Plan to create new economics advisory team hailed

Plan to create new economics advisory team hailed

JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Finance
and Industry Kwik Kian Gie welcomed on Friday President
Abdurrahman Wahid's plan to form a new economics advisory team to
support economics ministers.

Kwik said the new team was not designed to compete with his
office, but instead to help him formulate economic policy to
solve the country's economic crisis.

"I'm happy. I have no objections," Kwik told reporters on the
sidelines of a seminar.

Abdurrahman announced on Wednesday that he planned to form an
informal economics advisory team to complement the existing
National Economic Council (DEN) and the National Business
Development Council (DPUN).

DEN comprises economists, while DPUN's members are
businessmen.

DEN advises the President on economic matters and is based on
economic theoretical thinking, while DPUN advises from a
businessman's point of view.

And the new team would bridge the gap between the two councils
as they sometimes gave contradictory advice, Abdurrahman said.

The new advisory team will be headed by senior economist
Widjojo Nitisastro, a former cabinet member and chief economic
adviser of former authoritarian president Soeharto.

Economist Sri Mulyani Indrawati from the University of
Indonesia will become its secretary-general, while outspoken
economist Faisal Basri, also from the University of Indonesia,
and businessman Alim Markus of the Maspion Group will be members.

Sri Mulyani is also DEN's secretary-general; Faisal is an
executive of the National Mandate Party (PAN); while Alim is a
close friend of Abdurrahman's and also a member of DPUN.

Kwik dismissed concern about Widjojo's past relations with
Soeharto, pointing out that the U.S.-trained economist was savvy
and had a strong commitment to developing the country.

"He's a good economist," he said, adding that even without the
new team, Widjojo had already been giving economic advice to
Abdurrahman.

Kwik also dismissed suggestions that the new team was
envisioned because of increasing quarrels among the Cabinet's
economics ministers.

Separately, Sri Mulyani declined to comment on the plan,
claiming that she only learned of it on Friday.

But she said that the plan to create the new economics
advisory team reflected the President's strong determination to
put economics programs at the top of his administration's list of
priorities in the coming days.

Sri also said the pressing issue for the government now was to
proceed quickly with its bank and corporate sector restructuring
programs.

"The problem is not with communications, but with the
execution (of the program)," she said.

Meanwhile, University of Gadjahmada economist Sri Adiningsih
said that the new team should help the economics ministers, and
not bypass them.

"Let's hope the new team will not become a shadow cabinet,"
she said. (rei/bkm)