The year 2000 saw precious little investment in Indonesia. The value of exports and imports improved slightly, but that of investment didn't even reach Rp20 trillion. Compare this to record pre-crisis investment of Rp35 trillion a year.

The government is striving to compensate this lethargy with plans to launch several big projects, including a two-track railway, which rely on foreign loans. But not that many people are enamored with such a lar