President Joko Widodo If a minister has his own agenda, he's out  

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Throughout his first year in office, President Joko Widodo faced a series of problems, some of them caused by his own political decisions, others by the turbulent global economy. This affected the public's level of satisfaction with his government, which according to a number of surveys, had declined significantly.

Jokowi himself admitted his dissatisfaction at what had been achieved so far, which he described as a period of consolidation. "The government has underachieved," said the President in a special interview with Tempo at the State Palace in Jakarta last week. It was exactly one year since he and Vice President Jusuf Kalla were sworn in by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

With his family, Jokowi now prefers to reside at the Bogor Palace in West Java. He told Tempo reporters Budi Setyarso, Agustina Widiarsi and Ananda Teresia of his conviction that conditions would improve next year, after the consolidation process has been completed. During the interview, the President was accompanied by Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki and a member of the communications team, Ari Dwipayana. Once in a while, Teten would advise the President over a certain topic or cut short a question that he thought did not merit the President's answer. Excerpts of the interview: 

Was the first year of the Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla government what you expected? 

Like the time when I was mayor and governor, the first years were the most difficult but at the same time the most important to prepare for the years ahead.

What was the most difficult part?

The global economic slowdown: the crisis in Greece, the (anticipated) Federal Reserve hiking of interest rates and the yuan depreciation in China. They, in turn, slowed down our economic growth.

What has been the hardest decision you made so far?

Lowering the fuel subsidy. This was difficult because it meant infringing on the comfort zone of people who had enjoyed it for a long time. While in the past it was burnt up and consumed, the subsidy is now turning into something productive.

Why do you see it as the hardest decision you made?

It wasn't a popular decision. Many people didn't like it. I think there are two kinds of dissatisfaction to be noted. First, it was the change in the fuel subsidy and secondly, the slow economic growth. We factored in those issues early in our administration, a risk we decided to take.

Why is that?

If we didn't do it, we would have no funds to build roads, tolls, railways, ports. We had no budget for them.

Did you calculate the impact?

Of course, but we didn't calculate the problem with the exchange rates and the global economic slowdown.

About oil, you said something about changing it from consumption to production. What is the plan? 

From consumption to production, from consumption to investment, from consumption to industry. To reverse that needs courage. That's what economic fundamental transformation is about.

Is this paradigm reaching those at the lower level?

Yes, it must reach them and they must understand it. Some have done so, others have not. We will continue to push it.

In your estimation, how long will this transformation take?

By three or four years, it will be evident.

What is the difficulty in changing this paradigm?

Those who have benefitted from it will be upset. Like importing food. Many are comfortable because of imports. They can get trillions of rupiah from it. We're trying to produce our own food, so their (operations) are bound to be upset, both in the private sector as well as those in government. We face the choice of whether to do business as usual or have the courage to find a solution, and transform our economy. I chose the second (option).

In the economic arena, are the results so far as you predicted?

Yes. During the third and four quarters, economic growth will start inching up.

In fact, even one of your cabinet ministers had doubts about government programs, like the 35,000-megawatt power generation. 

That's not a target, but calculations on our needs. Of course, they should be built. The work of a minister is to end problems, to seek solution, to reach targets. Not to lower targets.

Those are not targets but calculations of our needs. They need to be developed. A minister's job is to solve a problem, seek a solution to achieve targets. A minister should not be lowering targets.

In your opinion, is the 35,000-megawatt project achievable. 

Look at last year. If my target of 10,000 to 11,000 (megawatts) have been realized, it means it can be done. Otherwise, we will have to review it. We must have plan B, plan C.

Your government also has an ambitious plan to create millions of hectares of rice fields. Is that realistic? 

Of course it's realistic. There's a lot of rice fields around. In Aceh, for example, there are plenty of rice fields, with dams, but no irrigation. That's a job we must finish. In another case, the rice fields exist, with dams, but 52 percent of the irrigation system is malfunctioning. I give it a target of two years to improve it. (*)

Read the full interview in this week’s edition of Tempo English Magazine