Indonesia Should Start to Work Faster, President Jokowi Says

President Jokowi delivers remarks to participants of Joint Struggle Activity Program 2020 through a video conference from Bogor Palace, Tuesday (28/7) (Photo: Ibrahim/PR)

The Indonesian people should adopt a new culture to work faster and dare to make breakthroughs, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said.

According to the President, Indonesia is currently facing a very difficult situation, namely health crisis and economic crisis that also hit almost 215 countries worldwide.

“This problem is indeed not easy,” the President told participants of the Joint Struggle Activity Program (PKB Juang) for the 2020 Budget Year, through a video conference from the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java province, Tuesday (28/7).

Four months ago, the President continued, the IMF Managing Director Kristalina unveiled that global economic growth would be at minus 2.5%. However, a month later, the World Bank reported that the global economic growth would be at minus 5%, he added.

“In normal circumstances, the figure is at 3%, but three weeks ago the OECD said that the global economy would contract to be at minus 6% to minus 7.6% by 2020,” the President said, adding that the current situation is very dynamic as predictions of economic growth also keep changing.

“The IMF’s Managing Director once told that Indonesia is in the top three of the best. The top three are China which will still post growth at 1.9% (plus), India at 1, 2% (plus), and Indonesia is at 0.5% (plus),” he said.

On that occasion, President Jokowi also mentioned the outlook of economic growth in other countries, including France, which is expected to grow at minus 17.2%, Britain at minus 15.4%, Germany at minus 11.2%, and America at minus 9.7%.

The Head of State also called for extra caution since the economic crisis has affected global geopolitics, for example, the escalating tension in the South China Sea and the worsening of US-China relations.

“Therefore, we must take the momentum and take advantage of the pandemic. We will certainly continue the struggle to resolve health and economic problems,” he said.

To that end, the President also reminded that it is not a big country that will beat a small country; rather, it is a fast country that will defeat a slow country. Thus, he added, Indonesia should work fast. (TGH / EN)

Translated by: Estu Widyamurti
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas