Kadin forms committee to rejuvenate economy
Kadin forms committee to rejuvenate economy
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(Kadin) announced on Wednesday the lineup of the National
Economic Rehabilitation Committee, which will advise the
government on efforts to reinvigorate the crippled real sector.
The committee, chaired by businessman Soegeng Sarjadi,
will recommend policies to the government with the aim of
resolving the problems facing the business sector.
Soegeng, who will be assisted by economist Didiek J. Rachbini
in his capacity as committee secretary, said the immediate task
of the committee would be to hold talks with the Indonesian Bank
Restructuring Agency (IBRA), bankers and the International
Monetary Fund.
Other members of the committee include Mashud Ali, Subronto
Laras, S.R. Soemarso, Frank Taira Supit, Eky Sjahruddin, Abdul
Qoyum Tjandranegara, Tobby Mutis and Herman Sudarsono.
Soegeng deplored the slow debt restructuring process under
IBRA, saying businesspeople needed quick solutions to allow them
and their companies to begin doing business again.
"We will negotiate with IBRA, bankers and the IMF to allow for
new loans to businesses," he said.
He added that without new loans most businesses faced the
prospect of shutting down their operations within the next two to
three months.
Soegeng also said Kadin was trapped by politics because the
country's present economic woes were largely blamed on
businesspeople.
"The crisis is the mistake of all of us and efforts to solve
the debacle should differentiate between economic and political
problems," he said during a media conference.
He said political stability, inflation and the exchange rate,
all of which effected macroeconomic conditions, were the
government's responsibility.
Soegeng blamed the public's poor opinion of businesspeople
partly on unbalanced news stories, saying borrowing money from
banks was not a crime but an integral part of doing business.
"Not all bad debtors violated the law," Soegeng said, adding
that debtors suspected of unlawful practices should be
prosecuted.
Kadin's committee will likely be only the first of at least
two councils established to assist the government in developing
the private sector.
State Secretary Ali Rahman said during a hearing of House
Commission I for defense and security, foreign affairs and
information last week that President Abdurrahman Wahid planned to
establish the National Business Development Council, and had put
forward businessman Sofyan Wanandi as its first chairman.
The council would advise the President on microeconomic
issues. However, Ali said no one had yet been appointed to the
proposed council. (06)