JP/3/ISLAND

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.