We appreciate the readiness of President Megawati

We appreciate the readiness of President Megawati
Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to explain their
respective economic programs during the dialog with domestic and
foreign businessmen in Jakarta on Monday.

This daily, however, believes that the two presidential
candidates have failed to give the business world assurances.

Moderator John A Prasetyo said the two presidential
candidates' economic programs failed to address the real problems
of "3Ls+1I" -- the labor, legal, local and infrastructure
sectors.

Labor in Indonesia has turned into a handicap in business
development as existing regulations prioritize worker welfare
rather than productivity.

There has been uncertainty in the country's legal sector as
law enforcers tend to sell the law for their own vested
interests.

Local affairs, such as provincial autonomy, have merely
complicated the bureaucracy as investors have been required to
pay US$1,300 and wait for 151 days to obtain an investment
permit.

Infrastructure is another problem for investors who want to do
business in Indonesia. There has been no new infrastructure,
including in energy and transportation, built since the onset of
the economic crisis in 1997.

Both Megawati and Susilo do not seem to see 3Ls+1I as
problems. They touched on them but did not really address them.

Those in business understand well that the problems cannot be
solved overnight. They only wanted the two presidential
candidates to give a clear answer as to where they intended to
lead the country and how it would get there.

Economist Faisal Basri said that what we have been through is
a critical economic state. We no longer need ordinary steps to
revive our ailing economy, but drastic ones. We badly need
substantial commitment to restore the economy.

-- Kompas, Jakarta

Sudan's dilemma

Washington and London are making a new rod for their backs.
Sudan is their latest problem. They are ratcheting up pressure on
the country, accusing its government of ignoring and even
abetting alleged atrocities in the western province of Darfur.
This is a bad idea.

It is unlikely that the mounting pressure will bear fruit any
time soon. Tribal complexities lie at the heart of the disturbing
problem. The reverse is true. Pressure will militate the Khartoum
government against any formula imposed from outside to alleviate
the reported plight of the Darfuris. National pride is at stake.

Meanwhile, with their international credibility dented,
especially in this region, the United States and Britain are
triggering more misgivings about their seeming concern over the
situation in Darfur. ... It is imperative for them to stop
calling the shots for Khartoum, which must demonstrate more
resolve and transparency in grappling with the crisis dragging on
in its backyard. -- The Egyptian Gazette, Cairo, Egypt

The use of tracking
chips in Iraq

The answer to the many kidnappings (in Iraq) could be to make
use of chip technology.

Exposed persons could, through a simple process, be equipped
with a chip that makes it possible through satellite surveillance
to track where a person is being held.

Having a tracking chip won't prevent terror actions or
murders, which are aimed at creating an environment of total
fear, but the technology could prevent terrorists from using
abductions as a way to extort publicity and political influence
they don't deserve. ...

In the joint effort to put terrorists on the defensive, it is
necessary to remove their most efficient weapon, namely the
chance to use a helpless hostage to garner televised publicity.

Implanting a tracking chip would make it impossible to hide a
hostage and could eliminate hostage taking as a form of
blackmail.

It's the worth the effort to at least try it.

-- Berlingske Tidende, Copenhagen, Denmark