Govt, businessmen must draft action plans: Sofyan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government should follow up the results of
\nthe Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders meeting in
\nOsaka with concrete steps by involving the private sector in
\npreparing strategies.<\/p>\n
Sofyan Wanandi, spokesman of domestic tycoons grouped at the
\nPrasetya Mulya Foundation, suggested yesterday that the
\ngovernment immediately sit down with business people and talk
\nabout its action plans.<\/p>\n
Sofyan, founder and chairman of the well-diversified Gemala
\nGroup, demanded that the bureaucrats support national companies
\nin their drive to improve their competitiveness.<\/p>\n
\"If we are required to be efficient, we also demand that our
\nbureaucrats be efficient and not contribute to the high cost
\neconomy,\" Sofyan said after speaking at a seminar on the role of
\nlocal conglomerate owners in the country's economic development.<\/p>\n
He added that if domestic firms and Indonesian nationals were
\nnot well prepared, they would only become \"servants\" of foreign
\ncorporations.<\/p>\n
\"We have to well prepare ourselves to face the tighter
\ncompetition with multinational corporations looming on our
\ndoorsteps,\" Sofyan said.<\/p>\n
APEC's 18 leaders, who met in Osaka, Japan on Sunday, endorsed
\nthe Action Agenda outlining measures planned to reach their free
\ntrade goals -- by 2010 for developed member economies and 2020
\nfor developing members.<\/p>\n
The forum also announced their respective initial actions to
\ndemonstrate their commitment to achieving trade liberalization
\nand facilitation.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto said Indonesia presented its last May
\nderegulation package as a \"down payment\" of its commitment to
\nfree trade in the region.<\/p>\n
Hail<\/p>\n
Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, an economist at University of
\nIndonesia, hailed Indonesia's bravery in entering the free trade
\narrangement in the Asia Pacific, saying it would help speed up
\nthe development.<\/p>\n
Speaking at PT Surveyor Indonesia's international workshop on
\nMonday, Dorodjatun said that what had been decided by APEC
\nleaders so far reflected what was happening in the region.<\/p>\n
He suggested that Indonesia continue its deregulation and
\nprivatization programs to catch up with other developed economies
\nin the APEC forum.<\/p>\n
However, Indonesia should realize that opening the country
\nwider means exposing itself to the outside elements, such as
\nexchange rates, interest rates and commodity price fluctuations,
\nwhich could possibly prove to be a shock, he warned.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, legislator Muba Kahar Muang of the ruling Golkar
\nparty said the government should first strengthen its industrial
\nbase before moving ahead to its free trade commitments.<\/p>\n
Muba noted that Indonesia's industrial structure was still
\nweak, especially in the upstream level. \"Thus, the government has
\nto concentrate on developing the upstream industries.\" (kod\/rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-businessmen-must-draft-action-plans-sofyan-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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