Basudiwa Supraja, Bandung – Senior Indonesian business figure Sofjan Wanandi has called on the government to shift its focus toward ensuring legal certainty in economic regulation and promoting national unity, now that the country has concluded its election cycle.
Speaking during a brief dialogue with B-Universe on Monday, the Chairman of the Advisory Council at the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) urged policymakers to prioritize economic stability and reduce political tensions. Apindo, Indonesia's influential business group, plays a key role in advising government policy and represents both major corporations and MSMEs across sectors.
The elections are over, politics is over, now concentrate on the economy. This is what matters most for our people to live better lives. We're exhausted by too much politics, Sofjan said. Legal certainty in economic regulations is also crucial. I hope we can unite again during these difficult times, both domestically and globally.
Sofjan stressed that public unity alongside effective government collaboration could boost economic efficiency and improve the integration of informal workers into the formal economy.
We need to reunite with the government to make our economy more efficient and bring more of our informal workers into the formal sector, he said.
He also stressed the importance of supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to promote equitable growth, while also bolstering large-scale enterprises to strengthen Indonesia's competitiveness on the global stage.
MSMEs are essential for inclusive development, but we also need large players like those in APINDO to drive growth. Competing internationally requires big players too. We need cooperation, not just political talk or finger-pointing, Sofjan said.
He warned against politicizing economic issues, urging stakeholders to focus on practical collaboration instead.
MSMEs contribute 61 percent to Indonesia's GDP and employ around 97 percent of the total workforce, or approximately 120 million people.
The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported GDP growth of 4.87 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, down from 5.04 percent in the previous quarter. Indonesia's GDP growth target in the 2025 state budget is set at 5.3 percent. The government is aiming for economic growth in the range of 5.2 percent to 5.8 percent in 2026, with a long-term target of reaching 8 percent expansion by 2029.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/business/apindos-sofjan-wanandi-enough-politics-prioritize-the-econom