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Jokowi sets sights on equality in 2019 national programs
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo smiles on Feb. 14 as he observes workers cleaning a section of the Wai Hatukau River that runs through Batu Merah village in Ambon, Maluku. (Antara/Izaac Mulyawan)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has raised the theme of equality for quality growth in the 2019 government work plan, the final year of his current term in office and the year the legislative and presidential elections will be held.
National Development Planning Minister/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) head Bambang PS Brodjonegoro said that equality was not only about reducing the wealth gap between the rich and the poor, but also concerned interregional equality.
“The work plan is elaborated in five national programs and 24 prioritized programs,” said Bambang on Wednesday in Jakarta during the kickoff of preparations for the 2020 census, as quoted by tempo.co.
The five programs for 2019 are developing human resources , reducing interregional inequality, improving added value products and services, stabilizing national security and stabilizing the provision of food and energy, Bambang said. He added that the government introduced 10 national programs this year.
Bambang said the government stressed the importance of national security stability, because it was closely related to ensuring smooth progress in efforts to attain equality.
“There have been questions as to why the government linked national security stability and equality,” he said, answering that if equality could not be attained, certain people might feel they were discriminated against.
In discussing the 2019 work plan at a Cabinet meeting recently, President Jokowi stressed the continuing need for the country to boost investment and exports to support economic growth. He also called on regional leaders to support the economic program by improving the investment climate in their regions. (bbn)
