Scientists told to be ready to anticipate AFTA policy

JAKARTA (JP): An expert has urged scientists' organizations to prepare themselves to face the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) plan which will be put into operation in 2003.

Samaun Samadikun, former chairman of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, told the press yesterday that with the operation of AFTA, local scientists' organizations should play a bigger role so they will not fail to compete with those from abroad.

"If we don't start improving the quality of ourselves right now, by the year 2003 we will have difficult problems, " he said.

According to Samaun, who is chairman of the guiding committee of the national science congress which will be held in September, if Indonesia has to give jobs to foreign scientists it means it will be providing them with money and experience which local people desperately need.

Samaun said that the Guidelines of State Policy of 1993 stipulates that sciences are part of the national development.

"It means they are as equally important as security, defense, social, political and economic issues," he said.

Sofyan Tsauri, Indonesian Institute of Sciences' chairman, said that the congress, which is sponsored by the institute and the Ministry of Education and Culture, will be opened by President Soeharto.

According to Sofyan, 400 scientists will participate in the congress and 139 scientists will contribute their papers.

He expressed the hope that more scientists would take part in the congress because it is the right place for them to share experience and knowledge.

Parantopo, head of the Indonesian Physics Association, said that State Minister of National Development Planning/Chairman of the National Development Planning Board Ginandjar Kartasasmita, State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie and Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro will be keynote speakers at the congress.

He also said that the 1986 winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Yuan Tseh Lee of Taiwan, will give scientific oration at the congress. Lee, who is also the president of Academia Sinica in his country, is scheduled to have meetings with Indonesian pharmacists. (05)