JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto brought two agendas to the stage of the US Chamber of Commerce Business Summit, Washington DC, Wednesday, February 18 local time, namely the Gaza affair and trade affairs. He said he was invited by the President of the United States for the first official meeting of the Board of Peace which was formed to handle the implementation and sustainability of the ceasefire in Gaza.
At the same time, Prabowo said he came to "settle a big trade agreement" between Indonesia and the United States.
"For business leaders, certainty is very important," Prabowo said in his speech. He assessed that the agreement signaled that both countries chose to deepen economic cooperation, market access, and certainty for businesses.
However, Prabowo did not cover up the weaknesses in the country that often became the main issue for investors, namely governance and law enforcement. "We have weaknesses ... problems in governance, corruption, and weak institutional performance," he said. He alluded to smuggling, illegal mining, illegal fishing, to corporations that manage plantations in protected forests. "I don't want to hand over the sovereignty of the Indonesian government to illegal cartels," he said.
Prabowo linked this to stability. He stated that no investor wants to enter an atmosphere of "uncertainty" and emphasized the importance of the rule of law and a clean government as the foundation of the investment climate.
The speech also contained sharp domestic political signals. Prabowo admitted that the efficiency policy triggered rejection.
"It's not easy at the beginning. There were even demonstrations against me. But in my opinion, it was probably the first time in the history of the world, there were demonstrations against government efficiency. I don't know who paid for the demonstration, but it's quite sad," said President Prabowo Subianto.
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