Aircraft-for-sticky rice deal sparks controversy

Aircraft-for-sticky rice deal sparks controversy

JAKARTA (JP): The plan to trade locally-built aircraft with
Thai glutinous rice was questioned by a House member from the
Armed Forces and backed by government legislators yesterday.

Oedijanto from the Armed Forces faction in the House of
Representatives said what Indonesia needs is regular rice for
daily consumption, not the glutinous rice commonly served as a
snack.

"To swap aircraft with sugar as initially planned sounds
better...but with glutinous rice? It doesn't sound good," said
the deputy ABRI faction chairman at the House.

Thai and Indonesian officials signed a memorandum of
understanding on the barter deal here yesterday. Under the
agreement, Indonesia will deliver two CN-235 aircraft for 110,000
tons of glutinous rice from Thailand.

The commuter planes were built by Industri Pesawat Terbang
Nusantara, Bandung.

"Indonesia doesn't have a shortage of glutinous rice because
it is not a staple food. Can't we barter the aircraft with
another commodity?" he said.

Oedijanto suggested that Indonesia try again and barter the
aircraft for sugar or cement, of which Indonesia cannot produce
enough.

Legislator Tadjoedin Noersaid said he basically backed the
plane-for-glutinous rice scheme but insisted that the government
explain the plan's background to the public.

The House member from the ruling Golkar party argued that a
frank explanation is needed so that people do not consider the
scheme odd.

"People are itching to ask why Indonesia, as a well-known rice
producer, swaps high-technology aircraft with merely glutinous
rice," Tadjoedin said.

Tadjoedin said the barter deal is a good idea because
Indonesia can buy the vital commodity without wasting foreign
exchange.

"The real question is does Indonesia really need glutinous
rice, or is it simply because it wants to see its aircraft sold
for anything at all?" he said.

Meanwhile, legislator Moestahid Astari -- chief of the Golkar
faction in the House, said he fully backed the barter scheme
because it would help Indonesia reduce its current account
deficit.

"We should dump all negative presumption about the scheme. I
am sure the government carefully weighed up what the country
needs before it decided to go ahead with the plan," he said.

He maintained Golkar has, from the outset, backed such a
barter system as a way to suppress the current deficit. (pan)