Govt, IPB students discuss agribusiness development
Govt, IPB students discuss agribusiness development
JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and
Poverty Eradication Haryono Suyono has held the first of a
planned series of dialogs with students on how to overcome the
economic crisis.
A delegation of 17 students from the Bogor Institute of
Agriculture (IPB), accompanied by their rector Soleh Solahuddin,
presented to Haryono here yesterday their concept of a people-
based agribusiness development program.
Haryono, accompanied by Minister of Agriculture Justika
Sjarifudin Baharsjah, said similar discussions would be held with
other universities.
About 100 others attended the meeting, including senior
officials, businesspeople and bankers.
Ibnu Amin, one of the students, said the meeting was only to
discuss their agribusiness development concept and should not be
construed as a response to the government's call for students --
after weeks of continuous campus demonstrations -- to meet with
officials to present their own ideas on how to overcome the
economic crisis.
"We (students) have another forum to discuss other issues,"
said Ibnu, whose delegation included eight female students
wearing Islamic head scarves.
One of Ibnu's colleagues, Purnomo, said they had thought of
initiating yesterday's dialog after watching a television talk
show aired by private television station Indosiar last week.
The talk show featured Haryono, non-governmental organization
activist Zaim Saidi and IPB students discussing the economic
crisis. In the program, Haryono invited students to discuss their
ideas about developing people-based agribusinesses to help the
poor survive the crisis.
From a 15-page paper, Rahmat Pramulya presented his and his
fellow students' argument that the agricultural sector remained
the country's best hope to ease the impact of the crisis on the
poor.
"God willing, we could be as strong as Thailand in facing this
crisis," Rahmat said during his 45-minute presentation.
Responding to the presentation, businessman A.A. Baramuli --
who is also one of the chairmen of the Indonesian Chamber of
Commerce -- asked the students to give concrete examples for
projects.
"State your target, state where you want to try out the
program, and the minimum capital needed to make the business
run," said Baramuli, who is also a member of the National
Commission of Human Rights.
Regarding funding, Haryono suggested that the students make
use of the existing poverty eradication rolling fund, known as
Kukesra and Takesra, and another similar rolling fund managed by
Bank Negara Indonesia under the name Yayasan Sejahtera Mandiri.
The country's poverty eradication rolling funds total about Rp
500 billion, while the Yayasan Sejahtera Madiri fund totals Rp 2
trillion, according to Haryono.
Haryono and Justika said the government would fully support
the students' program. They asked the students to improve their
proposal and "make it workable" in a week.
"We are racing against time and the seasons when it comes to
agricultural matters," Justika said.
Media
Observers have repeatedly called on government officials and
the Armed Forces to hold dialogs with students, who have been
continually demonstrating for economic and political reform over
the past two months.
The Armed Forces has offered to hold such a dialog, but
students rejected it for various reasons.
On Monday, though, a group of student leaders met with members
of the media and urged them to share their concerns about the
deterioration in the social, economic and political situation,
and support their cause through news coverage.
Student bodies of nine universities known to have been waging
demonstrations critical of the government over the past two weeks
met Monday with members of the media at the Jakarta University
campus in East Jakarta. During the discussion, students cited
what they described as a decline in the media's interest in their
demonstrations against soaring prices of essential commodities
and for economic and political reforms.
They expressed fear that once the media no longer considered
student protests newsworthy, coverage of the demonstrations would
stop completely.
The students said reporters had begun treating their
demonstrations as mere numbers and that their crucial messages
were being lost before publication. "You have not given a voice
to our messages," one student complained.
"Your (shortcomings) in your reports of our activities show
that there's no such thing as freedom of the press," said another
student, adding that he understood the pressure put on the
Indonesian media by those in power.
However, he said, the media needed to also fight for its
freedom by supporting the students' cause.
The universities represented in the meeting included August 17
University, Jayabaya University, Dr. Moestopo University, Jakarta
Teachers' Training Institute, Atma Jaya University, Veteran
University, YARSI Medical Institute and the University of
Indonesia. (aan/swe)