Jokowi's Call To Hate Foreign Products Is Considered As Endangering Indonesia's Relations With Other Countries

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has asked people in the country to turn to love domestic products by saying they hate foreign products. Suddenly, this statement caused polemic and even this statement was considered to endanger Indonesia's relations with other countries.

President Jokowi said he "hates foreign products" when he officiated at the opening of the National Working Meeting of the Ministry of Trade at the State Palace, Jakarta, Thursday, February 4.

Recently, Chief Expert of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Dany Amrul Ichdan admitted that a number of ambassadors from importing countries such as the United States to China questioned President Joko Widodo's intentions in calling for hate foreign products.

"Friends at the American Embassy, the Chinese Ambassador, the Taiwanese Ambassador asked, 'what does it mean?' about the President's words," said Dany in an online discussion broadcasted on YouTube, Sunday, March 7.

Receiving this question, the presidency and the Indonesian ambassador in the country explained that Jokowi was merely raising the spirit of foreign products and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Jokowi has no intention of offending foreign countries exporting their products to Indonesia.

"I explain that this gives the spirit of the country, but not in the context of hating the country, or products from outside, our awakening. So, the internal context," he said.

Dany did not deny that there would be a diplomatic impact from the international community because of the ex-DKI Jakarta governor's appeal. However, to prevent this, Indonesian Ambassadors in all countries were asked to immediately explain Jokowi's intentions.

"This is what Indonesian diplomat friends echo, the Indonesian Embassy wherever they are. If there is a question, this is to give a heroic spirit in the country," he said.

Furthermore, Dany also did not dismiss President Jokowi's intention as a way to motivate all parties. Moreover, currently, Indonesia is still dependent on imports in international trade. One thing that Indonesia has is its comparative advantage.

That is, the Indonesian market can provide an advantage on the impact of low cost or low-cost business in a production process. "So that it provides competitiveness towards the supply and demand effect mechanism on international trade," he said.

Meanwhile, other developed countries already have a competitive advantage. Given that currently, it is still a pandemic, Dany said the government is developing a collaborative advantage.

This is done by repositioning the international trade system, including overhauling regulations on alignments, the role, and mechanisms of the market, e-marketplace, and production processes, as well as distribution of MSMEs, to have competitiveness.

"In adapting to new habits, we develop collaborative advantages. Placing the previously inefficient sector will be collaborated with the efficient sector or joint operation or co-branding so that it produces the result of collaboration," explained Dany.

It is considered dangerous to relations between Indonesia and other countries

Although the KSP has explained President Jokowi's intent and purpose in calling for 'hate foreign products', a public policy observer from the University of Indonesia, Agus Pambagio, still thinks this statement could endanger Indonesia's diplomatic relations with other countries.

Agus understands that the intention of Jokowi's appeal is for domestic products and MSME products to compete in the market. But, he reminded, Indonesia still needs foreign products including vaccines in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"He said the president's intentions were good, but in international relations communication, it could be dangerous. On the one hand, we are asking for various support facilities because of the pandemic, but on the other hand, we hate the products. This should be careful," he said.

In addition, Agus also questioned whether Indonesia was able to meet the needs of essential and nonessential products in the market.

"If imported goods are reduced, what can we do? These are questions not to diminish, but let's be serious about how to overcome this? Can we make it or not?" he said.

When opening the National Working Meeting of the Ministry of Trade at the State Palace, Jakarta, President Jokowi asked all parties to love domestic products. The former Mayor of Solo assessed that using products from the country must be done to encourage national economic recovery in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, he also asked that the invitation to love products made in Indonesia must be carried out and echoed continuously. "Echoes also the hate for foreign products. Not only love but hate. Love our goods, hate foreign products," Jokowi said as quoted from the Presidential Secretariat YouTube account, Thursday, March 4.

Not only that, Jokowi requested that shopping centers such as malls in various regions provide space for Indonesian-made products, especially MSME products. He said strategic locations in shopping centers must be filled with brands from local products.

"Do not let the front room, strategic locations, instead to be filled with brands from abroad, this must begin to be shifted. They are shifted to a place that is not strategic. A strategic place, a good location provides space for local brands," he said.

A few days later, Jokowi spoke up about his statement which eventually led to a polemic. According to him, what he said was a natural thing so that Indonesia did not just depend on imported products.

"Yesterday I told you to love Indonesian products, to be proud of Indonesian products and maybe we don't like foreign products. Why can't we dislike foreign products? It's okay if we don't like foreign products. I'm talking about hating foreign products, why does it cause such commotion? We may not like foreign products," he said at the online opening of the 2021 HIPMI Rakernas, Friday, March 5.

Furthermore, Jokowi emphasized that Indonesia should not be a victim of unfair practices from global trade. Support for domestic products must start immediately. He said, at least starting from projects undertaken by the government and the State-Owned Enterprises.

"The pipes can be produced, many are still imported, what is that for? When using government projects, the State-Owned Enterprises projects, I say it is not allowed and it must be started, we must really start at least from the government and the State-Owned Enterprises, then invite the public to love Indonesian products and dislike foreign products," he said.

Jokowi emphasized that Indonesia is not a country that adheres to protectionism, but economic openness. Even so, we must still limit ourselves in global trade, for example in the use of imported or foreign products.

"We have to take advantage of the domestic market because of the enormous 270 million and this enormous purchasing power to boost our national economy," he said.

However, Jokowi said that there are conditions for Indonesian consumer loyalty to domestic products. One of them is the competitive price.

"If the quality is good, of course, from the producer side, they must continue to improve the quality, improve the packaging, improve the design so that they can follow the trend," he concluded.