TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Presidential special staff member Ahmad Erani Yustika responded to the recent criticism by The Economist aimed at the Jokowi – Jusuf Kalla administration regarding putting forth foreign investments to boost Indonesia’s economy.

“We appreciate the criticism from The Economist, but many of them needed further clarification since it is not based on accurate data and a comprehensive map on Indonesia’s economic growth from time to time,” said Ahmad Erani in a written statement dated January 27.

Furthermore, the criticism was aimed at Jokowi’s attempt upon realizing his election promise in the 2014 presidential election. The president promised a 7 percent economic growth by the end of his presidency, which The Economist deemed unachievable with the current 5 percent growth, added with the unpromising 2019 prospect.

Among many others, The Economist also claims businesses complain about Indonesia’s lack of qualified and skilled workers. They also criticized Indonesia’s low-quality education despite being backed by 20 percent from the State Budget.

Ahmad Erani responded by stating that the country’s macro-economy shows solid indicators that tend to be positive and compared Indonesia’s economic growth of 5.01 percent in 2014 to the 5.17 percent growth recorded in 2018’s third quarter.

“For the first time since 2016, Indonesia’s economic growth was able to suppress poverty rate, unemployment, and income inequality altogether. As it is known, 2005-2014 saw a rising income inequality,” said Ahmad Erani.

The dropping economic performance in 2018, according to Erani, is the effect of the global situation that saw reference rates rising not just in Indonesia but also in Turkey, South Korea, Hong Kong, India, Philippines, Argentina, and Mexico.

Erani also countered the criticism from The Economist by stating that the Jokowi – Jusuf Kalla administration is not solely focusing on the country’s productivity aspect but also on improving the quality of its human resources.

ANTARA