"In our view, Hatta`s statements are just a maneuver to escape from his responsibility in the face of the economic problems being faced by the people," Golkar Party legislator Bambang Soesatyo said here Wednesday.
Bambang who is also a vice chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), said he had data showing that the power of millions of Indonesian families to purchase basic necessities had dropped and was even approaching zero.
"Our data show that millions of Indonesian children are facing the threat of malnutrition as their parents` ability to buy consumer or household goods has slumped and is even approaching zero," he said.
Therefore, he said, he would ask Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa not to issue unrealistic statements, because in reality the public was having to deal with high inflation and low purchasing power problems.
By his statements that Indonesia was now on the list of the world`s 18 economic powers, Hatta "is trying to create a false sense of pride in order to lull the people into forgetting their economic troubles," Bambang said.
He urged the chief economic minister to address the current problems of price hikes of basic commodities such as rice, cooking oil and chili, which were burdening the people.
The fact that millions of children were now being threatened by malnourishment was proof that people`s ability to meet their basic necessities had gone down, he said.
(T. M036/Uu.F001/HAJM/P003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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