Sustainability key to eight percent economic growth: Kadin

Left to right: IISF 2024 advocate Dion Wiyoko, Coordinating Vice Chairwoman for Maritime, Investment and Foreign Affairs, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Indonesia) Shinta Kamdani, Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce ans Industry (Kadin Indonesia) Arsjad Rasjid, Deputy Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investments in Infrastructure and Transportation of Indonesia Rachmat Kaimuddin, IISF 2024 advocate Chelsea Islan, and IISF 2024 Advocate Lady Diandra in Indonesia International Sustainability Forum 2024 in Jakarta, Thursday, September 5 2024. ANTARA/Mecca Yumna

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Trade and Industry Chamber (Kadin) Head Arsjan Rasjid underscored that sustainability plays a key part in achieving an economic growth of eight percent, as targeted by President-elect for the 2024-2029 period Prabowo Subianto.

"To (achieve) this eight percent, there must be investment (here). We want to ensure future investment by positioning Indonesia as a strategic country that can establish sustainable businesses, and this is the key for the future," Rasjid remarked.

At a press conference of the Indonesia International Sustainability Forum 2024 here on Thursday, the Kadin head noted that the forum serves as an important platform in pushing for the development of sustainability, especially in Southeast Asia.

Rasjid highlighted that Indonesia has the assets for sustainability, such as biodiversity. He remarked that Indonesia's biodiversity is the second largest globally, just after Brazil. He believes that by managing biodiversity, Indonesia can form a carbon market alliance in Southeast Asia.

Moreover, the forum facilitates ASEAN countries to come up with standardization and certification of the carbon market so that the region can be one of the significant voices in the global carbon market.

Thus, he stated that the forum serves as a medium to pursue good neighbor policies, as advocated by the president-elect, through which Indonesia can bolster its regional supply chain by making collaborative efforts with neighboring countries.

The Kadin head highlighted that Indonesia has the demographic bonus to attract investment further. He believes that with the forum promoting the national assets of biodiversity and the demographic bonus, investment can flow in, and more job opportunities can be created.

"I want to say that the sustainability forum, such as this, is not only for large corporations, but we also invite small and medium MSMEs to participate," Rasjid remarked.

He affirmed that Kadin consistently promotes participation, both by small and large corporations, in building the ecosystem.