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The
Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The
Association for a New Indonesia (PIB) on Thursday
presented an economic blueprint to the Second
Ad-Hoc Committee of the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) that it is hoped could serve
as a comprehensive guide for the country's economic
recovery process. Noted economist and PIB coordinator
Sjahrir said the blueprint was designed to enable
the government to get "focused" so that the
economic recovery process could be accelerated.
"We will provide the government with basic economic
and financial policy covering various aspects
such as the budget, banking and manpower," Sjahrir
told a press conference. The PIB hoped the economic
plan could be enshrined by the MPR in a decree
at next month's annual session.
Sjahrir
said that under the blueprint, all economic
institutions would have to boost their performances
to speed up the economic recovery process. He
said that the move was prompted by fears over
the impact of the global economic slump on the
domestic economy, particularly in the aftermath
of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S.
He said the series of U.S. military strikes
on Afghanistan and the anti-U.S. rallies at
home had disrupted the economic recovery process.
Fellow economist Pande Radja Silalahi elaborated
that a new economic plan was needed because
the country was facing tough challenges. "We
hope all elements from the executive, legislature
and the judiciary will get involved in the recovery
process," he added. Pande said that if the country
was too late in anticipating the rapidly changing
situation, the consequences would be even more
severe. The economic plan, titled "Basic economic
and financial policies for the reconstruction
and recovery of the national economy" comprises
13 chapters and 38 articles.
According
to the association, the role of the state in
economic affairs must be limited to facilitation
and regulation. "Ownership and implementation
functions must be in the hands of society,"
it said in the draft. Touching on the asset
restructuring program, the PIB recommends the
setting up of a commission to monitor the performance
of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency
and to prevent corruption.
Concerning state expenditure, the government
is urged to boost efficiency, and should focus
on fulfilling the basic needs of the public,
including health and education requirements,
and food security. To allow the PIB economic
plan to work, one crucial requirement would
be for the state apparatus to have a simple
and efficient structure, and for officials and
functionaries to have clear job descriptions.
In the meantime, Ad-Hoc Committee chairman Rambe
Kamarul Zaman said he was unable to say whether
the economic blueprint would be adopted by the
assembly because it would require the approval
of eleven factions.
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