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Hanns Seidel Foundation co-operation with the Habibie Centre
National Seminar on “Social Justice and the Provision of Job-Opportunities in Indonesia”

Social justice - as expressed as a principle in the Indonesian state philosophy Pancasila - is an important political issue in Indonesia. However, surveys conducted in 2018 show that the fear of unemployment increases (48,4% of respondents agreed).

The Keynote Speech was delivered by H.E. Hanif Dhakiri, Indonesian Minister of Labour.

The Keynote Speech was delivered by H.E. Hanif Dhakiri, Indonesian Minister of Labour.

HSF

Current state of affairs

Social justice is the fifth principle of the Pancasila. It has a close relation to the national development agenda and will be a key focus of the candidates in the upcoming parliamentarian and presidential elections. Although Indonesia has made some progress over the last three decades, regarding the stabilization of the economy and development, the job market data implies that, particularly in rural areas, people are afraid of losing their jobs.

Although extreme poverty has decreased, the economic growth is not followed by more equal incomes. The wealth gap between rich and poor in Indonesia is one of the worst in the world.

The expert panel discussed social justice, equality and the job market for Indonesian workers.

The expert panel discussed social justice, equality and the job market for Indonesian workers.

HSF

National Seminar

The Indonesian Minister of Manpower, Mohammad Hanif Dhakiri, underlined in his keynote speech that the government is aware and responds the issue. One focus is to optimize the training of workers through specialized vocational training centres (BLK). The Government has established more than 1,000 BLK throughout Indonesia and the target is to train one million workers per year. Subsidies are provided to workers so that they can undertake the training free of charge.

Other panellists followed-up on the insightful remarks of the minister in their presentations. The panel included experts with various backgrounds such as energy technology and business development, activists from migrant organisations, researchers from the Habibie Center, and a representative of the Indonesian Entrepreneurial Association. Overall, there was a consensus that more needs to be done to reach the goal of a more prosperous and equal society.