Wahono warns of widening wealth gap

Wahono warns of widening wealth gap

JAKARTA (JP): Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Wahono yesterday warned that Indonesia must quickly address the gap that is widening between the rich and the poor.

Wahono said existing wealth disparities, between groups and between regions, could fuel unrest to the point of threatening national unity.

"If we fail to resolve this problem quickly and properly, it could lead to national disintegration," he said before the House, which goes into a month-long recess today.

Income disparity has grown because the fruits of economic development and access to economic resources have not been distributed evenly in the country, he said.

The speaker particularly singled out access to land as one of the causes, with big conglomerates increasing their dominance in land ownership and property businesses.

Land has both economic and social functions, he said. "We urge all parties, especially the government, to protect the people's access to land."

In light of the pressing economic inequities, Wahono said that he particularly welcomed the government effort to eradicate poverty through a program known as Inpres Desa.

Under the program, the government sends out parcels of funds directly to villages with sizable poor populations. The money is to be used as seed capital for the poor people, with minimum intervention by the government.

Wahono said that the key to any successful campaign against poverty, however, lies not in programs but in people, government officials in particular. The implementation of a program is a test of their dedication and their ability to handle problems, he said.

He also addressed the question of democracy, particularly with regard to the House's own performance on this front.

He said differences of opinions should be respected in the course of the House's work. "Democracy will not work by denying people the right to hold different views."

On foreign affairs, Wahono urged the government to speed up negotiations with Malaysia to resolve the sovereignty question of the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan off East Kalimantan.

Wahono said the House felt that negotiations had been proceeding too slowly, allowing Malaysia to occupy the islands and exploit them for their benefits.

Indonesia, he said, needs to intensify its efforts and should not give the impression of falling behind Malaysia, he added. (29)