Speaking to thousands of supporters in Jakarta on July 14, re-elected President Joko Widodo pledged that in his second term, infrastructure development - a key agenda in his first term - would be accelerated to connect ports and airports across the country to agricultural and tourism centres.
The government will also pay attention to improving human resources as Indonesia is lagging behind some of its neighbours in developing a skilled workforce.
This would include investing in vocational schools and creating an institution to manage Indonesian talents, as well as tapping the skills of those who settled overseas, he said.
The Indonesian leader also promised to open up investment opportunities as he believed they will create as much employment as possible.
The President pointed out that red tape and vested interests remain a potent force discouraging foreign capital.
Despite improvements in Indonesia’s ranking on the World Bank’s ease of doing business index, Widodo has conceded there remain too many obstacles to starting a business in the country, including unwieldy bureaucracy.
He vowed to carry out administrative reforms and disband institutions that were not efficient.
In May, his government had cut the number of permits required for power plant investment from 259 to 58.
