President Jokowi received a visit from ADB leadership, Friday (18/02/2022), at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java. Photo: Setpres.
BOGOR, THE NUSANTARA POST- Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) received a visit from the leadership of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Friday (18/02/2022), at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java.
The ADB leaders are Masatsugu Asakawa as President of the Asian Development Bank, Arif Baharudin as Executive Director Representing Indonesia, and Jiro Tominaga as Country Director, ADB Indonesia Resident Mission.
During the meeting, President Jokowi was accompanied by the Minister of National Development Planning (PPN)/Head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Suharso Monoarfa, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, and Deputy Minister of Finance Suahasil Nazara. The talks discussed a number of things, such as handling the COVID-19 pandemic to ADB’s support for the energy transition in Indonesia.
“First, the President conveyed the latest developments related to COVID in Indonesia and that Indonesia is now the fourth country in the world that has successfully vaccinated and has reached over 330 million vaccinated. Even though we are a country that does not produce vaccines,” said Suharso in his statement after the meeting.
In addition, President Jokowi also explained about Indonesia’s economic performance which in the fourth quarter of 2021 was already above five percent. The ADB also praised Indonesia’s economic growth throughout 2021.
“Even though last year’s full year (economic growth) was 3.7 percent, it was good and was praised by the ADB that Indonesia’s economic growth was amazing, he said, “added Suharso as reported by The Nusantara Post.
Furthermore, President Jokowi also explained about the downstream industry being carried out by the Indonesian government. According to the Head of Bappenas, the President is confident that industrial downstreaming will be able to provide added value to exports as well as improve Indonesia’s current account balance.
“Earlier, the President said that what we could earn could be 1 in 20, from 1.1 (billion) US Dollars to 20.1 billion US Dollars just because of one rule how we do not export in the form of raw materials, but in the form of goods. so,” he explained.
Finally, ADB expressed its support for financing in terms of energy transition and other financing for a number of ongoing projects.
“Also ongoing financing because there are 14 projects today and it’s been a long time, 55 years, ADB and Indonesia,” he said (Wan)
