JAKARTA - The candidate for Chairman of the Central Management Agency of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (BPP HIPMI) Anthony Leong, again revealed that the direction of national economic development must be through the strengthening of villages, industrial downstreaming, and the innovation of the younger generation through the concept of "Soemitronomics".
The statement was made when he was the keynote speaker at a Public Lecture at the Bogor Agricultural Institute, with the theme "The Role of the Young Generation in Building an Innovation-Based and Industrialization Village Ecosystem as a New Growth Engine".
Anthony assessed that Indonesia needs an economic development approach that is no longer centered on big cities, but rather gives villages a greater role as a new growth engine.
He said the idea had a slice with the thinking of economist Soemitro Djojohadikusumo who emphasized industrialization, strengthening the productive sector, and siding with the people's economy.
He emphasized that the concept of "Soemitronomics" needs to be implemented in a contextual manner, where regions not only function as suppliers of raw materials, but also become centers of innovation, downstreaming, and the creation of young entrepreneurs.
"The idea of Soemitronomics must be re-rooted in the current context. Regions should not only be objects of development, but must become centers of innovation, downstream, and the creation of new young entrepreneurs," he said in a statement, quoted Monday, May 25.
He explained that Indonesia's economic strength in the future will be determined by the ability of the younger generation to manage regional potential through technology, digitization, and industrialization based on local resources.
According to him, in this case, HIPMI is seen as having an important role as a link between campuses, industry, government, and village communities.
Anthony also highlighted the agriculture and food sector as one of the focus of downstream that was considered still not optimal in providing economic added value in the region.
According to him, the involvement of young people in the real sector such as modern agriculture, food industry, and village digital economy is the key to strengthening the national economy.
"Young people must enter the real sector, enter modern agriculture, the food industry, the village digital economy, and build a strong value chain. If the village is upgraded, the national economy will be much stronger," he said.
In addition, he encouraged collaboration between the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association and universities in producing young entrepreneurs based on research and technology, so that the campus has a strategic role in creating innovations that can be applied in the real sector.
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