Oregon bids to host RI aircraft plant

Oregon bids to host RI aircraft plant

JAKARTA (JP): Oregon is joining the competition with other
American states for the right to host the plant that will produce
the Indonesian designed N-250 aircraft.

Oregon Governor Barbara Roberts yesterday met with B.J.
Habibie, the State Minister of Research and Technology and
president of the state-owned aircraft manufacturer IPTN, to
discuss the possibility of hosting the N-250 production plant.

"I was in the IPTN's manufacturing factory and research
operation in Bandung yesterday," Roberts told reporters after the
meeting with Habibie's office in Jakarta. "We are truly moving to
world-class competition. We are here in a wonderful country to
get an opportunity to jointly produce the world-class aircraft."

She is not the first however. Before her, the governors or
representatives of Arkansas, Alabama, Utah, Arizona and Kansas
also visited Indonesia separately to express similar interest.

Habibie said he has also received queries from a number of
European countries, including Britain and France, but that IPTN
is looking at the United States.

The N-250 is a wholly Indonesian designed turboprop commuter
aircraft with a capacity of 70 passengers.

A prototype is already prepared at IPTN's plant in Bandung
which will be formally shown in November to coincide with the
gathering of the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) forum which will also include U.S. President Bill Clinton.

IPTN sources said the company is expected to announce the
winner of the right to host the N-250 plant before December.

Part of the plane will be produced here but the assembly will
take place at the U.S. plant.

Financing the N-250 project is not without its share of
controversy however.

Seven non-governmental organizations this week filed a
petition with the Jakarta State Administrative Court seeking to
repeal a presidential decree which allocates some Rp 400 billion
($190 million) of reforestation fund towards the N-250 project.
(rms)