VP Calls For Expansion Of Employment Opportunities

Jakarta, Sept 18 (Antara) - Vice president Boediono has called on cabinet members to prioritize the expansion of employment opportunities in anticipation of slower national economic growth. "The global crisis has caused upheavals in the global financial market and they have also affected Indonesia. Due to that Indonesia`s economic growth is projected to slow down," he said in his directives at a meeting on employment programs at his office here on Wednesday. The vice president further stressed that creating jobs must become the cabinet`s priority and that all must understand that its main driver was economic growth. When economic growth slows down, new job creation will also slow down and so "to overcome it, we must direct greater growth to sectors that will create jobs, such as labor-intensive projects," he pointed out. Another way to ward off the effects of slower growth was by improving the efficiency of the manpower market, he added. According to the vice president, the manpower market was not yet ideal because supply did not meet demand. "There is a mismatch between supply and demand," he said. He said this mismatch could be a result of the poor quality of information and a lack of manpower training and counseling. "I ask all ministries and institutions concerned to formulate focus programs so that the problem can be overcome," he said. Meanwhile, the National Team for Acceleration of Poverty Eradication (TNP2K) has formulated guidelines with the help of top officials from various ministries and institutions that will focus on working references (KAK) in their concerned offices. The efforts have been compressed into five programs, namely improvement of employment information service, improvement of workers` skills and capacity, development of micro, small and medium businesses and entrepreneurship, increasing infrastructure development (including community-based infrastructure) and emergency employment programs. "Let us improve the programs, which are focused on adjusting manpower demand and supply," the vice president stated. The vice president has appointed the National Development Planning Board and the Finance Ministry to spearhead these efforts.