IPTN to replace all foreign engineers soon<\/p>\n
BANDUNG, West Java (JP): State aircraft manufacturer IPTN will
\nreplace all of its foreign engineers in the next three months in
\nan effort to cut company spending and boost its efficiency.<\/p>\n
IPTN president Hari Laksono said local engineers would replace
\ntheir foreign counterparts.<\/p>\n
\"We have trained some reliable local engineers to fill jobs
\nleft by foreign engineers in the next three months,\" Hari told
\njournalists after the signing ceremony for an agreement between
\nIPTN's customer support division and the Air Force on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Hari said that IPTN had reduced the number of foreign
\nengineers to 38 from 260. Most of them worked on the CN-235 and
\nN-250 aircraft projects.<\/p>\n
Foreign workers will be laid off as soon as possible but the
\ncompany must honor the contracts, he said.<\/p>\n
Most of IPTN's foreign engineers were hired on six-month
\ncontracts and their replacements would be brought in after the
\ncontracts expired.<\/p>\n
Hari said that the reduction was part of IPTN's move to boost
\nits efficiency since the government cut off IPTN's funding under
\nan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).<\/p>\n
The N-2130 passenger jet project, which is being developed by
\nIPTN, was singled out by the IMF to no longer receive state
\nassistance or funding in return for the US$43 billion loan
\npackage it organized for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Due to the termination of state funding for IPTN, Hari said
\nthe company had to make some adjustments in its operation to meet
\nits tight budget.<\/p>\n
The reduction of foreign workers was one of the measures but
\nhe declined to give further details on the adjustments.<\/p>\n
Hari also said that IPTN would urge PT Dua Satu Tiga Puluh
\n(DSTP) to review its policy on selling the company's shares to
\nthe public.<\/p>\n
DSTP was established by President Soeharto to support the
\ndevelopment of a prototype of the N-2130 passenger jet.<\/p>\n
Hari said there have been a lot of complaints about the
\npurchase of shares which could have a negative impact on IPTN
\nalthough the company had only received orders to produce N-2130
\nand was not involved in DSTP's financial activities.<\/p>\n
In October 1996, DSTP and IPTN signed a financing agreement
\nfor the production of Indonesia's first passenger jet.<\/p>\n
DSTP shares have been offered directly to the public but not
\nlisted on the stock exchange. (gis\/43)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/iptn-to-replace-all-foreign-engineers-soon-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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