JAKARTA – President-elect Prabowo Subianto for 2024-2029 period expressed his optimism that Indonesian economy can grow by 8.0% during the next two or three years with the main drivers include palm oil and other agriculture products.

Prabowo made the statement at the Qatar Economic Forum 2024 in Doha on Wednesday as a response to a question on the projection of Indonesian economic growth during the next five years. “I’ve talked to experts and study our economic data. Based on the facts I’m confident that we can casily reach an economic growth of 8.0% during the next two or three years. I’m determined to surpass it,” he said.

According to him, the high economic growth can be driven through further development of palm oil industries and production of other agriculture products.  “We hope we can realize it within two or three years ahead,” said Prabowo.

Prabowo said that programs of downstreaming will be the key factor in pushing the high economic growth. “But the downstreaming efforts will take several years,” he said.

According to Prabowo, during his first year of administration he will push the growth of agriculture and plantation sectors, and production of bioenergy as the main engine of economic growth.

“We’d like to go green very fast. We want to produce biodiesel from palm oil. This will drive very strong economic growth,” he said.

“We’ve been spending around US$20 billion every year to import diesel fuel. So, can you imagine how much we can save if we can switch to biofuel,” he said.

According to Prabowo, implementing the downstreaming programs to reduce imports doesn’t mean that Indonesia adopts the concept of protectionism,” he said. (*)

Source: sawitku.id