Formula to Become Rich from Minister Bahlil Lahadalia: Don't Become a Civil Servant

Dream - Minister of Investment/Head of BKPM Bahlil Lahadalia said that the formula to become rich is by becoming an entrepreneur, not a civil servant (PNS).

This was conveyed by the minister when giving a public lecture at Sebelas Maret University (UNS), Surakarta, Central Java. In front of the students, Bahlil said that entrepreneurs can be an option, because according to him, the salary of civil servants is only sufficient.

"I want to tell a little story without diminishing my respect for civil servants. Who wants to be rich? No politicians and civil servants are rich, except politicians who used to be entrepreneurs. The formula to become rich is to become an entrepreneur. Why? I'm sorry, the salary of civil servants is just enough. Rich or not, it's difficult or not, that's it," he said as quoted from YouTube Ministry of Investment/BKPM, Tuesday, August 22, 2023.

He said that Indonesia's Golden target in 2045 is to become a developed country. However, the number of entrepreneurs in Indonesia is currently only at 3.4 percent, still lagging behind neighboring countries.

"The number of entrepreneurs in this country is only 3.4 percent. Malaysia is 4.2 percent, Thailand is more than 4 percent, Singapore is 8-9 percent. Indonesia, heading towards a developed country, must be in double digits," he said.

Bahlil also noted that unemployment in Indonesia is still very high, so becoming an entrepreneur is one option for students to succeed after graduation.

"Unemployment in our country is 7 million people, every year there are 2.9 million people joining the workforce, post-COVID there are 5 million unemployed, a total of 15 million," he said.

If in the future, students want to become civil servants, the opportunity to get such positions is very tight, with acceptance not exceeding 1 million per year.

"Every year, the acceptance of civil servants, military personnel, police, state-owned enterprises, is not more than 1 million. So if you only hope to become civil servants and employees, I can't imagine at what age you will be selected," he explained.

Although not yet a developed country, Bahlil said that Indonesia's current economic growth is considered positive, growing by 5.17 percent in the second quarter of 2023, with inflation below 4 percent.

"This is one of the best economic growth rates in the world, surpassing Europe, America, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East," he explained.

For information, Bahlil Lahadalia is also an entrepreneur, based on records from bkpm.go.id, he owns 10 companies in various fields under the flagship of PT Rifa Capital as the parent company.

In 2003, his name was also recorded in the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) at the district, provincial, and central levels.

He was once the Chairman of HIPMI for the 2015-2019 period. Bahlil also led trade delegations for young entrepreneurs to Japan in 2016 and to Europe in 2018 (HIPMI-Europe Trade Mission 2018).