Industry minister appoints seven new top officials

Industry minister appoints seven new top officials

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of Industry Andung A. Nitimihardja installed on
Wednesday the lineup for his ministry's top posts. The officials
will work as a team, which he said would improve the nation's
competitiveness relative to neighboring countries.

Andung said he expected the new team to form and run policies
to improve the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector.

The ministry dismissed eight senior officials from the posts
and installed seven new officials as directors general and a
ministerial advisor.

The inspector general position, however, was left vacant for
unclear reasons.

The ministry also officially formed a new directorate general
responsible for developing policies, standardizing and regulating
industries that make all forms of transportation, electronics and
information and communication technology equipment.

Andung said the new division was necessary to help Indonesia
take advantage of the lucrative transportation equipment and
electronics markets, which were globally worth US$2 trillion in
2000.

The government split the Ministry of Industry and Trade into
two ministries last October, but the separation was not made
official until almost three months later when a presidential
regulation was issued in January.

The reason behind the split was due to global trade issues
that had become more complicated as were the problems faced by
local industries.

The industry and trade ministries were initially merged by
former president Soeharto into a single ministry in 1995 -- in
anticipation of global trade liberalization following the
establishment of the World Trade Organization.

Industry ministry's top lineup

Secretary-general : Agus Tjahajana

Director general of transportation equipment : Budhi Darmadhi

and telematics industries

Director general of agriculture and chemical : Benny Wachyudi

industries

Director general of metal, machinery, textile : Ansari Bukhari

and miscellaneous industries

Head of the Ministry's Industrial Research : Rifana Erni

and Development Agency

Director general of small and medium : Sakri Widhianto

industries

Ministerial advisor on utilizing, developing : Abdul Halim

and marketing manufactured products

Inspector general position remains vacant

Source: Ministry of Industry