Finance Minister Purbaya: State Budget Is a Long-Term Investment to Build Superior Human Resources

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has asserted that the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) is the government’s long-term investment in building superior human resources as the foundation for the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision. Through the APBN, the government not only maintains economic stability but also strengthens the nation’s competitiveness by improving the quality of education and talent development. The statement was made by the Finance Minister during a public lecture entitled ‘APBN for an Advanced Indonesia: Maintaining Stability, Driving Growth, and Development’ at Diponegoro University, Semarang, Central Java, on Friday (3/7). Purbaya explained that the management of the APBN is carried out based on the mandate of Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia to realise the people’s prosperity through sound and sustainable fiscal policy. “Through disciplined fiscal policy, the government continues to optimise Indonesia’s strategic potential, from its advantageous geographical position and natural resource wealth to the demographic bonus as the main capital towards Golden Indonesia 2045,” he said. He stated that the government is targeting Indonesia to become one of the world’s five largest economies by 2045. This target can only be achieved if supported by superior, productive human resources who are adaptive to technological developments. Therefore, talent development is an inseparable part of the national economic transformation strategy. Purbaya said that talent development must be carried out comprehensively by integrating mastery of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with social sciences, humanities, arts, religious studies, and economics to boost national productivity and competitiveness. This commitment is realised through the 2026 Fiscal Year APBN, which allocates an education budget of Rp769.1 trillion. The budget is utilised to expand access to and improve the quality of education, revitalise schools, support the Free Nutritious Meal Programme, and strengthen scholarship financing through the Education Fund Management Institution (LPDP). The government is also directing the LPDP scholarship policy to focus more on priority fields, particularly STEM and various strategic sectors that support national economic transformation. “Indonesia’s economic development requires an industrial ecosystem that places talent at the core of development. Therefore, investment in education and human resource development is one of the main priorities of the APBN,” he stressed. On the other hand, Purbaya conveyed that amidst global economic uncertainty, Indonesia’s economic fundamentals remain solid. The performance of economic growth, inflation, the fiscal deficit, and the government debt ratio are at healthy levels, providing room for the APBN to continue functioning as a shock absorber, maintaining people’s purchasing power, while supporting the economic transformation agenda. Concluding his presentation, Purbaya stressed that the APBN is not merely a state financial management instrument, but a strategic investment to produce a superior Indonesian generation. With maintained economic stability and continuously improved human resource quality, the government is optimistic about achieving inclusive, sustainable, and competitive economic growth towards the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.