RI's Competitiveness Loses To Singapore And Thailand, Minister Of Industry Agus: Make Me Sad!

Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita. (Photo: Theresia Agatha/VOI)

JAKARTA - The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) through the release of the 2024 World Competitiveness Ranking (WCR) places Indonesia's competitiveness in 27th position.

Indonesia's competitiveness position is still losing compared to Singapore and Thailand.

Minister of Industry (Menperin) Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said, Indonesia is still quite lagging behind in the competitiveness rankings of various countries in the world and needs to be improved again.

"Indonesia is ranked 27, but what makes me sad is that Indonesia is below Singapore and Thailand. So, Singapore and Thailand's rankings are better and better than Indonesia's ranking. Singapore is ranked 1 in ASEAN, Thailand is ranked 25 globally. So, they are both better than us," Agus said when met by reporters after the Industrial Strengthening agenda through Technology Optimization at Ritz Carlton Jakarta, Tuesday, October 1.

IMD uses innovation and technology parameters as part of the parameters that play a role in the criteria for the manufacture and ranking of the competitiveness of countries in the world.

Agus said that Making Indonesia 4.0 is one of the four transformations that the government focuses on through the Ministry of Industry.

According to Agus, the transformation towards Indonesia 4.0 is a transformation towards a green product, a transformation of strengthening downstreaming or strengthening the added value of downstreaming.

Then, a transformation related to strengthening the ability to produce halal products.

"We want to continue to invite business actors who have not transformed themselves towards industry 4.0 to see the funds spent to be able to transform. So, this should not be seen as a cost but must be seen as an investment," he added.