PRESIDENTS BUSH AND CLINTON ANNOUNCE MAJOR BUSH-CLINTON KATRINA FUND GRANTS

First Grants Target Education, Faith-Based Needs, Governors' Funds

Published Wednesday, December 7, 2005 12:00 pm

New Orleans - Presidents George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton today announced several major grants from the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund including $30 million in grants to Gulf region higher education institutions devastated by Hurricane Katrina, a $20 million grant for a ministerial partnership with local and regional faith-based organizations, and an initial disbursement of $40 million divided amongst the three states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama for their recovery and relief funds.

Presidents Bush and Clinton also announced a collaborative partnership between the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and the United Negro College Fund on behalf of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

These grants come from the millions generously donated to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund to benefit the hundreds of thousands of hurricane and flood victims.

At today's event, held at the University of New Orleans, Presidents Bush and Clinton addressed the importance of getting higher education institutions up and running as quickly as possible.

"Universities and colleges are the cornerstones of communities across the region. Helping them get back on their feet is a key to the long-term recovery of the Gulf," said former President Bush.

"These institutions need to reestablish themselves to give people hope that the foundations of their communities will be there now and in the future. Colleges and universities not only train new workers but they are often the largest employers in their communities," said former President Clinton.

Working with universities and colleges throughout the region, the $30 million in funding will go toward repairs, reconstruction and replacement of equipment due to physical damage on campuses; assist students who left school due to its closure and/or their relocation after the hurricane, and; salaries and benefits paid to retain and support faculty and staff who were/are not working because of school closures.

Gambaran Perkembangan Ekonomi

Pada hari ini masyarakat dihadapkan kepada dua gambaran perkembangan ekononi yang saling berlawanan .Disatu pihak ada gambaran makro ekonomi yang menbaik.Gambaran ini disajikan dengan gamlang oleh Bank Indonesia dalam iklanya yang di muat diharian Kompas 23 mei yang lalu.Digambarkan bahwa pertumbuhan ekonomi cendrung meningkat menjadi 5,97% di tahun 2007, sesuai perkiraan Badan Pusat Statistik.Neraca Pembayaran Indonesia menunjukan surplus US$4.6 miliar,transaksi berjalan surplus US$3,2 miliar dan sampai dengan akhir Maret 2007, cadangan devisa mencapai US$47,2 miliar yang mampu membiayai import dan pembayaran hutang luar negeri selama lima bulan .Segala sesuatu ini ditopang oleh inflasi yang tetap terjaga,ekspor yang meningkat, peran intermediasi perbankan yang meningkat. Bahkan di sektor perbankan ini diharapkan pada tahun 2008,porsi Bank Syariah akan meningkat menjadi 5% dari 1,67% saat ini .Kita melihat bahwa di pasar modal keadaan juga memperlihatkan optimisme dengan naiknya terus Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan (IHSG) yabg telah mencapai di atas 2000.Singkatnya,"stabilitas ekonomi makro terus berlanjut,optimisme terus meningkat untuk mecapai target indonesia menjadi BIG FIVE ditahun 2030".