Brazilian flu

I refer, albeit a little late, to the article 'Will Brazil catch the Asian flu?' which you published on March 31, 1998. Turn that around 180 degrees and we are closer to reality. The question should have been: Will Asia catch the Brazilian flu? Well, Asia is showing some symptoms and that augurs well for Indonesia.

The Brazilian government is committed to selling off all state-owned enterprises. The day it sells "Petrosaurus Rex", (that's what we call Petrobras, our state oil monopoly) I will celebrate. If, by the end of this year, the PHC government gets rid of Tele-jackass, (that's what we call our archaic state-owned telecoms enterprise) I may even consider going back.

It is also committed to firing some civil servants to bring an end to our bloated bureaucracy, opening up all sectors of the economy to foreign direct investment, removing barriers that protect inefficient businesses and making it easier for companies to fire employees. I am, for the first time in my life, going back there to vote to reelect the government.

OSVALDO COELHO

Jakarta