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View all search resultsCoordinating Economic Minister Chairul Tanjung met with several members of president-elect Joko âJokowiâ Widodoâs government transition team to discuss important matters on his agenda when he takes office in October, including major international meetings
oordinating Economic Minister Chairul Tanjung met with several members of president-elect Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's government transition team to discuss important matters on his agenda when he takes office in October, including major international meetings.
Chairul said the incoming president had to attend a number of international forums taking place between October and November 2014, shortly after he was sworn in on Oct. 20.
The first forum Jokowi is scheduled to attend is the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Beijing, China, in October, followed by the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, and the G20 forum in Brisbane, Australia, both slated for November.
'There are a lot of economic issues to discuss. We talked about technicalities and such to ensure sound preparation; the image of Indonesia in the eyes of the international community is at stake. Jokowi must be well prepared,' Chairul said after the meeting.
Transition team head Rini Mariani Soemarno said she would be keeping close contact with Chairul regarding the preparations to maintain the country's good reputation, having previously hosted the APEC Summit last October.
'We have discussed the preparations in detail [...] We definitely want everything to go according to plan, just like last year,' Rini told reporters on Wednesday.
The two-hour meeting also discussed other pertinent matters, such as the possibility of speeding up the revision of the 2015 proposed state budget and the carryover of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ambitious economic program, the Masterplan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesian Economic Development (MP3EI).
Rini said she appreciated Yudhoyono's government for suggesting the state budget revision be settled before January 2015. 'We've already talked [to the government and] to supporting factions about the issues that were left out of the current state budget draft,' she said. 'For that, we really appreciate [the gesture]. We hope the suggestion will be considered in the House of Representatives.'
On the topic of Yudhoyono's economic master plan, Rini acknowledged that it was conceptually in line with Jokowi's vision for national development.
'Our philosophies are aligned. It is about equity; how Indonesians will be able to enjoy the fruits of development, wherever they may live,' she said.
'We will continue those [MP3EI] programs that have been well initiated, and let Pak Chairul know about those that we will improve on.'
Last Friday, Yudhoyono launched seven projects totaling Rp 13.1 trillion (US$1.11 billion) as part of the master plan, and suggested Jokowi continue its implementation when he becomes president.
Unveiled in 2011, the master plan aims to attract sizeable investment in a wide range of projects necessary to boost gross domestic product (GDP) in Southeast Asia's largest economy to more than $4.5 trillion and income per capita to above $15,000 by 2025.
During the discussion, the government and the team also discussed medium-term development commitments, the education and health budgets, as well as infrastructure issues. They also agreed not to intervene in each others' policies, especially in regard to the ballooning fuel subsidies and its burden on the state budget.
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