Rahardi challenges associations over resignation call

Rahardi challenges associations over resignation call

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Industry and Trade Rahardi Ramelan
has challenged critical business associations which recently
demanded all economic ministers to quit, to talk the matter over
at his office.

"If they really want economic ministers to quit, please come
to my office and talk directly to me. I think it is fair enough,"
he said in commenting on newspaper reports that 12 industrial
associations have asked him and other economic ministers to
resign for not being capable enough in solving the industrial
problem.

The minister said he did not understand why the organizations,
which are mostly supervised by his office, made such a call
because they only spoke to the press.

"I just read their protests in newspapers. So I don't know
their motives," he said.

Twelve business associations urged the government on Thursday
to speed up its moves to help revive the ailing industrial
sector.

"If the government cannot handle the real sectors' problems,
it would be better if the economic ministers quit," said the
associations's spokesman Hariyadi B. Sukamdani.

The associations are the Association of Young Indonesian
Businessmen, the Indonesian Footwear Association, the Indonesian
Textile Association, the Federation of Indonesian Exporters, the
Indonesian Public Companies Association, the Indonesian Toys
Producers Association, the Indonesian Meat Producers and Feedlot
Association.

The other associations are the Indonesian Indigenous
Businessmen Association, the Federation of Private Domestic
Banks, the Indonesian Small and Medium Scale Business Solidarity,
the Secondary Bank Federation and the Indonesian Bankers Club.

Rahardi said he could not understand the associations' motives
in calling for the country's economic ministers to quit. He said
he wanted to meet the associations' representatives to discuss
the motivation behind their statements.

"How can they judge us for failing to carry out our jobs
despite the facts that Indonesia's non-oil and gas exports
increased last year compared to the past years?" he asked.

"I ask you (reporters) now, did our exports slow down last
year? Have we (economic ministers) failed in doing our jobs?"
Rahardi asked shrilly.

He said if the government failed to manage the industrial
sector, the country's non oil and gas exports would not have been
as high as those recorded last year. (gis)