Racing against time

Racing against time

Just one week after his installation as Indonesia's fourth
President, KH Abdurrahman Wahid and his team are finding
themselves confronted by challenges in almost every area -- some
inherited from the old administration, others created by Gus Dur
(President Abdurrahman) himself. Among the challenges that have
arisen as a result of the new government's own policies is the
unrest that is at present brewing in (two) liquidated ministries.

In terms of efficacy, it is indeed desirable that departments
or institutions that are no longer effective or have become
outdated are liquidated. Problems, however, have arisen because
the process of liquidation was completed when a new government
was not even installed. The government and the ministers
concerned must, therefore, move quickly to assuage the
apprehensions of the employees who are in danger of losing their
incomes.

To add to the problem, the government's routine budget is at
present already in the red. For that reason, as Coordinating
Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry Kwik Kian Gie has
explained, cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
must be restored as soon as possible. The IMF, for its part, is
waiting for the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) audit to be
published in its entirety.

Considering our present condition, we can only hope that the
House of Representatives, which is already holding the long form
PwC audit report, can act proactively to prevent this problem
from dragging on for too long, the consequences of which are
difficult to imagine.

All the parties involved in this case are called upon to put
the nation's interests above those of their own groups or
parties.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta