In his ten years of leadership, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has succeeded in bringing the Indonesian economy to a better and more stable direction. Various programs and policies that have been implemented consistently have proven their effectiveness in maintaining economic growth amidst tough global challenges.
Economic observer from the University of Indonesia (UI), Athor Subroto, assessed that Indonesia’s economic resilience under President Jokowi is extraordinary. One proof is the stable economic growth at 5 percent, even when the world is experiencing economic uncertainty due to the pandemic and other global crises. “Having economic growth at level 5 is an extraordinary economic resilience from President Jokowi to date,” said Athor.
This success is inseparable from policies that have significant multiplier effects. One of them is the downstream program, which aims to ensure that the economic process occurs domestically, so that its impact is broader for the national economy. Athor emphasized the importance of accelerating the realization of these programs so that their impact can be felt more quickly.
In addition, political economy observer from Bung Karno University, Faisal Chaniago, highlighted the importance of the sustainability of the downstreaming program by the next government. According to him, downstreaming will be one of the largest sources of income for Indonesia and must continue to be a priority. “The next government must carry out downstreaming because this will be the largest income later,” he said.
In addition to the downstream sector, the increase in air connectivity during President Jokowi’s ten-year administration has also had a significant economic impact on regions in Indonesia. Professor of the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia (FEB UI), Telisa Aulia Falianty, revealed that the development of air connectivity has driven regional economic growth by up to 10 percent. “With air connectivity, the regional economy can grow by around 5-10 percent,” he said.
The development of this air infrastructure even reaches the most remote, outermost, and remote areas (3T), such as Papua. Telisa emphasized that air connectivity makes it easier for people in remote areas to meet their basic needs. In addition, better availability of goods contributes to lower prices of basic necessities, which greatly helps local communities.
Not only that, air connectivity also opens up new opportunities for the regional economy through the tourism sector. Tourists can now more easily reach remote areas that have tourism potential, thus creating new sources of income for local communities.
Telisa added that air connectivity in the era of President Jokowi also helped reduce the development gap between urban and rural areas. With inclusive development, people in remote areas also feel the economic benefits.
Overall, in a decade of President Jokowi’s leadership, the Indonesian economy has developed well. Economic stability, equitable infrastructure development, and downstream policies are a strong foundation for a more independent and inclusive future of the Indonesian economy.