Habibie's brilliant ideas

Habibie's brilliant ideas

From Jayakarta

The current condition of stockpiles of rice, flour, soybeans,
sugar, etc., reminds me of the great and brilliant ideas of B.J.
Habibie, now Indonesia's Vice President, voiced six years ago.

Habibie wanted to utilize the potential of the 670-km long
Mamberamo river in Irian Jaya. His idea was to build
hydroelectric plants for an industry to manufacture aluminum, the
main component of the airplane industry. The giant project would
also be used for rice field irrigation.

He got the idea after he and his group had made an intensive
visit, lasting 15 days, to all provinces in the eastern part of
Indonesia at the beginning of 1992.

He was fully convinced that if the project could be realized,
Irian Jaya would become Indonesia's rice granary. We would be
self-sufficient in rice and would also become important exporters
of the commodity.

In my opinion, it is time now to implement his great idea,
considering the huge benefits it would bring to the Indonesian
people. It is far better than having projects which bring no
direct benefit to the people.

MAS SOEBANDI

Jakarta