Page 183 - BUKU STRENGTHENING THE INDONESIAN PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY FADLI ZON

We believe that land ownership is one of the first economic resources of our people. We want our
farmers to be productive and rich. That is why Indonesia is exploring ways for redistribution of
lands to the bottom 40. In 2017, Indonesia will re-distribute around 9 hectares of lands and 12.7
hectares of social forest to the bottom 40.

Our challenge in inequality is even greater. The Gini coefficient on household consumption
has declined from 0.408 in March 2015 to 0.397 in March 2016, and yet, much works need to be
done. Regional disparity is also a challenge to an archipelagic country like Indonesia.

Today, we see more people working and living in big cities compared to that of rural areas. That
is because they lack access to primary source of income generation, job with decent income
or business with proper profit. As the law maker, the Indonesian House of Representatives
captured this phenomenon: that we need more fiscal-cycle in the village and rural areas. That
is why we have adopted Law on Village Fund. The law guarantees budget allocation of funds
to around 74,093 Indonesian villages so that they can finance their own development through
an inclusive village governance.

Of all these national practices, a social situation on the looming gap of the rich and the poorer
continue to exists. What makes the rich richer and the destitute one stay the same?

These elites control our politics. Those who have power have everything and can do anything.
Their hands may be invisible, yet, they take benefits from certain policies formulated in their
favour.

A world where wider inequalities prevail could never be stable and we need to stop this. Wars
and conflicts continue to be unabated only because the international community collective
power to maintain peace and stability is concentrated in the hand of the few.

Therefore, political inclusion is a necessity. It has been too often, that the national and global
policy are acting for the sake of the few. It is time to end this.

It is our job, to redress these inequalities through political inclusiveness and it should not be
gender biased.

It is also our call, to urge for a more democratic international community, for more appropriate
representation in multilateral institutions, so that we can have what we called: our fair share of
development.

170 I Selected Speeches of the Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia