Indonesia steals the show at World Economic Forum

Sat, 01 Feb 1997, 00:00 WIB | 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.