Susilo-Kalla say creating jobs No.1 priority

Susilo-Kalla say creating jobs No.1 priority

Zakki P. Hakim, Jakarta

Apparently concerned about the country's high unemployment
rate, presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and running
mate Yusuf Kalla have stated "creating more jobs" is top priority
for their future administration.

"The unemployment rate has been worsening over the past
several years.

"Economic achievements, such as economic growth, low
inflation, a stable currency will only matter if people who
deserve work can get work that meets humanity standards," says
the campaign book published by the pair.

Aside from creating more jobs, the pair, supported by the
Democratic Party, vow to boost macroeconomomic performance and
stability, reduce poverty, provide easier access to health
services and education, balance the wealth gap and improve
natural resources management and environmental conservation.

Susilo and Kalla are considered by many analysts a good
combination as Kalla's background as a businessman complements
Susilo's long experience in the military and the bureaucracy and
will be advantageous in solving the country's problems, including
the lingering economic crisis.

They note, however, that given the government's big debt
burdens, there are limited options in making policies. Therefore,
it is imperative to make realistic policies.

The pair vows to reach economic growth of 7.6 percent when
their term would end in 2009 from 4.1 percent in 2003 and to cut
open unemployment by half to 5.1 percent in 2009 from 10.1
percent last year.

"Our focus on improving the economy is on the empowerment of
local economic players in a bid to replace dependency on
difficult-to-find foreign investment," Kalla said at a seminar
last month.

Kalla, a former minister of industry and trade during the
Abdurrahman Wahid administration, said that one of the ways to
encourage domestic private investment was by boosting government
spending on infrastructure.

He also proposed several other steps, including issuing bonds
to finance the development of toll roads, ports and
telecommunications networks.

"A boom in domestic investment is expected to reduce the
country's high unemployment rate," said Kalla at the seminar.

With regards poverty reduction, they pledge to reduce the
nation's poverty rate from 17.4 percent in 2003 to around 8.2
percent in 2009, and increase income per capita to US$1,731 in
2009 from $968 last year.

Plans to reduce poverty includes efforts to improve
infrastructure in rural and remote areas, thus providing the poor
with more access to economic resources, better health services
and education.

Susilo and Kalla pledge to narrow the economic gap between
urban and rural residents, between residents of Java and other
islands, and between west and east Indonesia. Kalla was born in
South Sulawesi, which is the main economic hub of eastern
Indonesia.

Two steps designed to reduce wealth disparity are to give
small and medium enterprises (SMEs) more access to capital
sources, and empower regional governments and facilitate
decentralization.

Susilo was the minister of mining and energy during the
Abdurrahman Wahid administration. However, he so far has only one
plan related to the sector, that is to reform oil and gas
policies regarding the sector's contribution to the state budget.

Even though the Golkar Party has officially nominated Wiranto
as presidential candidate, Kalla, who is also a Golkar member,
expects to garner a substantial number of the party's votes,
particularly in the eastern region.