Commission X DPR RI Urges BPS Role in Education Mapping & Inclusive Development in South Kalimantan

Banjarbaru — Commission X of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI) held a working visit and recess session at the Meratus Hall, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) of South Kalimantan Province, on Friday, April 11, 2025. The meeting, chaired by Mercy Chriesty Barends, S.T., was attended by members of Commission X, the Secretariat of Commission X, Acting Principal Secretary of BPS/Deputy for National Accounts and Statistical Analysis, the Head of BPS South Kalimantan, Heads of BPS from all regencies/cities in South Kalimantan, and representatives from the South Kalimantan Language Center. During the session, Commission X emphasized the importance of educational mapping in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) areas, as well as marginalized regions, through the provision of not only accurate and up-to-date data, but also data that considers geographic, demographic, and economic inequality factors.

Presentations were delivered by Moh Edy Mahmud, Deputy for National Accounts and Statistical Analysis at BPS, and Mukhamad Mukhanif, Head of BPS South Kalimantan, highlighting the role of meaningful statistics as a foundation for inclusive development. BPS reported that South Kalimantan's economic growth reached 5.15%, slightly above the national average. While the economy is predominantly driven by the mining sector, most of the population is employed in agriculture and trade, indicating structural imbalances that must be addressed. With the rapid increase in the youth population, there is an urgent need to expand access to quality education and create job opportunities. The discussion also underscored the importance of increasing the average years of schooling, particularly for children under the age of 15, who are experiencing significant demographic growth.

Additionally, BPS South Kalimantan reiterated its commitment to professionalism and budget efficiency, while highlighting the need for affirmative policies, particularly concerning field staff safety and operational support for surveys. Both Commission X and BPS agreed on the urgency of passing a new Statistics Law to strengthen the legal foundation of future statistical work. Commission X also expressed its openness to receiving input from all stakeholders, including those from South Kalimantan, regarding revisions to Law No. 16 of 1997 on Statistics, and committed to forwarding all inputs to the national-level discussions with the government for future policy consideration.