"We need to develop businesses not only by optimizing the use of technology but also by involving communities in the process," Uno told new students of the Pelita Harapan University, Tangerang, Banten, on Friday, via a video broadcast.
He further deemed it crucial to involve and empower communities by encouraging them to think more, make innovations, and forge collaboration, so they can be more adaptive in dealing with the global dynamics.
The minister then cited as an example the tourism and creative economy sectors that are considered to be able to empower a wide range of people in Indonesia.
"The tourism and creative economy sectors are among sectors that involve communities on a wide scale. The former absorbs 22.9 million people as workers, while the latter empowers 23.9 million talents," he remarked.
On the same occasion, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin noted that Indonesia would be able to ascend to become a developed nation if it could capitalize on its upcoming demographic bonus.
"By learning about the world's history, we can find that the demographic bonus is the only condition when nations can drive themselves to become developed ones," he pointed out.
He explained that Indonesia will be home to a plethora of people of the productive age group of seven to 12 years.
Indonesia should be able to make the most of the momentum to become a high-income country, with the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita reaching US$12,500, he noted.
"The period of seven to 12 years ahead will be the most critical period in our history. We should optimize the period to prevent our country from being stuck as a middle-income country forever," he emphasized.
Minister Sadikin then described education and health as the two essential sectors that should be augmented to face the demographic bonus.
"Indonesia needs well-educated, healthy, and productive talents to achieve the goal of becoming a country, with its GDP per capita reaching US$12,500," he pointed out.
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Translator: Farhan A, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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