Addressing the challenges regional growth and development is the key theme for the 2018 Indonesia Development Forum (IDF) in Jakarta on July 10-11.
The event, which is hosted by the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), will discuss how Indonesia can ensure that all regions are able to maximise their potential for economic growth and citizens in all parts of Indonesia are able to access quality public services.
Economic growth is currently centred in Western Indonesia, notably Java and Sumatra, which contribute 80 percent of GDP. Further east, regional economies have lagged, despite the fact that many eastern provinces are resource-rich.
"Building on the theme of IDF 2017 -'Fighting Inequality for Better Growth' - the theme of this year forum is 'Pathways to Tackle Regional Disparities across the Archipelago'," Minister of National Development Planning Bambang Brodjonegoro said at the launch of IDF 2018 on March 22 in Jakarta.
IDF 2018 will bring together leaders in government, civil society, academia, and the private sector to discuss approaches to addressing the challenges of regional development. This is a priority for the Indonesian government.
In addition to presentations by experts from government, academia, and the private sector, IDF will provide opportunities for local governments and civil society organisations to highlight local success stories that can be adopted in other areas or scaled up nationally.
Insights from IDF will support the government's efforts to tackle rising inequality. In 2017, Indonesia's Gini ratio was 0.393. The government has set a target to reduce this to 0.38 in 2018 and 0.36 in 2019. Narrowing the gaps in social and economic development across Indonesia will be key to achieving these targets.
IDF is supported by the Government of Australia through the Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI) in collaboration with other development partners. KSI is a collaboration between the governments of Indonesia and Australia which aims to improve the welfare of Indonesian citizens through quality public policies based on research, analysis and evidence.?
"I thank the Australian government for their support for this forum, which enables stakeholders to provide input and innovative solutions to help address this critical development challenge," Minister Bambang said.
