New ministers wary of demanding tasks ahead

JAKARTA (JP): New ministers responded to their cabinet appointments Saturday with elation mixed with wariness over the formidable task of restoring the Indonesian economy.

Interviewed separately, most of the ministers echoed President Soeharto's warning about the rough road ahead due to the crisis that had caused the volatility of the rupiah and skyrocketing prices.

Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo, who is reappointed as state minister of investment/chairman of the Investment Coordinating Board today, referred to the need to first win back the confidence of the United States, Japan and European countries on the country's economy.

"Foreign mass media have often exaggerated the troubles befalling Indonesia during the monetary crisis. We have to counter them before the public believes those news stories," he was quoted by Antara when responding to a query about his program in the 1998/2003 cabinet.

"We have to disprove the negative stories about Indonesia's economic conditions," he said.

He pointed out how in January 1997 Indonesia ranked 15th on a list of countries attractive for investment and won a prize from the International Monetary Fund. These days, total foreign investment is down by 20 percent, he said.

"My task is to draw up a concept to restore international confidence in, and attract investment to, our country," he said.

Ali Alatas, who is reappointed to his third term as minister of foreign affairs, conceded that the monetary crisis loomed high on the new cabinet agenda.

"The main problem we have to tackle is the monetary crisis," he said. "This is a priority if we want to reactivate the economy and national development."

He expressed confidence that under President Soeharto and Vice President B.J. Habibie's leadership, the government would succeed in overcoming the country's economic difficulties.

New Minister of Manpower Theo L. Sambuaga, upon asked for comments about his new job, echoed Soeharto's warning.

"He said I would be facing a tough job because of high unemployment due to the economic crisis," Theo said.

Experts have estimated the newly unemployed to be between eight million and 13 million people.

"The manpower question is a global issue and is always discussed at Inter-Legislative Union meetings," said Theo, a Golkar House of Representative member who now has to relinquish his legislature job.

Undaunted

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Haryono Suyono seemed to be undaunted by his new post. He called on related institutions such as the ministries of education, health, religious affairs and social services to join in the campaign to lift some 22 million people out of abject poverty.

"This appointment is an honor and a responsibility, given how we have to develop people's welfare and eradicate poverty at a time of monetary and economic turbulence," he said, reported Antara.

Minister of Mines and Energy Kuntoro Mangkusubroto named "efficiency, transparency and consistency" as three features that foreign mining investors wanted to see the most in Indonesia.

He said his office's main goal was to increase revenue because mining and energy would be expected to give the largest contribution to the next state budget.

"The key is how to improve local and foreign investors' confidence in the mining and energy sector," he said.

He said his other task would be to secure fuel supplies at affordable prices for the people.

"I intend to work hard in my new post. If I fail, I will resign. It would be too high a cost (for the nation) to pay if I held on to the post (despite failure)," he said.

"What's at stake here is the nation's progress ... the (welfare of) 202 million Indonesians."

Unlike his counterparts, Minister of Transmigration A.M. Hendro Priyono, did not say Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah) as his expression of gratitude over the appointment.

Mourning

Instead, he said Innalillahi wa innailaihi raji'un, an Islamic expression which means "something that comes from Allah will return to Allah." It is an expression of total surrender to the will of God Almighty, which is often used by people in mourning or when facing tribulations.

"This (appointment) is a test and a heavy task because of the great suffering that Indonesians are facing in the economic crisis," he said.

Trust University of Indonesia's political observer Juwono Sudarsono to quickly find a political angle in his new post as state minister of the environment.

"My expertise in political science will be beneficial (in the new post) because the environment is linked with various policies that concern various interests," he said. "A political process will be inherent in the effort to bring those interests together."

"The environment is an issue of local, national as well as international standing. It is an arena of competition for various interests, be they the interest of the market, capital owners who exploit natural resources or the interest of the people," he said.

"The heaviest task for the post is how to combine those interests with people's needs now and in the future," said Juwono, who conceded he was not an environmental expert but had been learning from former environment minister Emil Salim.

"I will have to convince both local and foreign capital owners to realize that out there in the fields, there are humanity problems they should take care of, for the sake of their own interest," he said about his new job.

New Minister of Home Affairs R. Hartono, who will be the patron of Indonesian political development, chose to be evasive when asked about his plans.

"I can't tell you yet because I'm not yet installed," he said. "I will need the President's guidance and instruction for my new tasks."

Rahardi Ramelan, State Minister of Research and Technology/chairman of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), planned to immediately call a meeting with officials at his new office after his installment this morning.

"The office of the state minister of research and technology is not strange for me. I feel like I'm returning home," he said. "I was a deputy chairman of BPPT for 15 years before I was appointed deputy chairman of the National Development Planning Board five years ago."

Tanri Abeng, the new state minister of empowerment of state enterprises, said he chose to be optimistic that the cabinet would be able to cooperate well.

He expressed confidence that the ministers would be able to refute negative opinions about the new cabinet.

"We have to prove that we can resolve the (economic) crisis," he said. (swe/imn)