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)