The president believes that the country should focus on increasing investment in the production sector instead of relying on commodity exports.
The exported products should be at least semi ready, and it would be better if they are fully processed goods, he affirmed.
A national development strategy must be clearly outlined, including those concerning investment and human resource strategies, he stated.
"Everything must be well designed," Jokowi stated.
The investment strategy must have clear targets, he noted.
"Of course, the main thing is investment in the infrastructure field," he remarked.
Another important aspect is labor-intensive investment as Indonesias 60 percent unemployed, or some 7.5 million people, are graduates from elementary, junior high, and vocational schools, the head of state pointed out.
"Therefore, it should be labor-intensive investment, although it is using advanced technology," he said.
He emphasized that infrastructure investment is crucial as it provides short-, mid-, and long-term benefits.
In the short term, it provides employment during the construction stage, he noted.
In the midterm, it triggers faster service, goods, and human mobility.
"In the long term, transportation would become inexpensive and so will logistics distribution. Finally, the prices of goods will also become less expensive," he explained.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
