Foundation trains local traders

BEKASI (JP): The Indonesian Skills Foundation, a joint Australian-Indonesian organization, is holding a three-day training course for 45 small-scale merchants of Cikarang Baru market, in Bekasi.

The foundation's secretary general, Gatot Sularto, said the course, which started yesterday, is aiming to improve management skills of the local traders so they could better compete in the globalization era.

"The traders will be trained, among other things, on how to make a proposal to get a bank loan to develop their business," Gatot said.

He said the trainers for the course are from Jakarta's manpower office and the privately run Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII).

The foundation was founded jointly in 1995 by Lend Lease Corporation of Australia and the Sinar Mas Group (which owns BII).

Early this year, the foundation trained merchants of Pasar Minggu market in South Jakarta and Cipulir market in Tangerang.

The foundation is chaired by former Indonesian ambassador to Australia Sabam Siagian. (jun)