Ministry attempts to boost efficiency

Ministry attempts to boost efficiency

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo said yesterday that his ministry is trying to boost efficiency by providing better services to private sector businesses.

"How can our business sector be more efficient and more competitive in the coming era of trade liberalization if our bureaucracy is not efficient and does not provide better services," Tunky announced after opening a consolidation meeting of his ministry.

He said his ministry, which is an integration of the former industry and trade ministries, must have completed consolidation by June to prepare improved service procedures because it is only seven years until the implementation of trade liberalization among the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) under its ASEAN Free Trade Area arrangement.

The two ministries were merged late last year with the aim of improving coordination in Indonesia's preparations to face trade liberalization and industrial globalization.

Some 300 first, second and third echelon officials of the ministry -- including overseas-based trade and industrial attaches and chiefs of Indonesian Trade Promotion Centers as well as the chiefs of provincial trade and industry offices -- are attending the five-day meeting.

There are currently 27 industry offices and 27 trade offices in the country's provinces. Tunky said that the merger of the two former ministries will include the integration of all of its affiliated offices.

"The target of the consolidation is that all the ministry's officials, who might have been taking different approaches, will gain similar perceptions," sad Tunky.

He added that the ministry's offices in the country have been instructed to enhance services, making them professional and efficient, while overseas representatives are employed to promote exports. (kod)