Towards national self-reliance

For several days the mass media have been busy dwelling on a discourse on national self-reliance. This discourse was started by the National Development Planning Board chief Kwik Kian Gie. Then, it earned a response from the People's Consultative Assembly chairman Amien Rais, Vice President Hamzah Haz, and some other parties.

The core of Kwik's statement is a request to the government that it end its contract with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In his judgment the presence of IMF brings more disadvantages than advantages to Indonesia.

The criticism that Kwik has made should be regarded as an effort to bolster this nation's self-reliance.

Relying on some technocrats, also known as the Berkeley mafia, Soeharto counted on foreign aid to build this country. The foreign aid was channeled through the IGGI (International Government Group on Indonesia) and then through the CGI (Consultative Group on Indonesia).

Following the storm of the economic crisis that swept through Asian countries, Indonesia was the hardest hit and is yet to fully recover from the crisis.

The willingness to become a self-reliant nation will also be determined by how far the political elite in this country can agree on the vision and mission of development. They should not only vie with one another for power. The present government seems lacking in this vision and mission, as evident from its policies on the importation of sugar, rice and chicken legs.

-- Republika, Jakarta