Media told not to disturb development
Media told not to disturb development
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday called on the media not to hinder the development process but instead help prepare the country for free trade in the Asia-Pacific region.
Soeharto warned that any "false reports" might make the people restless. As a result, people would be unable to live up to their full potential, and would be in doubt, thus making them unable to concentrate on development.
"I ask journalists to reflect, to join in making national development a success in the face of all challenges so that its fruits can be enjoyed by our descendants in the year 2020," Soeharto told journalists aboard a Garuda Indonesia DC-10 aircraft bringing him home from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leadership meeting in Osaka, Japan.
Soeharto explained extensively the results of the Osaka leaders meeting, which he said would implement what had been agreed in their previous meeting in Bogor, Indonesia, last year.
In Bogor, APEC leaders agreed to liberalize trade and investment in the region by 2010 among the developed member countries and by 2020 among developing members.
On the flight, Soeharto was accompanied by First Lady Mrs. Tien Soeharto, State Secretary Moerdiono, Coordinating Minister for Industry and Trade Hartarto, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and economic adviser to the government Widjojo Nitisastro.
Soeharto said all Indonesians, both officials and economic players, should try hard to help improve the country's competitiveness so that it can reap the greatest possible benefits from free trade in the Asia-Pacific region.
"We have to prepare ourselves so that we can benefit from the open market among APEC members," Soeharto said.
He shared the opinion that the next century would be the century of the Asia-Pacific countries. "That the 21st century is the Pacific century has been proved by experts who have made mathematical projections on the subject."
Last year, Soeharto said, the world's combined gross national products reached US$27 trillion, of which 67 percent came from developed countries like the United States, Japan and European countries, 20 percent from Asia and the remainder from the rest of the world.
By 2014, Asia will match the developed countries, Soeharto said. The developed countries would hold $26.9 trillion and Asia $26.2 trillion.
By 2020, he continued, Asia will then dominate the world's combined gross national product, accounting for 51 percent of world GDP, or $38.4 trillion. By that year, developed countries will total $29.7 trillion and the rest of the world only $7.8 trillion.
"It all depends on us. If we cannot carry development through, we will become its victim, a spectator, or merely an export market." Soeharto said. (rid)
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