Need of strong leadership to attain Golden Indonesia 2045: President Jokowi

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Thursday underscored the need for strong and smart leadership in order to pursue the attainment of the Golden Indonesia 2045 goal.

“Golden Indonesia cannot automatically come into being. It requires focus, direction, and guidance,” Jokowi stated during the final design of the National Long-Term Development Planning for 2025-2045 event in Jakarta.

He expected that the final design of the National Long-Term Development Planning for 2025-2045 could serve as a collective guide in pursuing the realization of the Golden Indonesia target.

The president, however, reminded that regardless of how great a plan is, it can end up being futile if the execution is not good.

“Therefore, to achieve the Golden Indonesia 2045 goal, smart execution is necessary. Smart leadership from a leader who is strong, brave, and creative in finding solutions, as well as having guts, is necessary,” Jokowi elaborated.

He said he did not elaborate further on the leaders’ traits at that event due to concerns that it would end up being politically charged.

However, Jokowi expressed confidence that such leadership bearing those qualities would be able to carry forward some agendas, such as industrial downstreaming and the development of Nusantara City, which he deemed crucial.

“Industrial downstreaming is important; it is what will boost us. If downstreaming is successful, we will be ahead,” he noted.

The president drew attention to some mineral downstreaming initiatives being pursued to establish an electric vehicle ecosystem and build factories for the production of electric vehicle batteries.

Jokowi noted that the state had previously exported raw materials, but currently they can be turned into cathodes, precursors, and lithium batteries.

Bringing about such change was no easy task, as it demands attention to detail in its practice, he highlighted.

The president also affirmed that downstreaming can be applied to agricultural products, such as palm trees, so they can be processed into other items before being exported.

The same initiative can be emulated for seaweed, which can be utilized for the production of biofuels, Jokowi remarked.

“I just saw it, so I was surprised to see it in Germany. This means that this is a huge potential, but it also presents a big challenge,” the president remarked.

Jokowi also noted that the transfer of the capital city Jakarta to Nusantara is backed by the spirit to promote equality.

According to the president, 56 percent of Indonesians live on Java Island, with several settling in Jakarta. Moreover, 58 percent of the national gross domestic product is generated in Java.

The head of state also drew attention to the myriad responsibilities borne by Jakarta, as it functions as the center of education, tourism, business, economy, and government.

“The workload must be reduced, and equal distribution must be pursued, not just in the next five years, but as a long-term vision,” he concluded.