Help foreign ministry

Help foreign ministry

From Merdeka

The impact of the monetary crisis has been felt far and wide,
from the government to the private sector. No one is to blame. It
is a situation beyond control.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been seriously
affected by the crisis. The secretary-general admitted that the
uncontrollable depreciation of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar
had compelled the ministry to reduce the number of diplomats
posted overseas. The ministry's budget is issued in rupiah but
most of its expenditure is in U.S. dollars.

There is a consensus that in the present circumstances we must
tighten our belts, and be careful how we spend money. However,
since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spearheads our country
abroad, it deserves special help and attention. Our image abroad
will suffer if our embassies lack professional diplomats and
operational funds. What can the foreign ministry do if its budget
has been reduced in value by over 50 percent? The government (and
the House of Representatives) should redraft a realistic budget
to support our overseas diplomatic missions.

I am afraid that in this era of globalization we shall fall
behind other nations, and may also be trifled with.

K. ZAKARIA

Jakarta