President Jokowi: Indian Ocean Brings Challenges and Opportunities

President Jokowi shakes hands with a number of guests after delivering his remarks at the IORA Business Summit held at JCC Jakarta, Monday (6/3) (Photo by: Rahmat/Public Relations Division)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo said the Indian Ocean is a vast region that poses many challenges for countries situated in the region.

However, the President, who was once a  businessman, said those challenges would in fact provide opportunities for businessmen,“Herein lies business opportunities,” the President said in his introductory remarks at the opening of the Business Summit, which is one of the programs of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Summit held at Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), Jakarta, Monday (6/3).

According to the President, half of the routes ofcontainers (in the world) is through the Indian Ocean and two thirds of energy tanker shipping also passes by the Indian Ocean. In addition, around 2.7 billion people live in the IORA region, the President said.

Therefore, President Jokowi added, the Indian Ocean is the  ocean of the future and the future of global economy is in this region.

“Therefore, Indonesia is strengthening maritime fulcrum to join with other IORA countries,” the President said.

However, President Jokowi reminded that IORA needs the business world to find answers to those challenges. In addition, the President added, the business world may also seek as much profit as possible.

President Jokowi noted that it has become the Government’s task to make sure that telecommunication infrastructure are well built, be it through 3G network, 4G network, and 5G network in the near future, as well as optic fibers networks to distribute data in a big amount at efficient price.

“It has become our task, the Government’s task, to reduce barriers, regulations, that bring barriers, excessive permits, permits that bring barriers,” the President said, adding that it is the Government’s task to take those measures and also to fight corruption.

The Government, the President said, aims to conduct a closer cooperation with the business world andthe private sectors from IORA member countries in order to make the most of the latest technology to business groups, women, and youth in IORA member countries.

Also attending the opening ceremony were Coordinating Minister for the Economy Darmin Nasution, Minister of Trade Enggartiasto Lukita, Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Thomas Lembong, and Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin) Perkasa Roeslain. (FID/RAH/ES)(EP/YM/Naster)