Defense Ministry to verify TNI firms

JAKARTA: The Ministry of Defense has set Sept. 27 as the deadline for all military units to provide lists of hundreds of their business entities for verification before being handed over to the government.

However, the ministry said there were only 10 to 12 military business ventures still operational and profitable.

Secretary general of the ministry Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said on Friday that a team of top ranking officials, including those from his office, has been given the task of verifying those companies before providing suggestions to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on how to deal with the TNI's business units.

Under Law No. 34/2004 on military reform, the government must take over all TNI's businesses within five years in order that the military can focus its core function of national defense and to improve its professionalism.

Sjafrie said the team plans to present its verification results to Susilo by mid October at the latest and that the President would then issue a decree on how the business entities are to be handled. --JP