Indonesia steals the show at World Economic Forum

Sat, 01 Feb 1997 | Source: AFP

DAVOS, Switzerland (Agencies): Four ministers, 20 entrepreneurs and over 100 artists and entertainers from Indonesia are in the Swiss town of Davos to promote the country at the on-going World Economic Forum.

Indonesia was not going to let pass a rare opportunity to play host to this year's annual forum of the world's government and business leaders, Antara reported.

Yesterday, the Indonesian delegation hosted a business luncheon and a cultural dinner at the same time.

The forum opened Thursday and will continue until Tuesday.

Although President Soeharto is not attending, his ministers are there to promote Indonesia's potential as a place for investment and business: Coordinating Minister for Production and Distribution Hartarto, Minister of Investment Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro.

The business community is led by Hashim S. Djojohadikusumo, Syamsul Nursalim, James Riady and Siti Hediati.

Singers, models, fashion designers, musicians, painters and sculptors were dispatched there to live up to the theme of last night's dinner: "Beautiful and Enchanting Indonesia".

They included sculptor Nyoman Nuarta, painter Srihadi Sudarsono, fashion designers Iwan Tirta and Ramli, models Kintan Umari, Ratih Sanggarwati and Larasati, and choreographer Denny Malik along with a troupe of dancers.

At the business luncheon, the ministers talked of soaring investment, and of maintaining "dynamic" political stability and prudent economic management, AFP reported.

During the first three weeks of 1997, foreigners signed up for 80 new projects worth US$3.4 billion, Hartarto said.

"Investments in Indonesia, instead of dropping off, are soaring from year to year," he said, adding the economy saw a 7.8 percent growth in 1996 after an 8.0 percent expansion in 1995.

"We are going to maintain a dynamic political stability as a prerequisite for our nation's economic development, and maintain prudent macroeconomic management," Hartarto said.

Hartato acknowledged that reducing the numbers of those living below the poverty line was one of the biggest challenges facing the country, but pointed out that during the past two years the ranks of poor had fallen to 16 million from 27 million.

Indonesia has a population of 200 million.

"The second challenge is to reduce the gap between rich and poor, using banking and certain fiscal policies to develop small and medium entrepreneurs in the country, because this is very important."

A third priority was building infrastructure with substantial help from the private sector.

Based on 7 percent annual growth forecasts, Indonesia in 2018 will be one of the five strongest nations in "based on purchasing power parity," Hartarto said.

Alatas said talks about Jakarta's national car policy, the subject of a dispute, were continuing.

"We are continuing our discussions with an open mind...If a compromise can be found, then well and good. At this stage it is still very difficult to say what form that will take. No country likes to be engaged in a panel situation, " he said, referring to the World Trade Organization's panel to settle disputes.

Alatas told a news conference later that Indonesia firmly rejected any attempt by the European Union to provide humanitarian help directly to East Timor, Reuters said.

Such a move would be unacceptable, as the former Portuguese colony formed part of Indonesia and any aid programs would have to be channeled through Jakarta, he said.

The EU proposed at a summit last month to send aid to Timor for such projects as building primary schools.