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)