President Jokowi Urges Ministers to Focus on HR
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. accompanied by Vice President KH. Ma’ruf Amin, delivers his introductory remarks at a Limited Cabinet Meeting on the Programs and Activities of Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Thursday (31/10). (Photo by: JAY / PR)
Indonesia has the capability to maximize its potential and escape the middle-income trap, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said.
“First, Indonesia has enormous natural resources and we can utilize them to trigger industrialization. Second, we have a large economy market, both in terms of population and purchasing power since the number of middle-income people has significantly increased in the country,” said the President at a Limited Cabinet Meeting on the Programs and Activities of Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Thursday (31/10).
President Jokowi further said that Indonesia is the 16th largest economy in the world by nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the 7th largest in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).
“The country’s economic strength should be taken into account because the people’s purchasing power continues to increase,” said President Jokowi.
The main key to make the desired leap, President Jokowi continued, is through human capital development. The Government should focus more on human capital development as the country is anticipating a big harvest of its demographic bonus between 2015 and 2035.
“Human capital development will become our top priority and will be carried out synergistically by all ministries, not sectoral or rather fragmented,” President Jokowi said, adding that there is a large budget allocated to this program, yet still not focus and concentrate on that point.
The President cited an example for the health sector. The total budget allocation amounts to Rp132 trillion yet it spreads to all ministries.
“Keep the focus on nutrition adequacy intake, additional food supply which is related to healthy lifestyle and disease prevention,” President Jokowi said while adding that it really becomes an area that the Government must work on.
The focus also should be applied to the eradication of drug trafficking and the rehabilitation. According to the President, this is related to human resources and becomes an important issue, because this has something to do with criminal acts and juvenile delinquency.
The President also requested that ethics education, disaster mitigation education, political education especially Pancasila (the Five Principles, the Indonesian State Ideology) should be carried out synergistically across ministries.
“Hence, the duty of Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture is tough and strategic,” the President added. (FID/JAY/ES)
Translated by: Syarifah Aisyah
Edited by: Muhardi/Yuyu Mulyani
