Baird calls Indonesia second home

Baird calls Indonesia second home

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After completing his tenure as the World Bank's country
director for Indonesia, Mark Baird, 53, now enters his retirement
and is heading for his homeland, New Zealand.

But his passion for Indonesia will always stay aflame.
Indonesia only comes second after New Zealand for him, according
to a close staff member.

He first came here as the bank's lead economist in the 1980s,
but his first experience with Indonesia was so impressive that he
was eager ever since to return to the country.

And when the chance came in early 1999, at the peak of the
economic crisis, he only needed seconds to accept the offer --
this time as the bank's country director -- to come to the
country. It happened at the time when most foreigners would have
opted to shy away from Indonesia, because of the nation's deep
suffering from the crisis.

In fact, his feeling for Indonesia is such that he always
wanted to end his career here before returning home. "I've always
wanted Indonesia to be my last assignment before retiring," Baird
told The Jakarta Post recently in an interview.

In total, he has worked in Indonesia for more than six years.

Baird was the World Bank lead economist in Indonesia between
1986-1989, almost 12 years since he first joined the bank. Aside
from Indonesia, he has also worked as the Bank's country
economist for India, Tanzania and Uganda.

And after a brief term in his home country, where he worked as
an economic advisor to the New Zealand Treasury, he returned to
the Bank and was appointed as the Division Chief for Country
Policy, Industry and Finance in the Bank's Operations Evaluations
Department. He was the Vice President of Strategy and Resource
Management before taking up his second assignment in Indonesia in
April 1999.

The abundant experience has proved helpful for him to
comprehend the complex problems Indonesia was facing. And he is
now considered as one among a few who have a deep knowledge about
the country's economic development.

For the last three years or so, he had led the Bank's mission
in the country of fighting poverty, which has been on the rise
due to the economic crisis, and instilling hopes for better
future after the crisis.

People who are close to him are impressed with the way he has
carried out his job.

"His leadership of our program and contribution to our
constructive relationship with the Indonesian government and
civil society, as well as the donor community, has been
outstanding in every respect.

"It was his ability to combine strategic thinking with
operational pragmatism which made him so effective and his advice
so highly valued. Baird is well known to our clients and partners
as one of the best people we have in the bank," his college Jim
Wolfensohn said.

Under Baird's leadership, the World Bank office in Indonesia
focused on poverty reduction and disbursed an average US$310
million aid per year for the program.

The latest figure states that about 13 percent of the
population is now below the poverty line, less then half the peak
levels recorded during the crisis.

Baird has said, despite the impact of the crisis, Indonesia's
record on poverty reduction over the past 30 years remains one of
the best in the world.

During his tenure, Baird was also praised for helping the
government preserve a good relationship with donor countries,
grouped in the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI), where the
World Bank is a major member.

Thanks to these good relations, donor countries maintain their
vote of confidence in Indonesia despite its economic, social and
political problems and were eager to continue providing loans for
the country.

Last year, the CGI pledged $3.14 billion in loans and $568
million in grants and technical aid to help cover Indonesia's
budget deficit. Some $1.3 billion of the amount are is tied to
Indonesia's performance in poverty reduction and good governance.

Baird might be very busy with his job, but he still had time
for his wife Kathleen and two daughters.

He has never let the pressure of job ruin his reputation as a
family man, according to his staff.

In his spare time, Baird with his wife and daughters usually
played tennis or squash or at times jogged nearby the family's
residence, according to a staff member.

Traveling across the country, both on official and unofficial
visits, was also something Baird loved to do. North Sumatra's
exotic Lake Toba and the famous Bromo mountain in East Java are
among his favorite places. Those places, his staff said, should
keep the memory of his Indonesia stay on Baird's mind.

Baird regretted the lack of chances to visit more places in
the country given his busy schedule, his staff said.

Now that he has retired, Baird will have more time for his
family and to do things he has long wished to do.

"We're returning to the New Zealand, the first task is of
course to find a house, and then we'll establish a studio for my
wife and myself, and will probably do some gardening and
fishing."

Nevertheless, although the decision to retire had been taken,
he hinted that he would probably be tempted get back to the work
he was committed to. "I hope I'll be able to continue to work on
development with the bank, or other development agencies as a
consultant. I'm very much committed to this work."