Remote-sensing specialists in Indonesia seek equal treatment

JAKARTA (JP): A standard for qualification of professional remote-sensing specialists will soon be forwarded to the government by the Indonesian Geomatics Council to ensure fair treatment between Indonesian and foreign professionals.

Chairman of the Indonesian Society for Remote Sensing (Mapin) Iwan Gunawan said on Tuesday that the council, which is headed by former head of the National Coordinating Agency for Surveying and Mapping (Bakosurtanal) Jacob Rais, will present the proposal to President Abdurrahman Wahid within one or two weeks.

The council consists of Mapin, the Indonesian Surveyor Association, the Indonesian Association of Geodesy Scholars and the Indonesian Geographer Association.

"The standardization is to ensure that Indonesian nationals in the business receive equal respect with foreign nationals," he said after the opening of Mapin Business Marketing 2000 at Sahid Jaya Hotel.

Iwan said Indonesians remote-sensing specialists were paid less than their foreign counterparts with the same qualifications.

"People should be evaluated by the skills they possess, not nationality," he said.

Iwan said that in the surveying and mapping business, Indonesians held the same qualifications as overseas specialists and were able to compete with them.

He added that despite the monetary crisis, business for surveying and mapping companies was good.

Demand for appraisals rose, with a lot of business assets exchanging hands, he said.

"Buyers need to know the value of the assets they are interested in. That is where we come in," Iwan said. "We provide a comprehensive and objective assessment.

Mapin currently has 1,300 members and 19 corporate members, including PT Bhumi Prasaja, PT Kayu Lapis Indonesia and Perum Survei Udara Penas. (10)