President Soeharto: I'm in good health.....
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Let's all wish him the very best until those COW's get signed.
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Saturday, 19 April 1997
President Soeharto: I'm in
good health
Cilacap, Kompas Online
"Convey my greetings to all the inhabitants of Wuryantoro,
may they remain in good health. And, I'm also in good health,"
said President Soeharto during his dialogue with Mrs Sukarni, a
citizen of Wuryantoro, Central Java, on the occasion of talks
with Chairmen of Family Prosperity Enhancement Groups
(UPPKS) in Cilacap, Central Java, on Thursday (17/4).
The talks took place during the opening ceremony of the
UPPKS Promotional Week which was held on the beach
facing Nusakembangan Island and attended by 25,000 invitees.
Though not put forward in so many words, that statement
mentioning the President's health swept aside speculations
about his health as launched by the mass media lately. and
yesterday the President looked fresh, laughed a lot, and did not
show fatigue.
Briefly the President told about his childhood in Wuryantoro
Village. "Wuryantoro is where I used to live. I was raised in
Wuryantoro. From about age 8 to 15," he recounted.
According to the President, life in Wuryantoro in the past was
difficult. "Not to speak of electricity, even kerosene lamps
were not available," he said.
Then the Head of State also asked customers of the State
Electricity Company (PLN) to pay their bills on time and not
fall into arrears. He put forward, "When you fall into arrears
the PLN may go bankrupt, as happened not long ago when the
power went off. When electricity is down, then everybody
feels how important it is. But when the time comes to pay,
everybody feigns to have forgotten." During this dialogue, the
President also stressed that 'power to the village' was already
underway. Not only for the village heads and some people, but
also for those people categorized as pre-prosperity families.
President Soeharto also inaugurated six factories. These were
the Citra Flour Mills Persada, the PT Polytama Propindo
polypropylene plant and the PT Katalis Indrotama catalyst
plant which are both located in Indramayu, the Semen
Nusantara cement plant in Cilacap, the Tuban II PT Semen
Gresik cement plant and the Unit X PT Indocement Tunggal
Perkasa cement plant.
He was sided, on this occasion of inaugurating six factories, by
the Population State Minister/Family Planning Board Head
Haryono Suyono, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, Foreign
Affairs Minister Ali Alatas, State Minister/State Land Office
Chairman Sony Harsono, Minister of Cooperatives/PPK
Soebiyakto Tjakrawedaya, Minister of Mining and Energy IB
Sudjana, Trade and Industry Minister Tunky Aribowo,
Agriculture Minister Sjarifudin Baharsyah, Commandant
General of the Special Troops Command Maj.Gen. Prabowo,
Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana (Mbak Tutut), Indra Rukmana, Siti
Hutami Pratikto (Mamiek), Central Java Governor Suwardi
and Cilacap Regent HM Supardi.
On his visit to Cilacap, the President also took time to open a
mass auction of cattle produced by artificial insemination. The
President set the initial bid price for an 820 kilogram steer
owned by a citizen of Wonosobo. The steer was bought by
businessman Hasyim S Djoyohadikusumo for Rp 13 million.
Hard work
In his written speech, the Head of State stressed that, although
Indonesia's economy keeps on growing from year to year,
inflation has been kept under control so it has not disturbed the
economy. Agriculture has advanced speedily, and industry
even more so. State finances have grown healthier and
stronger, export has multiplied, job opportunities have
increased, and the people's welfare has improved. However, he
continued, we must still work hard. Because among the
countries of ASEAN, Indonesia still lags behind. The poor at
this moment still number 22 million people.
One great challenge which must soon be met, according to the
Head of State, is to enhance the quality of life of the people
who still live below the poverty line, namely those who are still
categorized in the Pre-Prosperity Families and Prosperity I
Families.
This great task, continued the President, can be put off no
longer. "As long as there are still among our people, those who
live in poverty, the just and prosperous society has not yet
been achieved," emphasized the Head of State.
The finished construction of three cement plants located in
Cilacap, Paliman (Cirebon, West Java), and Tuban (East
Java), according to the Head of State, increases national
cement production capacity in 1997 to more than 33 million
tons/year. This volume of cement production is sufficient for
domestic requirements estimated at around 29 million
tons/year. "Hopefully we will no longer have shortages of
cement, as we experienced some years ago," he said. (*) |
