President Jokowi: Extraordinary Strategy Pivotal for ASEAN’s Future

President Jokowi joins a photo session with participants of the 2023 ASEAN Business Investment Summit at the State Palace, Jakarta, Friday (09/01). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

ASEAN needs an extraordinary strategy to address the global challenges and become the center of growth, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has stated.

“Amid the turbulent global situation, ASEAN should not do business as usual. ASEAN needs extraordinary strategy, the extraordinary tactical strategy,” the President said at the opening of the 2023 ASEAN Business Investment Summit at the State Palace, Jakarta, Friday (09/01).

According to the President, solid cooperation between countries, businesses community and the public in the region is important in implementing the tactical strategy. To that end, the President encouraged ASEAN business community, particularly the members of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (BAC), to play a more strategic role in the formulation and implementation of the cross-stakeholder tactical collaboration strategy.

“This is very important. I hope that the concept of ASEAN Incorporated conveyed by Mr. Arsjad [Arsjad Rasjid – Chairperson of the ASEAN BAC], which was also introduced by the ASEAN BAC, can become a bridge of communication to create a mutually beneficial ecosystem to strengthen ASEAN’s competitiveness and improve ASEAN’s welfare,” the President said.

According to the President, ASEAN has great economic growth potential. ASEAN economic growth in 2024 is estimated to be the highest in the world, reaching 4.5 percent (year on year).

ASEAN is also the most attractive region for foreign direct investment. The President also said that in 2022, 17 percent of the global foreign direct investment will be in ASEAN, the highest number compared to other developing regions.

“ASEAN has proven itself as a peaceful region, as a stable region, and as a region that is growing in prosperity,” the President stated.

The President further said that ASEAN also has a demographic bonus with the third largest workforce in the world, while as much as 65 percent of the population in ASEAN has the potential to become middle class by 2030.

“All of this is part of ASEAN’s capital to achieve its goal of becoming the epicenter of growth,” the President remarked. (TGH/UN) (RI/LW)