Aspindo joins "Love Rupiah"

JAKARTA (JP): Members of the Indonesian Mining Services Association (Aspindo) changed US$500,000 into rupiah yesterday as part of the Love Rupiah campaign.

Association chairman Sudiarso Prasetio said $500,000 was collected from association members throughout the country who are concerned about the monetary crisis which has been gripping the country since the middle of last year.

The association has 300 members across the country.

"We are really concerned about what is happening now in our country and hope the monetary crisis will be over soon," he said while changing the dollars at a Universal Bank branch in South Jakarta.

Sudiarso said the monetary crisis had proved a windfall for most association members as their customers are mostly foreign mining companies which pay them in dollars.

"The association members will surely make big profits from the economic crisis, unless they also have lots of debts in dollars."

Association secretary-general Umar Sirait said the members regularly change $4 million into rupiah each month for operating expenses. (jsk)