Rozy Munir appoints 31 directors to office<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State Minister for Investment and State
\nEnterprises Development Rozy Munir swore in 31 directors to his
\noffice on Wednesday, just one week after he moved into the job.<\/p>\n
Rozy, whose appointment by President Abdurrahman Wahid was
\nmarred by accusations of nepotism, disclosed he planned to make
\nsome changes to his deputies, as well as appointing third and
\nfourth echelon officials.<\/p>\n
"If second, third and fourth echelons officials have been
\nappointed, of course first echelon officials will have to be
\nchanged also," Rozy said after the ceremony.<\/p>\n
The Cabinet post was established by the President in October.
\nIt combines the old investment coordinating board and the office
\nof the state minister of state enterprises.<\/p>\n
Rozy said it had taken the office six months to select and
\nappoint the directors because of the difficulties in merging the
\ntwo agencies and pressing problems besetting the new office.<\/p>\n
Rozy, who replaced Laksamana Sukardi last week, is not
\nentirely new to the office, having served as secretary-general
\nthere before his promotion.<\/p>\n
He said the appointments were necessary to optimize his
\noffice's performance to meet the target of raising Rp 6.5
\ntrillion ($812.5 million) through the privatization of state
\nenterprises in the 2000 fiscal year.<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman has claimed Laksamana practiced nepotism
\nin the appointment of his deputies, including Benny Pasaribu, and
\nsome of the directors in state enterprises.<\/p>\n
Laksamana has denied the allegations.<\/p>\n
Rozy's appointment in turn prompted media speculation of
\nnepotism as he once served under the President in the Nahdlatul
\nUlama Muslim organization.<\/p>\n
Eight state enterprises have been earmarked for privatization
\nthis year. They are fertilizer producer PT Pupuk Kaltim, mining
\ncompanies PT Bukit Asam and PT Aneka Tambang, plantation
\ncompanies PT Perkebunan Nusantara III and IV, pharmaceutical
\nmanufacturers PT Indo Farma and PT Kimia Farma and airport
\noperator PT Angkasa Pura II.<\/p>\n
Of the eight, Rozy's office has opened negotiations for the
\nsale of Angkasa Pura.<\/p>\n
The privatization plan will be carried out either through an
\ninitial public offering (IPO) or via a direct placement to
\nstrategic partners.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Wednesday, Rozy met with chamber of commerce
\ndelegations from 11 countries to discuss the government's
\nprivatization program.<\/p>\n
All the delegates, he said, cited security as the main concern
\nfor investors in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
"If security could be maintained, many foreign investors would
\nenter the market," he said.<\/p>\n
The 11 delegations came from Germany, France, Britain, South
\nKorea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, the Netherlands, Australia, the
\nUnited States and Canada.<\/p>\n
Rozy's spokesman Riza Primadi said the delegates also asked
\nthe office to coordinate with the Indonesian Bank Restructuring
\nAgency (IBRA) on the privatization of IBRA's assets.<\/p>\n
IBRA is currently in possession of Rp 600 trillion ($75
\nbillion) of assets that it seized from banks and companies that
\nwent under during the economic crisis in 1997-1998.<\/p>\n
"Investors see the privatization program as moving too slow,
\nwhile they are interested in buying IBRA's assets," he said. (10)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rozy-munir-appoints-31-directors-to-office-1447893297",
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