JP/3/ISLAND

Developers asked to employ islanders

JAKARTA (JP): Tourism businesses in the Seribu Islands, located north of Jakarta Bay, should employ islanders in their growing tourism industries to help eradicate poverty among the local residents, a city councilor stated on Thursday.

"Businessmen promoting their islands as tourist resorts should not close their eyes to the poverty of the islanders," said councilor Soegijo during a visit to the islands.

Soegijo criticized the industry for preferring to employ newcomers rather than native people, "The developers recruit islanders merely for manual work."

His suggestion was backed up by another councilor, who said that the natives could do much better than just being servants or blue collar workers.

Syarifuddin Siregar Pahu pointed out that the managements of hotels throughout the Seribu Islands could employ islanders for their expertise at sea as well as their ability to produce impressive handicrafts.

Siregar noted that the island's owners tend to neglect the human resources development of their local employees.

"They could send their local workers to be trained at other places at the cost of the company," he said.

Antara reported that of some 15,000 local residents, who live in a number of poor villages scattered throughout the islands, only 368 work in the tourism industries while around one thousand others are newcomers.

Confirming the councilors' statements, some local people complained that it is quite difficult to take part in the business growing right in front of their eyes.

Seribu Islands are one of the most popular tourist destinations here, yet out of its 105 isles only 37 are permitted to be exploited.

A North Jakarta government official, however, noted that currently only 35 islands are being used as tourism places.

Since 1992 some 55,000 Jakartans visit the islands annually.