Fighting levies is a tough job: Ginandjar<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A senior official has called on the public not
\nto expect too much from the recently launched campaign against
\nofficial levies, given the lengthy and arduous bureaucracy
\ninvolved.<\/p>\n
State Minister of National Development Planning\/Chairman of
\nNational Development Planning Board Ginandjar Kartasasmita said
\nyesterday in a discussion that the private sector, the public and
\nnon-governmental organizations (NGOs) should be in the front line
\nof the campaign which was originally initiated by the Ministry of
\nManpower.<\/p>\n
\"I fully support the fight against unnecessary levies,\" he
\nsaid at a forum attended by Manpower Minister Abdul Latief and
\nmembers of the Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
\n(Kadin). \"But don't expect too much...this is going to be a very
\nlengthy process.\"<\/p>\n
He pointed out that the bureaucracy usually takes a long time
\nto make changes. \"Our bureaucracy won't change for a long time.
\nChange will come gradually,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Given the foot-dragging nature of the bureaucracy, he said,
\nit's the public, the private sector and the NGOs that should do
\nmore. He admitted that was a tall order, saying \"the private
\nsector is afraid to initiate the campaign to put order into our
\nbureaucracy\".<\/p>\n
\"They should be more outspoken, they should fight for the
\ncampaign,\" he said.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto recently gave his endorsement to the
\nmanpower ministry's plan to scrap 37 levies currently imposed on
\nmanpower administration. He also urged other official agencies to
\nfollow suit and local administrations to revoke their regulations
\non levies which create market distortions and hamper economic
\ngrowth.<\/p>\n
A meeting between government officials and business people is
\nto be held at the ministry of manpower on Monday to address the
\nproblems of levies.<\/p>\n
To be chaired by Coordinating Minister for Production and
\nDistribution Hartarto, the meeting is a follow-up to the previous
\nmeeting between Latief and leaders of the chamber of commerce
\nearlier this month.<\/p>\n
Latief yesterday particularly stressed the importance of the
\ncampaign to reduce the amount of levies in an effort to increase
\nworkers' salaries and improve civil servants' welfare.<\/p>\n
\"Corruption in the form of 'unofficial fees' makes it
\ndifficult for us to increase wages,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He called on the members of Kadin to launch \"a movement of
\nnon-payment\".<\/p>\n
\"Just say no,\" he suggested.<\/p>\n
Kadin chairman Aburizal Bakrie again expressed support for the
\ncampaign against corruption which, he said, imposes a great
\nburden on businessmen. \"Levies affect our competitiveness in
\noverseas markets,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in Semarang, Central Java, two economists at Gadjah
\nMada University suggested that government agencies fight bribe-
\ntaking by trimming bureaucracy and centralizing office
\nprocedures.<\/p>\n
Nopirin and Anggito Abimanyu were in agreement of the need to
\nintroduce a \"one-stop\" business administration.<\/p>\n
Nopirin cited Vietnam as an example of a country which has
\nbeen able to boost economic growth by curtailing red-tapes.
\n\"Investors there, for instance, go to one single office to deal
\nwith various bureaucratic matters,\" Nopirin said.<\/p>\n
Anggito agreed with Minister Latief, saying that the
\nbusinessmen should have the courage to refuse demands for bribes.
\n(31\/swe\/har)<\/p>",
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