http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20070608.B09&irec=8
RI 'too democratic' to progress, says Kalla Riyadi Suparno, The Jakarta Post, Beijing Making an official visit to China, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said he was impressed with China's progress and expressed confidence in Indonesia's ability to come closer to his host's development level, as long as "public responsibility" was made superior to individual freedom. Kalla said Indonesia had the qualities required to grow toward 7 percent per annum, but said greater respect of individual freedoms had hampered potential growth. "China's strength is that it can plan and implement. Our system, which is too democratic with too much individual freedom that often disregards the rights of others, has made it difficult for us to build infrastructure," he told a press conference after meeting with Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong. Earlier he met with Wu Bangquo, speaker of the National People's Congress. Citing the East Canal Flood project, he said most people would not sell their land at fair prices once they knew that infrastructure projects were planned for the area. "The money is already prepared, the technicalities are all there, but still we cannot move fast." The building of toll roads faced similar problems, he said. "As long as individual right is above public responsibility, we will not progress... That's the only problem we have now." Kalla said next year the government would make infrastructure development one of its four main priorities. The other three are agriculture, education and health. "In the past seven years, we have been busy with so many problems, large debts, rallies, arson, problems related to democracy, disasters... And we've never thought of development leaps. "For seven years, we've never repaired our irrigation system. Seven years, we haven't built strong roads. Seven years, we've never built something big. Therefore, next year, we have to change our way of thinking by using our excess funds to finance infrastructure, agriculture, education, health. Everything else could be taken up by the private sector," he said. Once infrastructure development increased, Kalla expressed confidence that Indonesia would be back to high growth rates of 7 percent to 8 percent. "We have to get closer to China and India. We can't be taken over by Vietnam... I will do anything I can to make it happen." Legal infrastructure would be improved to attract foreign investors, he said. Following the passage of the investment bill, the government is working on the taxation bill to make taxation more attractive to investors. The government is now taking a shorter route to create special economic zones through government regulations in lieu of laws. "I hope our friends at the legislature will support us in all of these efforts," he said.
