Habibie backs licenses to keep media in line

Habibie backs licenses to keep media in line

JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie is recommending the
country's journalistic be required to get renewable licenses from
authorized bodies to maintain a high standard of journalistic
professionalism.

The President told visiting senior journalists yesterday the
proposed license would be valid for a set period of time and
would be automatically extended as long as the journalist
fulfilled all necessary requirements. It would apply to members
of all media.

He likened the license to that of the medical profession in
which Indonesian doctors could not work in another country
without a permit issued by the local doctors association.

"He (Habibie) pointed out the necessity to get a license or
practicing permit for journalists," the secretary-general of
Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI), Parni Hadi, said after
meeting Habibie at the Bina Graha presidential office.

Parni said it was possible the license would be valid for one
year, and it could be revoked or not extended if the journalist
was regarded as unprofessional or unqualified.

"This is nothing to do with sociopolitical-related
organizations, this is merely professional in nature, a
professional body," Parni said. He is known to be a close adviser
to Habibie on media matters.

While there were no official regulations during the previous
government that journalists had to be members of the officially
sanctioned Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI), reporters
who were not members sometimes experienced difficulty in
obtaining media passes at particular government-sponsored events.

SPS

Also present during yesterday's meeting were PWI chairman
Sofyan Lubis, the Secretary General of the Association Newspaper
Publishers (SPS) Leo Batubara, Kompas chief editor Jakob Oetama,
Minister of Information Muhammad Yosfiah, Minister of Industry
and Trade Rahardi Ramelan, and Minister/State Secretary Akbar
Tandjung.

Parni, also the general manager of the official Antara news
agency, stressed the President's idea would be discussed further
with other related parties.

During the meeting, Habibie also agreed in principle to assist
the country's press industry by temporarily abolishing the value-
added tax for newsprint importation.

"The President said newspapers are like part of basic
essentials... So if the government helps medicine (procurement),
why not help newsprint," Parni said. (prb)