"We are better, but I told the Coordinating Minister for Economy that I would want that we are only ranked the 72nd. The target is at least the 50th next year and the 40th in the following year," Jokowi said.
Muara Gembong, Bekasi, W Java (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) indicated he is not happy with the improvement in the countrys ranking in ease of doing business as he wants a much better position.

A report by the World Bank Group placed in Indonesia the 72nd in ease of doing business and that the country had made the best improvement among countries in Asia Pacific.

"We are better, but I told the Coordinating Minister for Economy that I would want that we are only ranked the 72nd. The target is at least the 50th next year and the 40th in the following year," Jokowi said when visiting Muara Gembong to inspect a shrimp breeding pond there on Wednesday.

Jokowi said the government would continue to seek to improve the ranking of ease of doing business in the country.

"Previously it was the 120th and later the 106th and the 91st and now it is the 72nd , meaning we have done better," he said.

He said Indonesia is even better than China, India and Brazil, the fastest growing economies in the world.

He said in order to improve the ranking, more aggressive reform should be launched in licensing, electricity, and property, and all services have to be better made available for all enterprises small and big .

"If they want to open business or expand business make it easy for them as they would provide jobs for local workers," he said.

Indonesia is ranked the 72nd among 190 countries surveyed in ease of doing business based on the latest report of the World bank titled "Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs".

Coordinating Minister for Economy Darmin Nasution said the new ranking showed that Indonesia has climbed 19 steps from the 91st in 2017 after scaling up 15 points from the 106th in 2016 or 34 points in two years.

"In three years Indonesia has become a better place for doing business," Darmin here on Wednesday.

Indonesia, however, is still lagging behind a number of other ASEAN countries. In the past two years Vietnam gained 23 points higher , and Thailand was 20 point better . Meanwhile, Malaysia and the Philippines dropped 14 points in ranking but still better than Indonesia.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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