Bank owners Sudwikatmono, Ibrahim Risjad, The Nin King, and Hendra Liem have good reason to smile—before long, the heavy burden of state debt they have carried for the past four years will be lifted by the issuance of a Presidential decree discharging them from their obligations. The State Secretariat recently completed the draft decree.

The government approved the move at a limited cabinet meet- ing in mid-December, after which the d