President endorses caretaker ministers' crucial rulings

President endorses caretaker ministers' crucial rulings

JAKARTA (JP): In an about-face, President Megawati
Soekarnoputri has approved all crucial decisions made by the
current caretaker ministers, including one to stop a contract
with PT Sucofindo, an export inspection company.

Outgoing Vice President secretary Bambang Kesowo said on
Friday that caretaker ministers had reported all critical
decisions directly to the President and they were approved before
they were announced to the public.

"There will be no problems at all, because as it was announced
earlier, all decisions had been reported by the related ministers
to the President," Bambang said.

Megawati assumed power on July 23 and suspended the Cabinet
until a new one could be formed.

The President announced a few hours after she was sworn into
office that all caretaker ministers should not make any important
decisions until a new Cabinet was formed.

However, caretaker finance minister Rizal Ramli decided that
the government, through the offices of customs and excise, would
take over the export inspection services of state-owned surveyor
firm PT Sucofindo.

The government refused to extend Sucofindo's contract, which
expired on July 31, so inspection services have fallen back into
the hands of the customs and excise office.

Caretaker minister of justice and human rights Mahfud MD also
made a crucial decision on Thursday by installing a new warden at
Cipinang State Penitentiary, Central Jakarta.

But Bambang noted, "The President had approved these decisions
and the related ministers had reported them before they made any
public announcements."

His statement followed pressure from the Association of
Indonesian Exporters (GPEI) to annul the decision that returned
the export inspection service to customs and excise.

On Thursday, GPEI chairman Amirudin Saud said he had sent a
letter to the President urging her to again entrust Sucofindo
with the inspection service.

He said exporters were satisfied with the service under
Sucofindo, which took up the task in 1986.

The state-owned company assumed the service from customs and
excise as part of the government's outsourcing drive to expedite
the shipping of export goods.

However, the Indonesian Textile Association (API), a largely
export-oriented industry, said on Friday that it did not object
to customs and excise taking over the inspection service.
(dja/bkm)