'Consult locals please'

'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)