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his refers to the article titled '€œCurrent-account deficit and fiscal sustainability'€, (The Jakarta Post, Aug. 25).

The middle class is central in ensuring a healthy current-account deficit. Our roles are instrumental in reducing subsidized-fuel consumption and purchasing branded, imported goods.

These things are not too difficult to do. However, to get our full cooperation, we need motivation, encouragement and inspiration from officials in government, the House of Representatives, and the army at all levels and locations to prove that consuming less subsidized fuel (perhaps by letting go of the two to three cars serving our families) can still keep happiness around the house.

And that goods from local brands, though lesser in material, design and finishing quality and not that comfortable to put on, can still keep us where we are in our so-called social circle.

After studying and working so hard to get into this middle position, enjoying a comfortable lifestyle is unquestionably the right way for us, the middle class.

We make ourselves qualified, sought after in the job market, we manage to have a healthy amount of investment here and there while paying for our taxes, we obey the rules and regulations and we are good citizens.

The current-account deficit is the government'€™s issue. And if to make it healthy our middle-class cooperation is required, the bureaucrats will have to lead by example.

They must live lives that are realistically affordable given their official level of income, by using our taxes to provide decent public facilities that will eventually encourage us to change our lifestyles, and by ensuring that social class has nothing to do with the way that a citizen will be treated or seen before the law. Give us these and get our middle-class cooperation in return.

Kimzana
Jakarta