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