Prabowo Wants To Build A Mobile Factory In Indonesia, Faisal Basri: 99 Percent Of Raw Materials Are Imported

Prabowo Subianto. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Senior Economist of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) Faisal Basri criticized the wishes of presidential candidate (candidate) 02 Prabowo Subianto who wants to build a cellphone factory in Indonesia.

According to him, building a factory is not an easy thing. The reason is, it takes raw materials for making cellphones or cellphones to be imported from abroad, aka imports. For example, like the screen of a cellphone.

"It's really bad, we make a 100 percent cellphone factory in Indonesia, but 99 percent of the raw materials are imported. That's what will happen in the Prabowo era if it is implemented, does it make cellphones easy?," he said in an Indef discussion, at the Mainhattan Hotel, Jakarta, Monday, February 5.

Faisal said Indonesia could not make its own cellphones. In fact, China is still bringing in components for making cellphones from abroad such as Taiwan and South Korea.

"Where did the chips come from? We don't have them, the screen? Nothing, China doesn't have it, let alone Indonesia. Most of the screens are from Korea, most chips are from Taiwan," he said.

Moreover, continued Faisal, the interest of the Indonesian people about this cellphone is still focused on several brands. Like, Samsung or Apple.

Therefore, he assessed that this domestically made cellphone would not sell.

Therefore, according to Faisal, it is not something that is proud if the Indonesian-made cellphone or cellphone is only circulating domestically, but it does not cover the international market. In addition, the price will be much more expensive.

"So for the people, now the people don't want it, you're happy (Samsung) Galaxy right? Happy iPhone right? Later, farmers will be given cellphones, civil servants will give cellphones like that and it's more expensive because of what? Because 99 percent of the raw materials are imported, because he didn't build the name industry," he explained.

Previously reported, Presidential Candidate number 02 Prabowo Subianto said it was better for Indonesia to immediately build a cellphone factory if it only needed Rp500 trillion in funds.

"If I always solution and action, if half a trillion needs political will, then build a factory," Prabowo said in the first session of the fifth debate at the JCC, Sunday, February 4, evening.

To support this, Prabowo will also provide scholarships for 10 thousand outstanding children for technology and science schools.

"We have to educate our children in midwives, science engineering, and matematics if we don't have what? We have to give the best 10 thousand scholarships, the important thing is the political will that builds the factory," concluded the General Chair of Gerindra.