President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) appreciated the skyrocketing number of Indonesian exports this year. The export value was recorded at US$ 142 billion during January-August 2021, growing 37.7% year-on-year (YoY). For this reason, Jokowi reminded the regions to take advantage of the current high exports. Do not let the region make it difficult for entrepreneurs to aggressively take advantage of export opportunities. This was conveyed by Jokowi at the inauguration of the opening of the 2021 Autonomy Expo, which was broadcast via the Presidential Secretariat Youtube, Wednesday (20/10/2021). "And we must continue to increase our export volume, provide facilities for business actors to aggressively take advantage of existing export opportunities.
Starting to be encouraged, any product is encouraged to dare to compete to take advantage of existing export opportunities so as to make our products known and competitive in the global market," he said. Jokowi. "The regions can take advantage of this because almost all countries need our commodities. So there should not be regions that actually hinder, complicate licensing, do not encourage our exports to develop properly," he said. Jokowi explained that currently export opportunities are increasingly wide open in line with economic growth in Indonesia's main trading partner countries. Such as China which grew 7.9%, the United States 12.2%, Japan 7.6%, and India 20.1%. In line with that, Jokowi reminded the regions, especially those who are members of the All-Indonesian Regency Government Association (Apkasi) which participated in the 2021 Autonomy Expo, not only to show products and tourist objects. Regions must also show that the investment climate, legal certainty, and ease of licensing in the regions are getting better.
In addition, the expo that is held is also expected to increase investment in the region and accelerate the creation of new jobs so that it can stimulate the economy in the region. On the same occasion, the General Chairperson of Apkasi, Sutan Riska Tuanku Kingdom, said that the expo, which will be held on October 20-22, 2021, aims to revive the national economy in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic that is still hitting today. "This year the Autonomy Expo application offers investment opportunities related to the form of regional products that have the potential to be developed and traded," said Riska, who is also the Regent of Dharmasraya, West Sumatra. The products in question include animal feed processing, capture fish production and aquaculture, Micro-hydro Power Plants (PLTM), tourism object investment opportunities, agro-tourism, and hotel and resort construction, as well as downstream palm oil and rubber industries. The implementation of this expo is expected to be the forerunner of new trading habits during the pandemic and in the future. For this reason, enthusiastic participants are expected to create a new passion for regional and national economic markets even though the Covid-19 pandemic is still ongoing.
