JAKARTA, Sept. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Indonesia's businessmen hope the new government to be formed should crack down on corrupt government bureaucrats so that companies can produce their goods at lower prices for the domestic and international markets.

    Chairman of the National Economic Recovery Committee (KPEN) Sofjan Wanandi said the most daunting task that the new government will encounter is to slash the high-cost economy, which is a result of corrupt bureaucrats and officials charging fees for everything.

    In the first 100 days, the new president should have the boldness to fire all corrupt government officials who have been extorting money from the business community, Sofjan was quoted by English daily the Jakarta post on Saturday.

    "If he manages to address the problem, the business community will gain confidence for him and the government, and that in turn will help us all produce more affordable products for the local and overseas markets," said Sofjan, who is also chairman of the influential business lobby, the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo).

    Local and foreign business people have been complaining incessantly over the last few years about the corrupt government officials' unending and often bizarre and lawless extortion. They also complained that other officials simply abused the existing regulations for their own personal gain or as a way to fund a "certain political party."

    Based on a recent study by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), at least 35 percent of local companies' production costs is used on expenses ranging from extra fees for goods clearance in ports to the cost of giving "cigarette money" to all the policemen stationed along roads.

    The high-cost economy has also been blamed for the low competitiveness of the country's products overseas, slowing exportgrowth. Export activities have long been expected to become one ofthe main engines in accelerating the economic growth, but the sector has never really taken off.

    Reviving investors' confidence in the economy and the government is crucial as the country badly needs fresh investment to accelerate growth in the economy, which has been expanding at arate of around 4 percent during the past couple of years mainly driven by domestic consumption. Enditem