Next President should ensure sustainability of downstreaming policy: Jokowi
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) urged that the next president for the 2024-2029 term should ensure the sustainability of the downstreaming policy that is currently being implemented by the incumbent government.
“We should not waver in implementing it even though we are being pressured by the European Union, WTO, and IMF. I will ask the next president to ensure that the downstreaming policy does not stop since a halt will result in great losses,” he remarked.
The head of state made his remarks while opening the 2023 Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) National Working Meeting in Tangerang District, Banten, on Thursday.
President Jokowi urged the next leader of the country to continue to implement the downstreaming policy by banning the exports of various raw materials despite mounting pressure targeted at Indonesia by global actors.
In this context, he cited the lawsuit filed and won by the European Union against Indonesia’s decision to stop exporting nickel ore. Moreover, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also urged Indonesia to reconsider revoking the policy and not applying it to other commodities.
According to the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), by tenaciously downstreaming its natural resources, Indonesia will be able to increase its per capita income to US$10.5 thousand in one decade and to US$15.8 thousand in 15 years.
On the other hand, the termination of the policy will hinder Indonesia’s ambition to reach a figure of US$25 thousand per capita income by 2045.
The president reiterated that in order to achieve the target of Golden Indonesia 2045, the next leaders of the country should consistently sustain the policy and expand its range to apply to food commodities in addition to mineral resources, such as nickel and copper.
He noted that Indonesia is among the world’s top seaweed-exporting countries. However, the country has only been exporting the commodity in raw form, he pointed out.
Furthermore, he elaborated on Indonesia’s crude palm oil (CPO) potential, saying that the country produces as much as 46 million tons of raw CPO annually.
Hence, he called on actors in the related industry to make the most of CPO by exporting in the form of processed products that have higher values.
By doing so, industrial players will help the country boost its income as well as create more job opportunities for the nation’s talents.
“It is expected that our per capita income will reach approximately US$25 thousand in 2045, in line with our vision of Golden Indonesia. This requires tactical measures,” he stressed.
