Soeharto calls for new family policy

Soeharto calls for new family policy

JAKARTA (JP): The country needs to launch three simultaneous
campaigns to develop the human resources required to survive
global competition, President Soeharto said yesterday.

Addressing a meeting of demographers, Soeharto said Indonesia
needed campaigns to educate the public of the importance of small
families that generate larger incomes more efficiently than is
currently the case.

"The three drives must be coordinated (if Indonesia wishes to)
create job opportunities and produce superior commodities in the
increasingly stiff global competition," he said.

The President, accompanied by State Minister of Population
Haryono Suyono at the opening of the three-day meeting, stressed
how fortunate Indonesia was because it had begun its family
planning program more than 20 years ago.

"Last month we welcomed the birth of Indonesia's 200th million
citizen. This birth was a sign of how successful our national
population program has been.

"If our family planning movement hadn't been successful, then
our population would have exceeded 220 million by now. This means
that we have prevented 20 million births.

Experts have said that thanks to Indonesia's successful family
planning program the government has saved up to US$20 billion in
foreign exchange per year, allowing for an annual per capita
income of US$1,000.

Soeharto also said increased mobility should lead to greater
regional development. Urbanization should not mean only the
movement of people from rural areas to cities but also the
stimulation of urban development.

"This growth should be coupled with the development of
infrastructure in rural areas to meet people's needs.

"People, particularly university graduates and skilled
laborers should be encouraged to move to rural areas so that more
capital and technology can reach outlying regions. This movement
should see the growth of new urban centers across the country,"
he said.

The President also launched a series of stamps yesterday to
commemorate the 200 millionth Indonesian child.

Prior to Soeharto's speech, Haryono Suyono reported that the
country's population growth was approaching 1.5 percent per
annum. (swe)