Soeharto denounces critics on economy
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto denounced yesterday campaigners who criticized the government development policies without having adequate knowledge of the economy.
As the mandatory of the People's Consultative Assembly, Soeharto said he was assigned to carry out development programs based on the trilogy of development: national stability, growth and equality.
"It is not true at all that the current development policies are solely engineered by a man named Soeharto," the President said in a dialog with 1,000 small and big entrepreneurs who attended a national convention on business partnership at the Bogor Presidential Palace yesterday.
During the election campaign, some campaigners have criticized economic development policies which give more opportunities to big enterprises.
Soeharto launched a national business partnership forum in May last year to boost cooperation between large and small enterprises.
The forum groups 41 large business leaders who signed a deal in Jimbaran, Bali, to help the government eradicate poverty by forging a partnership with small enterprises and cooperatives.
The group has set up PT Mitra Dana Jimbaran with paid-up capital of Rp 50 billion (US$22.2 million) to provide cheap financing to targeted enterprises and cooperatives.
"Partnership between large and small enterprises will help Indonesian business face economic globalization and will also modernize Indonesia's economy," Soeharto said.
"The purpose of this partnership is equality," he added.
President of the country's largest cement producer PT Indocement Tunggal Prakasa Sudwikatmono, in his report to Soeharto, said that until its first anniversary yesterday, the forum had increased its membership from 41 to 633 big enterprises, including state-owned companies.
"The 633 big enterprises have committed to form partnerships with 264,850 cooperatives and small enterprises across the country, with a combined partnership value of more than Rp 6 trillion," said Sudwikatmono.
Jimbaran Group realized its partnership commitment in 1996/1997 with 132,765 small enterprises and 1,588 cooperatives involving Rp 3.59 trillion, said Sudwikatmono.
Next year the group will target 114,068 small enterprises and 3,649 cooperatives worth more than Rp 3.85 trillion.
In yesterday's meeting, Soeharto also revealed the progress of the drive of presidential instruction funds for the least developed villages (IDT) from 1995 to collect funds from the country's wealthiest individuals.
"In the last two years, Rp 743.580 billion has been collected. We have lent Rp 118.246 billion to almost six million poor people," said Soeharto.
The money was from conglomerates who were asked to contribute 2 percent of their after-income tax revenues for poverty eradication programs.
Soeharto looked delighted and enjoyed his dialog with 1,000 participants of the convention, joking with the audience.
"Conglomerates must think not only about investment in this world but also investment for the hereafter life," he said.
A member of a dairy farm cooperative from Pasuruan, East Java, Sulastri Hussein thanked the president because the partnership program had boosted production.
"Mr. President, now we have increased our milk production," said Sulastri.
Sulastri said she was optimistic her cooperative would grow fast under Soeharto's guidance who she described as "a cow lover and an excellent milker".
Soeharto replied: "Frankly speaking I am not a good milker." The audience burst into laughter. (06)