BANDUNG, unpas.ac.id – Reviewer of Public Policy as well as Vice Rector III Universitas Pasundan Dr. H. Deden Ramdan, M.Si gives more concern on West Java development achievement at the moment of its 77th anniversary.
From a public policy perspective, he assessed that there are at least five issues that still need to be resolved, namely high levels of poverty, unemployment, infrastructure services, economic growth, and environmental damage.
“The poverty rate in West Java is high. As of 2021, the percentage of poor people in West Java has reached 8.4 percent,” he said when he attended West Java TVRI Sampurasun program on Friday, 19 August 2022.
Although the human development index in West Java has shown a significant number in the last 10 years, there has been an increase in the percentage of the unemployment rate. At its peak, during the 2021 pandemic, the open unemployment rate in West Java touched 9.82 percent.
Likewise with economic growth, there was a slowdown in 2020 due to the pandemic. From the latest data, West Java’s economic growth only rose 1.18 percent from 2.56 percent to 3.74 percent.
“Infrastructure services must also be noted, one of which is the construction of highway which on the one hand, will have a positive impact on facilitating traffic, but on the other hand it requires payment,” he said.
In addition, the level of damage and pollution of life related to the conversion of productive land functions such as agriculture, forests, and so on, needs to be considered because it has an impact on people’s livelihood access.
West Java Provincial Government’s Attempts to Create 11 Prioritized Programs
Although it leaves a number of problems, he sees that West Java Provincial Government continuing to strive to fulfil West Java’s 11 prioritized programs: starting from reforming the health system, developing destinations and industries to strengthen tourism infrastructure, and others.
“There are a number of records regarding the finishing touch of West Java’s prioritized programs. This relates to the recovery and growth of the people’s economy based on innovation. Due to the pandemic, the financial aspect has weakened, resulting in an economic slowdown,” he explained.
Referring to the theme “Jabar Juara, Indonesia Juara”, he hopes that West Java can strengthen the disaster preparedness system, simplify regulations for MSME businessmen, develop digital systems, and simplify restructuring.
“Regulation needs to be simplified for MSME’s businessmen so that they are able to carry out actual movement and re-develop West Java’s economic condition, since they are our [West Java] frontliner in economy,” he said.
Apart from being support by technology, West Java can also be powerful with the support from the other 27 districts/cities. All of them should move simultaneously to maintain food resilience system and economic growth system in order to create equal distribution. (Reta)**
