'We've been tricked into plunging into debt'

The Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) starts its two-day meeting on Wednesday to decide on a new loan commitment to help finance Indonesia's 2004 state budget. The country is now amortizing and paying interest on its US$77 billion foreign debt. The Jakarta Post asked some people what they thought about the country's huge debt.

Susi, 31, is a housewife whose semi-permanent home in Kapuk Muara, North Jakarta, burned down last Sunday:

I don't have time to think about foreign debt or government affairs; I have my own problems. We are now homeless.

The development funded by the government, or by foreign debt, has only made the rich richer and the poor stay poor.

But I will be glad if foreign debt is used for financing low- cost housing for which we can pay in installments via BTN (a state bank that usually channels loans for low-cost housing).

Jelita, 10, is a sixth-year elementary school student. She lives with her parents in Cipinang, East Jakarta:

I know that Indonesia is in debt. We got into debt because we were tricked by organizations that lent us the money, such as the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and so on.

CGI? Never heard of it.

I know we owe other countries billions of dollars -- I think about three billion to five billion dollars. We pay them back in cash, but more often with commodities like food and other materials.

I wonder when we're going to finish repaying all our debts? 2007? Maybe even after that.

--The Jakarta Post