Aceh's Strategic Project Paradox and Slowing Economic Growth |
Aceh's economic growth in 2024 will only be 4.66 percent or below the national economic growth of 5.03 percent. Compared to the neighboring province, North Sumatra, which has the same national economic growth of 5.03 percent, Aceh is still lagging behind.
One of the things that maintains North Sumatra's economic growth is the holding of the 21st National Sports Week (PON). Aceh also hosted PON, but it did not have a positive effect on economic growth. It turns out that in the economic sector, Aceh is also an anomaly.
The existence of 32 strategic projects in Aceh in 2025 should have an impact on economic growth and job creation. On average, just one percent of economic growth can absorb around 270 thousand workers. In the midst of economic pressures due to domestic, national, and global factors, economic growth, although driven by consumptive factors, is highly expected.
The condition of consumptive economic growth that usually always occurs during Eid al-Fitr, does not seem to occur this year because various reports describe a decrease in purchasing power.
The 32 strategic projects in Aceh are spread across various districts and cities, so they are expected to have an impact on the growth and prosperity of local districts and cities as well as neighboring areas. Improving facilities and infrastructure in the region should have an impact on improving the quality of life of its people, especially since some of these projects cover the education, health, and economic sectors and increasing community productivity.
Of the 32 strategic projects, some are continuations of previous projects that have not been completed. Completion of these strategic projects is a gamble for the acceleration of economic development, infrastructure, and the welfare of the Acehnese people.
In addition, completing strategic projects on time according to predetermined standards is a gamble for public trust in the new government. Project quality must also be a concern. So far, many strategic projects have also become non-strategic. Projects that spend hundreds of billions of funds ultimately do not provide benefits to the community. Or if there are any, they are not balanced with the amount of funds disbursed to complete a project whose money could come from taxes paid by the people.
Many strategic projects actually become non-strategic because the purpose of implementing development is only to seek profit for the people involved in it; individuals in government, supervisors, and partners. The community that receives the results of development is actually ignored, sometimes they don't even really need that type of project.
For this reason, strategic project development must be inclusive and involve the community from the planning stage. The government no longer considers the people as objects who inevitably have to accept the project even though they don't really need it. This mindset must be eliminated so that a sense of ownership and responsibility for the results of the project grows in the community.[]
Does it matter if Aceh is behind? You can compare but are the situations/circumstances exactly the same? If there are more mouth the feed it might be wise to move or start a business yourself or stop having children like what happens in many countries. Welfare doesn't come if you worry day and night and cannot pay the bills not to mention the costs for raising a child.
If governments don't care it basically means you are thrown on yourself and the only solution is to be independent and take care of your own food and clothes so there's no need to buy food.
Interesting to see that you have cows we hardly have since we had cow madness years ago.
I start by responding to the question of whether it matters if Aceh is left behind. The same question can be asked of anyone in any province in any country.
For me, Aceh being left behind is very worrying. It is the same for Indonesia. As a former area of armed conflict for 32 years and an area of devastating tsunami disaster in 2004, getting out of being left behind is very important. The people of Aceh and Indonesia do not want Aceh to return to the way it was.
The Free Aceh Movement, took up arms against the government of the Republic of Indonesia for reasons of welfare. Aceh has abundant natural wealth in the fields of oil and gas, plantations, marine, and the Leuser forest is one of the lungs of the world.
When its people are left behind both economically and educationally, armed conflict will easily erupt again. I have been a journalist since 1997 and have witnessed the pain caused by armed conflict.
Thank you for your very insightful comments. Warm greetings from Aceh, Indonesia.