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PRESIDENT Joko Widodo (Jokowi) explained three policies to encourage economic recovery, namely accelerating infrastructure development, strengthening food security, and encouraging digital economic transformation.
In his virtual speech at the 13th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Summit from the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Thursday (10/28), the President said the three efforts must continue to support the principle of sustainable development, as in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“During the first period of the blueprint, Indonesia has completed seven toll roads, the development of the Kuala Tanjung port, and the Palembang LRT,” said the President, adding that Indonesia guaranteed connectivity on the island of Sumatra.
Accelerating infrastructure development, said the President Jokowi, is not only about physical infrastructure, but also soft infrastructure or soft infrastructure such as Human Resources (HR) or bureaucratic efficiency.
The second effort to support recovery, President Jokowi continued, is to strengthen food and energy security through the identification and development of high-value-added agricultural products. The development of the agricultural industry into the digital realm is also considered important to increase productivity and attract the participation of the younger generation.
“For energy, technology at affordable prices, and investment play an important role for the transformation of new and renewable energy. Therefore, cooperation with partners is very important,” President stated.
Meanwhile, the third effort, according to the President, is to accelerate the transformation of the digital economy, including for MSMEs. President Jokowi said that the pandemic taught about the importance of digital technology to run the economy.
“We have to produce more new digitalpreneurs. We make sure that the newly formed IMT-GT e-commerce platform functions optimally and is user friendly in facilitating MSMEs in the digital market,” Jokowi remarked.
On the occasion, the President also revealed Indonesia’s plan to hold the ASEAN Creative Economic Business Forum in Bali in November as an effort to strengthen the role of MSMEs and the creative economy. The President also expressed Indonesia’s support for the preparation of the IMT-GT 2022-2026 blueprint for implementation.
“This blueprint will be our physical guideline and contain clear targets and indicators for efforts to strengthen our cooperation in the next five years,” he underlined.
2021 is the last year for the implementation of the IMT-GT blueprint for the 2017-2021 period. During this period, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for almost two years, and has affected the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in this part of the region.
But now the rate of the spread of COVID-19 has been suppressed, and the economic recovery has progressed. Therefore, President Jokowi encourages the implementation of the 2022-2026 blueprint to run well and contribute to economic recovery. Moreover, GDP for IMT-GT has increased by 20% during the 2015-2019 period.
“In this period, Indonesia has tried to contribute, among others, through the construction of physical connectivity in the sub-region worth US$17.9 billion and support for projects including Bengkulu Digital and Tourism Village, Aceh Investment Sport, Batam Green City Initiative, and a number of other projects. others,” President Jokowi concluded.
Accompanying the President at the Summit were Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahendra Siregar. [antaranews]
