Experts join call for greater govt transparency
Experts join call for greater govt transparency
JAKARTA (JP): The government is bracing itself for the New
Year with mounting pressure for greater transparency in tackling
the economic crisis.
Jusuf Wanandi, Johanes Kristiadi and Mari Pangestu, all from
the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS),
concluded that transparent policies would restore the public
faith in the government's economic rescue programs.
They were making an overview of the past year which saw the
country slump into economic difficulties while it is gearing up
for the free trade era.
Jusuf Wanandi, chairman of CSIS's supervisory board, said the
government had a moral responsibility to take rehabilitation
measures that would not raise eyebrows for their inconsistent
execution.
"The government must apply policies which are easily
understood by the people and explicitly tell the people that the
policies affect everybody, without any exceptions," Jusuf said.
The national car project, which has drawn international
criticism, is one of many policies which fell short of
transparency, Jusuf said.
He said transparency included certainty in the succession of
national leadership after President Soeharto, who is predicted to
assume his seventh and final term from 1998 to 2003.
"People are wondering whether the future administration will
continue its predecessor's policies and whether the change of
guard will run without upheaval," he said.
Noted businessman Sofjan Wanandi, who is Jusuf's younger
brother, suggested last week that dominant political group Golkar
unveil its vice presidential candidate, saying that it would help
the country ease the economic turmoil.
Jusuf agreed with Sofjan, saying that the revelation would not
only maintain domestic investors' confidence but also that of
foreigners.
Economist Mari Pangestu said in the short-term the government
should initiate an administrative reform which encourages
information disclosure, on why and how a certain policy was
taken.
"We need a transparent administration which will make sure
that certain policies will be implemented consistently, without
allowing exceptions to happen," she said.
She said the reform should include changes in who is
responsible for carrying out the policy reform. "The actors will
determine whether the reform will follow objective criteria," she
said.
Meanwhile, J. Kristiadi suggested the government combine its
economic reform with certain political decisions that would
confirm its strong determination to restore the economic
situation.
He stressed political reform should include a fairer
distribution of power.
"Concentration of power in the hands of a few elite people for
a long time is uncertainty itself. With nobody unable to control
them, power abuses, legal uncertainty, collusion, corruption and
nepotism have become common trends," he said.
He said the people were apathetic toward the current
proceedings of the deliberation in the People's Consultative
Assembly because they don't expect changes to take place.
He predicted that Indonesia would suffer even heavier economic
burdens next year if the government was to carry out a
halfhearted political reform. (amd)