World Conditions Are Not Good, President Jokowi Asks For Work, Not Just Routines

President Joko Widodo (Photo: BPMI Setpres/Lukas)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo reminded ministers and government officials not to just do routine work because the world is not doing well.

"We can't do standard work, we can't anymore, because the situation is not normal. We can't work routinely, because the situation is not normal," said President Joko Widodo at the State Palace in Jakarta, Thursday, August 18, quoted from Antara.

This was conveyed by President Jokowi when opening the 2022 National Coordination Meeting for Inflation Control. Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Cabinet Ministers for Advanced Indonesia and Central Inflation Control Team (TPIP) and Regional Inflation Control Team (TPID).

"We can't use standard standards, standard standards, we can't. Ministers, governors, regents, mayors are the same, we can't work routinely anymore, no," the President asked.

The reason, according to President Jokowi, is that the world is facing a difficult situation.

"The world is facing a very difficult situation. All countries are facing a very, very difficult situation. Starting from the COVID-19 pandemic which has not yet recovered and some countries are still at high numbers, then there is war, there is a food crisis, there is an energy crisis. , there is a financial crisis, this is what I said earlier, the situation is very difficult," explained the President.

President Jokowi said government officials cannot only work by looking at macro figures.

"You can't, it won't work, believe me. You can see the macro, you can see the micro, moreover, you have to look at the details through numbers and data because the situation is not normal," said the President.

President Jokowi asked regents, mayors, and governors to really cooperate with the TPID Team in the regions and the Inflation Team at the center.

"Ask in our area what is the price increase that causes inflation? It could be rice, it could. It could have been, onion could, it could be chili and the Central Inflation Control Team checks, which areas have an abundant supply of chili or rice supply which is abundant, be connected. This must be continued because this country is a very large country (there are) 514 regencies/cities and 37 provinces with new autonomous regions. This is a big country," added the President.

Referring to data from Bank Indonesia and the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, inflation in Indonesia currently reaches 4.94 percent or higher than the inflation target of 3 percent +/- 1 percent but is still lower than other countries.

"Look at other countries, try, it's really high, above 5. Some have reached 79 percent, the European Union has 8.9 percent, the United States has 9.1 yesterday, it fell 8.5 percent, not something that easy and this is a scourge for all countries," said the President.

President Jokowi explained the five provinces with the highest inflation rates, namely Jambi (8.55 percent), West Sumatra (8.01 percent), Bangka Belitung (7.77 percent), Riau (7.04 percent), and Aceh (6 ,97 percent).

"Please look at this in detail what caused this. So that we can solve it together and it can go down to below 5 percent, thankfully it can be below 3 percent. Ask, don't be nervous, don't understand what the inflation position of the province is at," explained the President.