Candidates offer same economic policies<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Businessmen got their first glimpses of the five-year economic
\nroadmaps of presidential candidates Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and
\nthe incumbent president, Megawati Soekarnoputri, during a dialog
\nheld by a powerful business lobby.<\/p>\n
The economic plans unveiled by the two are basically in line
\nwith the economic programs outlined in the White Paper document,
\nwhich sets out economic reform targets promised to the
\nInternational Monetary Fund last year.<\/p>\n
In a business meeting held by the Indonesian Chamber of
\nCommerce and Industry (Kadin) on Monday, Susilo said that if
\nelected, he would enter into a \"social contract\" with the
\nbusiness community and the public.<\/p>\n
\"The contract will include a number of key economic policies
\nthat we believe will satisfy all sides. This is the only way that
\nwe can work together,\" said Susilo.<\/p>\n
Susilo explained that based upon the contract, his
\ngovernment's main economic target would to create a stable and
\nstrong economic environment, increase national output and boost
\nthe public's purchasing power.<\/p>\n
He explained that these goals could only be achieved by
\nproviding adequate infrastructure, revitalizing the local
\neconomies focusing on agriculture and manufacturing,
\nstrengthening small and medium enterprises, and ensuring legal
\ncertainty for businesses.<\/p>\n
Unlike Susilo, Megawati during her presentation preferred to
\nadopt the defensive approach by focusing on what she claimed was
\nher success in stabilizing the country's economy after the
\neconomic crisis in late 1997.<\/p>\n
\"We are currently at the end of the stabilization phase.For
\nthe next five years, our task will be to focus on growth,\" said
\nMegawati.<\/p>\n
Megawati said that the current government had been credited by
\ninternational donors and rating agencies with stabilizing the
\ncountry's key fiscal and monetary indicators, including inflation
\nand interest rates, both of which skyrocketed in the wake of the
\nlate 1990s financial crisis.<\/p>\n
However, unlike Megawati, Susilo specifically identified some
\nof his target for the next five years, including economic growth
\nof 7.6 percent in 2009 compared to the 4.8 percent expected for
\nthis year, unemployment of 5.1 percent in 2009 as opposed to 10.1
\npercent currently, and the poverty level reduced to around 8.7
\npercent from the current 17.54 percent. He also forecast that his
\ngovernment would increase income per capita to US$1,731 in 2009
\nfrom $968 this year.<\/p>\n
Investment is also targeted to contribute around 30 percent of
\ntotal gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009, up from the current
\nlevel of 16.7 percent.<\/p>\n
However, most of the economic policies presented by the
\ncandidates have been included in the White Paper, which contains
\na series of economic reform targets that the government must
\nachieve in an 18-month period counting from August 2003.<\/p>\n
The White Paper was produced after the government made the
\ndecision not to extend the International Monetary Fund-sponsored
\neconomic reform program, which expired at the end of 2003.<\/p>\n
Among the key policies set out in the White Paper are measures
\naimed at achieving and maintaining fiscal and monetary stability,
\ntax reform and the creation of legal certainty for investors.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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