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Jokowi highlights economic, bureaucratic reforms in inauguration speech

He emphasized that the results were more important than the process, using the messaging service WhatsApp as an analogy.

Karina M. Tehusijarana and Ghina Ghaliya (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sun, October 20, 2019

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Jokowi highlights economic, bureaucratic reforms in inauguration speech President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo gives his inaugural address after taking the oath as Indonesian President for the period of 2019 to 2024 in a plenary session of the People's Consultative Assembly on Sunday. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)

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resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo narrowed on the economy and bureaucratic reform in his inauguration speech at the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary session on Sunday. 

“Our dream is that by 2045, after a century of independence, insya Allah [God willing], Indonesia will have escaped the middle-income trap,” he said. “Indonesia will become an advanced country with an annual income of Rp 320 million [US$22,634] per capita or a monthly income of Rp 27 million per capita.”

To achieve that goal, government bureaucracy must not turn into a “monotonous routine”, he added.

“Oftentimes, bureaucrats will report to me, saying that the program has been carried out, that the budget has been spent, that the accountability report has been completed,” he said. “But when I check in the field, when I ask the people, I find out that the public has not received the benefits [of the program].”

He emphasized that the results were more important than the process, using the messaging service WhatsApp as an analogy.

“When we send a message through SMS [short message service] or [WhatsApp], we can see when they are sent and when they are delivered. Our job is to guarantee [that the programs] are delivered, not just sent,” he said. “I don’t want bureaucracy that just keeps sending things. I want and I will enforce a bureaucracy that makes deliveries.”

Jokowi said his administration would carry out five initiatives during his second term, such as developing a dynamic and hardworking workforce using an endowment fund, industry cooperation and technology, continuing infrastructure development and simplifying regulations by creating two omnibus laws, one on job creation and one on small business empowerment.

Other initiatives include simplifying bureaucracy by reducing the number of civil service echelons from four to two and transforming the economy from one that is dependent on natural resources to one that is competitive in modern manufacturing and services.

He closed his speech by reciting a Bugis saying in honor of outgoing vice president and ethnic Bugis Jusuf Kalla. 

“Pura babbara’ sompekku, pura tangkisi’ golikku,” he said. “My sail is flying, my helm is mounted. Together we move toward an advanced Indonesia!”

Jokowi and Ma’ruf Amin took their oaths as president and vice president, respectively, on Sunday. The ceremony marked the start of Jokowi’s second and final term in office.

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