Defense Ministry to verify TNI firms

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