Assets of Soeharto's cronies

Assets of Soeharto's cronies

From Rakyat Merdeka

As the Megawati government has been "compelled" to raise fuel
prices as well as electricity and telephone rates for the sake of
abolishing subsidies, why can't it wield its power to recover
public funds misappropriated by former president Soeharto and his
cronies?

The multidimensional crisis now plaguing the country continues
to impoverish the common people. The price of basic necessities
keeps rising, so the benefit of the government's public service
should now be questioned. Why does the government also plan to
allow more time to conglomerates incurring trillions of rupiah of
debts, while ignoring the poor?

Despite the government excuse that the price hikes are
directed at rich people and companies, it is ordinary citizens
who will eventually bear the brunt of the policy. Is the
government unaware of the growing mass of needy people in the
country? The following examples are worthy of attention:

1. Increased fuel prices, after being raised twice, have caused
higher transport costs and thus also commodity prices. Meanwhile,
fuel subsidies, claimed to be shifted to the poor, are not evenly
distributed to relevant communities due to manipulation by lower-
ranking public officials.

2. Higher electricity costs for factory operation increase the
price of manufactured products, which also have to be borne by
the majority.

3. The increased price of industrial diesel oil forces plants to
buy at a special rate. They, too, have to increase prices of
their products, which will again be paid by poor consumers. Worse
still, fishermen cannot afford to buy automotive diesel fuel for
their fishing boats.

4. Higher telephone rates also make low-income people limit their
communications, particularly those whose children work in far-off
places to help cover family needs.

It seems that life is harder now than under the New Order
government. It means that life was more comfortable under
Soeharto's rule than in this reform period, regardless of whether
or not Soeharto was corrupt.

Are the present authorities guaranteed not to be corrupt? It's
a fact that yesterday was better than today.

PARLIND HUTAGALUNG

Bangka