UNDP praises Indonesia

UNDP praises Indonesia

Indonesia has predictably scored much better in the 1997
United Nations Development Program's (UNDP) Human Development
Index (HDI) than it did in 1996, rising from 102nd place last
year to 99th of the 175 developed and developing countries
surveyed this year. The country also performs well in the UNDP
Human Poverty Index (HPI), the first time such a human poverty
scale has been included in the UN Human Development Report that
was issued in Jakarta last week, being ranked 23rd out of the 78
developing countries studied.

The expanded concept and measurement of human development, as
assessed in the two indices, reflects the increasing importance
of a holistic development paradigm. This has been prompted by the
experiences of many countries which show that there is no
automatic link between the level of income and human poverty and
income poverty. Likewise, high per capita income does not
necessarily raise the quality of life across the population. Or
put another way, high economic growth does not automatically
translate into higher human development levels.

The HDI is based more on the direct, quantifiable results of
economic growth, measuring the quality of life by such standards
as income, life expectancy, infant mortality and education. But
the HPI broadens the concept, taking into account deprivation in
the areas of lifespan, basic education and access to public and
private resources (health services, safe water and food) which
constitute a decent standard of living. The HPI thus sees poverty
more in terms of choices and opportunities fundamental to human
development.

A holistic approach is not a completely new concept in
Indonesia's development paradigm. The final goal of the country's
national development is based on the broadest perspective of
human development: a just and prosperous, both materially and
spiritually, society.

The government, known more for its impressive economic
development record, has since the launching of the first Five
Year Development Plan in April, 1969, applied that concept into
development programs. Though it was recognized initially more as
a basic-needs approach (covering food, clothing and housing),
subsequent development has encompassed the other elements of what
is inputted into the HDI and HPI.

No wonder that President Soeharto, in his annual National Day
Address on the eve of Independence Day every Aug. 16, likes to
cite not only the indicators of the country's impressive economic
development but also the progress made in the other aspects of
human development: life expectancy, school enrollment, literacy,
health, rural electrification, women's participation in the labor
force etc.

Obviously, poverty is the main cause of people's deprivation
of most basic services and human needs, and poverty alleviation
is therefore central in the efforts to develop human resources in
their broadest perspective.

The government also realizes, as shown by the trinity of its
development concept -- growth, equity and stability -- that
economic growth contributes most to poverty reduction through the
creation of jobs. But it is also highly aware that economic
growth is not a panacea for poverty alleviation. Hence, we notice
for example, how the development program has, from the outset,
been supplemented by projects mandated by presidential
instructions covering the building of schools, rural health
centers, rural market places, rural roads and electrification.
The President further accelerated the poverty alleviation program
in 1993 by launching special projects for clearly identified
target families.

The government does deserve plaudits for its remarkable
achievements, as can be noted, among other things, by the
reduction of the number of people living below the poverty line
from 60 percent of the total population in 1970 to only 11
percent last year. Even though in Indonesia's case the 11 percent
still means more than 22 million people in absolute poverty, this
is no mean feat in a vast archipelago of more than 200 million
people. So when the UNDP rewards President Soeharto for his
distinguished services to attacking poverty on Sept. 8, it will
only serve as another symbol of international recognition in
addition to the commendations already made by other international
development agencies such as the World Bank.