Kadin, Telkom, government to open APEC center

Kadin, Telkom, government to open APEC center

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(Kadin), the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises and
state-owned telecommunications operator PT Telkom joined forces
on Friday to establish the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) entrepreneurship center in Jakarta.

Kadin's chief of business development department Adi Putra
Tahir said the center, called ACE, would provide business
consultations, market information, programs to improve human
resources, customs and excise information and access to
financing.

"It is a positive step to prepare our small and medium
businesses in facing the global trade era," Adi said.

Under the agreement, Telkom would establish and operate an e-
commerce network called the Kadin network, which could be
accessed by small and medium enterprises in each of Kadin's
provincial chapters throughout Indonesia.

Information and consultations provided by the center could be
accessed through the network.

"The network will be expanded to serve small and medium
enterprises in all APEC member countries," Adi said.

The ministry's head of research and development agency Noer
Soetrisno said the service, to be launched in August, was
projected to serve approximately 3,500 small and medium scale
businesses in the first year.

Adi said that because Indonesia was pursuing a competitive,
market-friendly, people-oriented economy, it obtained the
approval of the APEC forum to establish an APEC entrepreneurship
center in Jakarta.

He said the center would be financed solely by the private
sector.

ACE will invite Kadin's counterparts in Japan, South Korea,
Taiwan and the United States to provide training and consultation
in business management to small and medium scale enterprises.

Training and consultation details will be able to be accessed
through the network.

The center will be officially inaugurated by President B.J
Habibie on Aug. 9. (gis)