Prabowo Subianto, the President-elect for 2024-2029, expressed optimism about Indonesia’s economy achieving growth of up to 8% in the next two to three years. He made this statement at the 2024 Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on Wednesday (15/5). During the forum, Prabowo discussed the projected economic growth during his upcoming five-year leadership.
“I am very confident that we can easily reach 8%. I am determined to exceed that,” said Prabowo, who was joined by Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka. He added, “Hopefully, this can be achieved within the next two to three years.”
Prabowo emphasized that implementing downstreaming policies will play a crucial role in driving future economic growth, although it will take some time to fully implement. He highlighted agriculture and food production, distribution, and energy as key drivers of economic growth in the first year of his government.
“We want to quickly transition to green energy. Producing diesel from palm oil will significantly boost economic growth,” he explained. Currently, Indonesia imports $20 billion worth of diesel annually, and switching to biofuels will lead to substantial cost savings.
Prabowo clarified that adopting downstreaming policies to reduce imports does not indicate a protectionist economic stance. He aims for Indonesia to become an advanced industrial nation rather than just a raw material exporter. He emphasized the importance of protecting natural resources for the benefit of the people and ensuring fair value is obtained.
“We want to industrialize and protect our natural resources for the benefit of our people. Importing industrial goods continuously is not fair to our citizens,” Prabowo firmly stated.
