A presidential candidate of Golkar, Jusuf Kalla (JK) said his party forwarded the nation`s self-reliant economy which was based on the concept of fair trade and not free trade which tended to inflict losses to the state.
"In the past, the IMF forced us to freely import various products such as rice and sugar. Anybody can import the commodities. Timber was allowed to be exported without limitation. After one year, I ordered to revoke this regulation," Kalla said in a dialogue with the Indonesian chamber of commerce and industries (Kadin) here on Monday.<>
"After that the IMF asked Indonesia to dissolve the national logistic agency (Bulog), as what was important was pro-market. Then I tried to reject it by saying this was my country and not yours. We wanted fair trade instead of free trade," Kalla stressed.
According to him, all countries did not want too liberal policies offered by the IMF. "That applies to every country, all emerging countries also wish for fair trade."
Kalla saw that the IMF policy is detrimental to local products, because they cannot compete with imported products.
He pledged that if elected as president he would seek fair business deals with foreign companies, investors and multilateral agencies.
“I'm not saying that I want to prevent outsiders from coming to Indonesia. Indonesia is an open country, but we need investments which are more productive and with more benefits to us,” he said. (dar)
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