He said that Indonesia needs to emulate the strategies of developed nations, such as South Korea, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, which took advantage of opportunities to become developed nations.
"Productive people—people who can generate income, people who can contribute to the GDP (gross domestic product)—their numbers are getting smaller," he said.
"So the non-working population must be borne by people who are still productive. Therefore, the peak demographic bonus is important," he added.
Sadikin made the statement while reviewing preparations for the departure of the recipients of scholarships from the Education Fund Management Institute (LPDP) in Jakarta on Monday.
The scholarship recipients are class 226, comprising 39 people from the health sector who will continue their education at home and abroad.
During the discussion, he listed a number of criteria that Indonesia must meet to become a developed country.
He noted that Indonesia's demographic bonus will peak in 2030. A demographic peak occurs when the percentage of the productive-age population dominates the total population of a country.
He added that many opportunities appear when a country reaches its demographic peak. Therefore, the demographic bonus is important because it has the potential to bring about substantial economic growth, he said.
The government aims to make Indonesia a developed country by the time it celebrates 100 years of independence in 2045, he said.
To achieve the target, Indonesia must increase its per capita income to US$13,000 per year or US$1,083 per month.
"Indonesia is currently still at Rp5 million (around US$320.34) per month ... we are still a developing country," Sadikin said.
If Indonesia misses the demographic peak, then it could fall into the middle-income trap, he cautioned.
During the discussion, Sadikin also advised the LPDP scholarship recipients to avoid the common drawbacks, like finding it difficult to work together with other people.
He also expressed hope that the recipients will maintain their health to ensure success in their academic pursuits and return to Indonesia to contribute to the nation.
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Translator: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie, Katriana
Editor: Anton Santoso
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