Return to a maritime country

One project offered at the recently concluded Indonesian Infrastructure Summit held in Jakarta from Jan. 17 to Jan. 18 was a port development to function as a hub for shipping imports and exports.

Indonesian exports shipped out of the country for decades have first been sent to larger ports in Singapore or Malaysia, making us very much dependent on foreign vessels and leaving local shipping companies underdeveloped. All this costs the country an unbelievable US$2 billion a year (The Jakarta Post, Jan. 17).

Every Indonesian as early as junior high school is taught about the glory of our ancestors who made this country a maritime nation when the Buddhist dynasty of Sriwijaya ruled the waves. Its trading ships whose models are depicted on reliefs found in the Borobudur temple in Central Java, sailed as far as West Africa's Ghana. This was proved by an expedition voyage tracing the cinnamon route, which successfully set sail from Jakarta on Aug. 15, 2003, arriving at Accra on Feb. 23 last year.

In view of the local and foreign investors' interest in participating in the summit, in which no less than 20 major economies were represented, it is now a good time to return the country to a maritime nation by developing its seaports and shipping companies.

Although President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono assured all participants he was serious about eliminating obstructions to investment and economic activities (the Post, Jan. 18), it has yet to be seen how his intentions will be implemented.

Most foreign participants have complained about the many things that impede the creation of conducive investment climate, notably legal uncertainty and rampant corruption.

These two important matters should be seriously addressed by the President. But how? The readiness of foreign investors and the international community to help develop the nation's infrastructure -- to spur on its growth -- needs to be quickly responded to.

The recently issued Presidential Instruction No, 5/2004 on corruption eradication, a campaign that Susilo himself spearheads, must be implemented. So far, since its issuance on Dec. 9 -- marking a national Antigraft Day -- it has not produced any signs of a result. People are yet to witness what Susilo and his Cabinet will do to implement this instruction.

Surely, $2 billion of lost revenue is worth the effort.

M. RUSDI Jakarta