Sugiono vows to accelerate programs to build Indonesia’s human capital

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2 hours ago

The essence of all these programs is to provide the best access to quality education for all Indonesians..

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Sugiono said he would ensure that all government agendas, particularly those aimed at building superior human resources, are implemented on time and achieve their intended targets.

“The President is carrying out a major transformation for the Indonesian nation, one of which is building quality Indonesians. This is our task going forward: ensuring these agendas can be carried out on time and on target,” Sugiono said here on Monday.

He made the statement during a handover ceremony at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture’s office.

Sugiono said various programs that are already underway need to be continuously improved and refined, while programs requiring acceleration must be implemented sooner. He divided the government’s agenda into several clusters: education, health, disaster resilience, and poverty reduction.

In education, he noted that the Indonesian government has launched several priority programs, including renovating 300,000 schools and madrasas by 2029, building 500 Sekolah Rakyat schools, establishing 500 integrated national schools, and building and transforming 100 Garuda Excellence Schools.

In addition, the government is seeking to improve teacher welfare, digitalize education through the installation of one million interactive flat panels, establish STEM universities, build a National Sports Academy, and attract Indonesian diaspora talent back to contribute to the national development.

Sugiono also said that a plan to provide free education from preschool through public universities is still under discussion at the ministry.

“The essence of all these programs is to provide the best access to quality education for all Indonesians in order to produce superior human resources,” he said.

In the health sector, the government is also pursuing transformation through several programs, including renovating 10,000 community health centers (puskesmas), building and revitalizing 441 regional general hospitals across Indonesia, and providing free health checkups. The government has also launched efforts to eliminate tuberculosis and increase the availability of health workers, including specialist doctors and dentists needed by the public.

The next cluster is disaster resilience. According to Sugiono, Indonesia’s geographic position along the Pacific Ring of Fire means the country must be prepared to face various potential disasters.

“The priority is to build the nation’s preparedness and implement an early warning system for all Indonesians, especially those living in disaster-prone areas,” he said.