Depositors demand their money

Depositors demand their money

JAKARTA (JP): Twelve people claiming to represent some 38,000
holders of savings accounts in banks liquidated by the government
in November asked the House of Representatives yesterday to push
the government to reimburse all their money.

The group's leader, Sukri Adenan, told leaders of House
Commission VIII for state budget and finance that he was worried
that there may be unexpected disturbances at the upcoming
People's Consultative Assembly if the government refused to
reimburse depositors their money.

"We need the money to run our businesses, pay our employees or
carry out our social and religious activities," said Sukri, a
businessman from Surabaya, East Java.

He said the government had disbursed only Rp 2.3 trillion to
holders of accounts at the liquidated banks, far below the total
Rp 7.9 trillion in deposits.

The government closed down the banks on Nov. 1 following a
bail-out package from the International Monetary Fund.

"Bank Indonesia (the central bank) must be held responsible
for the banks' insolvency. BI failed to carry out a thorough
control of the banks, as proven during police questioning of four
former BI directors," Sukri said.

President Soeharto dismissed four BI directors --
Hendrobudiyanto, Paul Soetopo Tjokoronegoro, Heru Soepraptomo and
Mansjurdin Nurdin, on Dec. 22 last year.

Sukri said yesterday that the government should return the
money belonging to the depositors of the closed banks as soon as
possible, just like the governments of South Korean and Japan
had.

"The two governments managed to reimburse all the funds of the
depositors of their liquidated banks, thanks to their deposit
insurance bodies," said Sukri.

He suggested the Indonesian government establish an insurance
body to make sure deposits were secure.

Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad said, as he announced the
liquidation of the 16 banks, that the government would
immediately reimburse funds of depositors with savings of up to
Rp 20 million.

Those with deposits above Rp 20 million were to be reimbursed
after the sale of the liquidated banks' assets.

Sukri said yesterday that he and his colleagues were
considering filing a lawsuit against the Minister of Finance and
the BI Governor if their demands were not met.

"We have contacted noted lawyers Adnan Buyung Nasution and R.O
Tambunan to represent us in the legal battle," Sukri said. (amd)