Jokowi: There Are Three Industries That Are Immune To COVID-19, But They Are Still Importing

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Twitter @jokowi)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that there are three industries that will survive amid the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"If anyone asks what industry will survive this COVID-19? If I look at this and we need to continue to develop, one food, the second is pharmaceuticals and hospitals, the third is financial and educational services technology," he said, opening Kompas100 CEO Forum. 2021 virtually, Thursday, January 21.

However, Jokowi regretted that these three industries were still importing. First, the food industry, which still has problems with imports of several commodities, must be resolved. He said that there needed to be a substitution for these items.

"I just want to underline that our imported goods must be resolved immediately. Sugar is still imported in the millions, even though we own the land. We have all the resources. Soybeans, we also have a very large area of land. Still importing millions of tons, needs to be resolved, "he said.

Not only that, Jokowi also highlighted the issue of garlic imports. In fact, he said, Indonesia had not previously imported these commodities.

"Previously we did not import because in NTB, because in Wonosobo, Temanggung, we used to grow garlic. Now it is not because we are unable to compete. This also needs to be addressed," he said.

Therefore, Jokowi also invited entrepreneurs to design collaborations with farmers so that the problem of importing food commodities which is very large in number can be resolved.

"I invite the CEOs to design a great collaboration between the farmers and the farmers. So that (the problem) of the commodities I mentioned earlier, we can solve it," he said.

Not only food, Jokowi also highlighted the pharmaceutical industry. He said the industry was still importing. In fact, according to him, it could actually be done in Indonesia.

"We also see that nearly 80 to 85 percent of our pharmaceuticals are still imported. Why not do it in Indonesia," he said.

Regarding the technology sector, Jokowi said he saw a great opportunity for Indonesia to build an industry from upstream to downstream for electric cars.

"Through lithium batteries, which we have nickel. I think opportunities like this that we must see and should be encouraged so that we can immediately implement them and make a big contribution to the country," he said.