Protection of small firms continued

Protection of small firms continued

JAKARTA (JP): The government will continue protecting the
interests of small businesses despite Indonesia's movement
towards trade liberalization, which will increase competition,
Minister of Trade Satrio B. Joedono said yesterday.

"The government, through its policies, will provide assistance
in terms of access to capital and market information to small
businesses should they face fiercer competition with bigger and
stronger companies," he said in a closing ceremony of the
ministry's workshop here.

"We will not let any small and efficient enterprises fall from
competition with big but inefficient firms," Joedono told the
participants of the three-day meeting.

About 150 officials of the ministry, consisting of chairmen of
the provincial offices of trade, trade attaches, international
trade promotion center executives and other high ranking
officials, took part in the workshop, which featured Joedono,
three other cabinet ministers and the governor of Bank Indonesia
as speakers.

Joedono told the meeting that in assisting small businesses,
he will cooperate with the minister of cooperatives and small
enterprises as well as the minister of transmigration. (kod)