Prabowo Bets With Other Ministers Of State, The Indonesian Economy Can Grow 8 Percent

President-elect Prabowo Subianto. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - President-elect Prabowo Subianto admitted to betting with several ministers from other countries regarding Indonesia's economic growth in the next five years.

Prabowo admitted that he was confident that the Indonesian economy could grow above 5 percent. It even reaches 8 percent in his future leadership.

"If I am even more brave. We must dare to set higher targets. If I am optimistic, we can achieve 8 percent growth. I bet with several ministers from a neighboring country," he said at the launch of the Geoportal Policy One Map 2.0 White Paper One Map Policy Beyond 2024, quoted from the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy's YouTube, Jakarta, Thursday, July 18.

But unfortunately, Prabowo was reluctant to reveal which country was betting on him.

Prabowo said, if Indonesia's economic growth managed to reach 8 percent, the country's ministers would treat him to dinner.

"I don't mention which country. But there are several ministers from a country betting on me. He said your excellence, if you can achieve 8 percent growth, once, just once in five years to come, we reach 8 percent. They are going to buy me dinner. They will buy dinner for me!," he said.

Prabowo then accepted the bet. He is optimistic that the Indonesian economy will be able to grow by 8 percent. Because Indonesia is a big and rich country.

"I said 'your own'. If we reach 8 percent, you have to buy me dinner. Yes, we'll see. If I see, I am very optimistic. Our wealth is very large, our potential is very large," he said.

Even so, Prabowo does not deny that there are a number of improvements that need to be made so that the Indonesian economy can grow bigger.

He said everything must be managed properly and efficiently. Including policy making must also make sense.

"Indeed, we have to be more efficient, we have to manage well, take reasonable policies, and we must be determined to mitigate leakage, mitigate misappropriation, mitigation policies that do not benefit the national interest and interests of the people," he explained.

With programs like these, one map policy, with e-catalog, with technology in all fields, we are very likely to reduce inefficiencies. I believe and believe that policies like these will yield results," he continued.