Researcher from UGM’s Centre for Demography and Policy, Novi Widyaningrum, SIP., MA, said regarding competitiveness issue, Indonesia was facing weak human resource problem in terms of education and health.
Competitiveness, however, look higher in economic opportunities. This is visible in the bigger availability of infrastructure, market size, business sophistication, innovation, and market economic environment.
"So, there are economic aspects being intervened here. It shows that infrastructure, education and health aspects in Indonesia have lagged by some 100 years behind those of developed countries,” she said at UGM on Thursday (26/4) during a seminar themed Contribution from Academics to Population Development.
Novi said in terms of competitiveness, there was an increase in the rank from 41 to 36 in 2017/2018. But if compared to other Asean countries, the position of Indonesia is still far away,” she said.
Data from Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) in 2017/ 2018, Thailand ranked in 32, Malaysia 23 of all 136 countries, while Singapore topping the Asean countries in 3.
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According to Novi, Indonesia’s increase to 36 was because of the infrastructures. In her opinion, three pillars of development have developed significantly, namely infrastructure, bureaucratic efficiency, and anti-corruption.
"But in terms of human resource, indonesia still ranks low in 94. This issue has to trigger the government to accelerate human resource development,” she added.