Habibie names his team of economic advisors
Habibie names his team of economic advisors
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie appointed three senior
economists as advisors yesterday and revamped the Economic and
Monetary Resilience Council in a bid to accelerate revival of the
country's ailing economy, a minister said yesterday.
Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung said former president
Soeharto's two economic advisors Widjojo Nitisastro and Ali
Wardhana along with former minister of finance Frans Seda would
assist the president with all problems affecting the country's
economy.
"The measure is designed to turn the president's intention and
determination to take proactive policies to resolve the country's
(economic) problems into something more concrete," Akbar said
yesterday.
The three economists were key Soeharto advisors when the
former president came to power in 1967. Soeharto retained Widjojo
and Ali as advisors until he stepped down last March. Both are
widely respected by the international business community.
Frans became a businessman after leaving the cabinet early in
the 1970s.
Widjojo played a key role during negotiations with the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international
financial institutions earlier this year.
According to Akbar, Habibie appointed Widjojo chairman of the
resilience council, while State Minister of National Development
Planning/Chairman of the National Development Planning Agency
(Bappenas) Boediono was appointed secretary general. He replaces
Salim Group executive Anthony Salim, who recently resigned from
the position.
Widjojo was previously Soeharto's deputy on the council.
Chairman of the Chamber of Trade and Industry (Kadin) Aburizal
Bakrie and head of Indonesia's corporate offshore debt team
Radius Prawiro have also been given positions on the council.
The announcement of Boediono's appointment contradicts a claim
made on Friday by Aburizal that he had been appointed secretary
general but had not yet received official confirmation.
The council was established to help monitor the implementation
of a 50-point reform plan agreed between Soeharto and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) in exchange for a US$43 billion
rescue package.
Soeharto appointed Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance
and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita as executive chairman of the
council shortly before Habibie replaced him as the country's
leader on May 21. (prb)