Free trade to have serious impacts: Soerjadi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's commitment to free trade in the
\nAsia-Pacific region by 2020 came under harsh criticism yesterday
\nas Deputy House Speaker Soerjadi warned of its serious possible
\nconsequences.<\/p>\n
He said the free trade envisioned by the 18 leaders of the
\nAsia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Bogor this
\nmonth runs afoul of the Constitution and the spirit of Pancasila,
\nthe official state ideology.<\/p>\n
\"Trade liberalization leads to free fight liberalism in the
\neconomy, which runs counter to Article 33 of the 1945
\nConstitution,\" he said when meeting with members of the Petisi 50
\ngroup, a group highly critical of the government.<\/p>\n
Nine members of Petisi 50's working group, led by Lt. Gen.
\n(ret) Ali Sadikin, submitted a statement expressing their
\nconcerns over the implications of the Bogor APEC declaration for
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
The Bogor Declaration affirms that industrialized states will
\nimplement free trade by 2010 and developing nations by 2020.<\/p>\n
Soerjadi, who comes from the Indonesian Democratic Party
\n(PDI), said that liberal trade is \"just the opposite\" of the
\neconomic system prescribed by the Indonesian Constitution.<\/p>\n
Article 33 of the Constitution states that the economy is to
\nbe organized as a common endeavor based upon a family-like system
\nin which care is taken for the benefit of all, and in which the
\nvarious branches of production which directly affect the lives of
\nthe majority of the public must be controlled by the state.<\/p>\n
Soerjadi said that he could not conceive of how Indonesia
\nexpected to be able to liberalize its economy, while at the same
\ntime strictly regulating its political system.<\/p>\n
\"For example, the PDI cannot even inaugurate the chief of the
\nparty's East Java chapter because the government has yet to issue
\nthe necessary permit,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Is it possible to have a liberal economic system and a
\ntightly regulated political system at the same time?\" the deputy
\nHouse speaker in charge of economic affairs said.<\/p>\n
Implementation<\/p>\n
He added that to implement the Bogor Declaration, Indonesia
\nwould have to find a middle way, through which it will have to
\ncarry out aspects of free trade which are not in conflict with
\nnational interests.<\/p>\n
The working group of Petisi 50 said in their statement that
\nthe implementation of the Bogor declaration would undermine
\nIndonesia's economic and political principles.<\/p>\n
They demanded that the House ask the government to explain its
\nprojection of Indonesia's economic outlooks for 2020 and to
\nclarify how the country will implement the Bogor declaration.<\/p>\n
In an adjacent building, Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono
\ntold members of the House Commission II on domestic affairs that
\nthe Nov. 15 APEC informal summit was a success for the host
\ncountry - Indonesia.<\/p>\n
He said the government spent Rp 24.3 billion (US$11 million)
\non the event.<\/p>\n
\"APEC serves as a model for open regional or global trade and
\ninvestment which will help boost the world's economy,\" he said.
\n(pan\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/free-trade-to-have-serious-impacts-soerjadi-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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