Sandiaga Uno Speaks of Economic Liberalism during Campaign Visit

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice president candidate Sandiaga Uno today, January 11, conducted a campaign visit to an Islamic Boarding School or Pesantren Al-Wahdah in Rembang, Central Java. 

During his visit, Sandiaga pledged issues about the community's economy, pesantren development, and Santripreneur (a program to encourage santri or students to become an entrepreneur) would be his program should he win the 2019 presidential election.

“Reformation of community’s economy and develop people’s economy will be the biggest homework for Indonesia. Thus, the strong government with firm leadership is required to actualize this program,” said Sandiaga in a press release, Friday, December 11.

According to him, pesantren is a vital sector in the Indonesian economy thus far, and that has an essential role to move the community’s economy.

“I have obtained aspiration during my trip. I viewed that several pesantren are independent to fulfill the student's need for living by maximizing the existing land, such as cultivating vegetables, cane, farming fish, until water. Even several schools utilize solar energy to meet their electricity needs,” Sandiaga noted.

Sandiaga explained that more than 50 percent of the country’s economy was managed by only one percent of the Indonesian population. The economic inequality, he opined, was caused by the economic liberalism policy which prompted the rich people to be richer, while those poor becomes poorer. As a result, he added, the state debt is increased, and foreign domination and interest are increasingly felt.

To reduce the country’s dependency on the foreign party, Indonesia must develop its economic potential. “The halal industry potentially earn Rp4,000 trillion in revenue. Indonesia is still in the fifth place. This is our huge potential with the largest Muslim population in the world. I will fully concern on pesantren as this republic own a huge debt to pesantren,” he said.

“We will, Insha Allah, set pesantren as a place to generate leaders of the nation and encourage students to create employment, instead of look for one,” said Sandiaga Uno.

RYAN DWIKY ANGGRIAWAN