Coordinating Minister Airlangga Encourages Strengthening The Dynamic Manpower Market While Speaking At WEF

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto conveyed Indonesia's position in an effort to encourage the strengthening of the dynamic labor market during the World Economic Forum (WEF) special meeting session in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, April 28.

Indonesia has prepared comprehensive anticipatory steps to invest in training and education, such as education at an early age, vocational, as well as preparation and training for job seekers.

Airlangga also emphasized the importance of MSMEs as part of efforts to create jobs in Indonesia, as well as revealing the success of the Job Creation Law which effectively reduces barriers to domestic and foreign investment.

"It is recorded that the increase in the average PMA (foreign investment) reached 29.4 percent in the five quarters after the implementation of the law," Airlangga said as quoted from his statement in Jakarta, quoted from Antara.

Touching on MSMEs, Coordinating Minister Airlangga also mentioned that the implementation of public policies by providing inclusive financing incentives, technical assistance, and equitable distribution of digital infrastructure are one of the government's priority efforts, including in the context of realizing Indonesia Emas 2045.

In addition, Airlangga also expressed the importance of digitalization in responding to labor market problems for the younger generation today.

"Indonesia uses digitalization as a new engine of growth and education in supporting digitization such as cooperation with IBM and the Apple Academy," he explained.

On the same occasion, Airlangga also revealed the Merdeka Learning program where students can have an internship experience.

In addition, there are super-duction incentives for research activities and various other tax incentives for education.

He also revealed the magnitude of Indonesia's challenges in the field of manpower.

"Indonesia is a big country, if projected to go to Europe, it will stretch from Ireland to Kazakhstan. Indonesia's population is large and every year there are almost 5 million people born. Therefore, Indonesia must prepare at least 5 million jobs every year," he said.