Focus on people's prosperity

Focus on people's prosperity

From Rakyat Merdeka

Although this country has been independent for more than half
a century, it is still endlessly entangled by various
difficulties, including among others, the foreign debt amounting
to US$ 140 billion.

Every year part of the state budget, Rp 60 trillion, is
allocated for installments of foreign debt repayment. If the
annual installments are projected at Rp 60 trillion (at the
average exchange rate of Rp 9,000 per dollar), how many years
will it take to pay up? To make things worse, every year the
government seeks new foreign debt, plus huge amounts of interest
on bonds must be paid. This is not forgetting that, due to the
incompetence of officials of the state electricity company (PLN),
the government has to meet a $ 260 million claim every year by
foreign investors.

To overcome the national economic problems, previous
governments took the easy way out, further burdening the people,
who had been living from hand-to-mouth in continuous suffering.
This finally resulted in a crisis of catastrophic proportions.

The traditional policy of hiking rates, such as for
electricity, telephone services, water and fuel should be
discontinued, as it is still possible to review them. At least,
such increases, except for income tax, should be minimized.

The current Cabinet, the Kabinet Gotong Royong (mutual help
Cabinet), must exert its best efforts to retrieve the huge
amounts held by the conglomerates, that have earned them in
dishonorable ways. Such ill-gotten funds and property should be
confiscated and the relevant persons be brought to justice and
never allowed out of the country.

Then there is the problem of BLBI (Bank Indonesia Liquidity
Loans), initially announced as Rp 650 trillion and later, after
being audited, revised to Rp 165 trillion. The finance minister
should clarify the drastic decrease to alleviate the burden on
the people.

The ministers of the Cabinet should put the people's interests
as the number one priority as, according to the Constitution, the
people should be made prosperous: therefore the government should
stop making new loans.

Foreign loans should be discontinued for a certain period of
time and the country should take a rest by postponing
installments, including the payment of interest. Taking a rest
does not mean the country will dishonor the loans.

This suggestion is in line with the policy of the President
and Vice President that foreign loans should gradually be
eradicated.

Projects of monumental size or for the sake of mere prestige
should be deleted, except those with an export orientation, so
that the state budget is not repeatedly revised.

By implementing the above the leadership quality of the new
government will be appreciated by the people.

To creditors and admirers of Bung Karno (late president
Sukarno) with large funds, I appeal for your participation in
solving the country's problems, especially the payment of foreign
loans, the creation of new jobs and the improvement of the
people's morality.

H. MARSOESI

Surabaya