Decentralization Policy and encourages regional self-sufficiency. This guarantees the certainty of Transfer Funds to the Regions and Village Funds which corresponds with regional characteristics and needs.
Honorable Members of the Assembly,
In safeguarding the state financial management, the Audit Board of the Republic of Indonesia (BPK) continues to strive to make breakthroughs to improve the quality of state financial management and accountability both in the central and regional administrations. We are grateful that in 2017 the audit board awarded the Unqualified Opinion (WTP) status to the Central Government and most of Regional Governments. The recommendation by the Audit Board along with its other supports has also successfully improved the quality of financial reports of several regional governments and thus helped us reach our targets set out in the 2015-2019 National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN).
In 2018, the Audit Board has taken the initiative to pay attention particularly to the successful management of the Village Fund program which take quite large portions of the state budget.
Equally important, the Audit Board remains committed to supporting the performance of international financial management to make inter-state development a success under the UN agenda. The Audit Board has been active in various congresses of the International Association of Supreme Audit Institutions or INTOSAI. The Audit Board has also coordinated the preparation to implement the Sustainable Development Goals/SDGs 2030 as set out by the United Nations.
Regarding the development in the legal sector, the Supreme Court strives to provide people with easy access to justice and public services, for example, the issuance of Regulation of Supreme Court Number 3 of 2018 on Electronic Payment of Court Fee stipulating that the court administration mechanism be operated by electronic application of e-court. Whereby, people will have easier access to court service, saving time and fee for filing a lawsuit.
Likewise, the Constitutional Court (MK) strives to affirm its roles and contributions in the enforcement of rule of law, constitutionalism, and the implementation of democratic principles in our country. Until July 2018, the Constitutional Court has received 63 cases. In total, the Constitutional Court has tried and ruled high profile 112 cases. Among the cases are the examination of the Law on The peoples consultative Assembly, House of representatives and Regional Legislative Council or known as MD3 Law regarding Forcible Summon by the House of Representatives and the Immunity of the Parliament Members, the examination of the Law on Traffic and Road Transport particularly on the existence of online motor taxis, and the Constitutional Courts verdict qualifying a lawyer to be an attorney in a Tax Court.
We also appreciate the efforts of the Judicial Commission in promoting the accountability of judicial service through the upholding of the dignity of the judiciary. Within 2018, the Judicial Commission has recommended the imposition of sanctions on 30 judges. The Judicial Commission has facilitated the organisation of Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct trainings for 117 judges. Through these efforts, the Judicial Commission remains committed to improving the court quality which will be increasingly based on the balance between the independence of judicial power and the enforcement of the judicial power accountability.
Fellow Countrymen from Sabang to Merauke, from Miangas to Rote Island,
All of the achievements of the State Institutions are our shared capital to step forward to face challenges in the future. As a big country, we will surely face big challenges. We must be able to fulfil the independence promises particularly in overcoming poverty, inequality among regions, and income disparity among people. We all have to be able to maintain harmony, brotherhood, and unity among our people. We all have to dare to face global economic uncertainties, as well as to realize our nation as a victorious nation. Nonetheless, I feel certain as a big nation with strong social capitals we will be able to take on all challenges, however tough they are.
From the Land of Minang, together we learn that: Barek samo dipikua, ringan samo dijinjiang. Many hands make light work. From the Land of Pasundan, together we learn that: Sacangreud pageuh, sagolek pangkek. We need to work together with commitment and consistency. From the Land of Anging Mamiri, together we learn that: Reso temma-ngingi, nama-lomo, nale-tei, pammase dewata. We should join hands to work hard with sincerity and make a prayer so that we will attain our aim. Form the Land of Gora, we learn that: Bareng bejukung, bareng bebose. We work together and we will enjoy the results of our labour. From the Land of Banua Banjar, together we learn that: Waja sampai kaputing. We work together vigorously, never surrendering, never giving up.
I feel certain that with the spirit of unity and togetherness among the State Institutions we will be able to make a way out of all challenges and obstacles in the future. I am sure that with a good model of the State Institutions in running their constitutional mandates, all the people will lend their hands. I am sure that with our real work, we will successfully attain the national achievement. Our works are national achievements.
Long Live the Republic of Indonesia!
Long Live the Motherland of Pancasila!
I thank you,
Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om, Namo Buddhaya.
Jakarta, 16 August 2018
THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
JOKO WIDODO