New institute aims to provide consultation, security to foreigners

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)