Siswono warns against govt complacency

JAKARTA (JP): Government officials should not indulge in self congratulatory practices over the impressive economic progress Indonesia has been making, nor should they become allergic towards criticisms, a cabinet minister said yesterday.

Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo, known for his criticism of fellow government officials, said in a speech that despite the progress Indonesia has made, officials should realize that the country is still one of the poorest in the world.

"Officials should not become narcissistic, or beat their chest in pride at their successes, or become `thin eared' towards criticism," Siswono said during a dialog on "Nationalism and Sustainable Development", organized by the Bina Swadaya Foundation.

Development, he said, is a "never ending process" and there will always be room for improvement.

He said that, among the 18 countries that took part in last year's leadership meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Bogor, near here, Indonesia still ranks the second lowest in terms of per capita income, just slightly above China.

Indonesia did not even rank among the 41 most competitive nations in the world, he said, citing a survey by the International Institute for Management.

Indonesia's agricultural productivity is still low, although 60 percent of its people work in this sector, he said. He compared this with the United States, where, with only two percent of its population working on farms, the country could still produce a huge exportable food surplus.

Indonesia has been rated as one of the most corrupt nations by a German institution, and as a country "half free" in terms of observations of political and human rights, he noted.

Siswono also lamented at his fellow government officials who could not take criticisms.

"Criticism is needed for the perfection of every aspect of development. We cannot neglect differences in principles and opinions in a heterogeneous nation like Indonesia," he said.

Government officials, he said, should realize that there must be hidden truths in other people's opinions.

"Be a good loser. It is better to be a good loser than to be a bad winner" he said, citing a popular phrase used by proponents of democracy.

Siswono, known for his strong nationalist sentiments, stated in his paper that sustainable development is only possible in a country with sound democratic practices.

"Improving a country's quality of democracy is a never ending process. No country in the world can claim that it is the most democratic country," he said.

He admitted that the quality of democracy is strongly correlated to the people's welfare and educational background.

"We have to understand the reason why democracy is still a difficult thing to attain here. Many Indonesians did not even finish elementary schools," he said.

Siswono noted that the rapid economic development in Indonesia has created wider gaps between the wealthy and the poor members of society, or greater disparity between one region and another.

He pointed out that while several Indonesians have been included in the list of the most wealthiest persons in the world, some of their fellow countrymen still do not know where their next meal will come from.

The minister, who ran a successful real estate business before he was recruited into the cabinet by President Soeharto in 1988, said Indonesia should address the wealth disparity problem head on.

He said deregulating the economy would not lead to less disparity.

Yesterday's discussion also featured Kartono Mohammad, a physician by training, and business consultant Christianto Wibisono, as speakers. (imn)