Don’t Worry Too Much, President Jokowi Tells Mayors

President Jokowi poses with mayors attending the gathering on Monday (23/7) (Photo by: Public Relations Division/Rahmat)

People should not worry too much about economic pressures recently, especially because external pressures are felt by all countries not only Indonesia, according to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

“(Those external pressure) are related to the trade war between the US and China, and also to the Fed interest rate hike in the US in which we cannot make any intervention,” the President said during a gathering with several mayors at Bogor Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, Monday (23/7).

All countries, the President added, are facing the pressures. Therefore, President Jokowi also urged the mayors not to worry too much. “Once again, all countries are experiencing this. So I suppose we should worry too much but the most important thing is that we are aware of what is happening,” the President said.

President Jokowi also stressed the importance of anticipatory measures against global changes that are very fast and are sweeping all countries. According to him, the 4.0 Industrial Revolution whose changes are already predicted, and according to McKinsey Global Institute, the changes are 3,000 times faster than those of the first revolution, must be realized and anticipated.

“This is what we have to be really aware of; that there will be big changes that happen really fast so cities also have to prepare themselves and prepare human resources to face those changes,” the President said.

President Jokowi also expressed his belief that many people are already aware of technology development such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of things, big data, as well as matters related to hyperloop, spaceX, and Tesla. If people are aware of those developments, the President added, they would understand matters they have to prepare to face them.

“What we have to prepare now, in my opinion, are our human resources. In the past four years, we’ve been concentrating and focused on infrastructures and afterwards, we will be in the second major phase, namely preparation of human resources,” the President said.

Furthermore, President Jokowi acknowledged that in terms of poverty level these days, cities fare better than villages and cities will also be more prepared in facing those changes. However, President Jokowi reminded that if those mayors do not anticipate matters related to those global challenges, there would be big risks for the country and also for cities in the country.

Mayors attending the gathering were among others Solo Mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo, Bogor Mayor Bima Arya, Manado Mayor Vicky Lumentut, Tangerang Mayor Arief Wimansyah, and South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany, Bukittinggi Mayor, Banjar Mayor, and Cirebon Mayor. (UN/ES) (/EP/Naster)