Indonesia highlights innovation and green economy at ASEAN Forum

Jumat, 11 November 2022 13:25 WIB

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto during the meeting with ASEAN entrepreneurs on the sidelines of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday (November 10, 2022). ANTARA/HO-Kemenko Perekonomian.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) presented strategies, with focus on innovation, digital economy, and green economy, to ASEAN entrepreneurs at a meeting on the sidelines of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

"Despite the world facing waves of crisis, the regional economic outlook remains positive, and ASEAN remains the fifth major economy in the world," the president stated in his remarks, as per the statement on Friday.

Accompanied by Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, the president proposed strategies to maintain short-term and long-term ASEAN economic resilience.

"Speed and accuracy in our adaptation are key to achieving economic resilience in ASEAN," he noted.

The president underlined that steps necessary to achieve the strategy goals are through adaptive government macro-prudential policies, financial sector stability, economic development stimulation, and a forward-looking private sector.

"Competitive innovation, digital economy, and green economy are ASEAN's future," Jokowi said regarding strategies to achieve long-term economic competitiveness.

The president said that while the digital economy could bolster productivity and expand market access, the green economy would ensure sustainable growth of the ASEAN community.

"We need to grasp opportunities in these two sectors together," he emphasized.

He said that as the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector is crucial for the ASEAN economy, stakeholders must focus on strengthening synergy with the sector.

"MSMEs development is impactful to the ASEAN economy. More than 90 percent of businesses in our region are (organized as) MSMEs, including Indonesia, which has 65 million MSMEs," Jokowi remarked.

Meanwhile, at the same meeting, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council affirmed that the multilateral trade system and agendas on the environment and social sectors could be translated into projects and collaborations through the public-private partnership scheme to ensure sustainability in the healthcare, energy, tourism, and food sectors.