well until next time... Waddle On!

-Pink Ster

www.pinkstercp.wordpress.com

click the torch for the black mask

clown outfit

jade necklace

click the lighthouse for the black scuba mask.

well until next time..............waddle on!

-Pink Ster

Latin American and Caribbean governments that want to improve water and sanitation services can now apply for grants from the Aquafund, a new source of financing approved by the board of the Inter-American Development Bank today. (...)

Read all: Environmental Expert.com

The Sixaola basin covers 2890 square kilometers (about 1115 square miles) stretching from the Caribbean coast to the Talamanca mountains in Costa Rica and the Central Mountain range on the Panamanian side. The area encompasses one of the last large tracts of nearly untouched forest in Central America, as well as coastal ecosystems such as wetlands and mangrove swamps.

The project will support the adoption of production practices compatible with the conservation and sustainable use of water, soil and biodiversity. For example, local communities will be involved in improving the management of micro-watersheds. The initiative will also promote alternative income-generating activities based on the sustainable use of natural resources. Ecotourism and infrastructure improvements will also be a focus for the program, with one goal being to tap the economic development potential of the watershed by identifying alternatives for production diversification and opportunities to create permanent jobs.

"With a little help," Arias said in the speech, "Sixaola can take advantage of its enormous tourism potential and transform it into employment for its young and earnings for its families.”

Porte gelam juto,
Nai lace, anlam lace,
Porlam juta, lagalam lace,
Juta black, fita blue;
Sole-r niche glue.
Jan koi? Kahini matro shuru!

Rastay dilam hata,
Millo bondhu, pother kata.
Bol-e PC noshto,
Mon-e tar onek koshto;
Nick-e ase, PSM-e ase:
"Bou ase, prem nai."
Bol-e, "Chol jai, IDB jai."

Ami korlam kono rokum-e par,
"Ase eggjam, onek kaj."
Ashole jaitechilam Boomers:
Khaite fried rice, mojar beef r chickan;
Bondhu bollo, "Arrite mate!"
Oye to abar Australian.

Boomers-eo eki obosta,
Drobbo mullo-r daam baarse.
Kintu pet pujo to kortei hoye.
Baaper poyesha jodio noshto hoye;
Chinta hoye, emon din ashbe:
Free AIUB lunch?

Agência: Draft FCB e IDB, Chile

Posted on Tue, Jun. 24, 2008

U.S. behind Haiti's water woes, rights activists charge
By JACQUELINE CHARLES

In the overcrowded streets of Port-de-Paix, Haiti, spigots that once gushed with clean drinking water run empty, distribution lines are broken and the only source of potable water is private vendors.

The U.S. government is to blame for the lack of access to drinking water, according to several human rights groups, who on Monday accused American officials of delaying the disbursement of $54 million in loans to improve water access in Port-de-Paix as leverage for political change in the hemisphere's poorest country.

''There is not a question a crime was committed,'' said Dr. Evan Lyon, a physician who has worked in Haiti since 1996 and was among several activists who issued the 87-page report. ``There was an illegal and political-motivated manipulating of the funds.''

ADVOCACY GROUP

Lyon helped prepare the report on behalf of Partners in Health, the Haiti-based healthcare provider founded by Dr. Paul Farmer. Others involved in the report include the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights; Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at the New York University School of Law; and Zanmi Lasante, a Haitian advocacy group that Farmer also is involved with. The report looks at the effects of the slowdown of the distribution, noting that 10 years after the Inter-American Development Bank approved the $54 million loan, the city's 100,000 residents still lack access to potable water.

Rob Saliterman, spokesman for International Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Treasury, declined to comment, saying he had not seen the report. But he noted that ``the U.S. has been extremely supportive of multilateral assistance efforts for Haiti.''

In 1998, the IDB agreed to provide Haiti with a $54 million loan as part of an effort to improve sanitation and water distribution in the cities of Port-de-Paix in the northwest, and Les Cayes in the southwest. Two years later, Haiti's parliament approved the loan.

According to the report's authors, e-mails and other documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Treasury Department reveal that there was ``a high level of strategic interference by U.S. personnel to stall the disbursement of these loans indefinitely in order to use them as leverage for political change.''

''This was a real calculated attempt to implement a political policy with total disregard for the impact on the ground,'' said Monika Varma, director of the RFK Center. ``This is a shining example of what we understand is a pretty common practice, U.S. government using its power in multilateral institutions.''

Varma and others involved in the report say they not only want an investigation into what happened but ''regular monitoring of U.S. government'' behavior in its dealing with foreign nations like Haiti.

POLITICAL INFIGHTING

Though multilateral institutions like the IDB and others have long cited Haiti's political infighting and turmoil as blame for the slow distribution of funds, Lyon said that was not the case this time around. In 2002, Haitian government officials publicly complained about the aid holdup, prompting members of the Congressional Black Caucus to urge President Bush to release the loan.

In Port-de-Paix, contracts were awarded in 2007, funds are being disbursed to contractors and work should be completed by 2009, IDB spokesman Peter Bate said.

''Although we do not comment on internal deliberations involving member states, project execution in Haiti is often delayed in the face of institutional challenges,'' he said. ``The IDB has worked with the Haitian government and other stakeholders to address such issues. Indeed, the IDB has remained continually engaged in Haiti during the toughest political and economic circumstances.''

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/v-print/story/580790.html

Menurut Pelaksana Gubernur IDB untuk Malaysia Dato Ahmada Husni Mohammad Hanadzlah, krisis subprime dan fluktuasi harga minyak membuat para investor beralih dari instrumen produk finansial yang mapan ke instrumen yang transparan dan aman di bawah pembiayaan syariah.

"Kalangan investor memprediksi pertumbuhan aset finansial syariah 20% per tahun," ujar Ahmad yang juga Deputi I Menteri Keuangan Malaysia pada acara Pertemuan Tahunan ke-33 Dewan Gubernur IDB di Jeddah, tadi malam.

Untuk itu, IDB diminta mereposisi dirinya dan menangkap peluang tersebut guna memperluas pengembangan pembiayaan syariah dan pasar modal.(er)

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will provide $ 9.2 million for the development of agriculture, rural infrastructure and the power sector in Bangladesh.

Three agreements were signed between the government and the IDB following a meeting between Finance Adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam and visiting IDB President Ahmed Mohamed Ali at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital yesterday.

Secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) Mohammad Aminul Islam Bhuiyan and the IDB president signed the agreements on behalf of their respective sides. The finance adviser was present.

Of the amount, $8.686 million will be spent for implementation of the greater Rangpur Agricultural and Rural Development project, $ 0.295 million for carrying out feasibility study on Bhola 150MW Combined Cycle Power Plant and Barisal-Bhola-Borhanuddin 132KV transmission line project and $ 0.218 million for feasibility study on the Eastern Refinery project.

Earlier, the finance adviser and the IDB president discussed the bank's cooperation in areas like agriculture, education, health, rural infrastructure and power. Ahmad Mohammad Ali assured the finance adviser of IDB's further cooperation in the years to come.

The IDB president also assured the Bangladesh government of providing assistance for rehabilitation of the flood-hit people in Bangladesh. He said they will send a mission soon for making an assessment of damage caused by the floods.

The IDB approved about $520 million for Bangladesh as economic assistance as of January 2007. In addition, it also provided $4,187 million as trade financing, mainly for importing crude oil by the BPC.

Addressing the 24th annual general meeting (AGM) of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) at China-Bangladesh Friendship Conference Centre in the morning, the IDB president said Bangladesh will receive $ 2 billion from the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD) to implement poverty alleviation schemes.

IDB has designed $ 10 billion fund to reduce poverty in its member countries under a 10-year programme.

"We've undertaken a massive initiative to alleviate poverty from the member countries, including Bangladesh," he said,

He said Bangladesh has set up a model of working with the poor and IDB will be very keen to replicate the model elsewhere, specially in Africa.

The Islamic Development Bank has ‘agreed to’ the government request for not changing the interest rate on the $200 million loan for fuel import, for which government and the bank had signed an agreement in March, a high Energy Division official said on Sunday.
   ‘The IDB has informed us today that it has agreed to our request for not changing the interest rate on the $200 million loans that is in the pipeline,’ energy secretary Mohammad Mohsin told New Age on Sunday.
   Mohsin, however, said they were yet to be confirmed when the loan would be disbursed.
   Sources in the division said the Islamic Trade Finance Corporation, a concern of the IDB that lends fund to the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, had sent a letter to the energy division on Sunday informing that it would send the copy of the agreement the ‘parties’ signed.
   ‘The ITFC, however, has not directly said it agreed to the government request, but the there is a positive indication. The division will be confirmed about the IDB stance after getting the copy of the agreement,’ said a source.
   The petroleum corporation signed the agreement with the IDB for $200 million in loans on March 31 with an interest rate of LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) plus 1.75 per cent as part of a long-term cooperation.
   The IDB has been providing around $1.2 billion a year for the corporation with an interest rate of LIBOR plus 1.5 to 1.75 per cent. The IDB on April 8 said it would charge interest rate of LIBOR plus 1.75 per cent from the day but the interest rate would not be less than 5.5 per cent.
   As per the April LIBOR rate of around 2.48 per cent and the agreement the BPC signed with the IDB, the interest rate on $200 million in the pipeline was supposed to be around 4.3 per cent. The IDB made 5.5 per cent as the base rate as the LIBOR rate had come down to 2.48 per cent in recent times from around 5 per cent in 2007.
   The Energy Division was worried about the IDB move as it would have hampered the timely disbursement of $200 million, affecting the tight schedule of fuel oil import of the petroleum corporation.
   The Energy Division then requested the IDB not to change the loan formula, at least for the loan in the pipeline. After the IDB had rejected the division request, the government in the past week asked the Economic Relations Division to negotiate the matter with the IDB.
   Following the ERD negotiation, the ITFC sent the letter to the Energy Division on Sunday.

Asia outnumbers Latin America when it comes to receiving money from the overseas workers but on a per capita basis remittances are more important to Latin America than any other region in the world. At least 20 million Latin American families are estimated to receive regular funds from their relatives abroad. Mexicans sent back nearly $24bn last year, almost entirely from the US - roughly the same as foreign investment and the second source of foreign exchange after oil. Yet IDB officials are alarmed by the situation in Mexico. The bank estimates that about 600,000 Mexicans did not receive remittances as a result of the turndown last year. Despite not having any drastic or dramatic impact on the Mexican economy the trend is expected to affect the economy to a large extent if no corrective measures are taken. Especially when the construction industry which employs a large number of Mexicans is not faring too well.

 By: Yusuf Wibisono
Student of Agricultural Engineering Department,
Bogor Agricultural University

(Winner of IDB Silver Jubilee Essay Competition 2000)

            The ideals of social welfare and human solidarity, along with the belief in the oneness of God and the Prophetic messages, hold the highest level of cognition in the Quran. The Islamic philosophy and framework of political economy are built around these unique foundations. The principles and instruments so developed around these foundations pervade the Islamic political economy both in its domestic aspects as well as in global perspective. Human solidarity that emanates from the belief of mankind in the one true God, as Islam has inspired, is given a concrete form through the idea of Islamic economic co-operation and integration in diversified world.

            The study of development co-operation in Islamic perspective requires the implementation of the normative and positivistic aspects of the Islamic ethico-economic principles to this area. First, the idea of Islamic economic integration must be enforced in the world nation of Islam, known as ummah. It has then to take rational and meaningful shape in terms of institutions and policy-theoretic foundations that can mobilize resources among the Islamic countries. The idea of Islamic economic integration must then subsequently evolve into global ethico-economic model of development and development co-operation. Thus, the human felicity that Islam bestows on mankind is extended to comprehend all of mankind, not just the Muslims and the Islamic nations.

            Considerations of the Islamic ethico-economic foundations of socio-economic development, development financing and co-operation, are the principal areas that need to be studied in the context of world development in contemporary times. This evokes deep ethical parameters of development, new forms of institutions and concepts of the world order, and new dimensions in thought and social change. All these need to be studied seriously now, at a time when the world order is undergoing profound changes. The communist social facade is fast crumbling under the inscrutable human demand for greater freedom and social justice. The capitalist economies are fast transforming into welfare states by incorporating conditions of distributive equity as a socialization goal. The world economies are thus fast converting into mixed economies. Within this great transformation process, the moral and material needs of mankind are seeking expression in alternative paradigms and world views.

            These phenomena of change in the social and thought processes apply particularly to developing countries, which have been long left out in the economic, catch up drive. The question remains to be examined as to where the fountains of new life and promise lie for these countries under alternative paradigms of thought and socio-economic development. Such questions and their bearing on the ethical and material tempo of development must be taken up at a juncture when United Nation’s today has entered its Fifth Development Decade and as the world launches into the third millenium to rediscover humanity.

            Such are the questions and their proposed answers that are covered in this volume from Islamic perspective. The claim and rationale is throughout then made, that  the Islamic worldview of change and order provides a unique “weltanschauung”. The universality of this alternative as it applies to all mankind and which can be rationally examined under the microscope of normative and positivistic criteria of investigation, makes the Islamic approach a venue for examination and study. This work makes this Islamic workview a unique one, in contrast to the idea of ethical relativism and cultural pluralism-based theories of socio-economic development, because the source of Islamic development concept are the Quran, the traditions of Prophet Muhammad sunnah, the analogy for deriving rules from these fundamental sources of knowledge through syllogistic deductionism ijtihad and qiyas, which all of these together are cast in the Islamic Laws, shariah.

Development of Islamic Financial Instruments

            The history of Islamic economic co-operation and of the development finance institutions has began with established the first modern Islamic bank in a small city of Egypt, Mit Ghamr. Then, the First Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers decided to establish a General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in March 1970.

            The year 1974 saw the establishment of an Islamic Solidarity Fund at the OIC to promote economic co-operation among the Islamic countries. The establisment of the prime Islamic development finance organization, the Islamic Development Bank, also took place in 1974. The resources of the bank would be made up of subscribed shares of member countries of OIC and the operations of the bank would be guided by shariah in developmental direction. IDB is the first international aid organization that gift loan without interests. Then, established Dubai Islamic Bank, Faisal Islamic Bank, Kuwait Finance House, Jordan Islamic Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Bahrain Islamic Bank, Iran Saderat Bank and Indonesian Muamalat Bank. These finance institutions grow and would developed the Islamic countries.

The Islamic Development Bank had adapted a combination of project identification, project financing and trade financing methods to promote socio-economic development potential in its membership. It also uses instruments such as resource mobilization through share capital, secondary market instruments in conformity with shariah. Being a development finance institutions, IDB’s objective criterion can be seen to be equitable distribution and mobilization of a maximum level of resources to its membership utilizing the instruments at its disposal. In the area of project financing the principal instrument are : Loan Financing, Technical Assistance, Equity Participation with mudarabah/musharakah, Line of Equity, Leasing and Line of Leasing, Installment Sale, Profit-Sharing, Foreign Trade Financing, Special Assistance and Capital Market Operations.

On the other hand, apart form economic co-operation under OIC, in several cases, Islamic countries are found to belong to more than one regional economic co-operation arrangement. For example, the Islamic countries merged into interregional or regional organizations. The interregional organization like OPEC, OAPEC, APEC, RCD and TPA. The African regional co-operations are ECOWAS, UDEAC, ENTENTE, NBA, OAU, PTA, CEAO etc., and the Asian regional co-operation like ASEAN, GCC and SAECS/SAARC.  The common objectives have been trade liberalization, common tariffs on foreign export, joint-ventures, coordination of monetary policies, particularly in the Franc area African Islamic countries, and long-term plans for industrial development, industrial complementary, agricultural development and water resources development. Many of these regional co-operation arrangements also fall within the United Nations System of economic co-operation integration among developing countries. In fact, each of these countries in different regional economic co-operation in member of  OIC and IDB.

Striving for the unity of ummah

            The nexus of economic co-operation groupings influencing Islamic countries point to the inevitable common objectives of regional economic co-operation among Islamic countries. This fact is recognized by OIC. It makes the co-operation and integration schemes a globally linked regional co-operation system. Yet it is clear that none of these regional groupings need to abide by the Islamic financing goals of OIC and IDB when transacting as partners in projects not sponsored by the IDB. This obviously results in a loss of efficiency and breeds conflict of objectives and management of project between those sponsored by IDB and those sponsored by regional grouping. The concept of linked regional economic co-operation and integration as the formative edifice of global Islamic economic co-operation and integration is thus thwarted or made ineffective. It has been pointed out that this is indeed what happened when industrial complementary is lost, when the same country belongs both to OIC membership as well as to different grouping. This led to adoption of competing trade policies by OIC/IDB members in order to gain access to Northern markets.

            Also, co-operation between IDB with the UNCTAD, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank, make overlap on the co-ordination goal and role of OIC and IDB because conflicting interests are face. For example, if one were to give Islamic communal economic co-operation and integration foremost priority, then one of the external sector policies that must be promoted would be trade liberalization among the Islamic countries in a regionally linked framework. Islamic countries within their regional groupings in Islamic economic co-operation must also levy a common tariff on specific import of tradables from countries outside the Islamic economic union while they liberalize trade between themselves. These prescriptions for the Islamic countries, although necessary for the establishment of Islamic economic co-operation, would obviously be an area of conflict between IDB and other international development organizations. In the area of industrial development, the Islamic approaches based-on profit sharing and equity financing, which are preferred by IDB, will be in conflict with the interest-bearing loan financing approaches of other international development organizations.

            The ambiguous membership of Islamic country and un-autonomy of IDB are the key of these problems. To solve the problems, Islamic countries must be firmly united in one development organization. And the IDB could not co-operation with another international capitalistic development organization. Wealth of natural resources and human resources of Islamic countries, insya Allah afford to manage and self-developed on all Islamic countries. Great self confidence and autonomous of Islamic co-operation are the principal capital. Thus, Islamic countries, because of their large number and vast market potential, together with good prospects for economic complementary, can become a self-reliant trading bloc by themselves. This would require a period of import protection from countries outside the Islamic bloc while the latter promotes free trade within itself.  Some problem will still be posed due to the lack of investments during the adjustment period of transformation to a full-fledged Islamic economic union. Liquidity will not be suddenly withdrawn from Eurocurrency markets by the capital surplus oil producers as long as proven investments potentials are not there.

            Hence, in such an interim period, foreign investment must be invited into Islamic countries. In an Islamic economic union, these investors would be required to operate on the basis of equity participation, interest-free economy, a two-tier tariff system, a zero tariff between the Islamic countries and a nominal tariff on other countries' imported good. Foreign investors would still have much to gain, as equity participation is usually accompanied with attractive tax rebates. They would also enjoy free access to the large markets of Islamic countries. An equity-based economy can continue in the face of price stabilization, non-deflationary conditions and growth of the private sector. The gradual elimination of interest rates in Islamic economies, their replacement by profit-sharing, the openness of Islamic countries to each others' trade, and the setting of appropriate exchange rates, are the conditions that would favor a transition to a non-inflationary growth regime. This would generate attractive conditions for foreign investors to locate in Islamic economies.

            In view of the goals of distributive equity of an Islamic politico-economic system, IDB would have to undertake many more projects in the social sector, such as, the financing of enterprises for the elimination of poverty and unemployment, self-reliant development for the Islamic countries in trade and industrial development, financing of appropriate institutions for the restructuring of the economic systems in accordance with shariah.     

The model of Islamic economic co-operation must be a union system, and global Islamic politico-economic integration must be done. When viewed in this way, IDB would be required to play a key role in formulating the sosio-economic planning of its member countries. While the IDB do exist presently, it is important to see how it can be used most efficaciously for the common weal, unity and integrity of ummah. ***

            Poli (1997) mengatakan bahwa dalam hal pemikiran tentang pembangunan ekonomi telah terjadi suatu perkembangan yang pantas kita perhatikan. Sejak Adam Smith menulis bukunya yang terkenal : An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), tidak banyak ahli ekonomi yang mempersoalkan masalah pembangunan ekonomi. Kemajuan dianggap sudah semestinya terjadi. Masalah pembangunan ekonomi baru aktual lagi sesudah Perang Dunia II, ketika banyak negara bekas jajahan mencapai kemedekaannya dan bertekad untuk segera mengejar keterbelakangannya. Sayang, dalam ilmu ekonomi yang berlaku saat itu belum banyak terdapat petunjuk atau teori tentang bagaimana caranya membangun. Yang ada hanya pengalaman di negara-negara yang sudah maju.

            Merujuk pada pola pemikiran dan strategi pembangunan, yang ternyata berhasil dalam pembangunan kembali negara-negara Eropa yang hancur akibat perang, maka pembangunan diartikan pembangunan ekonomi saja, yang diukur dengan laju pertumbuhan Produk Nasional Bruto (PNB atau GNP) dan dicapai dengan investasi besar-besaran dalam satu-dua sektor strategis, khususnya industri  dan prasarana di sektor modern. Investasi dibiayai dari tabungan masyarakat , dan bila kekurangan dana, bisa dilengkapi dengan bantuan modal luar negeri. Industrialisasi dan teknologi dipandang sebagai kunci rahasia suksesnya pembangunan. Semua segi lainnya, seperti masalah kesejahteraan sosial, pendidikan, kesehatan, perumahan apalagi kemiskinan, pengangguran dan pemerataan dianggap “asal makmur yang ini dulu, lainnya nanti menyusul”, sering ditunjuk dengan istilah trickle down effect, yang maksudnya asal saja produk nasional naik, lama kelamaan kemakmuran akan “menetes ke bawah”, sehingga pada akhirnya seluruh masyarakat akan ikut menikmati hasilnya.

            Tetapi pada kenyataannya, memang ada negara yang berhasil tumbuh dengan cepat berdasarkan pola tersebut diatas, misalnya Taiwan atau Korea Selatan. Namun selebihnya, di kebanyakan negara berkembang, modal yang diperlukan jauh lebih besar daripada yang diperkiraan sebelumnya. Laju pertumbuhan GNP yang tinggipun belum tentu dengan sendirinya memecahkan masalah kemiskinan dan keterbelakangan. Biarpun GNP naik, tetapi  pengangguran semakin meluas dan jurang pemisah antara si kaya dan si miskin semakin lebar. Hasil yang mengecewakan ini mengecewakan orang bahwa pembangunan ekonomi saja atau kemajuan industri saja belumlah cukup. Usaha pembangunan bukan melulu masalah ekonomi, tetapi lebih luas daripada itu. Pembangunan ekonomi tidak boleh dilepaskan dari pembangunan manusia dan masyarakat, dan mencakup semua sektor secara serasi dan terpadu.

            Dalam hal ini orang sangat dipengaruhi oleh teori tahap-tahap pertumbuhan ekonomi yang dikemukakan oleh W.W. Rostow dalam The Stage of Economic Growth (1960). Menurutnya, dalam proses menjadi negara maju setiap masyarakat harus melalui lima tahap perkembangan, yaitu : dari masyarakat statis-tradisional, melalui tahap prasyarat, baru bisa lepas landas (take off), untuk selanjutnya berkembang atas kekuatan sendiri, sampai akhirnya mencapai tahap masyarakat adil dan makmur. Dalam rangka ini, pembangunan diartikan sebagai usaha terpadu berbagai sektor untuk mempersiapkan tahap “lepas landas”.

            Baru pada tahun 1970-an, para ahli ekonomi pembangunan mulai semakin menekankan perlunya usaha untuk secara langsung menanggulangi  masalah kemiskinan, ketimpangan distribusi pendapatan dan pengangguran. Laju pertumbuhan GNP bukan satu-satunya tolok ukur keberhasilan pembangunan, bahkan tidak ada artinya sama sekali jika tidak disertai perbaikan yang nyata dalam taraf hidup rakyat, terutama lapisan masyarakat yang paling miskin. Berdasarkan pola pemikiran ini, disusun pula suatu strategi  yang baru. Sasaran pokok pembangunan adalah untuk memenuhi kebutuhan dasar (basic need) penduduk yang sebagian besar masih tergolong miskin. Kebutuhan pokok rakyat meliputi pangan, sandang, perumahan, air bersih, kesehatan, transportasi, dan bahkan pendidikan, kebudayaan, harga diri serta lapangan pekerjaan. Untuk dapat memenuhi kebutuhan pokok rakyat ini perlu perbaikan dalam distribusi pendapatan maupun dalan struktur produksi. Misalnya, sektor pertanian perlu diberi prioritas untuk memenuhi kebutuhan sendiri dari sumber dalam negeri.

Masalah Pembiayaan Pembangunan

            Tak dapat dipungkiri bahwa salah satu komponen vital untuk membangun sebuah negara di berbagai sektor adalah ketersediaan dana yang pasti dalam jumlah besar. Untuk mengisi pos pemasukan dana pembangunan tersebut selain melalui sumber-sumber domestik, juga diperoleh dari luar negeri, umumnya diperoleh dari sumber-sumber internasional, baik melalui penanaman modal asing (PMA), ataupun melalui utang dari lembaga-lembaga donor seperti IMF, World Bank atau negara-negara tertentu yang bersedia memberikan pinjaman. Fakta menunjukkan, meskipun cukup banyak negara-negara berkembang memiliki sumber daya yang melimpah, baik alam (natural resources) atau manusia (human resources), namun pinjaman luar negeri justru menjadi andalan utama sumber pembiayaan pembangunan. Dana dalam negeri seperti tabungan pemerintah yang didukung penerimaan dari sektor pajak yang semakin meningkat, penghematan pengeluaran dan belanja negara, pengurangan atau pencabutan subsidi pangan atau BBM, maupun tabungan masyarakat yang berasal dari perusahaan swasta dan rumah tangga, melalui sistem perbankan dalam bentuk Deposito Berjangka, Tabungan, Sertifikat Deposito serta pembelian surat obligasi dan saham, tidak bisa berbuat banyak. Namun disisi lain ternyata, pinjaman luar negeri seperti sudah diprediksi sebelumnya, alih-alih mampu menggerakkan roda pembangunan dan menciptakan kesejahteraan, justru menicu krisis ekonomi yang sangat parah di berbagai negara Dunia Ketiga (the third world). Bahkan lebih jauh, krisis ekonomi di berbagai negara-negara berkembang ini telah menjalar ke dalam dimensi-dimensi lain.

             Guru Besar Sosial Ekonomi Kehutanan IPB, Prof.Dr. Dudung Darusman, MA menuliskan bahwa secara teoritik pembangunan adalah output dari suatu investasi, yang secara matematik dan sederhana dapat dirumuskan : Y = k . I , dimana Y adalah output pembangunan, k adalah konstanta pembangunan, dan I adalah investasi. Pertumbuhan pembangunan adalah pertambahan/kenaikan pembangunan per satuan waktu, yang dapat dirumuskan : dY/dt = k . dI/dt, dimana dI/dt adalah datangnya investasi baru, yang dapat berasal dari :

1. tabungan internal, atau
2. pinjaman luar negeri dan investasi asing

Bila dI/dt berasal dari tabungan internal, akan seketika itu mengurangi Y, tapi akan bersifat sehat atau menyehatkan.  Pertumbuhan pembangunan akan berjalan lebih lambat, namun dapat pula cepat tergantung pada “marginal propensity to save” yang ada di masyarakatnya.  Juga dapat lebih cepat pada akhirnya, apabila tabungan itu diinvestasikan pada aset baru yang berfungsi produktif, tidak pada aset konsumtif yang sekali habis.

Akan lebih cepat dan seketika naik apabila dI/dt itu datang dari pinjaman luar negeri dan investasi asing, di mana dI/dt tidak mengurangi pertumbuhan sedangkan dY yang dihasilkan langsung menambah pertumbuhan.  Jadilah negara yang sedang membangun cenderung membutuhkan dan berlomba mencari pinjaman/bantuan luar negeri dan investasi asing.  Walaupun begitu, pinjaman atau bantuan luar negeri dan investasi asing itu dapat saja tidak efektif dalam menciptakan dY/dt yang memadai, apabila :

- rendahnya dan lambatnya peningkatan faktor k,   SDM yang malas dan kurang inovatif adalah salah satu penyebabnya.

-  rendahnya efektifitas dI/dt yang sampai ke lapangan, “maraknya biaya-biaya administrasi dan pelancar” adalah salah satu penyebabnya.

Keadaaan kurang efektif tersebut dapat diperparah sampai tahap di mana pinjaman/bantuan luar negeri dan investasi asing justru menjadi berbahaya, apabila:

-   terdapat ”mark-up” budget pembangunan, baik di tahap masuknya dari luar ke dalam negeri, maupun di tahap dalam negeri : badan perencana, departemen, maupun rekanan pelaksana.

-   terdapat pinjaman (loan) luar negeri, di mana pihak negara donor meminta agar budget untuk satu proyek pembangunan ditingkatkan sampai 2 kali lipat, bahkan bila berbentuk bantuan (grant) sampai 3 kali lipat.  Hal ini mengandung arti faktor k turun menjadi separuh atau bahkan sampai sepertiganya.

-   hal tadi juga mengandung arti negara pengutang ikut menanggung atau mensponsori pembangunan di negara donor senilai sama dengan satu proyek, atau bahkan dua proyek negara pengutang . Sudah tentu negara pengutang harus membayar bunga pinjaman 2 atau 3 proyek, padahal yang dibangun hanya satu proyek saja.  Suku bunga yang ditanggung 2 atau 3 kali lipat dari yang tercantum pada perjanjian.

Lebih lanjut dalam IMF, Bank Dunia, dan Program Tipudaya (2000) disebutkan bahwa utang luar negeri sebenarya merupakan pemerasan kekayaan negara-negara  berkembang oleh negara-negara maju atau negara-negara industri. Negara-negara maju pimpinan AS, dengan menyetir lembaga kembarnya, IMF dan Bank Dunia, serta bank-bank komersial lainnya, berupaya untuk menyediakan dan menyalurkan pinjaman kepada negara berkembang dengan mekanisme tingkat suku bunga tidak tetap (variable interest rate). Dari sini bisa dipahami jika setiap tahun kecenderungan jumlah pinjaman Dunia Ketiga semakin membengkak akibat nilai mata uang negara berkembang jatuh terus-menerus karena menganut nilai tukar mengambang (floating exchange rate) hasil rekayasa AS dan negara kapitalis Barat.

Data dari Bank Dunia pada tahun 1998, menunjukkan bahwa sebanyak 98 negara Selatan telah membayar ke negara-negara Utara sebesar US$ 32,5 miliar. Padahal, sisa utang setelah dikurangi cicilan itu tidak cenderung berkurang tetapi justru merangkak naik. Artinya, negara-negara Utaralah yang menikmati dan menghisap kekayaan negara Dunia Ketiga melalui perangkap utang. 

Realitas kemiskinan akibat jerat utang di negara-negara berkembang cukup signifikan. Indonesia, sebelum krisis ekonomi Asia Tenggara bulan Mei 1997, pendapatan perkapitanya adalah US$ 1600 pertahun dan dimasukkan ke dalam kelompok negara berpendapatan menengah. Namun setelah krisis saat ini, dengan asumsi kasar US$ 1 bernilai Rp. 10.000,- atau sekitar 500 persen dari nilai tukar sebelum krisis ( US$ 1 = Rp. 2.500,-), pendapatan perkapita Indonesia merosot lima kali lipat. Dari perhitungan ini, berarti pendapatan perkapita Indonesia menjadi US$ 320 pertahun dan digolongkan  kedalam kelompok negara miskin.

Jerat hutang juga menimpa hampir semua negara-negara berkembang, yang notabene sebagian besar berpenduduk muslim. Di Zambia, sekitar tahun 1980-an pendapatan perkapitanya adalah US$ 600 pertahun. Tahun 1996, setelah mengikuti program IMF, pendapatan perkapitanya menurun drastis sampai US$ 170 pertahun. Laju inflasi meningkat hingga sekitar 60 persen. Tingkat pengangguran meningkat dari 14 persen menjadi 25 persen. Dalam dua tahun saja, mata uangnya sudah didevaluasi sampai 700 persen. Bahkan setelah lima tahun program IMF dijalankan, sekitar 10.000 orang kehilangan pekerjaan.

Tabel berikut ini menunjukkan hutang beberapa negara berpenduduk muslim kepada IMF sampai Agustus 2000, hanya pada 2 aspek yaitu multilateral claim dan total claims saja, belum termasuk didalamnya bank loans, non-bank credits, trade credits dan kredit lainnya.