Increase Economic Growth, Airlangga Staff Says Needs Strengthening Industrialization And Investment

JAKARTA - Expert Staff to the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Raden Pardede, said that achieving the 8 percent economic growth target requires priority in carrying out investment efficiency and strengthening industrialization.

In addition, Raden emphasized that this needs to be encouraged through special economic zones (SEZs) as a growth catalyst to encourage investment in strategic sectors.

"Mr. President directs that the development of special economic zones, SEZs, continue to be encouraged to attract investment and increase exports, especially investments," he said when representing Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto in Sarasehan 100 Economists, Wednesday, December 3.

Raden said the government had built 22 special economic zones spread from Aceh to Papua.

Meanwhile, the realization of SEZ investment has reached Rp242.5 trillion and employment is 151,260 people and the involvement of 394 business actors.

According to Raden, this SEZ will continue to be encouraged as a catalyst for national economic growth, such as Gresik's special economic zone for copper downstreaming, Kendal SEZ for electric vehicle batteries, and Sanur SEZ for health tourism which is being built and will be completed soon.

In addition, Raden conveyed that international cooperation was also an important strategy in the midst of the geopolitical and geoeconomic dynamics that is currently happening.

Therefore, Raden said that in the future it is important to encourage several collaborations that have been running with the United States, one of which is the IPEF as a strategic cooperation platform.

In addition, Raden conveyed that the OECD acceleration process was continuously encouraged because it would bring significant benefits in creating opportunities to increase cooperation, then exchange useful information, and raise governance standards.

"Indonesia shows its commitment to foreign policies that are free and active, by actively participating in the G20, APEC, ASEAN, IPEF, CPTPP, OECD, and BRICS," he said.