Crisis help

Crisis help

From Media Indonesia

The government has taken an impressive step to relieve the
people's suffering by appealing to high-ranking officials to
contribute to the government.

The President, his ministers and officials of the first
echelon are contributing their basic salaries for one year to
help the needy. We appreciate this generous gesture, but to
expand this system to involve the state employees of the fourth
category needs further consideration. Not all of the latter are
economically strong to support the scheme. Many of them only
depend on their fixed salaries, which are insufficient to
maintain even a modest life.

Meanwhile, the state has received contributions from different
quarters in the form of gold and money through the Love Indonesia
drive. Also, some female workers contributed to the government
and school children keep aside some of their pocket money to be
contributed to the government.

Greater contributions, in my opinion, may be expected from
wealthy foundations (say 50 percent of their wealth). Government
officials of the first and second echelons may contribute 10
percent of their wealth. Last but not least, the business tycoons
who have enjoyed government facilities should contribute to the
state.

SUHEIMI

Jakarta