Mari optimistic govt will become honest
Mari optimistic govt will become honest
JAKARTA (JP): Noted economist Mari Pangestu is optimistic the nation will work harder to establish a clean government, although this may come about as the result of external pressures.
"There will be more efforts, on the part of the government, to be more transparent in establishing its policies, due to pressures from foreign investors," Mari said during the opening on Monday evening of a series of discussions about the challenges the nation may face.
The discussion, which concluded yesterday, was held by the National Brotherhood Foundation, a newly-established non- governmental organization.
Mari cited the threats made by foreign investors, over the past three or four years, to exit the country unless the government employed consistent business policies as an example of external pressures.
Mari, who is a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the government has always been able to provide a prompt, if imperfect, solution to such threats.
The efforts to establish a clean government are coming along fine, "although what we really want is improvement encouraged by internal pressures," she said.
She reminded the public to be fair instead of only critical of the government. Criticism should also be leveled at the private sector because its role will continue to expand as the years pass, she said.
Other speakers at the talks did not share Mari's views. Some said they are pessimistic the government has enough political will to establish good governance and equal distribution of wealth.
Economist Kwik Kian Gie said the existing economic gap, which could be corrected by better distribution and the empowerment of cooperatives, remained pronounced.
"Will the people, who benefit from the resources they appropriate for their own benefit through corruption, ever want to share with cooperatives?" Kwik, a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party, who has joined the Foundation.
Dawam Rahardjo of the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals stressed the absolute need for anti-monopoly laws to redress the economic gap.
He also brought up the question of the economic gap between the indigenous populace and people of Chinese descent.
"Without pertinent laws, the government-sponsored partnership programs between large and small-scale businesses, could be seen as a justification of the role of large enterprises dominated by foreign and Chinese ethnic investment," Dawam said.
Rizal Ramli, an economist for the Economic Advisory Group, also spoke of the gap and the dangers it poses nation's unity.
"The gaps between the rich and the poor regions, between the indigenous and Chinese Indonesians ... frequently overlap and could lead to disintegration," Rizal said.
Rizal blamed the government for the problems. "They are the result of the government's unfair intervention, through various privileges, subsidies and protection," he said. (anr)