Expert says RI must tackle land and manpower issues

JAKARTA (JP): Political analyst Juwono Sudarsono warned Saturday that the country needed effective policymaking to confront land and manpower issues, which he predicted would be the biggest problems in the future.

Juwono, a participant in a discussion held by the Golkar political grouping, said social conditions and economic growth were inextricably linked. He added that a country's economy would only grow robustly if its socioeconomic status was healthy.

This required productive and competitive human resources, Juwono was quoted as saying by Antara. The discussion focused on Golkar's concepts for the 1998 Broad Guidelines of State Policy.

Juwono was speaking in a session on people's participation on equitable development, autonomy, organization and management. Other speakers included the Armed Forces Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid and political analyst Daniel Dhakidae.

"It's not easy to create quality human resources. It needs management. The issue of manpower is not only about unemployment, but also about how to empower our workers so that they become quality and competitive workers," he said.

He also said that any campaign for equal job opportunities should be accompanied by efforts to ensure chances for people to share development's rewards. This would reduce the gap between the haves and have nots, he said.

Juwono said land scarcity would also pose challenges in the future.

"Along with population growth, land issues will become great problems that need to be handled seriously," he said. "There needs to be good management, one that doesn't create new problems."

Juwono also addressed the increasingly important and strategic role played by the private sector in national development.

"Let's hope that all efforts taken to develop the economic sector be done with consideration of the...interests of all people, not those only of individuals or groups," he said.

Golkar deputy chief Siti Hardijanti Rukmana closed the discussion by listing challenges which lie ahead. These include social and economic gaps, economic empowerment for people, human resource development and the quest for democratization and openness.

"In order to meet those challenges, Indonesia has to develop its human resources in such a way as to enable them to meet physical and spiritual needs, help them be more devout," she said.

"Those challenges will be overcome if all of our actions are meant as worship while benefiting other people."

Golkar secretary general Ary Mardjono said the party would campaign to have the meeting's conclusions included in the drafting of the Broad Guidelines of State Policy.

Golkar's concepts included economic development focused on cooperation between small-scale and major entrepreneurs.

The ruling political organization will also fight for compulsory education and amendments to outdated laws, Ary said. (swe)