Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Inauguration of the Aneuk Muda Aceh Unggul dan Hebat (AMANAH) Youth Creative Hub, AMANAH Main Building, Aceh Besar Regency, Aceh Province, October 15, 2024

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Distinguished Ministers of the Indonesian Onward Cabinet, especially to Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Transportation who are here,

Distinguished Commander of the TNI (Indonesian National Defense Forces), Chief of the National Police, Head of the State Intelligent Agency who initiates the development,

Honorable Wali Nanggroe, Governor of Aceh, Regents,

Ladies and Gentlemen, religious leaders, community leaders, and my beloved Aceh youth.

Good afternoon.

We are now in a global uncertainty. Economic uncertainty, first, since the global economy is now merely growing, this year, estimated at 2.6-2.7 [percent], and next year 2.7-2.8 [percent], this is very low. Many countries have entered the abyss of recession, including developed countries. Second, everything related to geopolitics is more unclear. The Ukrainian war is not over yet, plus the latest events of Israel versus Palestine, Israel versus Lebanon, and Iran versus Israel add to the uncertainty. Third, climate change is also starting to be real since we are already feeling the storms and the scorching heat.

Therefore, competition and rivalry between countries are getting tighter. Developing superior human capital is our key to competing with other countries.

Last year, thank God, our economy still grew by 5.08 percent. This year, we estimate it will still, God willing, be above 5 percent, and with the inauguration of President-elect Ret. General Prabowo Subianto, we hope our country’s economy will improve.

And, today, I am truly amazed by the innovation and creativity of the Aceh youth, who I noted are very, very creative and innovative, be it in fashion, especially Muslim fashion. In my opinion, the designs are classy. But I just asked how much the cost of the jacket I was wearing was, and it turns out it was Rp2.5 million. Such a bargain for a good design. Nevertheless, I am a bit sad since the item is not inferior to Channel or Louis Vuitton. They can sell it for 50, 100, 200, even 500 million. How much was the previous one? Ladies and gentlemen, please guess? Rp600 thousand. Such a good item is sold for Rp600,000. The design and size are very neat. The inside is also very neat. Please try to increase the price. With such quality, I don’t know how the sales are in Aceh, but in Jakarta, I am sure that if the price is in the millions of rupiah, many people will still buy it since the design is very good.

Second, coffee. Aceh coffee is famous. What is the name? Gayo coffee. Second? Lamno coffee. Third? There are many varieties of coffee here. Since I worked in Bener Meriah of Central Aceh, I noted that the coffee here exported has still been in raw form, beans. Nevertheless, I saw a leap today. This is extraordinary. Indeed, if something is managed by youth, the results will definitely be good. As you can see, the packaging is classy, very, very classy. I don’t know who the designer is, but this is very classy. What is clear is the designer must be an Acehnese youth. Is the designer here? No? If the designer were here, I would give him a bicycle. Unfortunately, no. So, I will keep the bicycle.

Such classy packaging will give us extraordinary added value if we package all the products/commodities in Aceh like this. In addition to the job opportunities that will be opened, we can also get exponentially added value, ten, twenty, or even thirty times more. Meaning that the economy in Aceh province will rise rapidly.

Third, perfume from patchouli oil, which is usually exported only as raw material—leaves—but I noted that the distillation process now takes place here so it can be sold as perfumes in fine packaging.

The strength of Aceh, in my opinion, is coffee, followed by patchouli, or vice versa. The provincial and local governments must pay close attention to these two commodities so that development is really focused. There is no need for too many; focus on these two things, although there are also opportunities in sweet potatoes and several other commodities. Nevertheless, I give the thumbs-up to the process here since everything is done with the most modern technology: fertilization with drones and watering with apps that are managed efficiently. I think it is time for youth to take over to foster better economic growth in Aceh province and also in our country, Indonesia, so we can compete with other countries.

I really appreciate the efforts: previously, there have been many apps that have been showcased, originally made by Aceh youth, and we hope that they are truly useful. For example, I think that apps related to AI, irrigation, or fertilization are innovations that I should give a thumbs up to. And if I compare, this is not inferior to the Jakarta youth. The leap is not inferior. It is just a matter of how consistently they can be polished and honed continuously so that new innovations can emerge in Aceh Province.

I highly appreciate the State Intelligence Agency’s initiative in preparing this, and we hope that creative hubs like this will be developed across the country.

And by saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, this afternoon, I hereby inaugurate the AMANAH Youth Creative Hub in Aceh Besar regency, Aceh province.

I thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

(GWH/MUR)