Overorganized Indonesia

When you look at our country at present you will be surprised at how many organizations we have. Some are founded by the government and many more by the people themselves. These organizations cover almost all activities of the Indonesian people -- politics, the economy, culture and sometimes religion. The present government managed to add more than we already have and to be honest, I doubt the need for more organizations.

Lately we have Dewan Ekonomi Nasional (National Economic Council [DEN]), with the task of helping the government in the effort of economic recovery. Now, suddenly, we hear that a new body was born called Dewan Pengembangan Usaha Nasional (National Business Development Council [DPUN]). Despite protests, especially concerning the persons appointed as chairman and members, the President brushed aside the protests and maintained the same people in those bodies, except the DEN chairman, who was replaced by Prof. Emil Salim.

In fighting corruption, the public wants a new body to be established, because they doubt the capability of the Attorney General's Office in fighting corruption, collusion and nepotism. If so, why not coordinate efforts with the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW).

I am afraid that our government will go on to create bodies instead of using the existing ones. What are the coordinating ministers doing? We have coordinating ministers for defense and security, economy and finance, abolishing poverty and so on. Those ministers are there to coordinate all government activities, and creating more bodies will slow the government's efforts and create more difficulties rather than solve them.

Let me inform readers of the existing NGOs which are ready to help the government in solving all kinds of problems to overcome the present crisis, free of charge, for the sake of the people's happiness. We hear that a crisis center will be created, which I think will only add more problems to the existing ones.

The following are the existing NGOs (just to mention a few): 1. Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). 2. Advisory Group on Economic, Trade and Industry (ECONIT). 3. Center for Information and Development Studies (CIDES). 4. Center for Agricultural Policy Studies (CAPS). 5. Institute for Development of Economic and Finance (INDEF). 6. Center for Policy Development Studies (CPDS). 7. Indonesian Center for Environment Law (ICEL). 8. Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW).

Besides these, we have more organizations in the same genre, but they prefer to use Indonesian, such as: 1. Kamar Dagang dan Industri (KADIN) -- Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 2. Ikatan Cendekiawan Muslim Indonesian (ICMI) -- Indonesian Muslim Scholars Association. 3. Dewan Penunjang Ekonomi Indonesia (DPEI) -- Indonesian Council for Economic Support. 4. Ikatan Sarjana Ekonomi Indonesia (ISEI) -- Indonesia Economic Scholars Association. 5. Komite Aksi Reformasi Teknologi dan Industri (ARTI) -- Committee of Technology and Industry Reform. 6. Dewan Ekonomi Nasional (DEN) -- National Economic Council. 7. Dewan Pengembangan Usaha National (DPUN) -- National Business Development Council.

If, after reading this you still think that Indonesia is not overorganized, then you belong to the group of government supporters in this field.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta