Minister Akbar installs new inspectors for Habibie

JAKARTA (JP): Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung has installed four inspectors-general for development and has asked that they all report to him before going to President B.J. Habibie.

Akbar said during the installation ceremony Saturday that although the four inspectors had direct access to Habibie, they should, for coordinating purposes, keep him abreast of everything they report to the President.

The development inspectors-general in the past were often described as the "eyes and ears" of the President in monitoring progress and irregularities in national development.

Although structurally the inspectors report to the President, they take up offices in the Bina Graha presidential office in the huge State Secretariat office complex.

"We have had problems with coordination in the past because each official regarded their office as a castle that no one else was allowed to enter," Akbar said.

The four new inspectors-general are Maj. Gen. (ret) Sulatin Umar, Fuadi Rasjid, Harijono Djojodihardjo and Gunawan Hadisusilo. They had formerly served Habibie as aides when he was vice president.

They replaced former president Soeharto's appointees Maj. Gen. (ret) Syaukat Banjaransari, Maj. Gen. (ret) Kentot Harseno and Humantar Lumban Gaol. One position had been vacant for years.

Poor coordination between the inspectors and the state secretary became public knowledge in 1995, when Kentot reported to Soeharto on financial irregularities involving the then transportation minister Haryanto Dhanutirto.

The state secretary at the time, Moerdiono, later complained that he had often been bypassed by the inspectors.

Palace sources said Saturday that Habibie plans to recruit more aides who will likely be placed under Akbar's supervision. (prb)