Indonesia's Economic Strength: A Combination Of People, Sea And Island

JAKARTA - Director of the School of Strategic and Global Studies, University of Indonesia Athor Subroto said Indonesia has many advantages because of its geographical location in the form of islands.

But the challenge is that the country must really know which potentials to explore to maximize the island's economy.

"I think our potential excellence I think is no longer debatable. Our potential consen is actual, that's our challenge. Certainly one of the early stages must be really identify what our excellence is," said Athor in the opening speech discussion Exploration of indonesia's potential excellence in mapping Geostrategic Regions and Cross-Region online, Monday, May 24.

According to him, an independent Indonesia will not be far from the purpose of the proclamation itself. Where mention that wanting to build brings spilled blood Indonesia united, sovereign, just and prosperous.

"Merdeka may we have, united already despite the challenges. Sovereigns may still have debate, fair let alone. Prosper we further argue with it," Said Athor.

Furthermore, Athor explained that indonesia's geographical condition has a lot of differences with economic theories built in the United States, Europe, China etc. Because, NKRI has a lot of islands and passed through the equator and has a different climate and weather between islands.

"We see in the east what it's like, the middle, what the west looks like. There's a drought here flooded and so on. So there are some differences that I think are also very kritical that must be observed, of course from there will make the superiority of each island and area that we have to explore," said Athor.

"We must find the peaks of excellence of each of these regions whose notabennya will certainly differ in relation to climate and so on. So it is likely that each of those areas has an absolute advantage in addition to other cooperative advantages," he added.

Because of the vast archipelago, Athor acknowledges that Indonesia does have its own challenges. Including how to make the national supply chain logistics to be efficient and optimal.

"It has been initiated related to the sea toll, and these ideas I think are good but so far the execution is still too early. How can we make something good but if the market doesn't exist? There is no incentive for entrepreneurs," he explained.

According to Athor, building important businesses also generates or develops new economies outside Java. Because that way there will be demand in the area and there will make forming incentives for entrepreneurs to build or do business in the area.

"It will make the economy outside Java grow. I think it is different from the economy of this archipelago in general. Related to logistics, weather, climate, geographical conditions of the land and so on, this is very diverse and different," he explained.

Athor reminded, that all elements of the nation should look at the sea not as a separator but instead look at the geographical of Indonesia separated by the sea.

"We must not see the sea as one thing that separates, even the sea that actually unites the islands. This is the view that I have to make, then we have to make it as a force from within with a heritage that combines people, sea and island as an economic force that must be done and combined," said Athor.