ITS Campus, ITS News – Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) once again shows its contribution to the development of Indonesia. Together with the Republic of Indonesia Government Communication Agency (Bakom RI), ITS hosted a Forum Group Discussion (FGD) activity which reviewed several government policies from the perspective of academics and practitioners at the ITS Rectorate Building, Wednesday (18/2).
Opening the discussion forum, ITS Rector Prof Dr (HC) Ir Bambang Pramujati ST MSc Eng PhD stated that this FGD is a form of contribution from the Indonesian people to the government. Through this discussion, input from various layers of society attending the FGD becomes a bridge of criticism and evaluation for government programs. “Input from various parties is important for Bakom RI to improve government policies,” said this ITS Mechanical Engineering Professor.
In line with the ITS Rector, FGD Chief Executive Prof Dr Murpin Josua Sembiring Gurky SE MSi stated that this critical discussion also addressed the pros and cons of current government programs. One of them is the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program which still requires deeper study. “If several current government programs succeed in accelerating human resource transformation, then the government is optimistic about heading towards Golden Indonesia 2045,” asserted the man from Binjai.
Furthermore, the keynote speaker and Head of Bakom RI Angga Raka Prabowo stated that this discussion serves as a platform for disseminating information on several programs from the 8th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto. One of them is the MBG program which serves as a form of synergy by the Indonesian government to intervene in the nutrition of the children who are the nation’s successors. Even so, the shortcomings and obstacles in the MBG program still need to be systematically improved for mutual benefit.
For the sake of improving policies in a better direction, Angga realizes that the MBG program still needs evaluation from diverse perspectives. One of them comes from ITS student representative Marcellino Pasaribu, who revealed that the MBG budget could be allocated for other educational activities, such as repairing school facilities and teachers’ wages. “The MBG funds could even be used for post-disaster recovery in Aceh,” reminded the 1st Secretary General of the ITS Student Executive Board (BEM).
In closing, Angga conveyed that the input from this discussion will be forwarded to the central government so it can become concrete action. The Jakarta-born man also hopes that through focused discussions like this, several disinformations that have spread in the community can be straightened out. “The information consumed by the public needs to be straightforward so as not to create a bad image of the government,” concluded the man who also serves as one of the Deputy Ministers of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) of the Republic of Indonesia.
This talk show aligns with the efforts of higher education institutions as a discussion forum between layers of society and the government. This is in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among others, point 2 on Zero Hunger, point 3 regarding Good Health and Well-being, and point 4 related to Quality Education. (ITS PUBLIC RELATIONS)
Reporter: Ahmad Husein Al Qomary