Help restore confidence

Help restore confidence

President Soeharto is apparently looking to take something
positive out of the present crisis. The opening remark in his
address to the People's Consultative Assembly was that "the main
aim of economic and financial reforms and our restructuring
program is to restore confidence in our currency, our financial
institutions and our economic future".

Restoring confidence at home and abroad is not something that
can be achieved at will or demanded from international
institutions such as the International Monetary Fund. It will
only happen when we can prove that there is no inconsistency
between what we say and what we do. The more this principle is
adhered to the stronger will be the confidence placed in
Indonesia.

In this light it is with regret that we note there are still
certain parties who mock President Soeharto's efforts to restore
public confidence. They do this by persisting to engage in
activities that President Soeharto and the IMF have jointly
agreed to eliminate. These acts aim only to serve the interests
of certain groups and disregard the interests of the nation as a
whole.

All who act in this way must be reminded that restoring
confidence is not just the task of the government, but of all
members of this nation, as Soeharto said last Sunday. To escape
the crisis a strong sense of belonging together is needed. The
whole nation must have a sense of commitment to undergo this
painful but necessary therapy.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta