RI sets eight national development priorities : Yudhoyono

Jakarta (ANTARA news) - The government has decided eight national development priorities in 2008 in an effort to speed up economic growth, reduce the country`s poverty and unemployment rates, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in his State of the Nation Address and Government`s Financial Notes on the Draft 2008 State Budget before the House`s plenary session here on Thursday.

The eight priorities are to increase investment, encourge exports and enhance work opportunity, revitalize sectors of agriculture, fishery, forestry, village development and accelerate infrastructure development.

The other priorities are to increase access to and quality of education and health, increase the effectiveness of the fight against poverty, fight corruption and accelerate reforms of bureaucracy.

Other priorities included efforts to improve security at home, handle natural disasters, reduce disaster`s risk and increase efforts at handling bird flu infection.

He added the government has achieved extensive progress in the past ten years, mainly in developing the economic backbones following the economic crisis.

"At the end of June, our foreign exchange capital reserves have reached US$50.9 billion, an increase of US$8.3 billion compared with that in 2006.We have maintained exchange rate stability, while the banking sector has healthier financial balance," he said.

He added the state budget had also been getting better with the decrease of the debt service ratio from 47% in 2005 to 35.4% in 2007.

"The problems have yet to be handled all and the challenges will keep on occurring, while poverty and un-employment have yet to be handled," he said.

Besides health and educational facilities which needed to be developed, road infrastructures, air ports and sea ports as well as damaged electricity and irrigation netwroks received lack of attention after the crisis, he said.

"This has created high cost that should be borne by both the people and the national economy," he added.

And to settle all these problems and face the hard challenges, he said, the government would always try to implement development agenda as stipulated in the mid-term development plan.

House backs policy to stop circulation of unhealthy imports

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The House of Representatives (DPR) has expressed support for the government`s decision to stop the circulation of imported goods hazardous to the public`s health.

"The House asks the government to pay more serious attention to imported products that are very hazardous to the public`s health," DPR Chairman Agung Laksono said in his speech before President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono delivered a state-of-the-nation address at the parliament building here Thursday.

The DPR chief was referring to the rampant circulation of formaldehyde-tainted foreign drugs, foods, drinks and cosmestics in the country.

Indonesia`s policy to stop importing the products believed to contain formaldehyde prompted the government of the country from which they originated to impose a ban on the import of aquatic products from Indonesia.

"We must wisely respond to the ban on the import of Indonesian aquatic products by encouraging an objective investigation. The ban also serves as a warning for producers to develop healthy products," he said.

Therefore, he added, the governments of the two countries should soon use diplomatic approaches to resolve their dispute over their trade relations, he said.

On the occasion, Agung also said the House was paying serious attention to the issue of illegal logging in several parts of the country which harmed the state and had an adverse impact on the environment.

Likewise, the issue of illegal fishing had also not been addressed well, he said.

"We ask both the central and regional governments and security agencies to take stern measures against those involved in the cases which really disrupt the national economy and development," he said.

China to take steps to ensure toy quality: official

Beijing (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - China's Ministry of Commerce vowed Thursday help related departments implement measures to ensure the quality and safety of China-made toys.

The measures include enhancing self-discipline and supervision of the toy industry, helping local authorities train manufacturers to improve management over product quality, and strengthening international cooperation and information exchange on toy production, according to a ministry spokesman.

The U.S. product quality watchdog filed 29 recall cases involving toys made in China last year, while two new major toy recall cases have hit the world headlines in the past month.

China exported more than US$7 billion worth of toys last year, up 7.5 per cent over the previous year