PM Transcripts

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
SPEECH BY
The Rt Hon. J. G. GORTON, M. P.
ON
AID TO INDONESI
( Ministerial Statement 1.
[ From the ' Parliamentary Debates', 27 March 1969]
Mr GORTON ( Higgins-Prime Minister)
-by leave-I wish to inform the House
that the Government has dccided to increase
its aid to Indonesia from the $ 12.7m which
is provided this financial year to $ 15m in
1969-70. In addition it has been decided to
commit in advance a total of $ 4m to finance
economic development projects up to an
expenditure of $ 2m in each of the years
1970-71 and 1971-72. The Government
has made this decision at this time in
advance of the Budget for 1969-70 because
Indonesia is still faced with very serious
and highly complicated problems in its
efforts to regain economic stability. The
decision will serve to emphasise once again
the great importance the Government
attaches to helping its closest and largest
neighbours to achieve a proper and adequate
rate of economic growth.
The $ 15m will be used largely to continue
an aid programme of the same kind as has
been established in 1967-68 and 1968-69.
Although I am not able to give specific
details of the programme for 1969-70 until further discussions have been held with the
Indonesian Government I can say that the
funds are intended to be used for programmes
basically the same as those undertaken
in the last 2 years-that is, for
balance of payments support, imports of
commodities, economic development projects
and technical assistance including
offers of training awards in Australia. I
might add that other donor countries are
also making special efforts to assist the
continued rehabilitation and development of
the Indonesian economy. The United States
of America, the Netherlands, Britain and
Belgium have between them so far pledged
approximately $ US181m as aid to Indonesia
in 1969. These pledges are being made
towards meeting Indonesia's requirement
for foreign aid in 1969, which has been
estimated at $ US500m. I present the following
paper:
Aid to Indonesia-Ministerial statement, 27
March 1969
and move:
That the House take note of the paper.
Printed for the Government of the Commonwealth by W. G. MuRRAY at the
Government Printing Office, Canberra
14098/ 69