VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta (voinews): President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has emphasized the importance of cheap energy sources in supporting sustainable economic growth, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said at the Presidential Palace here on Tuesday.

"Mr. President asked what factors that can make us have a sustainable economy, one of which is cheap energy," he informed.

He said that the availability of cheap energy sources is one of the issues emphasized in the drafting of the National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN) for 2025–2045.

The availability of energy sources is key for supporting economic growth, he added.

Energy sources need to be obtained at low costs so that economic growth can progress along with controlled inflation, he explained.

Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, controlling energy prices is essential for preventing uncontrolled inflation.

"Cheap energy was important in times of COVID-19. Inflation is strongly influenced by energy; fluctuating energy and food prices cause uncontrolled inflation in many countries," he said.

The President has asked his ministers to prepare a grand and detailed strategy for the 2025–2045 RPJPN.

The RPJPN 2025–2045 discussion has also encompassed strategies for getting Indonesia out of the middle-income trap and advancing vocational education.

In the industrial sector, President Widodo has asked for an increase in the manufacturing sector's contribution to the economy, which is currently at 18 percent, to 20 percent by 2045.

"The President has asked for more detailed strategies in these sectors and that is what the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) is preparing," Hartarto said.

At the same meeting, Minister of National Development Planning and Bappenas head, Suharso Monoarfa, apprised President Widodo about the half-term report of the 2020–2024 RPJMN and made a preliminary report on the preparation of the 2025–2045 RPJPN.

Monoarfa said that starting from 2025, Indonesia will need a transformation to achieve the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045.

The Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, according to him, envisages Indonesia as a sovereign, developed, and sustainable maritime country. (Antaranews)