West Sulawesi Has Big Economic Potentials: President Jokowi

President Jokowi leads a Limited Cabinet Meeting on the Evaluation of the Implementation of National Strategic Projects and Priority Programs of West Sulawesi Province, at the Presidential Office, Wednesday (2/8). (Photo by: Public Relations Division/Rahmat)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said that one of the youngest province in the country, West Sulawesi Province, has big economic potentials, be it in agricultural sector, fishery sector, forestry sector, and mining sector.

“The data that I have shows that agricultural sector has become the main drive of economy of West Sulawesi Province in 2016,” the President said in a Limited Cabinet Meeting on the Evaluation of the Implementation of National Strategic Projects and Priority Programs of West Sulawesi Province, at the Presidential Office, Wednesday (2/8) sore.

President Jokowi added that in the first quarter of this year, contribution of agricultural sector for the Province’s economy grew by 3.24 percent and the growth in agricultural sector has increased the Province’s economic growth into 7.38 percent. “I suppose (economic growth of the Province) is very high, exceeding national economic growth,” the President said.

President Jokowi also hopes that the momentum of the economic growth can be maintained so that more job opportunities can be created, gap can be reduced, and poverty rate in the Province, which is currently 11.19 percent, can be reduced.

The Meeting was also attended by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Darmin Nasution, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut B. Pandjaitan, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo, Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki, Minister of Communication and Informatics Rudiantara, Minister of Transportation Budi K. Sumadi, Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya, Minister of Education and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, Minister of Social Affairs Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Minister of National Development Planning/Head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Bambang Brodjonegoro, Minister of State-owned Enterprises Rini Soemarno, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ignasius Jonan, Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (BPN) Sofyan Djalil, and Governor of West Sulawesi Ali Baal Masdar. (FID/RAH/ES) (EP/YM/Naster)