Gov’t to Focus on Investment in Improving Human Resources Quality

President Jokowi accompanied by Vice President Jusuf Kalla leads Limited Meeting on Increasing Human Resources of Indonesia at the Office of the President, Thursday (15/3) (Photo by: JAY/Public Relations Division).

After 3.5-year of focusing on infrastructure projects, the Indonesian Government will now shift its focus on the second major task, namely investment in human resources because improved quality of human resources will determine Indonesia’s capacity in competing with other countries.

“We want (to improve) everything related to the education to our children, including those in early childhood who need character education as they grow up,” said President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in his introductory remarks at Limited Meeting on measures to improve Indonesian human resources at the Presidential Office, Thursday (15/3).

The President also ordered his Cabinet to improve access and quality of primary education, while secondary education must also be strengthened by character and manners education.

In addition, President Jokowi also said stressed the importance of vocational school, vocational training, polytechnics as well as link and match program between educational institutions and industries, that has been implemented by Minister of Industry and Minister of Manpower.

President Jokowi hopes that in investment in human resources, Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Culture and Ministry of Religious Affairs, especially those related to education in Islamic boarding school, can coordinate with each other.

“Everything related to our workforce also needs to be upgraded,” President Jokowi.

On that occasion, President Jokowi also conveyed his meeting with chief of national banks in which the President challenged the leaders to issue student loans.

“I received a report that in USA the nominal value of all outstanding student loan has exceeded the total outstanding of credit card loans. Compared with student loan which stand at US$ 1.3 trillion, credit card only reach US$ 800 billion,” the President said, adding that the Government should also encourage provision of student loans here in Indonesia.

Also attending the meeting were Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Darmin Nasution, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Religious Affair Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, Minister of Education and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, Minister of Research and Technology and Higher Education M. Nasir, Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucracy Reforms Asman Abnur, Minister of Youth and Sports Imam Nahrawi, and Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Thomas Lembong. (FID/JAY/ES) (GWH/EP/Naster)