Supporting Indonesia’s development into a prosperous nation can be achieved through various steps, including actively participating in providing international aid.
This effort is embodied in the Indonesian Aid organization, which recently celebrated its 5th anniversary.
The Finance and General Affairs Director of Indonesian Aid, Vigo Widjanarko, explained that Indonesian Aid is a working unit under Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance tasked with gathering aid from various institutions and ministries to be distributed to recipient countries.
Widjanarko emphasized that Indonesian Aid represents a form of international cooperation. However, it is not merely ordinary cooperation; it has evolved into a mechanism to contribute to Indonesia’s development and progress.
“The development of human resources must also support this progress,” said Widjanarko during a talk show titled “5 Years of Indonesian Aid: Strengthening the Economy, Deepening Diplomacy,” held on Tuesday (Nov. 19) at the 4th-floor Auditorium of UGM’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol UGM).
Professor of International Relations at Fisipol UGM, Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti, remarked that Indonesian Aid could strengthen Indonesia’s economic and political diplomacy.
However, she noted that the challenge for Indonesian Aid lies in addressing public skepticism regarding the importance of the government providing aid to other countries.
This is particularly because Indonesian Aid operates under the Ministry of Finance, whereas similar organizations in other countries are typically placed under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Professor Winanti compared similar institutions in other nations, such as Thailand and Turkey. She explained that the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) operates under the authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.
TICA is empowered to manage issues related to development and cooperation with other countries, especially those in the Mekong River region. According to Professor Winanti, this is because border regions are often susceptible to issues such as migration and infectious diseases.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) operates under Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs but has faced stagnation due to Turkey’s domestic political instability.
“This is what’s interesting—the fact that these two agencies are under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlights their efforts to use aid as a form of cooperation and diplomacy,” she explained.
In Professor Winanti’s view, Indonesian Aid’s current position under the Ministry of Finance allows for greater flexibility in managing the funds provided and reflects Indonesia’s approach to using aid to enter the markets of recipient countries.
Nevertheless, she acknowledged that this approach requires compromise, as market needs and aid priorities are not always aligned.
Therefore, strong domestic support, particularly from the government and society, is essential to ensure that the public perceives Indonesian Aid’s contributions positively.
Author: Lazuardi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photographer: Donnie