Aspindo joins "Love Rupiah"

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)