Aid To Indonesia Not Well Used

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31321, 17 March 1967, Page 1

Aid To Indonesia Not Well Used

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) DJAKARTA, March 16. New Zealand aid projects in Indonesia have not escaped the chaos that pervades the country.

In East Java, a New Zealand-built vocational training school limps along with only a small proportion of its intended complement of students, while in Djakarta a cement factory built with New Zealand funds produces well below its capacity. Even the Colombo Plan programme for taking Indonesian students tc New Zealand is not fully used by Indonesia.

Why? No-one is quite sure. “Administration difficulties” Is the usual answer to this, as to dozens of other questions asked of Indonesian officials. Detailed Knowledge In spite of the difficulties, however, and in spite of the comparatively small size of the New Zealand aid programme, several leading Government officials in Djakarta this week have not only commented favourably on New Zealand aid, but have

shown that they are not simply being polite by displaying a quite detailed knowledge of the aid that is offered. Two new projects are at present being considered by New Zealand. In Indonesia at the moment is the principal of the English Language Institute, of Wellington, Mr H. V. George. He is investigating the prospect of establishing an Englishlanguage institute at Jogjakarta.

Next month, Professor R. Schwass, formerly of Massey College, will return to North Sumatra, where he was investigating the establishment of a faculty of agriculture before confrontation halted planning.