“The Opposition needs a bit of economic lecture to understand how we connect to international trade,” says Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo when rebuffing recent criticisms against his visit to Indonesia.
Last week the Opposition Leader Dr Derek Sikua issued a statement criticizing the Prime Minister saying his visit to Indonesia was a “waste of tax payers” money and not of national interest.
But Mr Lilo told the local media on arrival yesterday that he can’t blame the Opposition for criticizing his visit because they fail miserably to understand the essence of the trip.
“I don’t know what the basis of them choosing to say that it is a waste of taxpayers’ money and not of national interest. When you pitch your connections to international trade, you have to pitch it to market; Indonesia is a country of 249 million people... so you see where the market is,” Mr Lilo explained.
He added that in international trade, market exists where there is high consumer demand which Indonesia has.
“So I don’t blame those people in the Opposition who criticize us, I think they need a little bit of economic lecture to understand how we connect in international trade. That’s the mainstay of our trade in the Asia-Pacific region,” Mr Lilo added.
The Prime Minister further said that when Indonesia reaches out to Solomon Islands to seize this opportunity...“That’s the real opportunity that we have to connect to”.
“If anybody thinks that there is no significance in our visit to Indonesian, let me say this to you that ...rethink your own engagement and public life because Indonesia is one of the most powerful countries and influential markets in the Asia-Pacific Region,” Mr Lilo said.
Source: Press Release, Government Communications Unit