Heru Subiyantoro, Indonesia
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Secretary, Directorate General of Fiscal Balance
Ministry of Finance
Public Policy Program (’88)
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Please tell us about your career path so far. What is your area of specialization and how did you come to work in this area?
I have been working with the Indonesian Ministry of Finance (MOF) since 1984. Meanwhile, since 1981, thus prior to my assignment with MOF, I have also been lecturing at several universities. Working at MOF and lecturing at the same time, means that I could combine both practical issues and its theoretical background. I love to be a lecturer, because sometimes students ask “naughty” questions, which can stimulate me to think and to find the answer.
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I got my master’s degree in development economics from the Faculty of Economics, University of Indonesia in 1983 and I joined MOF soon after graduation. From 1986-1988 I got a chance to pursue a further study at the Graduate School of Policy Science of Saitama University (the predecessor of GRIPS) under the Japanese Monbusho Scholarship. In 1992 I returned to Japan and stayed in Nagoya until 1996 to continue my study in the Graduate School of Business Administration (major in Finance), with a scholarship from the Indonesian Ministry of Finance. I received my Ph.D. degree in Business Administration in 1998. I am currently teaching at my alma mater, the University of Indonesia, and also at a private university.
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With Australian and Indonesian colleagues at Waiwo Dive Resort.
While working with the Ministry of Finance, I have had a chance to cover a wide range of areas, from National Budget Planning to Monetary and Balance of Payment Affairs, Debt Management, International Relations and, Research and Statistics. My current job is dealing with Local Governments Affairs.
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My main responsibility is to support the functions of the Directorate General of Fiscal Balance to conduct the policy on fiscal relation between central government and local governments. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 17,508 islands, with over 238 million people. The country is divided into 33 provinces and 491 cities and regencies with more than 60% of the population living in Java island, which counts for only 6% of the total land area. And across its many islands, Indonesia consists of distinct ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups.
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This diversity has resulted in big differences across local governments in terms of its budgets, capacities and development, and it is the responsibility of the central government to narrow or balance these gaps.
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What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your work and what have been the most interesting or rewarding aspects of your career thus far?
In front of Kasepuhan Palace, Cirebon, West Java Province
As a heterogeneous state, Indonesia started its decentralization policy in 2001. The policy has been taken to fulfill the needs of its people and to fasten the development across nation. The main objectives of decentralization include promoting the better delivery of government services and the raising of the level of local government accountability. However, good governance is still difficult to achieve in some of the regions.
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As for the rewarding aspects, in the past six years working with the unit, I have done a lot of travelling and visited many cities and islands, including some very remote ones. Each place has its own uniqueness and beauty, especially with its natural eco-systems. This is something we should treasure and which I have truly come to appreciate.
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I would like to be a professional MOF official, and also to continue lecturing. The educational background I got from two Japanese universities has provided me with the intellectual enrichment and also cultural understanding. This is very important to support my daily activities.
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You spent many years in Japan as you obtained both your Masters and Ph.D. in Japan. What is your fondest memory of your time spent in Japan and how has your time and studies here influenced you in your subsequent life and career?
Since I lived in Japan for 6 years, and my first daughter was born in Nagoya in Aichi prefecture we named her Aiko which is derived from kanji character of “Ai” = love, and it is also the first kanji character of Aichi. And my second daughter was born in Bandung. Her name is “Minami” = south, since she was born in southern hemisphere, and it also remind us of the first kanji character of my university, Nanzan (Southern Mountain) in Nagoya. I consider Japan as my second home country. Nowadays, I still communicate with both Japanese and international classmates, professors and some Japanese people from both Tokyo and Nagoya. I am happy to have a lot of friends there. Friendship makes live easier.
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Star fish found at Bangka-Belitung beaches
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What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working?
I like reading and also travelling. Indonesia is a very large country, and it is almost impossible to visit every corner of the country. You can imagine that 524 local governments (33 provinces and 491 cities and regencies) cannot be visited in a year, which has only 365 days.
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How do you maintain a balance between your work and the rest of your life?
Keeping the balance between work and rest of my life is very important. That is why when I had an assignment to visit local governments, I always considered it as more than just work and tried to get the most out of it. Work should be fun and I have always enjoyed visiting areas, where I have never been there before.
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What advice would you give to current GRIPS students?
Please do work and study hard, and make a lot of friends there. The friends you make at GRIPS are a real asset and the rest of your life you will enjoy the fruits of these friendships, both professionally and private.
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Do you have any suggestions on how to further utilize the GRIPS alumni network?
The alumni network is another important thing. You will all become a bridge between Japan and your country, and across countries. Good luck, and I wish you all good health and happiness. Gambatte Kudasai.
