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IMO view: Development progress in Indonesia

The G20 has recognized that development and global economic issues cannot be handled separately, therefore the work of development will remain an important agenda for G20 members

The Jakarta Post
Mon, July 16, 2012

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IMO view: Development progress in Indonesia

T

he G20 has recognized that development and global economic issues cannot be handled separately, therefore the work of development will remain an important agenda for G20 members. Three issues are especially crucial: infrastructure, food security and new innovative resources for financing development.

“They often say if you want to see a democratic state where women are empowered, come to Indonesia,” said United States Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton, during her interview with Nile TV on April 4, 2011.

What a proud nation we are, our country, Indonesia was brought up as an example to all Egyptians to model their country on, since we have successfully transitioned from a country that was led by a 32-year regime to a democratic country. But is that enough?

We have been developing ever since: we have better freedom of press, and we successfully held elections to vote for our presidents and representatives and proportionally, it has brought growth and development into our country’s economy.

This shows that some part of our nation’s standard of living has been improved, even though there are still so many sectors that we should focus on to promote development in Indonesia — such as infrastructure and food security — we will find the solution to finance the development, and hopefully we can contribute to
a global development.

Infrastructure has a big impact, and unfortunately it is one of the aspects that make Indonesia unattractive for foreign direct investment (FDI).

Public transportation is just one of the many areas of infrastructure that we need to invest in and focus on. Another important sector that will have a significant impact is the building of additional sea port or harbors.

There are so many potential harbors in Indonesia that could connect the oceans of the world, for example Cilacap, a regency in West Java.

The second issue that our country is facing is food security. In 2011, Indonesia was estimated to have imported more than 1 million tons of rice, as our rice reserves could not meet the demand of the country’s 237 million people.

Food security was also the most discussed issue at the G8/G20 Summit last November, in Cannes. Other issues that were discussed include the financial crisis, climate change and infrastructure development in Africa.

In the agricultural sector, 30 percent of success rests with the hands of the farmer, while the other 70 percent depends on the quality of the infrastructure, water irrigation, the market, the technology and maintenance after the harvest — the government holds the power in these areas.

The agricultural sector in Indonesia is suffering from the inability and ineffectiveness of the government, and the problems that we face every year — such as decreasing rice reserves — are a symptom of this.

We should focus on the plan for the next five years. The choices are many, but we need to choose one and focus our energy on it.

Katherine Rut Nastiti
Iowa, US

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