Human Development Planning Needs One Dataset

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani (third right) opens a limited panel discussion on “Future Human Development of Indonesia with the Support of Singular Population Data”, a collaboration between the Kompas daily and the Indonesian Population Coalition, held on Wednesday (21/8/2019) at the Menara Kompas in Jakarta. The panelists also included (from third left) Kompas deputy general chairman Rikard Bagun, Kompas chief editor Ninuk Mardiana and Kompas Gramedia Managing Director Lilik Oetama.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – With the rapid growth of technology, changing economic challenges and globalization, Indonesia’s human resource development needs acceleration. The capacity to create “superior people” will also determine whether Indonesia can reap the fruits of the demographic bonus and become a developed nation.

After focusing on infrastructure development in his first-five year term, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo plans to focus on human resource development in his second term.

Speaking at a limited panel discussion of population experts at the Kompas editorial offices in Jakarta on Wednesday, Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani said that so-called superior people should not only have good education and good health, but also should possess Indonesian character.

"National character-building must be provided at every education level," she said.

Kompas and the Indonesian Coalition for Population and Development (Indonesian Population Coalition) jointly held the discussion, which was attended by a number of academics and policymakers. The discussion was chaired by the head of the University of Indonesia Demography Institute, Turro S. Wongkaren.

Presidential staff deputy III Denni Puspa Purbasari said at the discussion that investing in human capital was more effective in raising incomes and reducing poverty compared to investing in physical capital.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani (left) opens a limited panel discussion on “Future Human Development of Indonesia with the Support of Singular Population Data” alongside Kompas chief editor Ninuk Mardiana on Wednesday (21/8/2019) at the Menara Kompas in Jakarta. Present at the discussion, which was a collaboration between the Kompas daily and the Indonesian Population Coalition, were (not pictured): Statistics Indonesia (BPS) chairman Suhariyanto, National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) head Hasto Wardoyo, Indonesian Population Coalition chairman Sonny Harry B. Harmadi, Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) director general Zudan Arif Fakrullah of the Home Ministry, and strategic economic issues research and management deputy Deni Purbasari of the Presidential Office.

"For developing and poor countries, human capital investment provides greater returns if it is done openly," she said. An international collaboration was also necessary. Quality human development must also be implemented according to the human developmental stages, from childhood through the productive age, and to old age.

However, the country\'s current investment in children and the elderly was lower than its investment in the productive age population. In fact, public investment in children, especially the first 1,000 days of life and early childhood education, had a great impact on brain and physical development, which would determine their quality during productive age.

However, the efforts to generate superior human beings could not be left to the government along. The people, academics and the private sector should also share the responsibility. "Families have an important role in improving the quality of human beings," said Hasto Wardoyo, the head of the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN).

Workforce

An accelerated program to improve the quality of Indonesian people will also strengthen the workforce, of which 58.26 percent had education up to junior high school.

Moreover, Indonesia was expected to enter the peak of the demographic bonus in 2021-2024. To that end, the government would push for 12-year compulsory education starting in 2020, double the Bidik Misi scholarship quota to 818,000 students, and revitalize vocational education and training.

However, Indonesian Population Coalition chairman Sonny H.B. Harmadi cautioned that vocational high school graduates had the highest rate of open unemployment and the longest periods of joblessness.

Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan

Panelists hold a limited discussion on “Future Human Development of Indonesia with the Support of Singular Population Data” on Wednesday (21/8/2019) at the Menara Kompas in Jakarta. The discussion was a collaboration between the Kompas daily and the Indonesian Population Coalition.

On the other hand, while science and technology – including digital technology – would play an increasingly major role in development, most students and graduates of Indonesian tertiary institutions pursued the social sciences.

Under such conditions, said Puan, human resource planning and development must be integrated. Integration could avoid skills mismatch and suppress institutional partisanship.

"Data is key to well-running plans in all fields," said Statistics Indonesia (BPS) head Suhariyanto.

The Home Ministry’s population and civil registry director general Zudan Arif Fakrulloh said the government already had a single population dataset comprising names, addresses and civil registration numbers. The population numbered 266.5 million in June 2019. "That is capital for state services, so that the development program is more focused and on target," he said. (INK/TAN/MZW)