Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Peak Event of the 2022 National Pers Day (HPN) Commemoration in Kendari City, Southeast Sulawesi Province, February 9, 2022
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Good morning,
May peace be upon us all,
Shalom,
Om Swastiastu,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greetings of Virtue.
Distinguished heads and chiefs of state institutions, Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), and Vice Speaker of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD);
Distinguished Minister of Communications and Multimedia of Malaysia Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Annuar bin Haji Musa;
Your Excellencies Ambassadors of Friendly Countries;
Distinguished Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet;
Distinguished Governor of Southeast Sulawesi and other Governors, Regents, Mayors who are present today;
Distinguished Chairperson of the Indonesian Press Council, Chairperson of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI), press figures, and journalists;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
First and foremost, on behalf of the people, nation, and country, I would like to congratulate the Indonesian press on the commemoration of the National Press Day. I also would like to appreciate the Indonesian press that is still able to play an important role amid COVID-19 pandemic in disseminating information, improving literacy, voicing optimism, and building hopes in order to make all people stay strong to tackle the impact of the pandemic.
Earlier, Mr. Atal Depari (Chairperson of the Indonesian Journalists’ Association) talk about vaccination experiences. Last year, the PWI requested to be prioritized and we only had five thousand doses of vaccine. But now, if the PWI requests more, the Government has 143 million doses of vaccine. No matter how much you request, now the Government can allocate it given the adequate vaccine supply. As many as 325 million doses of vaccine have been administered to the people including the first dose, second dose, and third dose (booster).
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I noticed that in last two years national press industry has experienced tremendous pressure. It has to face pandemic situation, to overcome digital disruption, and to overcome pressures from various foreign platforms that affect economic potential and influence of mainstream media.
The drastic change in the landscape of media competition has resulted in various issues, which had also been delivered by Chairperson of the PWI. The emergence of alternative sources of information, the proliferation of information trends that merely pursue the number of clicks or views, the flood of contents that only pursue viral, the spread of massive misleading information which turn people against each other, causing confusion and even division.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In this full of pressure condition, mainstream media have to immediately carry out transformation. All mainstream media have to be more innovative, to improve technology in order to accelerate proper growth. All mainstream media have to spread good news through various channels and platforms, to literate and disseminate high quality contents, and to put trust and integrity as a capital to grasp opportunities.
The Indonesian press must be able to introspect itself while continuing the nation’s grand agendas, to strengthen foothold to make great leaps in order to adapt amid changes, and to boost digital transformation in order to produce high quality journalistic works faster and remain accurate and not get trapped in the pragmatic ways that erode our integrity.
The ecosystem of national press industry must be managed. A fair competitive climate must continue to be built. Foreign media platforms must be managed, ruled so that the ecosystem can be better. We have to strengthen the rule on fair sharing profits between global and local platforms.
Earlier, Chairperson of the PWI and Prof. Muhammad Nuh (Chairperson of the Indonesian Press Council) said that there are options that can be decided. Do we have to issue a new law? Or do we just have to revise the old one? Or do we have to issue a Government Regulation? I will let the PWI and the Indonesian Press Council decide so that that the regulation can be completed. I will push it if one of the options has been decided; a new law, old law revision, or a Government Regulation. It aims to strengthen national press industry.
Information sovereignty must be realized for our sake. We must bolster a healthy national press industry ecosystem, build and strengthen a national advertising platform, create a national video platform so that we are not completely dependent on foreign video platforms.
Indonesia should not only be a market for global digital technology products. Thus, innovative technology platforms that facilitate the public to obtain quality, accurate, and accountable information must continue to be established and developed. Proportional rewards also should be given to mainstream media who consistently dedicate their capabilities and resources to produce quality and intellectual journalistic works.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Indonesian press is the locomotive for the nation’s progress and the inspiration for making progress, pushing changes in all sectors of our lives and boosting confidence of the people to realize an advanced Indonesia.
The Government is currently undertaking major transformations in various sectors. We are carrying out structural transformation so that Indonesia can be more competitive to face the hyper-competitive era. Major transformation is required to create more jobs and increase added values. It is important to give significant impact on the decrease in poverty rate, inequality, and absorb the unemployed.
The Government makes major investment on the improvement of human resources including improvement of health care services to decrease stunting rate, education reform in order to bridge education sector with industrial needs, and revitalization of vocational training to carry out upskilling, reskilling of the workforce in order to be more productive and competitive.
In creating added values, the Government has carried out downstreaming including the downstreaming of the mining industry and downstreaming in agricultural sector. The Government does not want Indonesia to become an exporting country of raw materials whose added values are enjoyed by other countries. The Government has proven that downstreaming creates more and more jobs and the added values bring impacts on our national industries.
The strengthening of the added values is also carried out in transformation of digital economy and energy sectors. The digital economy has a great potential to be developed. We have encouraged 8.4 million SMEs to accelerate their businesses, to enter digital platforms. The number will keep increasing.
We are also carrying out renewable energy transformation by utilizing geothermal, wind, solar panel, biofuel, marine current, and hydropower. The transformation is in line with the Government’s commitment to develop green economy that will contribute to solve environmental problems at the global level.
The commitment on energy transition and digital transformation will be prioritized during the G20 Indonesian Presidency in 2022. Indonesia will host various international events. It is a valuable honor, trust, and an excellent opportunity to show our progress that we have made to the world, while increasing our contribution to the global economic recovery.
In 2022, the world keeps an eye on Indonesia and the press has a huge responsibility to make those agendas a success. Let us optimize valuable opportunities we have by disseminating good news that show our toughness, strength, solidarity, unity, mutual cooperation that become an important capital to face the pandemic.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Government realizes that major transformation carried out by Indonesia still has shortcomings and limitations. To that end, the Government is open to the input from members of the press so that the measures can be properly executed and bring changes to Indonesia’s progress.
As one of the largest democratic countries in the world, freedom of the press is an important pillar for the advancement of Indonesia. Freedom of the press and the protection of journalists are stipulated in Indonesian law. Criticism, inputs and support from members of the press are very, very important as a reminder for any shortcomings, needs for improvement, and slow progress or as a token of appreciation for what has been going well so that all levels of government from the central level to the regional and village levels work with the same commitment, the same vision for our country, for an advanced Indonesia.
That concludes my speech on this auspicious occasion. Once again, I would like to congratulate the Indonesian press on the commemoration of the National Press Day.
I thank you.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
(AP/MMB)