Sofyan to create new forum to replace DPUN

BANDUNG (JP): Sofyan Wanandi, renowned businessman and former chairman of the now defunct National Business Development Council (DPUN), said here on Tuesday he would create a new forum to fulfill DPUN's unfinished programs and obligations.

He said the establishment of a similar forum was necessary to enable former DPUN members to realize their targeted working programs, especially in creating one million jobs.

He said in its eight months of existence, DPUN had been able to create some 700,000 new jobs in the agriculture sector.

"It (the new forum) will be pretty similar to DPUN, but with an enhanced dimension and supported by more experts," he said on the sidelines of a seminar held by the Indonesian Managers Association.

Sofyan said he planned to launch the forum next week and recruit between 30 and 50 businesspeople from various sectors, including local business associations, to run the forum.

He said that in addition to creating job opportunities, the new forum would also demand the government allow commercial banks to handle the restructuring of debts of 170,000 medium and small- scale businesses, which are currently managed by the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA).

"The systems currently used by IBRA are not suitable for restructuring debts of these kinds of companies. The very small figure of only 10 percent of the debts that have been restructured is proof of this," he said.

He said medium and small-scale businesses should be given different treatment to accelerate the restructuring of their debts so that they could immediately obtain new credit and start operations.

Sofyan said the new forum would work closely with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Trade (Kadin).

DPUN was a group of mostly local tycoons formed by President Abdurrahman Wahid last December. Its main purpose was to give advice on how businesses could benefit from the policies devised by the government.

It was disbanded last week along with another of the President's initiated economic advisory bodies, the National Economic Council.

In a bid to replace DPUN, about 17 export oriented companies and business associations affiliated with Kadin announced last week the establishment of a new forum to help channel their concerns to the government.

The forum -- supported by the Indonesian Textile Association, the Indonesian Footwear Association, the Association of Indonesian Furniture Manufacturers, the Association of Indonesia Industry, the Association of Indonesian Pepper Producers, the Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters and the Association of Electronics Manufacturers -- is expected to serve as a pressure group to bring to the government's attention problems in the business sector.

However, several other business associations, including the Indonesian Exporters Association (GPEI) and Indonesian Importers Association, said on Tuesday they were against the establishment of the exporters forum.

GPEI chairman Rudy Lengkong said the functions of DPUN, which he claims failed to perform its role, would be better taken over by Kadin instead of new forums.

"We're very pleased with the disbanding of DPUN. Let's not make more problems with the creation of a similar body," he said.

He said another forum like DPUN would only make the same mistakes as the council by voicing the interests of only certain businesspeople instead of the entire industry. (25/cst)