Indonesia’s economic growth is still dependent on the country’s natural resources, which may deplete, said Vice President Boediono.
“Progress in our economy so far does not come from innovations,” he remarked while speaking at an event held to mark the 12th World Intellectual Property Rights Day here on Tuesday.
Boediono, who is also an economist, noted that Indonesia still relied on natural resources for its economic progress and growth, while history made clear that nations achieve sustainable growth through innovation and creativity.
“That is the rule of history that we must refer to if we wish to make sustainable progress. We must move away from the present sources of economic progress to innovation and creativity,” he emphasised.
According to Boediono, Indonesia presently relies on its natural resources, huge population and investment in natural resource development.
However, Indonesia must change this paradigm, as natural resources will eventually deplete, he pointed out.
The vice president also recalled a theory saying that a country that is rich in natural resources tends not to be able to advance sustainably.
Based on this, he stressed that “rich natural resources could become a curse, if the nation that is given this richness is not careful. The richness can make people lazy, as they tend to merely exploit the resources.”
Boediono added that for a country with such riches, politics is more likely to become an arena for seeking control over the resources, and not for seeking new and useful innovations for its people.
