New bus fares

New bus fares

The Jakarta City Council has finally agreed to increase bus
fares by between 17 percent and 22 percent. The decision becomes
effective this month.

The political factions at the council said the increase in
fares must coincide with an improvement in services to
passengers. The council threatened to review its approval (on the
new fares) if the precondition was violated.

The threat will remain useless if there is no adequate
enforcement, yet written laws have also been ignored and violated
in this country. Daily street violations are good examples.

The ultimatum, is however, relevant to the bus crew's
treatment of passengers. They are always badly treated by the bus
crew. It's time for Governor Sutiyoso to try the public bus to
see how the bus crews operate.

As the capital administrator, Sutiyoso must respect his own
citizens, or else the citizens will no longer respect him.

-- Warta Kota, Jakarta

;AP;
ANPA ..r..
Otherop-war-effect
The war's effect on the global economy
JP/6/Otherops

The war's effect on the global economy

U.S. antagonism with France and Germany over the war on Iraq
is beginning to adversely affect global economic talks.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has abandoned its plan to
reach a broad consensus about proposed cuts in tariffs on
agricultural products by Monday. Efforts to promote freer farm
trade have been the major focus of the new round of WTO talks.

The WTO's failure to meet the deadline is due to differences
of opinion between exporters of farm products, including the
United States and Australia - which are seeking to export more
agricultural goods - and a second group, including Japan and
France, that want to protect their domestic agricultural
industries.

The disagreement among major nations over Iraq could adversely
affect not only the ongoing WTO talks but other global economic
meetings.

The U.S.-led war in Iraq has shaken the global money and
financial market, causing a continued rise in crude oil prices.
The war, if protracted, could trigger a global depression.

... The United States, France and other major nations should
try to ease their conflict of opinions over Iraq through
increased efforts to coordinate their economic policies.

-- Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo