JAKARTA, INDONESIA – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) may look to encourage people to develop an entrepreneurial spirit as the government prepares policies to help develop the people’s economy, including through decreasing the interest rate of People’s Business Credit (KUR), asset redistribution and partnerships between corporates and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the People’s Economy Congress, which was held on April 22-24 this year, alone would not be enough to encourage a new economic wave. “What is our problem? People are reluctant to be entrepreneurs. Businesspeople must work hard and be optimistic,” Kalla said in his closing speech at the congress in Jakarta on Monday (24/4/2017). Attending the event were MUI chair Ma’ruf Amin and presumptive Jakarta deputy governor Sandiaga Uno.
The vice president said that although the government had issued policies that supported the people, they could not be utilized optimally due to a lack of entrepreneurial spirit.
He cited that, during the New Order regime, forest concession rights (HPH) were at first provided for Muslim businesspeople. However, many of these HPH rights were later sold as the original holders preferred living in Jakarta. A similar phenomenon also occurred in concession rights for oil palm plantations and mines.
Ma’ruf said that the MUI hoped that the government would implement a more equitable economic system beyond merely a concept.
Congress recommendation
In the congress attended by around 400 participants from all over Indonesia, a partnership between corporates and MSMEs was also discussed. MUI people’s economy empowerment commission chair M. Azrul Tanjung said all of the congress participants agreed to campaign for an economic system that is fair, equitable and independent to overcome economic gaps. He said he hoped the government’s plan of sensible and sustainable asset redistribution and natural resource optimization could be accelerated.
Ma’ruf said that asset redistribution should be used for active economic activities and that Islamic civil organizations must synergize with one another to capitalize on opportunities for the benefit of all. “The assets should not be controlled by individuals and by big businesspeople,” Ma’ruf said.
The People’s Economy Congress participants agreed on six recommendations. First is to campaign for a national economic system that is far, equitable and independent to overcome economic gaps. Second is to sensibly and sustainably accelerate redistribution and optimization of natural resources. Third is to strengthen competent and highly competitive human resources based on excellence of science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Fourth is for the government to encourage cooperatives and MSMEs to be the main players in the national economy. Fifth is to implement equal partnerships between corporates and cooperatives and MSMEs in integrated production and market systems by prioritizing a sharia economy in the national economic system while maintaining the framework of Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). Lastly is to form a national committee on the people’s economy to guide the new wave of the national economy.