Jokowi Discusses Economics With Former Minister Of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman At The Palace, Will The Presidential Election Also Be Discussed?

Former Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman (right) after meeting President Joko Widodo at the Jakarta Presidential Palace, Friday (15/9/2023) afternoon. ANTARA/Rangga Pandu Asmara Jingga

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo received the Minister of Agriculture from the 2014-2019 Working Cabinet era Andi Amran Sulaiman at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, discussing the economy.

"Yes, I just met him (President Joko Widodo). I am an entrepreneur, so the discussion on the issue of the economy of how the Indonesian economy is, how is the regional economic condition, discussing the economy," Amran Sulaiman said after a meeting with the President at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, reported by ANTARA, Friday, September 15.

Amran said there was no offer from the President to return to become a minister. He revealed that he had discussed the economy several times with the President, since he no longer served as Minister of Agriculture.

"No, no (there is no offer to become a minister). So it's not just once (discussed). If I'm not mistaken as long as I don't serve, it's been five times," he said.

He admitted that he had discussed sugarcane problems and modern sugar factories in Bombana, Southeast Sulawesi, as well as discussing nickel issues to real economic conditions below.

He said at this meeting the discussion that occurred was related to the economy in general. He also discussed with the President about the potential for nickel in Eastern Indonesia.

"This eastern area is extraordinaryly rich in nickel resources and others, coal and so on. Imagine we have 52 percent reserves in Indonesia for the whole world. 52 percent of these are in Sulawesi and in Papua," he said.

According to him, if the potential is well worked on, it will give extraordinary results. For example, nickel becomes a battery for electric vehicles, or even to meet the needs of people's electrical resources.

He said Indonesia's Eastern Region with its natural resources could become a new economic epicenter for the national world even for the world.

Amran said that President Joko Widodo's nickel downstream policy was a very extraordinary policy.

"If we downstream this nickel like the current program of the President, it is extraordinary to dare to make a decision to do downstreaming. The value is extraordinary if we make batteries in Indonesia whose raw materials are in the country, precisely in the eastern region. So it is extraordinary, Mr. President," he said.

When asked about whether there was a discussion about the 2024 presidential election with President Joko Widodo, Amran did not answer that question.

He only said that he had not seen reporters for a long time. "(It's been) a long time before we meet," said Amran.