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)