Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia on the Signing of the Package TenderContract/Early Selection of Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) for the 2021 Fiscal Year, Friday, 15 January 2021, the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java Province

Bismillahirahmanirahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Good morning,

May peace be upon us all,

Om Swastiastu,

Namo Buddhaya,

Greetings of virtue.

Distinguished Ministers, Coordinating Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet,

Distinguished Governors in attendance this morning,

Distinguished Head of the National Public Procurement Agency (LKPP) and all Echelon 1 Officials of Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), Heads of Balaithroughout Indonesia,

Esteemed Guests,

In the 2021 State Budget, Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing receives the highest portion of the budget amounting to Rp149.8 trillion. This is a big amount. Therefore, I would like to remind all levels of Ministry of PUPR that the budget must have a significant impact, provide leverage for our economy, revive the national construction sector.

The re-movement of the construction sector not only provides job opportunities for construction sector workers, but also moves the supply chain in the construction sector, the contracting sector, and has a broad multiplier effect for industries related to the construction sector, drive the steel, iron, cement, heavy equipment industries, and also the informal sector such as food and beverage traders, boarding houses, and so on.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I extend my appreciation to Ministry of PUPR efforts in accelerating the tender process or early selection since October 2020. I received the report that as of 15 January 2021, as many as 209 construction procurement packages worth RP2.1 trillion and 982 packages worth RP12.5 trillionhave completed the tender and the contracts wereready to be signed today, and it was done.

I recorded that many of the remaining infrastructure activity packages have not been tendered. Thus, I urge Minister of PUPR to carry out the acceleration so that all packages willhave been tendered in the first quarter and the contracts will have also been signed. This is essential to boost our national economic growth.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I remind all ranks of Ministry of PUPR that we have to work faster in 2021. We must be aware that we are still in a state of crisis, the spirit must be different, the aura must be different, we must switch to the extraordinary channel. By working faster, we can leverage economic growth. And in 2020, our economic growth experienced a deep contraction that fell to minus 5.32 percent in the second quarter of 2020, and improved to minus 3.49 percent in the third quarter of 2020, it was minus yet improving. We hope that in the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, the country’s economic growth will experience a rebound, to experience a recovery again.

Once again, the key is our speed at work, especially during the pandemic when many people lose their jobs. Our speed in executing work, especially labor-intensive projects that are highly anticipated since it will help ease the burden of the people, especially in providing many job opportunities.

Lastly, although we work fast with smart shortcuts, it does not mean that we ignore the governance. We should not ignore the governance, that is not allowed! The process must be right, must be transparent, comply withthe rules, and most importantly, the outcome must be properly maintained so that it has a significant impact on the country’s economic recovery.

I think that is all my remarks on this auspicious occasion. I thank you.

I conclude.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Om Santi Santi Santi Om,

Namo Buddhaya.