Airlangga: Domestic market must be strengthened to anticipate the global situation

Based on various past experiences, the government will of course take swift steps. Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said that strengthening the domestic market is important as a form of anticipating the impact of the current global geopolitical situation and conflicts. “That is the directive from the President, Mr. Prabowo Subianto, for our domestic market to be strengthened and fortified,” Airlangga said in Jakarta on Friday. He cited how the recent US-Israel strike on Iran has created uncertainty for stability across various sectors of the economy, such as transport and logistics. “Transport has been disrupted, especially from the Middle East, and several flights are no longer operating. In the Middle East: Dubai, Qatar, Doha, (aircraft) flights are not flying. They handle around 90 million transit passengers a year. So it has a significant impact, both to Europe and to Asia,” he said. “Also related to ships. Some ships are not sailing either. So this is a period in which we must be careful how we navigate until the end of the year,” he added. Therefore, Airlangga said it is important for the government to seek various alternatives related to the economic sectors that are affected. “But we are also looking for other alternatives, because this is not the first time we have faced such situations. Based on past experiences, the government will take swift steps,” Airlangga said. Furthermore, he said the government is coordinating closely across ministries/agencies (K/L) on the mitigation efforts, such as with the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag), which plays an important role in domestic and international trade. “And one more thing, as I mentioned with the Trade Minister (Budi Santoso), domestic production must also be protected, because all countries are looking for large markets. Indonesia with its 287 million people is the largest market in ASEAN,” Airlangga said.