Coordinating Minister Airlangga: The economy grows supported by the ‘people first’ policy

Jakarta, The Indonesia Post – Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said that the Indonesian economy, which grew 5.01 percent in the first quarter of 2022, was supported by government policies that put the interests of the community first or ‘people first’.

“The achievement of significant economic growth is supported by the Government’s people-first policy. The government places itself as a community to consider how the impact will be felt by the community as a result of decisions that will and have been implemented,” said Coordinating Minister Airlangga in an official statement, Thursday, he gave an example of the policy of providing cash assistance to street vendors, shop owners, and fishermen (BT-PKLWN) to help MSME actors as well as encourage public consumption.

In addition, there is also a Pre-Employment Card program that is semi-social assistance to improve community skills during the pandemic which has been utilized by 11.4 million recipients. For school students, the Government also provides free internet quota assistance to ensure the availability of education during the pandemic.

All of these steps are indeed risky for the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN), but Coordinating Minister Airlangga believes that it will bring long-term benefits to the community. “The government puts the people first, we invest in them, and ensure their trust. I firmly believe that these decisions in the long term will prove to be just as important as they did in the short term,” said Coordinating Minister Airlangga.

Furthermore, Coordinating Minister Airlangga emphasized that this people-first approach does not only apply in times of crisis and is applied in the fields of manpower, education, health, and other social services, and can be a guiding force behind development efforts. “This approach is an inclusive, sustainable and principled approach. This approach can be the basis for increasing engagement and cooperation around the world,” concluded Coordinating Minister Airlangga. (mhn/bbs)