Defense Minister Stresses Importance Of Non Military Defense System

Surabaya, E Java, (Antara) - Defense Minister Poernomo Yusgiantoro stressed the importance of non-military defense system through appropriate technology (TTG) products. "The Defense Ministry`s program does not include military only but also non-military one," the defense minister said when opening an agriculture exhibition through the appropriate technology approach at the Veteran National Development University (UPN), East Java, on Wednesday. Thus, the minister said the appropriate technology products at the UPN could be synchronized with the defense ministry`s TTG program. He said that Indonesia was an agrarian country so that the availability of appropriate technology at UPN was expected to help improve the welfare of the farmers in the country. "The benefit of this exhibition could be felt by many people because it would boost better economic growth in the future," the minister said. He said that agricultural products in Indonesia like rice, sugar, meat and others were important commodities for people`s life. Of course, he said, there should be appropriate technology that could be used producing better agricultural products. "We can see that Indonesia has many resources and many products. We can increase their added values here," Purnomo said. He said the the Ministry of Advantaged Regions had been able to make use of appropriate technology for its work program in improving the welfare of people. "We hope that other parties would also utilize it," he added. In the meantime, UPN Rector for East Java Teguh Soedarto said that UPN paid a special attention to the contribution of appropriate technology for less developed regions. "One of the form of its attention is the creation of appropriate technology tools. The technology devices which are created are adjusted to the need of respective regions," he said. Many TTG devices created by the UPN are used by industries to process raw materials into products with high added values. This has wider impact, among others, the creation of social and economic resilience in the region.