Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka called for fairer global finances, as he stood in for President Prabowo Subianto in South Africa amid growing divisions within the G20 following a United States boycott and the promise of a clean break next year.

Arriving in Johannesburg on Friday, Gibran attended the two-day summit over the weekend with a delegation that included Coordinating Economy Minister Airlangga Hartarto, Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir and Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Djiwandono.

In his remarks on the first day of the summit on Saturday, Gibran extended Prabowo’s greetings to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and praised the country for hosting the first G20 summit on African soil.

“This marks a major shift, where countries of the Global South are increasingly becoming an essential part of global governance,” Gibran said, as quoted from a statement from his office.

He later called on G20 member states to work together toward more inclusive and sustainable economic growth, saying that Indonesia is doing its part domestically by allocating more than half of the country’s national climate budget, or about US$2.5 billion annually, to support green micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Gibran also highlighted the rollout of Indonesia’s own digital payment system, the Quick Response Indonesia Standard (QRIS), which he said had helped broaden financial inclusion and reduce socioeconomic gaps. “Financing must become more accessible, more predictable and more equitable,” he said.

Read also: Gibran heads to Johannesburg for G20 Summit on Prabowo’s behalf

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