Antara, Riani Sanusi Putri, Bogor – Presidential candidate number one Anies Baswedan believes that Indonesia's path to becoming a developed country does not solely rely on industrialization. The more important requirement is to be a country that is willing to learn.
"If we can call ourselves a learning country, a learning nation, then we have arrived at a developed era," Anies said at the Food & Agriculture Summit III at the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) on Monday, Dec. 18.
On the occasion, he claimed that only his team has a vision for the agro-maritime sector compared to other candidates in the 2024 presidential election.
"Agro-maritime is only mentioned in the vision and mission of presidential candidate number one. This is not because of the presidential candidate, but because of the team," Anies Baswedan said.
Earlier, President Joko Widodo or Jokowi voiced his optimism that Indonesia will become a developed country in the next 13 years. This is partly because of its rare demographic bonus.
He also stressed the importance of choosing the right leader in the 2024 Presidential Election to avoid losing this opportunity. "If we make a mistake in choosing the right leader for the next 13 years, we will lose the opportunity to become a developed country," the President told supporters at Istora Senayan in Jakarta, on Sunday, May 14, 2023.
Under Jokowi's administration, the government has prioritized downstream programs. In 2020, the government gradually stopped the export of mining raw materials such as nickel, bauxite, tin, and alumina.
A senior economist at the University of Indonesia (UI) Faisal Basri argued that Jokowi's massive downstreaming might eventually dampen industrialization, which is a fundamental element in escaping the middle-income trap.