President Jokowi Encourages Future Leader to Continue Downstreaming Program
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Saturday (08/19) has said that Indonesia’s past as an exporter of raw materials must not repeat. Therefore, the President urges all parties to maintain the ongoing downstreaming program.
“This history must not repeat. Stop exporting raw materials. Please, remind the future leader to stop exporting it. The people must have courage to remind it,” the President said in his remarks at the Inauguration of Central Management Board and Inauguration of the 2023 National Work Meeting of the Indonesian Christian Youth Movement (GAMKI) in Benteng Square, Medan city, North Sumatra province. President Jokowi went on to say that exports of raw materials do not bring any value-added for the country.
“For more than 400 years, since the VOC era, we always sent raw materials abroad. We got profits, but the figure was insignificant,” he added.
On that occasion, the Head of State also reminded that during 1970s and 1980s Indonesia experienced oil and timber booms.
“Oil boom happened in Indonesia in 1970s, followed by timber boom in 1980s. Deforestation occurred, but we didn’t gain the value-added,” he expressed.
To that end, the Government continues to push for downstreaming program in order to bring value-added to the state revenue. The President gave an example of the rise in revenue after ban of nickel ore export was imposed.
“Before 2020, we sent raw materials [nickel] and received around US$2.1 billion or Rp32 trillion. When we implement the downstreaming program, the figure jumped to US$33.8 billion. From Rp32 trillion to Rp510 trillion, it increases by how much?” President Jokowi said.
The downstreaming program did not only raise the state revenue through taxes but also create more employment.
President Jokowi also stressed that courage, solidarity, and unity of all components of the nation are necessary to maintain the downstreaming program.
“I reiterate that solidary, unity, and courage of all components of the nation are needed to achieve it, we have to work together,” he remarked. (KS/DK/UN) (AP/MMB)