Managing donations

Managing donations

It may be worthwhile to examine the effects of the tsunami
tragedy that hit Aceh province on Dec. 26 on the government, or
rather on the administration under President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, and its political
ramifications.

In technical sense, they have nothing to worry about judging
from the support given by international agencies and foreign
governments as an expression of their deep sympathy for the
people who have miserably suffered from the dramatic,
unprecedented, and gigantic tidal wave onslaught.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, may
be correct in predicting that total rehabilitation of the
devastated areas in Indonesia may take no less than ten years.
Will the present administration be able to cope with the task if
it has to do it alone?

Massive financial means has been pledged by all sides so there
will be no problem in this respect. But the tsunami aftermath
will surely be felt for a long time to come and may influence
other government rehabilitation projects already pledged or drawn
up.

Meanwhile, it seems justified to ask the question whether all
the funds and aid received from the public as well as from
international donations, will reach the people and projects most
needy.

Personally, I fear that the aid funds will be fully expended
within five years.

The nation's new leaders must deal with the effects of the
tsunami and the rehabilitation efforts to stricken provinces,
must care for orphans and separated families, and has to live up
to the pledges they have given to the nation. Failure or
disappointment may cause a loss of confidence in their
leadership.

GANDHI SUKARDI, Jakarta