Sesmenko Perekonomian Tegaskan Import Energi Dan Agricultural Dari AS Akan Tutup Defisit Dagang

JAKARTA - Secretary of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Susiwijono Moegiarso revealed that the government is allocating imports worth US$19 billion to balance the trade balance with the United States (US).

Susiwijono assessed that the reallocation was focused on the energy and agriculture sector, which is considered sufficient to close the current trade deficit.

"From the agricultural energy alone, it is enough to cover the deficit, we still have a lot of reserves. It has been closed to energy and agriculture from 19 billion US dollars, it has been closed 100 percent," he told the media crew, Monday, April 29.

Susiwijono said that the energy sector includes import needs such as crude oil, gas, and LPG, while the agricultural sectors such as wheat, soybeans, and soybean milk from the US.

He emphasized that there was no significant change in the policy, only shifting the focus of imports so that they were balanced and mutually beneficial.

"They are very positive because we come out with the most concrete numbers and proposals, very, very positive. Very good. This is one thing about the deficit trade, which they think they want to make fair and balance trade, we hold it first, then after that, besides that, we are offline, we also request the top 20 export products, we reduce the tariff," he explained.

Regarding the plan to procure the main weapon system equipment (alutsista), Susiwijono said it was still in the bidding stage and was not yet included in the concrete calculation of the total reallocation value.

"We only offer, we also have other things, but from those 2 we have closed the gap from the deficit trade, it has been closed from those 2," he said.

In addition, Susiwijono conveyed that in the context of government deregulation, the task force was preparing a large-scale deregulation of various regulations.

"That's a non-barrier tariff, later on, the issues that we will solve as well as there is a deregulation task force, we will make 3 task forces and ask the coordinating minister for progress," he said.

"We rearrange the deregulation, regulate everything, not just local contexts of imports, licenses, quotas, we rearrange everything, we reform the name again, this is the moment we use in addition to US answers as well as improvements in our national sector, so there is a decregulation task force, so the president's direction is clear, there are many directions, we will accommodate the direction later in the decregulation task force," he said.

According to him, these strategic policies will soon be launched, including short and long-term steps that will be submitted to the public.

"Later, each policy package will be released, there is a 1 policy regarding what, 2 what, such as a model economic policy package, so the stages are clear, concrete, and until the medium term there is already a reform plan. Yes, as soon as possible, the president's direction asks that someone in the short term must deliver," he concluded.