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)