Economic repair urgent

It seems President B.J. Habibie's government is still being swept by the reform tide. It is still busy responding to complaints and making sweet sounding promises about the nation's future. In the climate of democratic euphoria, people initially listened to the alluring promises and sunny rhetoric. However, it has now begun to dawn that some more urgent problems have to be dealt with. The economy is sliding into an increasingly precarious situation. Prices of essential goods continue to soar. The rupiah has not improved in value and there is no stopping the rise in the inflation rate.

We have yet to see any significant policy steps taken by the Development Reform Cabinet to mend this serious economic situation. Several Cabinet ministers have apparently still not made all out efforts to improve things in their respective spheres of responsibility.

Although the Habibie government is of a transitional nature -- or whatever the phrase may be -- the people are hoping that it will not just dismantle things without bringing an improvement in the situation. In this context, a saying the late Bung Karno (President Sukarno) was fond of seems to be of relevance: We should be able not only to demolish (what is undesirable), we must also be able to build (better things).

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta