Human resources and development

I would like to correct two misimpressions that your Nov. 1, 1996 article on my recent speech to the International Association of Financial Executive Institutes Congress may leave on your readers. First, my talk was on the ASEAN region, not on Indonesia. Second, at several points in my talk, I emphasized the critical role that human resources have played and will continue to play in the region's development. In response to a question at the end of my presentation, I went so far as to say that "human resource development is the development challenge for the region's countries in the next decade."

The Republic of Indonesia does have a good track record of bringing education and health services to its people, as do most other ASEAN countries. But the job is nowhere near done. As I said in my presentation, even greater efforts on the human resource front will be needed in the future if ASEAN is to maintain its position as the world's fastest growing region.

DENNIS DE TRAY

Director

The World Bank Resident

Staff in Indonesia