Indef Sees Jokowi As The Pioneer Of Using Diction 'Hates Foreign Products': No Other Countries Use It, Even China

President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo. (Photo: Doc. Setkab)

JAKARTA - The Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) revealed that no other country uses the diction of hating foreign or foreign products, as stated by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to strengthen domestic industries to increase competitiveness.

Indef researcher Ahmad Heri Firdaus said that diction is something that is commonly used by a country to encourage the strengthening of its domestic industry. However, the diction used by other countries is not like that voiced by Jokowi.

Furthermore, Heri said, when compared to other countries, for example, China, the government uses the "made in China 2025" diction. Then India uses the tagline "made in India" and others.

"So, if you pay attention, there are no countries that make diction or something like what President Jokowi said, namely hating foreign products. Actually, the diction that we are echoing is already quite good, namely '100 percent of Indonesian products'," he said in a virtual discussion, Monday, March 8.

Apart from using the diction of "100 percent of Indonesian products", said Heri, the government could also use the tagline made in Indonesia 2024 instead of using the diction of hate foreign products.

Even so, Heri said, it was necessary to see why Jokowi had expressed his hatred for foreign products. One of them, because of the flood of imported products that enter through e-commerce.

"Why did the President express his hatred for foreign products? Maybe one of the reasons, if we look at the e-commerce boom in 2015, saw a quite rapid increase in imported consumer goods. The range of imports of consumer goods or the increase was much larger even though the portion was higher. still below 10 percent," he said.

Meanwhile, according to Heri, the portion for imports of raw materials, although growing, is still less rapid than the growth of consumer goods. He said, the e-commerce boom in 2015 and currently makes consumer goods increase very significantly.

"Here I draw a conclusion, if we do not prepare for the competitiveness of local products, what happens is this digitalization in the middle of this liberalization can lead to de-industrialization. Unless we prepare the competitiveness of local products very well. So what happened is digitization will provide leaps and bounds or accelerations which are valuable for enhancing our industry," he said.

However, said Heri, what was experienced by Indonesia was a consequence or implication of Indonesia's decision to participate in various forms of trade cooperation.

Furthermore, he said that free trade cooperation without careful preparation would of course have an impact such as the trade balance deficit, a trade creation effect, the opportunity to increase the welfare of partner countries was greater than Indonesia. He said, this is an implication of international trade which in turn will flood imports of consumer goods.

"Then until the President expresses the diction of hating foreign products. Actually, that is his own fault, if you do not want a flood of imports, do not first ratify free trade, we have made the decision to participate in various free trade cooperations. The consequence is we have to accept imports. We cannot only join the cooperation but don't want to accept the import," he explained.

Invitation to hate foreign products

Previously, President Jokowi invited Indonesians to hate foreign products. He asked people to love local products.

"Echoes the domestic products, echoes also hate the foreign products. Not only love but hate. Love our goods, hate foreign products," he said, as quoted from the Presidential Secretariat YouTube, Thursday, March 4.

Jokowi's statement drew reactions from various parties. In response to this, Jokowi stated that it was okay to dislike foreign products. According to him, this is the time for Indonesians to love and be proud of local products.

"It's okay to dislike foreign products, why can't we dislike it, we may dislike foreign products. Why does it cause such commotion? I said I hate foreign products can cause such commotion, it's okay to dislike foreign products, right," said Jokowi at the National Working Meeting Hipmi 2021, Friday, March 5.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta said that Indonesia should not only benefit from foreign products. Supposedly, the consumption of domestic products should be increased and echoed.