RI meets with Japanese economic advisors

JAKARTA: A Japanese team of experts is holding talks with government officials to help Indonesia reform its economy, according to the Japanese embassy.

The embassy said in a statement that the meeting -- the first to be held by the Japanese Assistant Team on Economic Policy for Indonesia and the Indonesian government -- started on Monday and is expected to last through Thursday.

The Japanese team includes academics, as well as officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The Indonesian government team includes Coordinating Minister of the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti, and related ministers.

Both parties are talking about six issues: macro-economic policy; reform in the banking sector; private investment enhancement; the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises; decentralization, and democratization. -- JP