TEMPO.CO, Surakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) opened the 48th Congresses of the Muslim organization Muhammadiyah and its women's wing, Aisyiyah, in Surakarta, Central Java, on Saturday.

"Praise be to God, I am thankful. I am glad and honored to attend the Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah Congresses this morning. Praise be to God, me and Iriana (president's spouse) could meet with all of you," Jokowi stated during the opening ceremony at Manahan Stadium.

The president spoke of having decided to return earlier from Bangkok, Thailand, where he had attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit to attend the organization's congress.

"The APEC Summit ought to conclude only this afternoon, but to respect the invitation from Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah, I decided to return earlier," Jokowi remarked.

In his remarks, the president expressed gratitude for the contributions of Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah, with their 120 own hospitals and 235 health clinics, in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia.

"Praise be to God, Indonesia is among several countries successful in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also among the countries that recorded the most vaccinations," he noted.

The president affirmed that Indonesia had successfully maintained its economy and controlled inflation at the 5.7-percent rate, lower than some major economies.

"Praise be to God, Indonesia's economic performance is also good because we recorded 5.72-percent growth in the third quarter of 2022. Our trade also increased by 58 percent," Jokowi stated.

Despite successes in balancing pandemic control and economic recovery, Jokowi emphasized that Indonesia should brave potential threats from ongoing international conflicts that cause global crises.

To maintain positive economic growth, the president affirmed that the government would proceed with its national transformation programs, especially by empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

"We must no longer export raw materials that had been followed for decades. We must downstream our industry to create added value. We must also encourage our MSMEs to upgrade themselves through digitization and inclusion to digital platforms to create new jobs and added value," Jokowi stressed.

The 48th Muhammadiyah and Aisyiyah congresses are taking place in Surakarta, Central Java, on November 18-20, 2022. The congress will deliberate on accountability reports of Muhammadiyah executives during the 2012-2022 term, Muhammadiyah programmes during the 2022-2027 period, and strategic issues on Islam.

ANTARA

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