Retailers set up another association

JAKARTA (JP): The country's largest retailers agreed to form an association to enhance cooperation in further developing retail trade at a trendy restaurant in Senayan, Central Jakarta late last week.

Under the agreement, H.E. Dachlan was appointed chairman, accompanied by Hari Darmawan and Anton Lukmanto, as the respective heads of the department store and super market sections.

M.N. Fauziansyah was appointed head of the small and medium- scale business section and Kustarjono Prodjolalito will lead the human resource research and development section.

"Such an association is badly needed in order to take advantage of the lucrative and booming retail business in Indonesia," Dachlan said.

The association stresses the importance of training because the steadily expanding retail business provides thousands of job opportunities, he continued.

Hari Darmawan, director of Matahari group, backed him up saying that the retail trade is labor intensive business.

"Matahari group, for example, employs about 16,000 workers in its supermarkets throughout the country," he said.

Other programs deal with department stores and small and medium-scale business.

The retailers chose chairman of Golden Truly group Sudwikatmono as chief of the association's advisory board, consisting of Ciputra from Cahaya Department Store, Steve Sondakh of Hero Supermarket, Usman Dja'far from Pasaraya Sarinah Jaya and David Makes of Dwima.

Suryadharma Ali was chosen as the association's secretary general while Kamsul Hasan was appointed deputy secretary general and Haryadi Bakri treasurer.

Aprindo's short-term goals include the establishment of provincial chapters. (22)