President Jokowi Reveals Strategies to Achieve 2045 Golden Indonesia Vision
President Jokowi along with Speaker of the House of Representatives Puan Maharani, Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly Bambang Soesatyo, and Speaker of the Regional Representatives La Nyalla Mattalitti at the Nusantara Building, Wednesday (08/16) (Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat/Rahmat)
Demographic bonus and international trust are tremendous chances for Indonesia to achieve the 2045 Golden Indonesia vision.
The statement was made by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Wednesday (08/16) at the Annual Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) and the Joint Session of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD RI) on the Occasion of the 78th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence.
The President went on to say that the Government has set strategies to seize the opportunity to achieve.
“We do not only have the chance but have also devised strategies to achieve it. It depends upon whether we wish to focus our energy to move forward or waste it on unproductive activities that may divide us or even cause us to step backwards,” he said.
According to the President, the first strategy in making the most of this opportunity is by preparing Indonesia’s human capital, while underscoring that the Government has managed to reduce stunting into 21.6 percent in 2022, improved Human Development Index into 72.91 percent, and improved Gender Empowerment Index into 76.59 percent in the same year.
“We set aside a budget for social protection amounting to Rp3,212 trillion from 2015 until 2023, including for Health Indonesia Card, Smart Indonesia Card, College Smart Indonesia Card, Family Hope Program, Staple Food Card, as well as protection for senior citizens, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. We also have re-skilled and upskilled the labor through Work Training Centers and Pre-Employment Program,” President Jokowi said.
The second strategy, the President continued, is to prioritize industrial downstreaming that can both increase employment in order to improve national productivityand also bring greatest added values.
“This is the role of the green economy sector and downstreaming as our windows of opportunity to accelerate progress because Indonesia boasts abundant natural resources, including minerals, plantation products, marine products, as well as new and renewable energy,” President Jokowi said.
The Head of State further said that the downstreaming that Indonesia is going to do is through transfer of technology, which uses new and renewable energy resources, while minimizing environmental damages.
The President also said that the downstreaming will also optimize local content by partnering with the MSMEs, farmers, and fishers so that they can enjoy the benefits.
President Jokowi underscored that the downstreaming must be carried out not only for mining commodities, but also non-mining commodities such as palm oil, seaweed, coconut, and other potential commodities.
“We are taking measures and we must carry on. It is a bitter pill to swallow for raw material exporters. It is an unfavorable condition for short-term state revenue. However, once a large ecosystem has been established and the processing plants are ready, I fervently believe it will produce a good result in the long run, especially for the welfare of the Indonesian people,” he added.
As an illustration, President Jokowi continued, after the Government discontinued exporting nickel ore in 2020, investment in nickel downstreaming recorded a rapid growth. For the record, Indonesia now has built 43 nickel processing plants that will provide a huge number of job opportunities.
The Head of State expressed his belief that with consistency in carrying out downstreaming in a number of commodities, Indonesia’s per capita income that stood at Rp71 million in 2022 will jump more than twofold in 10 years.
“This is from one commodity only. With consistency in carrying out downstreaming in nickel, copper, bauxite, CPO, and seaweed, based on our calculation, in the next 10 years our per capita income will reach Rp153 million (US$10,900). In the next 15 years, our per capita income will reach Rp217 million or approximately equivalent to US$15,800. In the next 22 years, our per capita income will reach Rp331 million (US$25,000),” the President added.
On that occasion, President Jokowi also revealed three foundations to achieve the 2045 Golden Indonesia vision.
First, infrastructure development and connectivity ultimately boost Indonesia’s competitiveness.
“Based on report from Institute for Management Development, our competitiveness in 2022 rose from 44th to 34th. This is the world’s highest increase,” he said.
Second, development of villages, border areas, and outermost areas ultimately brings equality to our economy. The Village Fund that we disbursed has reached Rp539 trillion from 2015 to 2023.
Third, a consistent structural reform, particularly synchronization and simplification of regulations, ease of licensing, legal certainty, and corruption prevention.
“This is not about who the President is. No, it’s not. Really. The question is whether the future leaders are ready or not to work in line with what we have started today, or whether or not they are brave or consistent enough. What we need is endurance. We are not having a leisure walking here, and we are not having a sprint either. What we are doing is a marathon to reach the Golden Indonesia,” he remarked. (DND/TGH/ MAY/FID/UN) (AP/LW)
