Vice President Jusuf Kalla (second right) is accompanied by chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Ma\'aruf Amin (third right), the 2017 People\'s Economy Congress steering committee chairman Lukmanul Hakim (fourth right) and chairman of the Empowerment Commission of People\'s Economy Azrul Tanjung (left) at the People Economy Congress in Jakarta, Monday (24/4). In his speech Kalla asked the MUI to encourage people to become entrepreneurs.
A number of recommendations emerged from the Islamic People’s Economy Congress. The main issues: a more just economy, a solution for disparities and the people’s economic sovereignty.
Upon observation, we will find that the issues promoted by the congress represent our deepest concerns. What the congress participants expressed hope for are our wishes as well. A fair, equitable and independent economic system is the nation’s dream that we have yet to fully achieve.
Disparities and the concentration of asset control have been sources of concern for a long time. It is understandable that some gain more benefit and can avail of development opportunities better than others. What is wrong is when the government does nothing and the disparity increasingly widens.
We also realize the dangers of ignoring these gaps. Various social phenomena, including radicalism and terrorism, are often connected to social injustices and gaps.
We see the recommendations of the Islamic People’s Economy Congress, held in Jakarta on April 22-24, as a form of contribution to efforts to improve the national economy. Apart from a just, equitable and independent economic system, other recommendations included accelerating natural resources optimization and asset redistribution and encouraging the growth of cooperatives and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as the main players in the national economy.
Making cooperatives and MSMEs equal partners of big businesses is important, considering that cooperatives are in a barely-alive state these days, despite being deemed an important foundation of the economy. Meanwhile, MSMEs face hurdles in accessing financing, marketing, technology and other resources. This is despite that fact that a majority of Indonesians, especially those in the lower-middle class, rely on MSMEs for a livelihood.
We see that the government has implemented many efforts, including initiatives that directly target the poorest of the poor, be it to improve their purchasing power, health, education or other socioeconomic aspects. However, despite the improvements, poverty and gap figures have more or less stagnated in the last few years.
Here, it is important to continuously find breakthroughs through affirmative policies. Strengthening institutions, establishing a sharia-based economy, strengthening human resources’ capability, including industry-based entrepreneurship education in the school curriculum have been proposed. In order to realize people’s economic sovereignty through entrepreneurship, the government should focus on resolving the hurdles new entrepreneurs face in starting up new businesses.
This all needs more than just a political commitment but a focused budget commitment, as well. A more well-defined and aggressive target is also necessary. The principle is that economic development should no longer target only equality. Economic development should be enjoyed directly by the poorest of the poor. Policies that directly attack the core of the problem are key. Collaboration between the government, the private sector and other social components is also important.
