Indonesia's Global Competitiveness Index Increases But Hasn't Jumped, Jokowi: Needs To Work Harder

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Capture Youtube Screen @SecretariatPresident)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that Indonesia still needs to work harder to increase the Global Competitiveness Index (Global Competitiveness Index) in the infrastructure sector, which is currently ranked 51 in the world in 2023. "We are working hard in the infrastructure sector, really working hard. We haven't seen much, but once again, our increase in Global Competitiveness is still at 51, up from 54 to 51," Jokowi said during a speech at the commemoration of the 78th Public Works Bhakti Day, at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Monday, December 4. Jokowi said that Indonesia's Global Competitiveness Index rankings from 2015 to 2023 had indeed increased, although they had not experienced a jump. "Increasing the achievement of public infrastructure carried out by the international institution IMD Competitiveness Center, one of which is based on indicators of logistics cost efficiency," said Jokowi. To fulfill this, since 2015 the Government of Indonesia has doubled the allocation of infrastructure budgets to build roads, ports, airports, provide clean water installations, dams, irrigation to those related to hospital services, schools, and people's markets. In two periods of Jokowi's leadership, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (Kemen PUPR) realized 42 dams. A total of 15 to 17 other dams are still in the process of being built until 2024. The Ministry of PUPR has also built a total of 1.2 million hectares of irrigation, a toll road infrastructure that stretches for 2,143 kilometers. "A big leap for us. But if we compare it with toll roads in China, we are 3,000 less. Anyone knows about the toll road on the RRT? 190,000 kilometers," said Jokowi. Jokowi said the achievements of the dam project in Indonesia are still lagging behind Korea, which has now realized 20,000 dams, 98,000 Chinese dams. On that occasion, Jokowi also reported the achievements of national road construction in the last 9 years, reaching a total of 5,700 km. "House 8.2 million from the program of a million houses every year, across borders, I don't know there are other cities, Skow, Entikong and others we all build," said Jokowi. In addition, Jokowi said, the Ministry of PUPR is also building infrastructure to support large-scale international agendas, such as reshuffling the total Jakarta Bung Karno Stadium (GBK) and its environment for the 2018 ASEAN Games.

"The G20 Summit is also mostly carried out by the Ministry of PUPR, the Asean Summit in Jakarta and also the construction of new tourist destinations, such as Labuan Bajo tourism, Mandalika and other places," he also said.