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)