Riau Governor Speech in the Discussion Meeting on Development Planning of Riau Province (Part 2)

Dear Honourable Gentlemen,

From the aspect of Community Empowerment through K2i program, has been applied various steps of operational such as poverty reduction activities through the Strengthening Business Capital program, asset redistribution, society basic needs services and other programs. Whereas for the aspects increasing the quality of Human Resources has been done through the Primary Education Service, Improvement of Education Quality, Relevance of Education and Strengthening of Health Services began in the village (Polindes, Posyandu, Representation of Puskesmas, Puskesmas and posted midwife in the Village) improvingly to the hospital services. While in the service of Infrastructure conducted comprehensively both for the infrastructure for investment and the infrastructure for villages such as village roads, small healthy houses, clean water for villages, electricity and others.

Efforts being performed currently, gradually and consistently are implemented through program and budget sharing between the Government of Riau Province and its Districts / Cities all over Riau Province. Those aim in creating same vision and policies and efforts to accelerate in the achievement of targets and the desired development goals.

Various development indicators which measured in the last few years may also be necessary to be an evaluation to all of us in the context of strengthening the Development Planning 2009 and following years, such as the Economic Growth of Riau without oil and gas. Based on year 2007 with preliminary results was ± 8.22%, which above the national average and above the average of Sumatra.

From the indicators of population growth within the period 2000 - 2005 population growth in Riau was 4.05% while in 2006 was 4.01%, and based on the preliminary calculation in 2007 increased to 5.23%, this figure is far above the National average growth that was only ± 1.34%.

Furthermore, when measured from the contribution of the business field, then the agriculture, industry and trade given contribution as much as 81.57% and likewise seen from the main livelihood of the population of Riau Province that 52.18% in the agricultural sector, and this indicated to us that villages with its agricultural sector is a major potential that we need to and we must utilize together to improve the welfare of the people, in addition to development in urban areas that have the specifications of different development needs.

Therefore, in 2009 and future years the attention on the agricultural sector, which supported by industrial sector need to be strengthened just like utilizing the priority commodity in each sub-sector whereas oriented to agribusiness and agro-industry that needs to be managed by professionals such as cow cattle-breeding, cultivation fisheries, food operations Riau Makmur (OPRM) with a target of 100,000 hectares of agricultural land besides the program of re-plantation of the gardens of the people, and others.

Moreover, from the open unemployment indicator, also shows a trend that is decreasing, which in 2005 was 13.91% while until February 2006 dropped to 11.45% and up to the March 2007 was 10.39%. Prevention of unemployment are very depended on the opening of vacancies through investment by business sector and banking and government support through the improvement of skills and expertise of manpower, beside the strengthening the capital and the efforts in the community themselves.

Along with the above condition, in this opportunity I call on, especially to Business players to be more proactive to empower the people of Riau to become productive labor in order to encouraging the growth and development of small and medium business, improvement of infrastructure and improvement of the quality of human resources, become a concrete efforts by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from each business player in Riau Province territory.

Beside the above indicators, the development of other indicators become the main issue nowadays is Poverty Level. Based on the BPS (statistic) data 2004 in Riau Province was 14.67% and in 2006 was decreased to be 13.34%, as well as in the year 2007, based on preliminary counting tended to be decreased 11.25%.

Attendees that I Respect,

In this good occasion let me raised my views and aspirations on the issue of the progress of the development in Riau Province, especially since the implementation of regional autonomy in the year 2001. We are very grateful that there has been a significant increasing in the allocation of development funds, both at the Provincial and districts / cities, with the Financial Balancing Policy between the Central Government and the Regions, especially with regard to balanced funds from oil and gas. However, the allocation of funds which in effect within this last six (6) year has not been able to pursue the lack of development that occurred in a period of time long enough, meantime the potential and strategic location of Riau Province that directly cross to Malacca strait also has a strategic value both in National and Bilateral. That is why, the allocation of funds available at this time has not been able to encourage and make the Riau Province as one of the centers of economic growth in Indonesia. On the other hand, the impact of the amount of the allocation of funds given by the central government has caused Fiscal Capacity of this area considered relatively high and it tends to have a negative influence on the State Budget allocation of funds, such as the General Allocation Fund, Special Allocation Fund and Deconcentrated Fund for Riau Province.

Therefore, expectations to the future, with a view strategic location of the region and the content of large natural resources, it is a logical policy to make Riau Province as one of central New Economic Growth in Indonesia, thus we expect to the central government can push and accelerate the development through various formulated policies. Programs and the strategic activities that is synergized with the programs planned by the Government of Riau Province and its districts / cities, eventually can live the economic community and business investment. I'm sure, by setting Riau as a new economic growth center will be able to make good multiplier effect for other areas in the hinterland region of Riau, so in turn, the economic growth and equal distribution of development in Indonesia can be run simultaneously.

My honourable Attendees,

From the challenges and problems of development that being faced and associated with Potential, Opportunities and joint commitment to realizing Riau 2020 with motto "realizing Riau Province as the center of Economic and Malay Culture in the religious community, prosperous, in Southeast Asia Year 2020 ", which then turned into the Vision of Development and Strategic Plan 2004-2008 then through this discussion meeting of development planning of Riau Province, which is being held, particularly to face year 2009, I want to emphasize the following:

Planning process that is done now is to be the Main Media of Public Consultation for all stakeholders, Local Government, Community, Universities and the Business Player. Therefore, people aspiration in the form of inputs and advice will be information that can be considered for setting the program and development activities of Regional Development Area and as Policy Recommendations to support the implementation of the Program and Activities Fiscal Year 2009. From this meeting, we hope it can raise variety of decisions that established through a joint commitment between the player of the development toward the programs or activities and the available budget. The process and mechanism of decision-making will be treated anticipatively by referring to the regional development planning documents of Riau Province.

Besides the Strategy and Policy of Regional Development, the Strategy and Policy Development of the Central Government in which is amended in the Government Work Plan (RKP), particularly to the National Development Priority Program is necessary to be synergized as well in order the APBN and APBD allocation of funds as an integrated unit in the efforts to achieve goals and targets as planned.
In relation to the field implementation of the development planning process, the supervision improvement is need accordingly. Especially to the Internal Supervision, it is expected to be more optimized in the effort to increase performance of accountability, strengthening of the financial management and the development, and many others where they will bring to the building up persuasively and preventively.
The priority of the development of Riau Province in year 2009, emphasized to:

Poverty reducing that oriented to the improvement of people economic and provision of service of the people basic needs.
Provision of infrastructure which is able to provide support for the development of investment, production and marketing, opening the isolation area, developing of potential area and fast growing, beside the improvement and maintenances against the existing infrastructure at this time.
Improving the Quality of Human Resources through services improvement and the quality of education, training and improvement of skills and the strengthening of health services.

Revitalizing the agricultural sector through strengthening the priority local commodity in creating One Village One Product, which is managed professionally through an approaching agribusiness and agro industry also aimed to gain food resistance through food operation for Riau prosperity.

Development of Malay Culture as a manifestation Riau Vision 2020 which can be implemented through various action plan, such establishing Riau to be the center of Language and Literature, information center of Malay culture, center of Malay Cultural Education through the actualization of live, art and multiple event of Malay culture that is as one of unity.

Development of Tourism in the form of objects and Tourism events in every districts / cities, in order to make Riau as the Tourism visit Year 2009. It is related to Indonesia tourism visit and the IMT-GT tourism visit year 2008.

Besides the main priority has been delivered, then other priorities such as Improving the Quality of life of religious, expansion of employment opportunities in the event of anticipation of unemployment, Youth Development and Sports, Environmental Conservation, Law Enforcement and Anti Corruption is an integrated unit in implementing of the Development of Riau Province, today and in the future.

In the context of accelerating the achievement of development results that actualized through synergies and policy development, then the Program and Budget sharing, especially between the Government and the Government of Riau Province and government of its districts / cities hopefully can be implemented consistently and increasingly improved.

In the moment with the preparation of programs and activities that come from the local revenue and expenses budget of Riau Province, also made the Formulation Development Plan, which is coming from the State Budget. For that purpose is required to strengthen the planning through a realistic reason and supported with data accurately and comprehensively, match with the focus and priority of National Development in which amended in the Government Work Plan Year 2009. Therefore, it is expected to all the development actors both the Provincial Government, districts /cities and the support from various stakeholders to jointly struggling in the Development Plan, which is sourced from the Budget Year 2009.

Attendees who I respect,

Thus some things that I need to deliver with the hope that can be used as a reference in the implementation of this discussion meeting of development planning of Riau Province, and by saying:

”BISMILLAAHIRRAHMAANIRRAHIM”

The Discussion Meeting on Development Planning of Riau Province year 2008, hereby I officially state the event is opened.

May Allah SWT, always bless and bestow mercy to all of us to go to better tomorrow.

Thank you,

Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

Pekanbaru, 25 Maret 2008 Pekanbaru, March 25, 2008
GOVERNOR of RIAU PROVINCE
HM RUSLI ZAINAL



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