Press Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia After Opening the 18th National Working Meeting of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI), at Nusantara Hall, Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) BSD City, Tangerang Regency, Banten, Province, August 31, 2023

Reporter
Any directives for HIPMI?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
I have mentioned downstreaming, industrialization, downstreaming raw products and turn them into packaged products, so there is value added in the products, giving better price and better competitiveness.

Reporter
You also mentioned that it has to be continued by the next President, Pak?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
What is it?

Reporter
You emphasized?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Yes, because the calculation is clear. It is indisputable that the downstreaming, industrialization will make us leap to a developed country. We have the estimation, the calculation. If there is someone who wants to argue about it, please do so.

Reporter
Will there be any instructions to HIPMI to support one of the candidates?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
This is about business, nothing to do with politics. HIPMI deals with business, although it can also be involved in politics.

Reporter
About the proposal to move forward the Regional Elections, Pak?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
I am not there yet, not there yet. What is the urgency, the rationales? Everything needs to be thought carefully. I think it is still studied in the Home Ministry and I am not yet informed.

Reporter
About Pertamina’s plan to cut Pertalite and shift the subsidy to Pertamax?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
I don’t know, I haven’t got the information.

Reporter
Pak, several days ago you went to Semarang to pay an impromptu visit along with Pak Ganjar and Pak Prabowo… (inaudible)

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
It’s not a problem, we went together. I have thumbs, I have fingers, so I think it’s okay to give a thumbs-up sign.

Reporter
What did it mean, Pak? The sign meant?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
You always think of sign.

Reporter
Pak, regarding the name of Advanced Indonesia Coalition, the same with your cabinet’s name?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Well, it’s up to the owner of the coalition, up to the parties.

Reporter
Did Pak Prabowo ask for your permission?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
Why should he? Everybody can use that name. You can name your TV, Advanced Indonesia TV, it’s also okay. There is no party using that name.

Reporter
About the problems with the Greater Jakarta LRT?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
I have said early on that this is the first time we have a driverless LRT, everything is operated through an operation control center in Bekasi. So I’d like to repeat once again, that if we don’t have the courage to use a local product, the LRT in this case, then when will we try? When will we have the courage to start? There are certainly some imperfections that need corrections. It is true that there are several imperfections, so the evaluation will be conducted by state-owned train manufacturer INKA, evaluation will be conducted by state-owned railway operator PT KAI. But if we don’t have the courage, do you think TGV and Shinkansen happen in a night, in a perfect condition right away? They took years, tens of years of progress.

Don’t bully our own products. Who else but us as users should be proud, right? When there are troubles, fix it. When there are flaws in design, repair it. It must happen that way. Japan didn’t just make good cars such as happening today. It took tens of years. Shinkansen also needed tens of years. The same thing happened to TGV. I understand this as I went to see them, to understand the steps. If we have no courage to start, and if every imperfection is bullied, nobody will dare enough to create something.

Reporter
About the case involving Paspampres (the Presidential Security Force), Pak?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)
The legal process is ongoing already. Please respect the existing legal process. All are equal before the law.

(AY/MUR)