Austerity programs

Mindful of the present monetary and economic crisis, many large companies have begun to implement much-reported austerity programs in earnest. Here follows some tales connected to this, albeit some of them should, perhaps, be taken with a grain of salt.

An investment banking institution on Jl. Sudirman instructed all employees -- regardless of rank or position -- to leave the office at 6 p.m. in order to save electricity. Another company shuts off the electricity during lunch time. An automotive company with some 4,000 workers spends a cool Rp 1 billion yearly on bottled drinking water alone and another Rp 80 million on fax and telephone charges per month. I commented that with Rp 1 billion per year, the company should buy a giant kettle to boil drinking water, thereby saving at least 80 percent of said amount.

Telephone conversations are shortened and chatting between friends by telephone during lunch time is frowned upon. An employee of the sales department who has to travel to East Java must go by train or bus instead of by plane, and a member of the board of directors should fly economy instead of first class. Entertaining guests should be done in second-rate restaurants.

I believe that with such spirit to implement austerity programs, the present economic crisis can be overcome.

A. DJUANA

Jakarta