Emil Salim appointed to chair economic council<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Distinguished Indonesian economist Emil Salim,
\nwho was also a long-serving minister under former president
\nSoeharto, has been appointed as chairman of the newly formed
\nNational Economic Council.<\/p>\n
Emil said on Thursday that the council's members had made the
\nselection.<\/p>\n
\"The appointment of the chairman of the council was made by
\nits members, while President Wahid only approved it,\" he said at
\nthe Bina Graha presidential office following the council's first
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman issued on Nov. 30 a presidential decree
\nto form the 13-member National Economic Council. The council will
\nadvise the President on economic policies and issues, but will
\nnot have a policy-making capacity.<\/p>\n
The vice chairman of the council is Subiakto Tjakrawerdaya, a
\nformer cooperatives minister under Soeharto. Subiakto has been
\ncriticized by most economists as being too closely associated
\nwith the era of Soeharto cronyism and nepotism.<\/p>\n
Sri Mulyani Indrawati, a prominent economist from the
\nprestigious University of Indonesia, was named as the council's
\nsecretary-general.<\/p>\n
The other members of the council are: former finance minister
\nBambang Subianto, former head of the National Development
\nPlanning Board (Bappenas) Boediono, former minister of mines and
\nenergy Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, economists Mohammad Arsjad Anwar,
\nAnggito Abimanyu and Hadi Susastro, agriculture expert HS Dillon,
\nsenior banker Gunarni Soeworo, former president of the Jakarta
\nStock Exchange Hasan Zein Mahmud, and businessman and former
\npresident of PT Astra International T.P. Rahmat<\/p>\n
Asked to explain the function and the responsibility of the
\ncouncil, Emil said the President, who is currently on a state
\nvisit to China, would clarify the council's purpose on his return
\nto Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"Let's just wait for the boss,\" he said, referring to
\nPresident Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
The President is scheduled on Saturday to install the council
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
A presidential decree stipulates that the council's brief is
\nto analyze economic problems and provide input for the President,
\nand comment on economic issues facing the public.<\/p>\n
The decree also says that all government institutions must
\nprovide information requested by the council.<\/p>\n
The President announced a plan to form an economic council
\nshortly after he formed his coalition Cabinet team.<\/p>\n
There have been concerns that the council will overshadow
\neconomic ministers.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman dismissed the concerns by saying that the council
\nwould not have any policy-making powers.<\/p>\n
The President's initial plan to appoint Subiakto as chairman
\nof the council surprised many people.<\/p>\n
Many analysts, including nominated members of the council,
\nprotested the plan, citing Subiakto's close relationship with
\nSoeharto and his family.<\/p>\n
Although Emil was a long-serving minister under Soeharto, who
\nis well regarded by the public, especially after he became a
\nvocal critic of Soeharto once he was no longer in the Cabinet.<\/p>\n
Emil, 70, is a U.S.-trained economist who received a PhD from
\nthe University of California at Berkeley. His last post in
\nSoeharto's Cabinet was as minister of environment and population.<\/p>\n
Council member Anggito Abimanyu said the council's first job
\nwould be to advise the President on the country's next letter of
\nintent (LoI) to the International Monetary Fund.<\/p>\n
The government recently completed a draft of the new LoI,
\nwhich is basically the country's economic strategy, following
\nweeks of marathon talks with an IMF technical team.<\/p>\n
The IMF is expected to return to Jakarta on Dec. 7 and resume
\nnegotiations with the Indonesian economic ministers to finalize
\ndetails of the LoI.<\/p>\n
Once the LoI is agreed to by the IMF and the President, the
\nfund will disburse another tranche of its loan commitment to the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Anggito said that among the various programs to be included in
\nthe new LoI were plans to gradually reduce government subsidies.
\nHe said the move a concerted bid was necessary to reduce the
\nstate budget deficit which is estimated at between 4 percent and
\n5 percent of the gross domestic product for the current year.
\n(rei)<\/p>",
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