Foundation trains local traders

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)