Jenny Grant, Jakarta – Indonesian Vice-President General Try Sutrisno has "banned" women from going on lavish foreign shopping expeditions during the country's economic crisis.

The Minister for Women's Affairs, Mien Sugandhi, quoted General Sutrisno as saying foreign shopping jaunts were a "no go".

"People of other countries will laugh at us. Our country is in trouble, so how can we enjoy ourselves abroad?" she said in the Jakarta Post.

The Indonesian rupiah has declined by 53 per cent against the US dollar since July. Analysts say the currency turmoil, high inflation and mass sackings will lead to a recession early next year.

The Government is urging women to buy locally made goods rather than travel to buy foreign products.

General Sutrisno said local merchandise was just as good as foreign wares.

Luxury goods belonging to the wives of senior civil servants were impounded at Jakarta's international airport earlier this month because the owners failed to declare their purchases.

Fifty boxes containing electronics, expensive clothes and jewellery were brought by wives of Department of Transport officials after a spending spree in Thailand.

The wives of Transport Minister Haryanto Dhanutirto and Research and Technology Minister Jusuf Habibie helped organise the trip.

The women also demanded half-price tickets from the state-owned airline Garuda Indonesia, which is suffering from a US$900 million (HK$6.98 billion) debt.

Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia are important destinations for shopping jaunts of Indonesia's wealthy.

The chairman of the ruling Golkar party, Harmoko, called on Indonesians at the weekend to live "simply and modestly" during the time of high inflation and rising unemployment.