'Local businessmen of foreign descent are less nationalistic'
'Local businessmen of foreign descent are less nationalistic'
SEMARANG, Central Java (JP): The Association of Indigenous
Entrepreneurs charged the country's businesspeople of foreign
descent yesterday with being less nationalistic.
Probosutedjo, the chairman of the supervisory board of the
association, said at the association's national meeting in
Semarang, Central Java, that businesspeople of foreign descent
often, for example, threaten to shift their investments overseas
if they are not given business privileges at home.
He did not indicate the target of his criticism but his
statement was apparently addressed to businessmen of Chinese
descent, who have control over an estimated 85 percent of the
country's economic activities
If there is difficulty in doing businesses at home, large-
scale businessmen, especially those of foreign descent, will go
overseas either to look for more favorable business climates or
to save their wealth, said Probo, who is also President
Soeharto's half-brother.
"In addition, even though they have benefited from trillions
of rupiah in loans from state-owned banks, they have no pity at
all for those who still live in poverty," he told the meeting
which ends today.
The big bosses of foreign origins, Probo said, have no
interest in developing the country's cooperatives as stipulated
in the constitution.
Help
"They are not willing to spend a small part of the wealth they
have made in the country to help the business activities of
indigenous people, like those in Malaysia " he said.
Probo, the chairman of the Garmak and Mercubuana business
groups, said that businessmen of foreign origins are trusted by
the government and get the greatest slice the economic pie.
"However, despite the privileges, they still tend to upset the
government with their unrealistic demands," he said, adding that
when those business people face a problem doing business, they
often ask the government to deregulate the system.
On the other hand, he said indigenous businessmen, due to the
small size of their business activities, are often ignored.
"Unlike conglomerates, companies owned by indigenous people
are often outbid even in the handling small projects in provinces
and some of them are often insulted," he said.
In lending activity, he said local banks usually treat small-
scale companies differently.
Small-scale companies even face difficulties in getting small
loans from banks, he said, while conglomerates receive billions
of rupiah from the same banks with ease. (har/hen)