Our loan burden

Our loan burden

By the end of the 1995/1996 fiscal year Indonesia's foreign
loans are expected to reach US$100 billion. On the face of it,
this is indeed a formidable sum. It looks like a burden that is
threatening our children and grandchildren. These loans, however,
may not become a burden to our national economy provided that
they are used in a positive manner. This involves selecting
positive targets for their use. Therefore, we should guard
against unnaturally inflated project costs.

Loans are always a burden. But we hope our loans will not
become a problem for our children and grandchildren. It is our
task to absolve them from having to face the duty of repaying the
loans. The present generation, which has incurred the loans, has
the duty to be productive to the limit in order that future
generations may be spared from having to pay. We should learn
from the experiences of the poor countries of Latin America and
Africa.

-- Republika, Jakarta