President Jokowi Instructed TNI to Monitor Illegal Product at Seaports

President Jokowi and several ministers had a group photo with the participants of the Indonesian National Defence Forces Executive Meeting (Rapim TNI), at the Indonesian National Defence Forces headquarters (Mabes TNI), in Cilangkap, Jakarta, on Wednesday (16/12)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on the sideline of his instruction to 180 Indonesian National Defense Forces Senior Officers delivered the needs to perform transformation and changing from consumption to production and from consumption to investment.

We can not rely our economic growth on consumption. We must prepare the nation to become a production base. “It is surely difficult at first, I knew it” President Jokowi said while giving an instruction, at the Indonesian National Defence Forces Executive Meeting (Rapim TNI), at the Indonesian National Defence Forces headquarters (Mabes TNI), in Cilangkap, Jakarta, on Wednesday (16/12).

President Jokowi admitted that there will be a lot of obstacles at the beginning. However, it is a choice that we must take for the sake of our future.

According to President Jokowi, we can not keep selling raw materials. We must, at least, sell half finished materials, and at the next step, we could sell finished goods. The President mentioned that added value of half finished materials is 30-40 times higher. Meanwhile, added value of finished good could reach 100 times higher.

The President reminded all that Indonesia’s population is 250 million people, and everyone needs a job as well as income. Remember when the country had oil boom in the 70’s, actually we could have turn it into a foundation. Remember when we had wood boom, the wood logs are depleted, so do the wood, and we only get US$ 5 per cubic. What we get now is only the flood.

The President later reminded about the mineral and coal which have been exported in raw for years, to be produced immediately.

“We can not do it (exporting raw materials). We could export half finished materials and it will be pushed into finished goods at the next step. We are doing this because half finished materials and finished goods have added value. Therefore, we can not become the market of other countries’ products,” President Jokowi firmly said.

President Jokowi instructed the TNI Senior Officers attending the Rapim to monitor import products along with the Indonesian National Police (Polri), as well as customs officers. It is to prevent illegal imported products entering the country.

“There are many products which entering the country illegally. It could ruin domestic products. If imported products which enter the country legally could kill domestic products, illegal products is evenmore,” President Jokowi said while mentioning our hardship is to monitor thousands of seaports, either small, medium, or big seaports located around Indonesia.

Therefore, President Jokowi reminded the related parties to give instruction to the lowest ranking officials to monitor the illegal products, both in a form of information or in a direct order.

“If we are careless on those things, we could be left behind and furled by the changes.” President Jokowi said.

The President reiterated to not afraid in facing regional or global economic integration. However, we must have strategy to maintain the relations between Indonesia and other countries, particularly the big countries.

Meanwhile, the President added, we must maintain national independence and strategic autonomy, in order to prepare the flexibility, agility, and velocity of the country in facing global changes.

The Indonesian National Defence Forces Executive Meeting (Rapim TNI) which adopted the theme “Maintain loyality, morality and integrity as a base to materialize a strong, great, professional and beloved TNI” was attended by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut B. Pandjaitan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, Indonesian National Defence Forces Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo, Presidential Chief of Staffs Teten Masduki, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman, TNI Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) Gen. Mulyono, TNI Air Chief of Staff (KSAU) Marshal Agus Supriatna, and TNI Navy Chief of Staff Ade Supandi. (DND/AGG/ES) (RAS/MMD/YM/Naster)