Sjarifudin pledges to improve agribusiness
Sjarifudin pledges to improve agribusiness
JAKARTA (JP): The government is promoting the development of
the country's agribusiness by asking banks to improve financial
supports and by establishing a board for agricultural standards,
Minister of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah said here yesterday.
"We are preparing a meeting with Bank Indonesia, the central
bank, to discuss ways to encourage both state-owned and private
banks to provide more financial support for agribusiness," he
told a two-day symposium on the management of agribusiness at the
President Hotel here.
He said that the Agribusiness Agency, chaired by Dudung Abdul
Adjid, is studying a plan for credit extension to agribusinesses
in a way similar to that taken by the Asian Development Bank and
the World Bank.
The Agribusiness Agency was established recently to assist the
Minister of Agriculture in formulating and implementing new
agricultural policies to meet challenges brought about by the
changing global environment.
Sjarifudin said that business people and bank executives
should hold meetings to identify problems impeding the
development of agribusiness. "Agribusiness companies frequently
find it difficult to obtain loans because of their own
shortcomings," he said.
He suggested that agribusiness firms must improve the
professionalism of their management and that banks should
increase the quality of their loans by offering better
consultation services.
Standard
Sjarifudin also said yesterday that he had asked the
Agriculture Agency to study the establishment of a
standardization council for agricultural certification.
"We have the National Standardization Council in the
industrial business which issues certificates on quality
standards for industrial products. But there is no such
organization in the agricultural business,," he said.
The symposium yesterday featured several speakers, including
Dudung, Mooryati Sudibyo of PT Mustika Ratu, Soepanto of PT Usaha
Mina, a state-run fishery company, and agricultural expert
Chrisman Silitonga.
Minister of Industry Tunky Ariwibowo is scheduled today to
close the meeting. (icn)