Global Business Leaders Encouraged to Tackle Global Crises

Amid rising geopolitical tensions and a war with no end in sight, the international business community is expected to bridge common interests between countries.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Hundreds of invitees attend the opening of the Business 20 (B20) Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Sunday (13/11/2022).

NUSA DUA, KOMPAS – The series of Group of 20 high-level conferences has begun, with the Business 20 (B20) Summit, taking at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre (BNDCC) in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Sunday (13/11/2022). The B20 Summit is one of the discussion groups at the G20 Summit comprising business leaders from G20 member nations.

During the summit, business leaders were asked to increase their efforts to tackle the global crises. The event was kicked off by the B20 chair, Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and was attended by 2,000 participants from 65 countries. As many as 1,500 companies from various nations also attended the event.

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Before the event commenced, the business leaders from G20 member nations were seen mingling together. The summit was opened with several captivating dances for the participants.

Building enthusiasm

During a panel discussion session at the B20 Summit, Indonesia’s Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif, engaged in banter and “competed” to invite business leaders from G20 nations to invest in their respective sectors.

“You can invest in tourism and energy, but more importantly, in health,” said Budi.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno (right), Financial Services Authority (OJK) chief Mahendra Siregar (second right), Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin (center) and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif (second left) spoke during the opening of the B20 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Sunday (13/11/2022).

He asked business leaders from the G20 member nations attending the summit to invest in Indonesia’s health sector. According to him, the most lethal global threat moving forward would not be people, but rather pathogens.

“If you are thinking of investing in the defense industry because you expect that man's biggest enemies are other men and wars, you are wrong. As history dictates, the highest number of human casualties have been caused by pathogens. Of course, you must invest in tourism and energy, but more importantly in health,” he said in front of the global business leaders.

In response to his statement, Arifin explained that, “Health is important. However, there is no health without energy. There is no tourism without electricity. So, let us invest in energy.”

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin) Arsjad Rasjid delivered an online address at the B-20 inception meeting in Jakarta, on Thursday (27/1/2022).

Sandiaga countered by saying, “If you do not want to invest in the tourist sector, I will invest in it myself.”

Meanwhile, Financial Services Authority (OJK) chief commissioner Mahendra explained that amid rising geopolitical tensions and a war with no end in sight, the international business community was expected to bridge common interests between countries.

Tough issues that cannot be resolved by the governments of each nation can still be rectified at the level of global business cooperation.

This article was translated by Veeramalla Anjaiah