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USAID Information:
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Indonesia
SNAPSHOT Date of independence: 1945 Capital: Jakarta Population: 214.7 million Annual income per person: $810
USAID IN INDONESIA indonesia.usaid.gov
CONTACTS Mission Director Walter North American Embassy Jakarta Unit 8135 USAID FPO AP 96520-8135 Tel: (011-62-21) 3435-9300
Kimberly Rosen Indonesia Desk Officer Tel: (202) 712-5275 Email: krosen@usaid.gov
A volunteer weighs a child during a Posyandu (health gathering) activity in Surabaya. One of the main goals of the Health Services Project is to improve access to quality health services in both the public and private sectors. Photo: USAID/Indonesia
Overview
Indonesia, the country with the world’s largest Muslim majority, serves as a model in blending a democratic political system with moderate Islamic thought and practice. The Government of Indonesia actively pursues the fight against corruption, is a partner in the global war on terrorism, and works hard to provide a better future for its people. USAID assistance programs focus on basic education, democratic governance, tsunami recovery, economic growth, health, water, food and the environment.
Programs
Investing In People: Education
Education in Indonesia faces inadequate funding and declining quality. In 2003, President Bush announced a $157 million education initiative, now working in 1,500 public and private schools throughout Indonesia to improve the quality of basic education. USAID works with communities and local governments to improve school management, train teachers, increase parent participation, and give youth more relevant life and job skills. To date, USAID has reached over 300,000 students and almost 24,000 administrators and teachers directly and is expected to reach 9,000 schools by 2010. Local school districts have replicated the program, benefiting another 650,000 students.
Governing Justly and Democratically By consolidating democratic reforms, USAID builds effective and accountable governance, enhances Indonesian capacity to mitigate conflict and promotes pluralism and diversity. USAID initiatives enhance the capacities of 57 local governments, together with civil society and the media, in the areas of integrated planning and budgeting, local government management, citizen-focused service delivery, resource management and mobilization and participatory governance. USAID supports peace-building in conflict-affected areas, promotes judicial reform, supports electoral processes, encourages community dialogue and religious tolerance, strengthens the capacity of the national parliament, advances national democratic reforms, supports sustainable peace in Aceh and helps Indonesia reduce trafficking of women and children.
Economic Growth For years, corruption has hampered Indonesia’s economy, but recent efforts to combat corruption, enhance financial sector soundness and build a better business climate have paid off. With USAID’s assistance, Indonesia was removed from the Financial Action Task Force’s “money laundering” monitoring list in 2006. Increased investment in 2005 also spurred the economy, which grew by 5.7 percent, while foreign direct investment in Indonesia rose to $13.6 billion in 2005 – a 30 percent increase from 2004. USAID supported the establishment of 15 one-stop service centers for business registration, slashing the time to register from 32 days to 13 and cutting costs by two-thirds.
Humanitarian Assistance: Tsunami Reconstruction Immediately following the 2004 tsunami, more than 600,000 survivors benefited from U.S. relief assistance, including shelter, food, water and sanitation services, cash-for-work and psycho-social and child protection activities. In cooperation with the Indonesian Government, reconstruction of the Banda Aceh to Calang west coast highway is underway, re-establishing a vital economic link. USAID is empowering communities to plan and rebuild their villages with a focus on restoring livelihoods, particularly for women entrepreneurs. USAID assistance will improve the delivery of critical social services. Other activities include vocational and teacher training, as well as assisting key government officials involved in reconstruction.
Investing In People: Basic Human Services One-third of Indonesia’s population does not have access to clean water. About 225,000 newborns and children under five die each year from preventable, poverty-related diseases. For every 100,000 live births, more than 300 women die. With decentralization, the responsibility for health, education and other services is now at the local district level. USAID has stepped in to help, with significant results. Fifty-nine percent of mothers giving birth have a doctor or other trained professional assist them with their delivery, a substantial increase from only 43 percent just six years ago. With the resurgence of polio and new threat of avian influenza, USAID has increased efforts on surveillance and eradication. Preventing HIV/AIDS in at-risk populations and strengthening the National Tuberculosis Program response continues to be a high priority. In addition to health services, USAID works on protecting watersheds to increase clean water, combat illegal logging and appropriate land use.
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