Hiring assistant better for investors

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