VP: RI SHOULD NOT ALWAYS RELY ON FOREIGN AID

Ternate, June 29 (ANTARA) - Indonesia should be able to stand on its own feet and not always rely on aid from other countries, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said here on Monday.

"We should no longer rely on assistance from other countries but on our own capabilities ," Kalla said at a function to dedicate Dufa-dufa fish port in Ternate, North Maluku.

Blessed by plenty of human resources and an abundance of natural resources, Indonesia had the capability to become a great nation, he said.

He added that to be a great nation, the spirit of self reliance and the hard work ethic should be stepped up.

"We have failed to rely on our own capabilities for a long time. Therefore, we have to make a commitment that our future is in our own hands," Kalla said.

Therefore, he said, the spirit of self-confidence and hard work in every region across the country should be improved.

After dedicating the fish port, the vice president inspected the construction site of Al-Munawar grand mosque and then returned to Jakarta.

In a working visit to Yogyakarta recently, the vice president also made the same statement about the country's self-reliance.

"Only a big nation can be self-reliant in meeting the needs of its people, and I am optimistic we can be one of those big nations with self-reliance," Kalla said.

The vice president made the statement when closing the 27th congress of the Islamic Students Association for Organization Safety Assembly (HMI MPO) recently.

According to the vice president, self reliance could cover many things such as food self reliance, energy self reliance and others.

"The notion that a nation can only become big with foreign assistance is not my philosophy. No. To be a developed nation we have to become self-reliant with our own spirit and efforts," the vice president said.

However, the vice president admitted that although cooperation with other countries was not taboo, the important thing was that the nation should stand on its own feet.