Government must heed rocky road ahead: Hamzah

Government must heed rocky road ahead: Hamzah

JAKARTA (JP): The new government may be off to a flying start
but it will have to deal carefully with potholes in its path
ahead, Vice President Hamzah Haz said on Saturday.

"Ahead of us is a bumpy road and we will slide into the ravine
if we take the wrong path," he said.

Hamzah visited Muslim cleric Munzir Tamam in Klender, East
Jakarta on Saturday.

The government's promising early days have been marked by the
strengthening of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar, from over Rp
11,000 to Rp 9,000 per dollar, Hamzah said.

"The strengthening rupiah allows the state to save Rp 50
trillion for the upcoming budget," he said as quoted by Antara
news agency.

The sum is significant for Indonesia because of its huge
foreign debt, he added.

Hamzah also said the government was to make available
considerable funds for the hundreds of thousands of refugees who
have been displaced in various pockets of the country. The money
will also be used create jobs for the millions of jobless, he
added.