Top business and govt leaders to meet in May

JAKARTA (JP): High-ranking domestic and foreign government officials and business leaders will meet at the Indonesia Summit in Jakarta this May 13 and May 14.

Coordinating Minister for Production and Distribution Hartarto said yesterday that the government will use the summit to explain the direction of its economic policy and its commitment to continuing its deregulation measures.

"We expect that the summit will help promote Indonesia and attract more foreign investment to propel economic growth in the future," Hartarto said.

President Soeharto is scheduled to open the two-day event, which is being held by the American daily International Herald Tribune and the office of the Coordinating Minister for Production and Distribution.

Hartarto and the daily's publisher, Richard McClean, yesterday met with Soeharto to explain the summit.

Hartarto said Soeharto welcomed the initiative to conduct the summit but expressed his concern with foreign press accounts of corruption in Indonesia.

Through the Indonesian Summit, McClean said, participants will be afforded a chance to explore partnership possibilities.

Speakers at the two-day summit will include senior government officials, Indonesian and international business leaders as well as international dignitaries.

Foreign speakers at the summit will include President of World Bank James Wolfensohn, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs G.J. Wijers, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada on International Trade Roy MacLaren, Philippine Secretary of Trade and Industry Rizalino Navarro, Chinese Vice Premier Zhu Rongji, Chairman of Peregrine Investment Holdings Ltd. Philip Tose, Chairman of Ssangyong Corporation S. Joon Tose.

Wolfensohn will talk on Sustainable Development: Indonesia's Experience; Wijers will present a paper on Indonesia: A Strategic Link to Asia Pacific Trade and Investment; while MacLaren will discuss Indonesian Potential as a Production Base for North American Investors.

Meanwhile, Indonesian speakers will include Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic and Financial Affairs Saleh Afiff, State Minister of Investment Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad, Minister of Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo, Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto, Minister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar, Minister of Mines and Energy Ida Bagus Sudjana, Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave, Bank Indonesia Governor Soedradjad Djiwandono, businessmen Iman Taufik and Yusuf Kalla and a number top executives from state-owned oil firm Pertamina, Freeport Indonesia and Pacific Satellite Nusantara.

Hartarto will talk on Indonesia's Initiative in Free Trade and Investment; Ali will discuss Regional Peace and Sustained Economic Development; Tunky will address Economic Reform: Promoting Trade and Manufacturing Based Industry; Afiff, Mar'ie and Soedradjad will discuss the Indonesian Economy and its Prudent Macroeconomic Policies; while the other ministers will discuss opportunities in infrastructure development in Indonesia. (rid)