Ahead of the 2024 Vice Presidential Debate, These are the Economic Issues the Public Most Anticipates

The second 2024 Presidential Election debate will be held at the Jakarta Convention Center, Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Friday (12/22/2023).

This debate will feature three vice-presidential candidates: Muhaimin Iskandar, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Mahfud MD.

The theme of this debate is People's and Digital Economy, Finance, Investment, Taxation, Trade, State and Regional Budget Management, Infrastructure, and Urban Development.

So, what issues are the public most anticipating?

According to the latest Kompas Research and Development survey, out of the eight themes, public attention is concentrated on one major theme: the people's and digital economy.

Within this theme, the majority, or 32.9% of respondents, most eagerly await discussion on job creation to reduce unemployment.

Then, 23.8% anticipate discussion on controlling the prices of goods and services, 11% on improving people's living standards, and 10% on overcoming poverty.

Regarding infrastructure, 9.2% of respondents anticipate discussion on equitable development across regions.

Meanwhile, issues related to the quantity and quality of economic growth and ease of entrepreneurship received less than 6% of responses, as shown in the graph.

The remaining 0.7% of respondents anticipate other issues, and 2.5% answered that there are no economic topics they expect.

"Considering these problems, the public hopes that the vice-presidential candidates can offer real ideas that can solve these persistent problems," wrote Kompas Research and Development researchers in their report on Thursday (12/21/2023).

This Kompas Research and Development survey involved 509 respondents from 34 provinces in Indonesia. The sample was randomly selected from Kompas Research and Development panel respondents according to the population proportion in each province.

Data collection was conducted from December 18-20, 2023, using telephone interviews. This survey has a margin of error of approximately 4.35% under simple random sampling conditions, and a 95% confidence level.

(See also: List of 11 Vice-Presidential Debate Panelists, Mostly Academics)