VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The eastern part of Indonesia will see GDP (gross domestic product) growth of 5.78-6.53 percent in 2022, the National Development Planning (PPN) Ministry/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) has forecast.

"The regional development policy in the RPJMN (medium-term national development plan) 2022-2024 is aimed at reducing disparities among regions. In 2022, regional development will focus on several efforts to restore (the economy) from the COVID-19 impact soon and reduce disparities," PPN Ministry/Bappenas deputy for regional development, Rudy Soeprihadi Prawiradinata, said during a working meeting with the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Bappenas is targeting to boost eastern Indonesia’s Human Development Index to 62.06-78.12 and lower the percentage of poor people to 10.97 percent, he informed.

The agency expects western Indonesia to record GDP growth of 4.99-5.68 percent in 2022. Meanwhile, its Human Development Index is projected to reach 70.53-82.99 and the percentage of poor people is targeted to reach 8.64 percent.

The target under national priority (PN) 2 of the government's work plan for 2022 is to develop regions in order to reduce disparities and ensure regional equity, Prawiradinata said.

The national priority comprises seven programs, which include the development of regions in Sumatra, Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua, he added.

"The regulation needed to support the national priority 2 is a bill on urban areas and revision of government regulation number 13 of 2017 on amendment to government regulation number 26 of 2008 concerning the national spatial plan," he said. (Antaranews)