Tycoons must donate

Tycoons must donate

From Pikiran Rakyat

Media reports on the country's monetary crisis are indeed alarming. Especially now that the crisis has caused the prices of the nine staple daily necessities to soar, with the result that people are queuing to buy staples supplied by the logistics depots at normal prices.

This phenomenon reminds one of the situation in the 1960s, when the then president, Sukarno, announced the resolve to be self-supporting. Such queues were understandable in those days because goods were in short supply but are strange today because our country is prosperous and goods are in abundant supply.

Where does the mistake lie? It is time for all of us to introspect. To overcome this crisis, our government has been compelled to borrow from overseas. Our debts are already huge. Now that there are fresh loans, what will the fate of our next generation?

The media has also carried reports on business tycoons and government officials flocking to banks to exchange their dollars to rupiah. Of course, the government hopes to get more dollars to increase the country's foreign exchange reserve or to bring about economic stability. Hence the motto: I love the rupiah. These activities are just the same as dollar transactions.

For example, if you buy dollars at a rate of Rp 2,150 to Rp 3,000 and then you exchange or sell your dollars at a rate of Rp 4,000 to Rp 8,000 to the dollar, just calculate the profit you may reap.

In fact, it is expected of business tycoons that they should help their country by donating some of their profits to the government.

I know from media reports stating that only a handful of people have donated gold and a small quantity of dollars. Such donations obviously cannot help the government quickly overcome this crisis.

If our business tycoons are willing to donate two kilograms of gold each, then our government need not be troubled with seeking new external loans. Just remember how big the profit these business tycoons have enjoyed from the businesses they run in Indonesia.

I wish I could donate two kilograms of gold to the government. Alas, I am just a commoner and must work really hard just to make ends meet.

O ABDURACHMAN MA'RUF

Bandung, West Java