New institute aims to provide consultation, security to foreigners

JAKARTA (JP): A private organization to help provide consultation and security services to foreigners in Indonesia was established here on Wednesday.

The Foreigner's Security Service and Rights Protection Institute (Galihakwana) chairman Andi M. Djabir said the aim of the institute was to help provide give legal and security services to foreigners, including information for foreign investors so that they could be more confident in entering the country.

"We believe that lingering doubts and the lack of security guarantees for foreigners are the real problems which prevent them from coming," Andi said at the launch of the institute.

"Through good promotion, we hope to help build up trust among foreigners so that they will come here. Such efforts are useless without the support of many parties, despite the fact that President (Abdurrahman Wahid) has toured around the world," he said.

Among the institute's activities would be the provision of consultation services on intellectual property rights, manpower and legal and security affairs.

"But as regards security matters, we'll just act as a mediator between overseas nationals and the security authorities here. We will not be providing security guards," he said.

The institute would also provide legal advice to foreigners with regard to immigration matters, he added.

Two foreigners will sit on the institute's board: Australian Marcia Lattimore as international cooperation and promotion coordinator and Briton Derek Lockwood as foreign business and investment coordinator. (jun)