VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 4 - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) laid emphasis on achieving Indonesia's economic growth target for 2021 in the range of five percent.

While opening the 2021 National Work Meeting of the Ministry of Trade from the State Palace, Jakarta, Thursday, President Jokowi highlighted that 2021 is the year of economic recovery after Indonesia’s economy had contracted 2.07 percent year-on-year (yoy) in 2020.

"The growth target in the State Budget of five percent must really be achieved. 2021 is a year of recovery that must be based on optimism," the president affirmed.

At the opening of the meeting, Jokowi was accompanied by Minister of Trade Muhammad Lutfi, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung.

The head of state did admit to the fact that achieving this year's economic growth target was no easy task.

To this end, the head of state urged the ranks of the Ministry of Trade to put into greater efforts and abandon normative ways of working.

To this end, the Ministry of Trade should issue creative and innovative policy breakthroughs to promote economic recovery.

"I urge everyone to work hard, and I request that trade policies contribute to our strategic agenda for national recovery," he stated.

"We have to work in new ways since everything has changed. Leave behind the old ways," the president stressed.

The president called for the trade ministry to maintain the availability of basic commodities and stability in prices not only in big cities but also in all corners of the nation.

The Ministry of Trade is also mandated to regulate digital trade to create an online trading ecosystem that is advantageous and just.

"Digital transformation must be able to uphold the nation's sovereignty and independence. We, Indonesia, cannot become victims of unfair digital trade,” Jokowi emphasized.

The head of state also urged the Ministry of Trade to continue to expand Indonesia's export market to non-traditional countries.

Nations, with prospective economic growth, such as in Africa, South Asia, and Eastern Europe, should be the focus to become export target countries.

"I call for the expansion of non-traditional markets. This has always been our direction for years to the European Union, America. Do not get caught up in the same export market. Now, new markets are growing, for which serious work is necessary,” President Jokowi affirmed.  (Antaranews)