Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Inauguration of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals Association (ICMI) Central Executive Council and ICMI National Work Meeting 2022, from Bogor Presidential Palace West Java Province, January 29, 2022

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Honorable Heads of State Institutions;

Honorable Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet, Governors and Governor of West Java, Mayors and Regents as well as Mayor of Bogor;

Honorable Chairperson of ICMI Professor Arif Satria and members;

Honorable Chairperson of the Honorary Council, Chairperson of the Advisory Board, Chairperson of the Advisory Council, and Chairperson of Expert Council of the ICMI;

Honorable ICMI Autonomous and Regional Leaders, Chancellors, community leaders, and religious leaders;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

First and foremost, I congratulate the elected 2021-2026 ICMI committee. We, including the ICMI, will face increasingly though challenges in the future. Nevertheless, I believe that the ICMI as a forum for scholars will always be able to find new ways and strategies amid the today’s era of rapid changes and challenges.

In harmony with the ICMI Working Meeting theme, the key word is transformation. How do we, as a nation and an organization, continue to transform to find the right way to deal with changing times, challenges, and opportunities.

Change often comes so sudden without us being able to predict it. The pandemic, which we have experienced it for two years and is still happening, is one proof that we will always face uncertainty. Many things are beyond our prediction when we make plans. Uncertainty can come suddenly without us expecting.

Therefore, we do not merely grab victory because of our good plan. Victory also depends on our speed of transformation. Victory depends on our speed to quickly adapt to the challenges and opportunities that exist. And, that victory also depends on our ability to work effectively, efficiently, and competitively by utilizing intelligence as well as science and technology.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Government is working hard to lead several big transformations. We are doing structural transformation so Indonesia will be more competitive to deal with today’s global hyper competition. We have to provide vast job opportunities. We have to improve the welfare of the farmers, fishermen, and industrial workers. We have to facilitate entrepreneurs of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises to upgrade themselves with digitalization. We have to support the improvement of domestic products, so many things that we have to carry out. Therefore, we have to ease investments, be it big, medium, small, domestic, or foreign investments. It is our aim to set the Omnibus Law on Job Creation, to create vast job opportunities and to increase domestic added value.

We must carry out downstreaming, among others, in mine, oil, and gas sectors aimed to give more significant added values in Indonesia, to provide job opportunities, and also to save the reserves. I think this is no longer the era of exporting raw materials that will make other countries enjoy the added value, such as what we did in the era of VOC (the Dutch East India Company).

We also proven that by downstreaming, the country can enjoy a very significant added value, for instance, the nickel downstreaming that has been done since 2015 and gives significant impacts on exports and balance of trade. The export of steel in 2021 reached USD20.9 billion, more or less Rp300 trillion. It has experienced an increase from only USD1.1 million in 2014. From Rp15 trillion, then it climbed up to Rp300 trillion. It is due to the domestic increase of added value.

Therefore, I often said that we will not only stop nickel export. This year, we may stop the export of bauxite and next year we will stop the export of copper, tin, and gold for there is no such thing as export of raw materials. In 2022, I think we can achieve special exports for nickel of US$28-30 billion. It means around 420 trillion in Rupiah.

And, once again, after nickel, we will encourage investment in the sector of bauxite, copper, tin, gold, and so forth which we usually export in the form of raw materials.

We must also carry out downstreamings in all sectors. Farmers should be robust in the on-farm activities, Innovation in the farming and animal husbandry should be encouraged. But we must not just stay there, the fertilizers, the seeds, and so on. Groups of farmers and animal husbandry farmers, cooperatives of farmers and animal husbandry farmers should also get into the off-farm activities, the downstreamings. Once again, it is intended to give added value to the farmers since the off-farm activities may give the most fruitful benefits and create more job opportunities as well.

We must also pay attention to digital economy transformation. Indonesia’s digital economy potential in 2025 is estimated to reach USD124 billion. We also have 2,229 start-ups, one decacorn and eight unicorns, and there are already 8.4 million Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises that have used digital platform to sell their products in the last five years, and surely the number will keep increasing.

In addition, on the energy transformation towards green energy. We have the potential of renewable new energy as many as 418 gigawatts, be it in the forms of geothermal energy, wind energy, solar panel energy, biofuel energy, tidal energy, or hydro energy. Hydropower, for instance, we have 4,400 rivers that have the potential to produce green energy and 128 of them are big rivers. Decarbonization of transportation sector also started with the development of mass urban transport, and we have also started the development of the world’s biggest green industrial park in North Kalimantan.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The establishment of the new capital city in East Kalimantan is an important part of the transformation. The capital city program is not only about relocating the Government’s buildings, but also to shift to way of working and way of thinking that based on modern economy and to develop a more just and inclusive social life.

We will make the capital city program as a transformation showcase, be it in the sectors of environment, way of working, economy, technology, and so on including in sectors of health service and education with more qualities. We also put forward the idea of a more diverse and tolerant society that uphold good ethics and deeds.

The IKN program and several major transformations that are currently taking place require the support of all parties. I really hope the ICMI’s contribution in the transformation of Indonesia to create the advanced Indonesia that we aspire to. I believe the ICMI have a great capability to contribute. Let us contribute our ideas and thoughts. Not only being a role model for Islam as blessing for the universe (rahmatan lil ‘alamin), but also making professional contributions according to their respective expertise to ensure the progress of Advanced Indonesia.

That concludes my remarks on this auspicious occasion.

And by saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I hereby open the 2022I CMI National Work Meeting.

I thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

(GWH/LW)