Interior Minister Assesses North Sumatra's Development Indicators as Showing Positive Trends

Medan (ANTARA) - Interior Minister Tito Karnavian assesses that development indicators in North Sumatra show positive trends, although equitable distribution across regions still needs improvement. He also spotlighted the achievement of North Sumatra’s Human Development Index (HDI), which is above the national average. “The HDI reflects the quality of the population, in terms of education, health, and others. North Sumatra’s HDI stands at 76.47, higher than the national figure of 75.90. This means the quality of human resources in North Sumatra is relatively good,” Tito said while attending the Deliberation on Regional Development Planning (Musrenbang) for the 2027 Regional Government Work Plan (RKPD) in North Sumatra in Medan on Wednesday. Meanwhile, North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution stated that the direction of regional development is focused on six main pillars in the 2027 RKPD Musrenbang. These six pillars include accelerating quality growth, increasing productivity, enhancing investment, developing industries based on local potential, strengthening regional competitiveness, and post-disaster recovery. “Accelerating development in the Nias Islands is one solution to reduce disparities, and we will push it in 2027,” he said. To support development in that region, the North Sumatra Provincial Government has established three development clusters in the Nias Islands, namely production areas, logistics, and tourism. He added that the 2027 development plan is an expansion phase of programmes started since 2025, with the hope of providing sustainable impacts until 2029. In addition to physical development, the North Sumatra Provincial Government is also rolling out a free education policy to be implemented starting from the 2026 academic year, particularly in the Nias Islands and disaster-affected areas. “For the Nias Islands region, all senior high schools (SMA), vocational high schools (SMK), and special needs schools (SLB) will no longer charge fees,” he said. In the health sector, the North Sumatra Provincial Government is also providing scholarships for prospective specialist doctors with priority placement in the Nias Islands. “Currently, there are 18 doctors pursuing specialist education at the University of North Sumatra,” Bobby stated.