While giving an online public lecture at Airlangga University, Surabaya, East Java, on Tuesday, he opined that Indonesia has two strengths—its market and natural resources.
However, there needs to be a realization that the nation's strength lies in the people themselves, he said.
With the COVID-19 outbreak, Indonesia is also experiencing an unthinkable situation, the minister noted. The coronavirus pandemic is not only affecting people's health, but also the economy, he said.
Hence, he urged all parties in Indonesia to prepare themselves for a post-COVID-19 world.
"We really need to prepare for a post-COVID-19 world which can be a game changer for us. Game changer because it could make us a big nation, and based on the existing data for 2045, we are targeted to be the fifth biggest nation in the world," he affirmed.
As proof of this, Indonesia will assume the G20 Presidency for the first time this year, he said adding, this shows that the world realizes Indonesia's extraordinary power.
Earlier, Thohir said the biggest priority for his ministry is the transformation of human resources so that state enterprises can become more advanced and competitive.
This aligns with SOEs' functions as job creators and providers of the best talents in Indonesia, he added.
Employees of the Ministry should be well-prepared as one of the talent sources who could be tasked to strengthen state-run companies, Thohir said.
Talent development has been included as one of the five priorities for SOEs until 2024, he added.
Related news: Human resources development expedites economic recovery: Minister
Related news: Human resources, digitization are keys to revive tourism: Minister
Related news: Women's leadership in SOE businesses' sustainability crucial: ministry
Translator: Aji Cakti, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
