Opening Remarks at Farewell Presentation Dr Andrew Steer, Country Director of The World Bank Indonesia

TRANSCRIPT
OPENING REMARKS
H.E. DR. SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
FAREWELL PRESENTATION
DR. ANDREW STEER
COUNTRY DIRECTOR OF THE WORLD BANK INDONESIA
ISTANA NEGARA, 27 FEBRUARY 2007



Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Assalamu’alaikum warrahmatullahi wabarrakatuh,

Selamat malam,
Salam sejahtera,

Yang saya hormati Saudara Wakil Presiden Republik Indonesia, para Menteri, para Pimpinan Badan-badan Usaha Milik Negara, Dr. Andrew Steer, Country Director of the World Bank Indonesia dan staf,

Hadirin sekalian yang saya hormati,
Pada kesempatan yang baik ini, sebelum saya menyampaikan introduction terhadap presentasi dari Dr. Andrew Steer tentang Indonesian development. Saya akan menggunakan kesempatan yang baik ini untuk mengucapkan selamat dan ikut berbahagia kepada, pertama, Prof. DR. Boediono. Beliau telah meraih gelar Profesor, hati-hati kalau bicara sama beliau sekarang. Dan pikiran beliau sangat menjangkau berkaitan dengan ekonomi politik, political economy dan saya berharap pada saatnya nanti menjelaskan kepada kita pikiran-pikiran beliau tentang ekonomi kita masa kini dan masa depan.

Yang kedua, saya tidak tahu hadir apa tidak ini, staf dari Wakil Presiden. Tidak hadir ya. Kita juga mengucapkan selamat kepada Prof. DR. Suciati Bambang Irawan yang setiap kali Sidang Kabinet juga bersama kita, yang sudah telah meraih gelar Profesor dari Universitas Indonesia. Kalau Pak Boediono dari Universitas Gajah Mada. Dan beliau menyampaikan pikiran-pikiran di bidang upaya pengentasan kemiskinan sebetulnya ekonomi yang berkaitan dengan itu. Target yang sangat penting untuk negeri kita.

Saya akan menyampaikan pengantar saya.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Tonight, I am pleased to welcome you all to my office to listen to a gentleman, who has been closely following—and very much attached to—the national development of Indonesia, and who unfortunately will have to leave Indonesia tomorrow to assume new challenging position with the British Government in London.

Andrew, it is good to have you here tonight.
We are all here to listen to your farewell presentation as an outgoing Country Director of the World Bank, who has been tirelessly serving in the Bank for decades, and more importantly, who has been following the ups and downs of our economic, social, and political developments throughout your career at the Bank.

I have known Andrew for a long time, when I was a Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs about 5 to 6 years ago. I always enjoyed my discussions with him, and I always benefited from his ideas and insights. Although we come from different background, I know we share one thing: a passion for Indonesia.

Andrew has been a great of Indonesia. I also think he is one of the most distinguished World Bank country directors for Indonesia. To those who know him, he is known as an optimist, a positive thinker, a problem solver—my kind of people. Andrew has done a great of work to help the poor in Indonesia. And his work with Kecamatan Development Program was one of—if not the largest programs of a kind in the world, and is very well known as a fine example of community and grass root empowerment.

In the 5 years that you have served in Indonesia, you have produced many in-depth reports and studies, on the Indonesia’s macro-economic situation, investment, decentralization, anti-corruption, health and education, agriculture, gender equality, social and community development, infrastructure and so forth.

So Andrew, you are therefore very well placed to speak about the topic of his presentation today: “Indonesia Rising, reflections of The World Bank’s country-director”. You are speaking tonight as someone who knows Indonesia inside out, as someone who has felt our trials and tribulations, as someone who understands our potentials and our hopes, and as someone who, like all of us in this room, believes in Indonesia’s destiny to become a democratic, prosperous, modern, and peaceful country.

So without much to do, Andrew, please the floor is yours, and we will follow your presentation with discussions. And later Minister of Finance will facilitate our Q and A and our discussion.

Thank you.
*****

Bureau for Press and Media Affairs
Presidential Household