TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Presidential candidate Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his running mate Jusuf "JK" Kalla, said that they will not add new debts if they are elected. The pair said that they do not want the state budget to rely on foreign debt.
"We refuse to add new debt," said Jokowi-JK campaign official Tjahjo Kumolo on Tuesday, June 3, 2014.
Tjahjo added that the pair's commitment to establish an economically independent nation has been outlined in the vision and mission document previously delivered to the General Election Commission. However, he explained that refusing to add new foreign debts does not mean halting cooperation with various countries.
"We don't forbid cooperation in development. We just don't want new debt," Tjahjo added.
Jokowi-JK will focus on state budget optimization through infrastructure development. According to Tjahjo, infrastructure can be built without any debt as long as the government can maximize state revenues. Jokowi-JK will also revamp licensing to attract more local and foreign investors.
IRA GUSLINA SUFA