VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno has said that job creation is one of the essential factors for realizing the 2045 Golden Indonesia vision.

Under the 2045 vision, Indonesia is targeting to increase its per capita income to US$30,300, among other things.

"I am formulating it on the creation of jobs and affordable living costs to achieve 2045 Golden Indonesia," he said while delivering a speech as a key speaker at the "Blue Ocean Strategy Fellowship" event in Jakarta on Thursday.

Job creation in the tourism and creative economy sectors is being achieved through tourism villages, whose number has continued to increase every year, Uno informed.

According to him, tourism villages do not only serve as tourist destinations, but also have an impact on improving the economy and opening up job opportunities, especially for local communities in tourism areas.

The number of tourism villages in 2021 stood at 1,831 and increased to 3,419 in 2022 and 4,573 in 2023.

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is targeting the creation of 4.4 million jobs in the tourism and creative economy sectors in 2024.

"If we saw that many people lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, then the tourism sector is an opportunity to restore jobs," he noted.

The minister further said that the creative economy sector also plays a role in the national economy. In 2022, its contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP) reached Rp1,134.9 trillion (around US$72.24 billion).

The role of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the youth is also deemed important for advancing Indonesia's economy. The youth are considered to have the potential to become a hope for the future to support the nation's economic sustainability.

To this end, Uno urged the youth to continue to improve their competence so they are able to compete.

"We must invest more in human resources so that big opportunities can be attained, as well as to avoid the middle-income trap," he added. (Antaranews)