FROM Kebon Sirih, the suggestion is as rapid fire. Since the beginning of this month, high officials in the Bank Indonesia offices are increasingly frequently stating the importance of paying the balance of the debt to the International Monetary Fund earlier than scheduled.

Of the first loan package of US$23 billion, which was provided to overcome the monetary crisis on October 31, 1997, the balance is US$7.8 billion. Normally, the schedule is unt