Author name: Ruslan effendi

A budget is not merely a string of numbers on a working paper; it is a concrete mechanism to ensure that every Indonesian child—from Sabang to Merauke, regardless of social class or geographical divide—receives their right to an equal quality of education.

Indonesia’s commodity-producing regions remain caught in a cycle of extractive dependence. Despite generating substantial volumes of coal, palm oil, minerals, fisheries products, and other primary commodities, many of these regions struggle to convert resource wealth into sustainable economic development. Rather than capturing greater value from their natural assets, local economies remain heavily reliant on the export of raw materials, leaving them highly vulnerable to fluctuations in global commodity markets.