Mega criticized for not attending aid conference

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID) said on Tuesday that the country missed a golden opportunity to seek the help of developed nations in resolving its pressing debt and economic problems because of the absence of President Megawati Soekarnoputri at last month's International Conference on Financing for Development in Mexico.

INFID deputy executive secretary Sugeng Bahagijo also criticized the government for sending relatively low-ranking delegates to the conference, which was attended by world leaders.

"It's a pity that our President did not attend the meeting ... She instead went to Korea which we think was not the right priority diplomatically," Sugeng said.

Megawati is currently on an overseas tour which included a visit to South Korea and North Korea.

INFID attended the conference, which was held in Mexico's Monterrey city.

"The conference was aimed at accommodating the interests of the less-developed and the developing countries, including Indonesia. Don't pretend that we don't have a debt problem or economic problems," Sugeng said.

According to Sugeng, the conference offered many opportunities, studies and ideas that could help the government in negotiation with foreign creditors including to push for a debt relief facility.

As an example he cited a seminar held by NGO the Washington Group about alternatives for Indonesia's debt settlement instead of through the traditional Paris Club mechanism.

Elsewhere, Sugeng said that the conference reached a consensus that developed countries should allocate 0.7 percent of their GNP (Gross National Product) to help poor countries through an Official Development Assistance (ODA), a soft-term loan facility.

He added that the conference also agreed to find a new mechanism to overcome the debt problems of developing countries including Indonesia.

Sugeng said that the Monterrey conference also promised an international treaty that guaranteed the repatriation of ill- gotten funds deposited in banks in developed nations.