An appeal to the IMF

An appeal to the IMF

Indonesia's economic condition has reached a most precarious
point. The sorry state of our economy is reflected in the
inadequacy of our foreign exchange reserves and in the disarray
that exists in our services, production, investment and
distribution sectors. Our national food stocks will only last a
few more months.

Clearly, such dire conditions call for the greatest care in
what we say and do. One wrong step, however small, may jeopardize
the disbursement of aid. Still fresh in our minds is how, on May
4, the International Monetary Fund withheld the aid it had agreed
to disburse after riots broke out, first in Medan and then in
Jakarta.

In terms of size, the IMF aid package is not all that
significant. However, the message conveyed by an IMF agreement to
extend aid is of great importance to investors, international
financial institutions and other countries. An IMF agreement to
provide aid will be followed by others.

We call on the IMF to disburse its aid so that our people may
be spared more suffering.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta