MATERI KELAS 9 : PERKEMBANGAN EKONOMI MASA DEMOKRASI PARLEMENTER

Summary

The video delves into the economic challenges faced by Indonesia during the parliamentary democracy era, highlighting both short-term and long-term issues. Short-term problems included high inflation and currency devaluation, while long-term concerns involved population growth and low welfare levels. The government responded with policies like the Syafruddin Cutting (currency devaluation), the Benteng Economic System (aimed at empowering local entrepreneurs), nationalizing foreign companies, and the Five-Year Development Plan. These efforts faced challenges, including a lack of competition, economic dependency, and difficulties in achieving national economic goals.

Takeaways

• 😀 The importance of education in shaping the future, as quoted by Nelson Mandela: 'Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.'
• 😀 During the parliamentary democracy period, Indonesia faced both short-term and long-term economic problems.
• 😀 Short-term economic issues included high inflation, rising cost of living, and an excess of currency circulation.
• 😀 Long-term economic problems included population growth and low living standards.
• 😀 One key policy to address the economic crisis was the 'Gunting Syafruddin' policy, which involved cutting the value of currency to curb inflation and reduce budget deficits.
• 😀 'Gunting Syafruddin' involved cutting higher-value banknotes in half, with the left side still valid for half its original value and the right side exchangeable for government bonds.
• 😀 The 'Gerakan Benteng' (Fortress Movement) aimed to shift Indonesia's economy from a colonial structure to a national one, encouraging the growth of local entrepreneurs.
• 😀 Despite its goals, 'Gerakan Benteng' struggled due to several challenges, including poor competition against non-Indonesian businesses and dependency on government support.
• 😀 The nationalization of foreign-owned companies was another step taken to reclaim economic control from colonial powers.
• 😀 A significant diplomatic event was the 'Finek' agreement, in which Indonesia sought to dissolve economic ties with the Netherlands, marking an important step toward economic independence.
• 😀 The government's 'Five-Year Development Plan' (1956-1961) faced several challenges, including the global economic depression, national security issues like Irian Barat, and local economic conflicts.

Q & A

What was the main issue faced by Indonesia's economy during the parliamentary democracy period?

The main issue was the high inflation, the circulation of excessive money, and the increasing cost of living, along with long-term problems such as population growth and low welfare levels.

What is Syafruddin's Scissors policy (Gunting Syafruddin), and why was it implemented?

Syafruddin's Scissors policy, or Sanering, was a currency devaluation policy implemented by the Minister of Finance, Syafruddin Prawiranegara, in response to Indonesia's economic crisis. It aimed to reduce the money supply and address the high national debt, inflation, and soaring prices.

How did the Syafruddin Scissors policy work in practice?

The policy involved cutting currency notes (above 5 Golden) into two pieces. The left side remained valid as legal tender at half the value, while the right side could be exchanged for government bonds, which would be repaid with interest after 30 years.

What was the objective of the Gerakan Benteng (Fortress Movement) economic system?

The Gerakan Benteng system aimed to transform the colonial economic structure into a national one, helping to develop a class of local entrepreneurs and encouraging the growth of indigenous businesses in Indonesia.

Why was the Gerakan Benteng system not fully successful?

The system failed due to several reasons, including indigenous entrepreneurs being unable to compete with non-indigenous businesses, a consumptive mindset among local entrepreneurs, and the lack of independence and ambition to develop their businesses.

What was the role of nationalization in improving Indonesia's economy?

Nationalization was part of Indonesia's strategy to take control of foreign-owned companies, particularly Dutch-owned businesses, by confiscating their properties and transferring ownership to the government.

What were the two stages of the nationalization process?

The nationalization process occurred in two stages: the first involved confiscation and control, while the second stage involved officially nationalizing the companies under government ownership.

What was the purpose of the financial-economic negotiations (Perjanjian Finek) with the Netherlands?

The purpose of the Finek negotiations was to establish a financial and economic agreement between Indonesia and the Netherlands. However, when the Dutch rejected the plan, Indonesia unilaterally dissolved the Indonesia-Netherlands Union and implemented its own economic plan.

What was the impact of the Finek negotiations on Indonesian businesses?

Following the breakdown of the negotiations, many Dutch entrepreneurs sold their businesses, and while Indonesian businesses were expected to take over, they were often not in a position to do so due to lack of resources and capacity.

What were the reasons for the failure of Indonesia's Five-Year Plan (Rencana Pembangunan Lima Tahun)?

The failure of the Five-Year Plan was primarily due to external factors such as economic depression in the U.S. and Western Europe, which affected exports and national income. Additionally, internal tensions, like the struggle for Irian Barat (West Papua) and regional economic conflicts, also hindered progress.