VP : NO PERSONAL BENEFIT FROM BANK CENTURY RESCUE

Jakarta, March 5 (ANTARA) - Vice President Boediono, who is also a former Bank Indonesia (BI) governor, said he had no intention to take personal benefit when he decided to salvage ailing Bank Century in late 2008.

"The bailout policy was adopted for ailing Bank Century to protect Indonesia from the global financial crisis that hit the world at the time," the vice President told the press here on Friday.

He said that the effectiveness of the policy that he had taken was proven today where Indonesia was freed from the global crisis.

"So, I and other officials have no even the slightest intention to take personal benefit from issuing the policy (to bailout the bank)," the vice president said.

He said that the policy to bailout the bank did not incur bigger losses to the state compared with possible losses if the bank was not bailed out and shut-down.

Should there be losses to the state, the amount must be smaller than losses that could be suffered if the bank was closed, he added.

"Therefore, I have no fear to say that I am responsible for the policy both in the present world and in the day-after," he added.