Gov’t to Focus on Human Resources Development in 2019 Budget

President Jokowi delivers his remarks at the Plenary Cabinet Meeting at the State Palace on Tuesday (7/8. (Photo by: Agung/Public Relation Division)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has once again stressed that the focus of the 2019 State Budget will be on human resources development.

The President made the statement in his remarks at the opening of the Plenary Cabinet Meeting on Financial Note and the Bill on the 2019 State Budget at the State Palace, Tuesday (7/8).

“The priority to develop human resources must become the focus and attention of every ministry and institution in Indonesia,” the President said.

President Jokowi also expressed his hope that matters related to the development of human resources can be immediately included in the Bill on the 2019 State Budget.

“I hope (we can focus) especially on vocational schools, vocational training, polytechnics, partnership with industries and upgrading our manpower,” the President said.

In the meantime, speaking to reporters after the meeting Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said that the President’s instruction is that Bill on the 2019 State Budget must focus on improving human resources because in the past four years, the Government has been focusing on infrastructure development, which has been well implemented.

“So we hope that starting 2019, we can improve the quality of our human resources to prepare them to face the changing world and to support Indonesia as the country with the 4^th biggest population in the world,” Pramono said, adding that in the global competition, human resources play a crucial role and this becomes the the President’s focus in 2019.

Regarding education, Pramono said that education that is oriented towards changes of era will also become a priority. In addition, universities are also expected to change their curriculum to be more flexible, he said.

“This is what the President hopes. He has reiterated the matter during a forum with rectors and Minister of Research and Higher Education to change the curriculum and because the rectors also need to be prepared,” he said.

Nevertheless, although human resources development will become the Government’s focus next year, Pramono stressed infrastructure development will not be halted and the Government will in fact raise the budget for infrastructure development. (FID/SM/DNA/JAY/ES) (RI/EP/Naster)