Minister Akbar installs new inspectors for Habibie

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)