The Minister of Finance (Menkeu) of the Republic of Indonesia (RI), Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Ph.D, delivered a public lecture to thousands of new students of Universitas Indonesia (UI) on the current global economic situation and optimism about the Indonesian economy amidst the challenges of realizing Indonesia Emas 2045 in the Pengenalan Kehidupan Kampus Mahasiswa Baru (PKKMB) (Introduction to Campus Life for New Students) activity which took place last Wednesday, August 7, at Balairung UI, Depok Campus.
In her speech, Sri Mulyani said that the current competition between Western and non-Western countries has an impact on the global economy. In fact, the pandemic that occurred five years ago has hit the world’s financial stability. “Many countries are struggling to recover. Not only health and the economy, the issues of poverty and inequality are also increasingly clear, so many countries are reformulating their fiscal policies and using the State Budget (APBN) as a tool to face these challenges,” she said.
In this situation, Indonesia needs a thorough strategy in using the State Budget, or the Anggaran Pendapatan dan Belanja Negara (APBN), and the Regional Budget, or the Anggaran Pendapatan dan Belanja Daerah (APBD), as both are important tools that must be used carefully. However, she regretted the attitude of the public who easily accepted information related to the APBN without confirming its truth. “On social media, the APBN is often identified with taxes and state debt. In fact, the APBN is much broader than that,” she said.
Therefore, she hopes that UI students can study the APBN more deeply and thoroughly, and understand state finances comprehensively. The younger generation must be able to filter and sort out the onslaught of information circulating on social media. “Generation Z is a generation that has extraordinary access to information. You were born when cell phones were everywhere and the internet was connected. So, the challenge faced is no longer about access, but rather choosing. How to choose one from the millions presented, and choose the right information from the many hoaxes circulating,” said Sri Mulyani.
Students are also expected to be able to use technology wisely, so that their abilities and capacities increase, especially in building the Indonesian economy. This is important because superior human resources (HR) are one of the three main factors of economic growth, in addition to capital and productivity factors. Therefore, students must make the most of learning opportunities so that they can become a superior generation that has the ability and is globally competitive.
In addition to ability and capacity, superior human resources must have integrity. Sri Mulyani believes that people who do not have integrity are pawning their self-esteem. She said, “In this world, almost everything has a price, but one thing that should not and should not be traded is self-integrity. If integrity has been traded, a person loses his self-worth.”
According to her, UI students must maintain their integrity wherever and whenever because UI always produces people who decide the fate of this nation. “If in their role, they are willing to sell integrity, it is the same as pawning Indonesia. For that, do not just be proud of the Makara symbol without filling your brain with knowledge. Study well on this campus and heighten the name of Makara UI to the global stage,” said Sri Mulyani.
In addition to the public lecture from the Minister of Finance, PKKMB UI 2024 also presented alumni, namely Andien and Rosianna Silalahi, who shared their career experiences in the entertainment and journalism worlds; and UI Outstanding Students 2024, namely Adnan Hasyim and Yasmina Ashfa, who shared tips for successfully achieving academic achievements at UI. The series of PKKMB activities continue as new students are expected to get to know the campus, academic regulations, and supporting student activities at UI.
