The President started his speech by saying that Indonesia would ideally get out of the middle-income trap by the time it celebrates a century of independence in 2045.
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Now that Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Ma\'ruf Amin have been appointed president and vice president for the 2019-2024 term, this is the time for the Indonesian people to work harder. Indonesia faces a big challenge to become a developed economy.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Indonesia dreams of becoming a developed country by 2045, when it will celebrate a century of independence, with a per-capita income of Rp 27 million per month. The composition and performance of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo\'s Cabinet and Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin will be important in laying the foundation for that dream.
The President was scheduled to announce his Cabinet on Monday. "Tomorrow we will introduce the ministers we have chosen. After being introduced, they will immediately be sworn in," Jokowi said on Sunday (20/10/2019), shortly after he and Ma\'ruf Amin were inaugurated as president and vice president for 2019-2024 in a plenary session of the People\'s Consultative Assembly (MPR) at the legislative complex in Senayan, Jakarta.
In his inauguration speech, Jokowi stated his dream of Indonesia becoming a developed country by 2045. The President started his speech by saying that Indonesia would ideally get out of the middle-income trap by the time it celebrates a century of independence in 2045. Thus, Indonesia is expected to become a developed economy with average annual per-capita income of Rp 320 million, or Rp 27 million per month. "That is our target. Our joint target," he stressed.
By working hard, fast and oriented toward tangible results, the President believes that target can be achieved.
At present, based on World Bank data of 2019, Indonesia is categorized as a lower-middle-income country with per-capita income of US$3,927, equivalent to around Rp 55.3 million per year.
In his speech, the President also presented five work targets for the 2019-2024 administration, four of which are directly related to the economy. Those four targets are infrastructure development, cutting red tape through two omnibus laws, simplifying investment-oriented bureaucracy and economic transformation. The other target is human resource development. These five 2019-2024 targets are somewhat different from the Nawacita, nine-point development plan of the 2014-2019 administration. Only three of the nine Nawacita goals are directly related to the economy, namely development from the periphery, increased productivity and competitiveness and economic independence.
President also presented five work targets for the 2019-2024 administration, four of which are directly related to the economy.
Meanwhile, Jokowi\'s inauguration speech in 2014 included the commitment to work hard, the service of state institutions to the community, a dignified Indonesian nation, a free-active foreign policy and the importance of collectivity in development.
New administration
The inauguration of Jokowi and Ma\'ruf Amin proceeded smoothly. The time of the inauguration, originally scheduled by the MPR to begin at 2:30 p.m., was changed to 3:30 p.m.
When departing from the State Palace to the legislative complex to be inaugurated, Jokowi had stopped to greet supporters who had been waiting in Taman Pandang across from the State Palace.
Upon their arrival at the MPR building at 2:30 p.m., Jokowi and First Lady Mrs. Iriana had a friendly meeting with foreign delegates, including numerous heads of state and heads of government, who had come to attend the inauguration. They included Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Hassanal Bolkiah, King Mswati III of Eswatini, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
MPR secretary-general Ma\'ruf Cahyono said Jokowi\'s intention to have a friendly meeting with guests from friendly countries had postponed the inauguration.
The ceremony was also attended by previous presidents and vice presidents of Indonesia, namely Megawati Sukarnoputri, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Hamzah Haz and Boediono. Also present was the rival candidate team of the 2019 election: Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno.
MPR Speaker Bambang Soesatyo said the appointment of Jokowi and Ma\'ruf Amin through simultaneous elections, which were held for the first time in Indonesia, proved that Indonesia\'s democracy had matured. "We are proud to have a democracy that is unique to Indonesia, namely Pancasila democracy, a democracy of [national spirit], which glorifies and nurtures diversity to build unity in differences and realize shared dreams in the big Indonesian house, Rumah Pancasila," Bambang said.
After the inauguration, Jokowi expressed appreciation for the Indonesian Military (TNI), National Police and National Intelligent Agency (BIN) for maintaining the security of the inauguration.
Cabinet line-up
Amid Jokowi’s optimistic vision to make Indonesia an advanced economy by 2045, the government is facing various challenges. A Kompas Research and Development survey in October 2019 showed that the nation was facing a number of problems, namely price stability, security, employment, poverty, corruption, education and welfare.
Per-capita income must also be increased significantly. In the World Bank category, a low-middle-income country has per-capita income of $1,026-$3,995, while income in middle-upper-income economies ranges from $3,996-$12,375, and that of high-income countries exceeds $12,375.
The head of the Center for Population and Public Policy Studies at Gadjah Mada University, Agus Heruanto, said efforts to escape the middle-income trap had to begin now now on. The Cabinet being formed by President Jokowi must begin to lay the foundation for an advanced Indonesia.
A “professional” Cabinet was needed to realize the targets.
The head of the Department of Politics and Social Change at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Vidhyandika Djati Perkasa, added that a “professional” Cabinet was needed to realize the targets as disclosed by Jokowi. In particular, this required Cabinet members who had experience in dealing with poverty and inequality.
Coordination across ministries, said Vidhyandika, had to increase, because efforts to make Indonesia and advanced country by 2045 could not be handled by one ministry alone.