Soeharto asks people to buy local products<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto stressed yesterday that the
\nnational economy will end in ruins if Indonesians buy foreign
\nproducts over local ones when trade in the Asia-Pacific is
\nliberalized in 2020.<\/p>\n
\"If this happens it will be disastrous for the economy because
\nlocally made products will not sell well,\" Soeharto said in an
\nunprepared speech to open the People's Market at the National
\nMonument (Monas) compound in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He said in the long run that this would also adversely affect
\nnational resilience.<\/p>\n
\"I warn businessmen not to exacerbate the situation by
\nimporting the goods that we already produce at home. Especially
\nif they do it through illicit smuggling activities,\" the
\nPresident said to an applauding audience.<\/p>\n
Among the officials in attendance were Coordinating Minister
\nfor Production and Distribution Hartarto, Minister of
\nCooperatives and Small Enterprises Subiakto Tjakrawerdaya,
\nMinister of Social Services Inten Suweno and Minister of Health
\nSujudi.<\/p>\n
The People's Market is sponsored by the Arif Rachman Hakim
\nExponents '66 group in cooperation with the cooperatives
\ndepartment and several business tycoons. The main objective of
\nthe market is to provide quality goods and merchandise at
\naffordable prices in the run-up to the Idul Fitri festivities.<\/p>\n
Most members of the group are former student activists who
\njoined forces to topple President Sukarno in an uprising in 1966
\nwhich eventually helped Soeharto rise to power. Several members
\nof the group are now ministers, including Minister of Finance
\nMar'ie Muhammad and State Minister of Public Housing Akbar
\nTanjung.<\/p>\n
Goods produced by Asia-Pacific countries will freely enter the
\nIndonesian market in 2020. This was one of the major decisions
\nmade at the conclusion of the APEC (Asian and Pacific Economic
\nCooperation) conference held in Bogor, West Java, in November
\n1994.<\/p>\n
To cope with the flow of foreign-made products, Soeharto
\ncalled on the public to make a nationalistic choice and buy local
\non a regular basis.<\/p>\n
\"As a matter of fact, now the quality of our home-made goods
\nis by no means inferior to foreign products,\" the head of state
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Soeharto even suggested ways of encouraging people to buy
\ndomestic products.<\/p>\n
\"The marketing lines and procedures from producers and
\nconsumers should be simplified and shortened. People should set
\nup cooperatives which can directly purchase goods from factories
\nand sell them immediately to consumers,\" he said. \"In the
\nmeantime the cooperatives should establish small supermarkets
\nthat cater to the needs of the little people.<\/p>\n
Soeharto said if the marketing line remains long and
\ncomplicated like it is now, efforts to encourage people to buy
\nlocal products would be in vain.<\/p>\n
The President urged producers to continue improving the
\nquality of their goods and to set reasonable prices.<\/p>\n
Soeharto also asked the proprietors with stalls at the market,
\nwhich will remain open until Feb. 16, not to limit the number of
\ngoods being sold.<\/p>\n
The President then took a stroll to inspect the market. He was
\naccompanied by Sudwikatmono, William Suryajaya, Eka Tjipta
\nWidjaya, Ciputra, Sofyan Wanandi and Mintardjo Halim, all of whom
\nare among the tycoons who signed a declaration in Bali last year
\nto aid small-scale entrepreneurs and cooperatives. The Bali
\nDeclaration, as it is known, is one of the government's efforts
\nto narrow the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the
\ncountry. (bas)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soeharto-asks-people-to-buy-local-products-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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