Confidence building seen as top priority

Confidence building seen as top priority

JAKARTA (JP): The biggest challenge for the new cabinet
ministers will be to restore both domestic and international
confidence in the country's economy, outgoing Minister of
Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo said yesterday.

"Our main problem now is that we have lost the confidence of
the global community because of the crisis, and it is hurting our
industries," Tunky told journalists at his farewell luncheon with
members of the media.

The loss of global confidence in Indonesia would hamper the
country from achieving its target in exports, he said.

"My main regret is that the target to increase exports has not
been reached while I was in office," he said.

Tunky said tasks such as making locally issued letters of
credit (L/C) accepted by international banks or buyers, which
have been increasingly hesitant to accept the L/Cs, would remain
an assignment for the next minister of industry and trade.

Tunky said another great challenge for the new minister would
be restoring the people's trusts in the government.

The government needs the support of its people, but this will
not happen unless its measures are understood by them, he said.

"At times of crisis like now, it is very crucial that the
people know what we do and why we decide to do it," he said.

Without the backing of the Indonesian people, he said, none of
the government's policies would work.

"They must fully understand what you do in order to trust and
support you," he said.

During his five-year term serving as industry and trade
minister, Tunky was known as a communicative and accessible
leader both to the private sector and to the media.

It has been widely circulated that the former president of the
state-owned Krakatau Steel will be replaced by timber mogul
Muhammad "Bob" Hasan, at the expected announcement of the new
cabinet today.

This has been criticized by intellectuals and economists
who argued that President Soeharto's golf buddy Bob Hasan has
been benefiting from nepotistic government facilities and that
his business practices were monopolistic.

Asked his comment on the possible appointment of Bob Hasan as
his replacement, Tunky remained tightlipped.

Tunky, who celebrated his 62nd birthday yesterday, said he
would go back to his previous position as a member of the board
of Krakatau Steel should he lose his ministerial position. (das)