Govt support needed

JAKARTA (JP): Indigenous entrepreneurs will hold a two-day national workshop in Semarang, Central Java, this week at which, they say, they will ask the government to support their efforts to enlarge their role in Indonesia's economic development.

"Our role in the country's private sector businesses was recorded at only 35 percent in 1991 and we want the government, with its good will, to support our businesses so that we can dominate private sector business activities by the year 2020," Sutarto, an executive of the Association of Indigenous Indonesian Entrepreneurs, told reporters in Semarang on Saturday.

He was quoted by Antara as saying that by 2020, when Indonesia is expected to have liberalized its economy, indigenous entrepreneurs' role should be equal to that of other entrepreneurs.

Sutarto said that the association will put such a proposal to the government during the workshop, which begins today.

He said that indigenous entrepreneurs' failure to dominate Indonesia's economy was the result of a lack of support from the government and the banks.

Speakers at the workshop are expected to include State Minister of National Development Planning/Chairman of the National Development Planning Board Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad, Minister of Defense and Security Gen. Edi Sudradjat, and Commander of the Armed Forces Gen. Feisal Tanjung. The workshop will be attended by 150 executives representing 19 provinces, Sutarto said. (31)