Transportation, ICT industries to get special directorate general

Transportation, ICT industries to get special directorate general

Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Following the division of the ministry of industry and trade
into two ministries, the government will form a new directorate
general at the Ministry of Industry to supervise the booming
transportation, electronics and information and communications
technology sectors.

Minister of Industry Andung A. Nitimihardja said during a
hearing with House of Representatives Commission V for trade,
industry and state-owned enterprises on Wednesday the new
division would be called the "directorate general for
transportation equipment and telematics industries".

It will be responsible for developing policies, standardizing
and regulating industries that manufacture all forms of
transportation, electronics and information and communication
technology equipment.

Andung said in his presentation the new division was necessary
to help Indonesia take advantage of the lucrative transportation
equipment and electronics markets, which were globally worth US$2
trillion in 2000.

The transportation equipment industries include the
manufacturing of automobiles, motorcycles, railroad cars,
maritime and aerospace transportation products, related
components and related maintenance services.

With the new directorate general, the ministry will have four
directorates general. The other three are the directorate general
for the agriculture and chemical industries, the directorate
general for the metal, machinery, textile and miscellaneous
industries, and the directorate general for small and medium
industries.

In the former administration, the transportation equipment and
telematics industries were under the supervision of the
directorate general for metal, machinery, textile and
miscellaneous industries.