'Consult locals please'

SEMARANG, Central Java: About half of the 216 registered consultancy firms in Central Java have gone bankrupt, an association official said yesterday.

"Half of those that are still in business have had to streamline themselves to survive, while the remainder are in a static condition," Soenandar, head of the Central Java branch of the Indonesian Consultancies Association, said.

He urged the government to employ local consultancy firms in preference to foreign firms when in need of such services.

"If Indonesian consultants are fully employed then I'm sure those which are still in business will be able to survive," he said yesterday, adding that local consultants should be given a chance.

Soenandar also claimed that in times of austerity it was more efficient to use Indonesian consultants, who command much smaller fees. He estimated that 15 local consultants could be hired for the price of a single foreign consultant.

Foreign consultants should only be used for particular areas or for subjects which cannot be tackled by Indonesian experts, he said. (har)