Top firms to maintain business plans despite security risk
Top firms to maintain business plans despite security risk
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Some of the country's top businesspeople said on Thursday that
they would not cancel their business plans this year despite
growing concerns over domestic security, in an apparent vote of
confidence for the government's ability to maintain security and
order.
"We'll not revise our sales target, and we'll carry out our
business plans as usual," president of the country's second
largest automaker PT Indomobil Sukses International Gunadi
Sindhuwinata told reporters.
The company is aiming to sell about 70,400 vehicles this year.
It also plans to expand its plant in Tuban, East Java.
Gunadi said that the expansion plan was still on track.
PT Astra International, a publicly listed corporation, would
also conduct business as usual, the company's corporate secretary
Aminuddin said.
He applauded the government's swift response to the Marriott
bomb blast, and was confident that the authorities would be able
to maintain security and order in the coming year.
The two were speaking to reporters following a two-hour
closed-door meeting between local business players, Coordinating
Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono and the National Police chief Da'i Bachtiar.
The top security officials briefed the businessmen about the
current security conditions here in the wake of the terrorist
bombing at the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, as well as
preparations for next year's national elections.
After the Marriott bomb, there have been concerns that the
business sector would put on hold their investment plans amid
fears of further terrorist attacks in the country in the near
future. Such a condition would pose a serious threat to the
economy, which has been struggling to recover from the
devastating impact of the late 1990s economic crisis.
But following the bomb attack, all government officials seemed
to be united in trying to calm down nervous investors. The
police, for instance moved quickly to try to find those
responsible for the bombing, and boost security measures in
public places. The Minister of Finance is also planning a set of
measures to help revive investment.
Indeed, the rupiah and the Jakarta stock market recovered
quickly from their steep downturns following the attack.
"As a businessman, I'm more confident now. In addition to what
I've read in the newspapers, the meeting also made me better
informed and clearer about what measures have been taken by the
government," Aminuddin said.
Meanwhile, president of the Surabaya Stock Exchange Hindarmojo
Hinuri said that Susilo gave three scenarios for next year's
security conditions: First, an optimistic scenario with a smooth
general election process. Second, a moderate scenario with some
mild disruptions during the election period. And third, a
discontinuation of some government services for weeks or even
months, as the worst-case scenario.
"But of the three scenarios, Susilo believes that it was
likely be the moderate to optimistic scenario," he said.