Global ties vital, says Hasan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Controversial new Minister of Industry and
\nTrade, Mohamad \"Bob\" Hasan, said yesterday that Indonesia ought
\nto continue cooperating with the international community in order
\nto escape the economic crisis.<\/p>\n
\"We need to cooperate with foreign parties because what we are
\ndealing with here are global issues,\" Bob said at his first press
\nconference as a minister, two hours after President Soeharto
\nswore in his new 36-member cabinet.<\/p>\n
Bob said that he did not yet have any specific plans to manage
\nthe industry and trade department as he had just entered the new
\npost.<\/p>\n
\"I'm a new person here... it's like a jungle... I'll have to
\nask around first before I can answer you,\" he said in reply to a
\nquestion on what he was going to do after replacing former
\nminister Tunky Ariwibowo.<\/p>\n
He said he would concentrate on guaranteeing the supply and
\ndistribution of essential staples and help the country's ailing
\nindustries survive the current crisis.<\/p>\n
Bob, a timber tycoon and Soeharto's golf and fishing
\ncompanion, asserted that monopolies were acceptable if conducted
\nin \"the interests of the people\".<\/p>\n
However, he did not have much to say about criticism carried
\nin the domestic and foreign media over his appointment to one of
\nthe most important economic postings in the cabinet.<\/p>\n
\"It's a free country, anyone can make their judgment,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
But he added that the negative market reaction caused by his
\nappointment had been exacerbated by equally negative foreign
\nreports on the country's situation.<\/p>\n
\"Foreign reporting on our country is not friendly if they feel
\nthat they cannot benefit from us,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"They are only nice to us if they want something from us. But
\nif they can no longer benefit from our commodities or if they
\nfell threatened by our exports, they start attacking us,\" Bob
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The garish Bob is the first ethnic Chinese to hold a
\nministerial post during the 31 years of Soeharto's New Order
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
Most domestic and foreign analysts expressed concern that
\nHasan's appointment to the cabinet would present a conflict of
\ninterest with his vast business empire and signal to the markets
\nthat the government was not serious about undertaking economic
\nreforms.<\/p>\n
Analysts also felt that Hasan, who's cartel-like plywood
\nmarketing practices were stopped at IMF request, would not help
\nimprove the rapport between the government and the donor
\norganization.<\/p>\n
Hasan said he had given up all his business positions, but
\nwould still retain his interests in certain sports organizations,
\nincluding his roles as president of the Asian Athletic
\nAssociation and vice chairman of the Asian Olympics Council.<\/p>\n
He will also retain his position in some charity foundations,
\nincluding the Dharmais Foundation and the Supersemar Foundation,
\nwhich are chaired by Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Other economics ministers also negotiated their first day in
\noffice without saying anything substantive to the media on the
\ncountry's worst ever economic crisis, claiming that they had to
\nwait for directives from President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
The President will hold his first cabinet meeting today.<\/p>\n
Finance Minister Fuad Bawazier told reporters: \"I have nothing
\nto say right now. We are all waiting for guidelines from the
\nPresident at the first cabinet meeting. I'm sure that important
\nissues will be addressed after the meeting.<\/p>\n
State Minister for the Empowerment of State Enterprises Tanri
\nAbeng, came to the Ministry of Finance to meet with the director
\ngeneral for state enterprises Bacelius Ruru yesterday. He said
\nthat he could not yet disclose his ideas for the new ministry
\nover which he will preside.<\/p>\n
\"We've just had a brief meeting. Nothing can be disclosed yet
\nbecause I have to speak to Pak Harto again,\" said Tanri.<\/p>\n
But he stated that he had relinquished his position as the
\nchief operating officer in Bakrie Brothers Group.<\/p>\n
He said that state enterprises under the Strategic Industries
\nSupervisory Agency (BPIS) should eventually come under his
\nministry. \"But it will be done in stages,\" he said, when asked by
\nreporters about the issue.<\/p>\n
Chairman of BPIS was among the many strategic posts held by
\nIndonesia's new Vice President B.J. Habibie. He recently handed
\nover his post as president director of three BPIS companies --
\naircraft manufacturer PT IPTN, ship builder PT PAL, and weapons
\nand military equipment manufacturer PT PINDAD.<\/p>\n
BPIS also controls seven other state firms, including
\ntelecommunications equipment manufacturer PT Inti, railway
\nequipment manufacturer PT Inka, electronics equipment
\nmanufacturer PT LEN Industri, engineering firms PT Barata
\nIndonesia and PT Bosma Indra, and explosives manufacturer PT
\nDahana.<\/p>\n
Former State Minister of Development Planning Ginandjar
\nKartasasmita, who is now Coordinating Minister for Economics,
\nFinance, Industry, and National Development and Planning, said
\nthat the current crisis would give him a tough job.<\/p>\n
\"I don't have anything to say right now. Give me some time,\"
\nhe told reporters yesterday.<\/p>\n
He explained that there would be major restructuring
\nundertaken because his office now coordinates two additional
\nsectors, Industry and National Development and Planning.<\/p>\n
\"Consolidation is not an easy job. I will arrange the new
\norganization as soon as possible and expect to get the
\nPresident's approval,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Former Finance Minister Mar'ie Muhammad received a thunderous
\novation when he handed over his position to Fuad.<\/p>\n
\"My family and I... would like to thank the President for the
\ntrust and honor placed in us,\" he said in his farewell speech,
\nadding that he expects both the domestic and international
\ncommunity to support the new finance minister.<\/p>\n
Mar'ie, popularly nicknamed Mr Clean on account of his high
\nintegrity, ended his speech with a note of optimism, saying that
\nIndonesia would eventually emerge from it's worst ever economic
\ncrisis. (das\/08)<\/p>",
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