Development aid: Investing in Indonesia's future<\/p>\n
As established development partners, Indonesia and Australia
\nwill continue to work together through 2002, building on a strong
\nrecord of meeting considerable challenges to invest in
\nIndonesia's future.<\/p>\n
From initial projects such as the Colombo Plan educational
\nscholarships of the 1950s, the emphasis of the joint program has
\nshifted over the years in line with changing Indonesian
\npriorities and needs.<\/p>\n
For example, Australia responded to Indonesia's economic
\ncrisis of 1998 by injecting more funds into the development
\ncooperation program, alleviating poverty by providing direct
\nsupport for the government of Indonesia's social safety net
\nscheme.<\/p>\n
While current assistance of A$121 million each year remains
\nnear 1998 levels, the program has adjusted to Indonesia's post-
\ncrisis climate.<\/p>\n
For example, improving governance is an important aspect of
\nthe current bilateral program, following the Indonesian
\ngovernment's identification of this critical area of reform.<\/p>\n
In agreement with the government of Indonesia, the current
\nprogram focuses on progress within selected sectors, including
\neducation and training, health, governance, water supply and
\nsanitation, natural resource management and humanitarian relief.<\/p>\n
Australia has targeted certain areas within these sectors
\nthrough grants for bilateral and multilateral projects, with
\ntangible results already evident.<\/p>\n
New projects include the provision of technical advice to
\nsupport public sector policy making, particularly in economic
\nreform of banking, audit and fiscal decentralization, as well as
\ntechnical support to organizations working in the area of legal
\nsector reform.<\/p>\n
These projects complement established development initiatives,
\nsuch as workshops on judicial systems for more than 150 judges in
\n2001 to improve the standards, transparency and accountability of
\nthe judiciary.<\/p>\n
Assistance was also provided with evaluation of assets for
\nbank restructuring, and preparation of manuals for due diligence
\ninvestigations.<\/p>\n
Further governance projects last year saw the establishment of
\na State Bank Monitoring Unit in the Ministry of Finance, and
\ncapacity building of the internal audit agency.<\/p>\n
Health projects this year will address the long-term problems
\nof high infant and maternal mortality, the spread of HIV\/AIDS,
\nand the incidence of communicable and non-communicable diseases,
\nin regions ranging from West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and East Nusa
\nTenggara (NTT), West Java and South and Southeast Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
These projects will build on health gains through the
\ndevelopment assistance programs in 2001, including the
\nimmunization of 1.3 million children in four provinces against
\npolio, and a decline in the parasitic rate for malaria from 19
\npercent to 14 percent through the Alor Community Based Health
\nProject.<\/p>\n
Care for mothers and their children also improved through
\ntraining for 328 midwives in basic safe delivery care, delivery
\nof emergency obstetric equipment to 496 health centers and 27
\nhospitals, and the establishment of maternal child health savings
\nschemes in 45 villages.<\/p>\n
In the area of education and training, 2002 projects include
\nthe development of skills accreditation systems in Makassar,
\nBatam and West Java, short term training, continuing support to
\nthe social safety net and a new activity focusing on basic
\neducation in NTT.<\/p>\n
The Australian development postgraduate program will provide
\n360 scholarships this year, following last year's successful
\noutcome of more than 300 new Australian scholarships, with more
\nthan 900 Indonesians studying in Australia under the same program
\nat any one time.<\/p>\n
Also in 2001, approximately 2,500 Indonesians from the private
\nand public sectors gained new skills in health, governance,
\nenvironment and gender through short course training.<\/p>\n
In the sectors of natural resource management and water and
\nsanitation, this year's program will target the management of
\ncoral reefs and capacity building of environmental management
\nagencies, in addition to activities providing water and
\nsanitation to low-income communities in East Java, NTB, West and
\nSouth Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Last year's program involved training for approximately 1,000
\npeople in community-based fisheries management.<\/p>\n
Finally, this year's program for humanitarian and emergency
\nrelief will primarily assist displaced persons and host
\ncommunities affected by conflict and civil unrest, as well as
\nresponding to needs generated by natural disasters.<\/p>\n
The current framework for development cooperation with
\nIndonesia runs until 2003, outlining where and how Australia
\nprovides assistance, and the process of shaping a new program
\nthrough consultation with the government of Indonesia is already
\nunderway.<\/p>\n
While the challenges Indonesia faces are diverse, Australia
\naims to continue assisting Indonesia to overcome these obstacles
\nthrough the development cooperation program.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/development-aid-investing-in-indonesias-future-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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