News Room - Business/Economics

Indonesia wants to strengthen its domestic market and reduce imports as measures in improving the national economic slowdown, said Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla.

He said the strategy in strengthening the domestic market could help in reviving the economy as Indonesia had a large population and still had the purchasing power.

In addition, he said, the Indonesian government would also intensify its agricultural projects to provide employment in the various fields to the population.

"We reduce imports, increase infrastructural projects, finance various government expenditures so that there will always be purchasing power, then we strengthen agriculture so that we can reduce imports in the next two to three years," he said in a special interview with Bernama, at his office, here recently.

Jusuf said the mission of the government under the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla partnership, which is almost one-year-old, was to improve the people's welfare, prosperity and welbeing in terms of the economy, politics and justice.

"We work towards these objectives by implementing programmes aimed at achieving a seven per cent economic growth within two years and so far, the Indonesian economic growth is 5.7 per cent and the economic slowdown is caused by the economic crises in Asia and the whole world," he said.

However, he said, Indonesia's fundamentals were still strong as it had natural resources and commodities for the domestic and export markets such as bricks, coal, steel and the oil palm industry.

On the experience in national administration under two different presidents, Jusuf said as a professional who was not tied down to any political party, he said he could work with anyone.

Jusuf had previously served under president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono before being re-elected as the vice-president under Joko Widodo's leadership.

"Having served with Susilo Bambang for five years and later with the current president, I am a professional, (I) don't have any (political) party and can work with anyone, and what is most important, I carry out the instructions of the ruling government and receive the people's support," he said.

Asked whether there were differences in the system of government, he said what was different was merely the leadership style, but the principles and objectives of the government were the same.

The Joko Widodo and Jusuf Kalla partnership was chosen to lead the government after winning the presidential election in October last year. They defeated the team of Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa.