Hiring assistant better for investors

I feel sorry for Mr. Ng Yang Houg (whose letter Foreign investment handling was published on April 3) facing a dilemma whether he would use the service of a consultant or hire an employee. The problem will not arise if all procedures for foreign investment in Indonesia are simplified. What Mr. Ng is facing is on the contrary, complicated bureaucracy and time- consuming procedures.

I cannot imagine foreign investors investing in Indonesia without having Indonesian partners. As explained by Mr. Ng, most of the regulations, documents and papers are in Bahasa Indonesia. It's just the beginning. Say, a company has obtained its license as a foreign investment company and has started operations. Every semester, it will need to submit reports and again will face the same problems. It's most urgent and essential for the Investment Coordinating Board, as the first institution that foreign investors deal with, to implement deregulation, followed by other related government institutions.

Before that, it's better for Mr. Ng to employ an assistant. You should be able to find the right person. If necessary, use a head hunter service. Using a consultant seems not right, as you will have to pay for every license or letter, ending up with the spending of more money.

ADRIANUS HIYUNG TJUNG

Jakarta