Susilo-Kalla say creating jobs No.1 priority<\/p>\n
Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Apparently concerned about the country's high unemployment
\nrate, presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and running
\nmate Yusuf Kalla have stated \"creating more jobs\" is top priority
\nfor their future administration.<\/p>\n
\"The unemployment rate has been worsening over the past
\nseveral years.<\/p>\n
\"Economic achievements, such as economic growth, low
\ninflation, a stable currency will only matter if people who
\ndeserve work can get work that meets humanity standards,\" says
\nthe campaign book published by the pair.<\/p>\n
Aside from creating more jobs, the pair, supported by the
\nDemocratic Party, vow to boost macroeconomomic performance and
\nstability, reduce poverty, provide easier access to health
\nservices and education, balance the wealth gap and improve
\nnatural resources management and environmental conservation.<\/p>\n
Susilo and Kalla are considered by many analysts a good
\ncombination as Kalla's background as a businessman complements
\nSusilo's long experience in the military and the bureaucracy and
\nwill be advantageous in solving the country's problems, including
\nthe lingering economic crisis.<\/p>\n
They note, however, that given the government's big debt
\nburdens, there are limited options in making policies. Therefore,
\nit is imperative to make realistic policies.<\/p>\n
The pair vows to reach economic growth of 7.6 percent when
\ntheir term would end in 2009 from 4.1 percent in 2003 and to cut
\nopen unemployment by half to 5.1 percent in 2009 from 10.1
\npercent last year.<\/p>\n
\"Our focus on improving the economy is on the empowerment of
\nlocal economic players in a bid to replace dependency on
\ndifficult-to-find foreign investment,\" Kalla said at a seminar
\nlast month.<\/p>\n
Kalla, a former minister of industry and trade during the
\nAbdurrahman Wahid administration, said that one of the ways to
\nencourage domestic private investment was by boosting government
\nspending on infrastructure.<\/p>\n
He also proposed several other steps, including issuing bonds
\nto finance the development of toll roads, ports and
\ntelecommunications networks.<\/p>\n
\"A boom in domestic investment is expected to reduce the
\ncountry's high unemployment rate,\" said Kalla at the seminar.<\/p>\n
With regards poverty reduction, they pledge to reduce the
\nnation's poverty rate from 17.4 percent in 2003 to around 8.2
\npercent in 2009, and increase income per capita to US$1,731 in
\n2009 from $968 last year.<\/p>\n
Plans to reduce poverty includes efforts to improve
\ninfrastructure in rural and remote areas, thus providing the poor
\nwith more access to economic resources, better health services
\nand education.<\/p>\n
Susilo and Kalla pledge to narrow the economic gap between
\nurban and rural residents, between residents of Java and other
\nislands, and between west and east Indonesia. Kalla was born in
\nSouth Sulawesi, which is the main economic hub of eastern
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Two steps designed to reduce wealth disparity are to give
\nsmall and medium enterprises (SMEs) more access to capital
\nsources, and empower regional governments and facilitate
\ndecentralization.<\/p>\n
Susilo was the minister of mining and energy during the
\nAbdurrahman Wahid administration. However, he so far has only one
\nplan related to the sector, that is to reform oil and gas
\npolicies regarding the sector's contribution to the state budget.<\/p>\n
Even though the Golkar Party has officially nominated Wiranto
\nas presidential candidate, Kalla, who is also a Golkar member,
\nexpects to garner a substantial number of the party's votes,
\nparticularly in the eastern region.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/susilo-kalla-say-creating-jobs-no1-priority-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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