Int'l hotels urged to hire locals for managerial posts
Int'l hotels urged to hire locals for managerial posts
JAKARTA (JP): The government will require international hotel chains operating in the country to hire Indonesians for managerial positions, Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave said yesterday.
"I will ask the overseas hotel management firms which run star-rated properties in the country to hire more Indonesians for their management," Joop told reporters after swearing in three officials at his office.
A number of leading hotel chains have established Indonesia- based firms, including Accor, Sheraton and Hilton, Southern Pacific and Choice to operate their hotels in the country. Most of the hotels are owned by local companies.
Other international hotel chains are still trying to decide whether or not to form Indonesian-based affiliated firms to manage their hotels in the country.
There are currently about 50 international hotel and resort management companies operating in Indonesia.
"We can't continue to pay foreigners who work in Indonesia, so we have to prepare our manpower to fill those managerial positions," he said.
The main problem in preparing personnel for the hotel industry is the lack of educational and training facilities.
The government predicts that more than 900,000 people will be needed to work in tourism-related businesses, especially in the hotel industry, during the current Sixth Five Year Development Plan (Repelita VI), which ends in March 1999.
Joop said yesterday that the state-owned hotel management firm PT Hotel Indonesia International and Natour (HIIN) currently hires locals for general managers at their 17 hotels.
The Grand Bali Beach and Putri Bali, two five-star hotels in Bali managed by HIIN had foreign general managers up until two years ago.
Meanwhile, Aerowisata, a subsidiary of the flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, still has expatriates as top executives at its hotels, including the general manager at the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel in Bali.
The three Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications officials installed by Joop yesterday were Mochamad Sofyan, I Gede Ardika, and Willem Ch. Pangkerego.
Sofyan, 60, was installed as an expert adviser to Joop. He was a former secretary of the Directorate General of Tourism.
In addition to Sofyan, who will deal with postal facilities and infrastructures, Joop currently has three other advisers-- A.A. Nasution, Suhana Subiadisasta and Y. Suyadi.
Ardika was sworn in yesterday to replace Sofyan. Ardika, 51, who was former chief of the ministry's research and development board.
Pangkerego, 55, was installed to replace Ardika.(icn)