Hamzah launches VP center

JAKARTA: Vice President Hamzah Haz inaugurated on Tuesday the Vice President Center, a non-governmental organization which will provide an alternative forum for communication between the government, people and private sector in dealing with problems facing the nation.

The center's major program, called the People's Solidarity for National Assets (Superiman), will seek to raise by the end of this year Rp 100 trillion (US$11.7 billion), which will be used to help the national economic recovery program. As of Tuesday the center had collected Rp 325 million, including Rp 25 million from Hamzah.

Chaired by Hamzah, the center named President Megawati Soekarnoputri its chief patron, vice presidential secretary Priyono Tjipto Harijanto, Bank Indonesia Governor Burhanuddin Abdullah, businessman Aburizal Bakrie, former finance minister Bambang Sudibyo, Muslim scholars Komaruddin Hidayat and Azyumardi Azra and Maluku leader Des Alwi the advisors. The day-to-day work of the center will be conducted by Hamzah's aide Laode M. Kamaluddin,

The activities of the center are announced to the public through its homepage www.istanawapres.go.id. -- Antara