160 officials lose positions

160 officials lose positions

JAKARTA (JP): Last December's merger between the former
industry and trade ministries has left 160 second echelon
officials without positions.

State Minister for Administrative Reforms T.B. Silalahi
announced after attending a ministerial coordination meeting
yesterday that the government will transfer the 160 officials to
other government institutions.

"We will coordinate the transferring of the excesses to other
government institutions such as the Ministry of Forestry and the
office of the state minister of investment," Silalahi said.

To illustrate, Silalahi said the forestry ministry can
accommodate the "jobless" of the second echelon in its agro-
industry division.

He added that the office of the investment minister has also
expressed interest in recruiting some of the leftover second
echelon personnel.

The government is still studying which government institution
needs the second echelon officials, he added. (rid)