Tunky installs Djoko

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo Saturday installed Djoko Moeljono as director general of international trade.

Djoko, who was formerly the director general of domestic trade, replaced Anang Fuad Rivai who died last week after being struck by a lightening bolt while playing golf in Batam.

Tunky also installed Ilchaidi Elias as the new director general of domestic trade to replace Djoko.

Ilchaidi was formerly an expert staff for economic cooperation affairs at the ministry.

Tunky said the quick replacement of officials came as an order from President Soeharto, who signed the decree Saturday morning.

"We have many international issues to resolve, most of which are to do with the World Trade Organization (WTO). The President wants to see things running again, so we can't afford to waste time," Tunky told reporters after the ceremony.

Among the issues to be resolved was Indonesia's national car policy which has been criticized by the United States, Japan and the European Union as breaching WTO rules.

Talks with the three are currently at the bilateral level, but the issue could be taken to the WTO's dispute settlement panel if they are fruitless.

Other issues included dumping claims raised by several countries against Indonesian products, Tunky said.

He said Djoko had often replaced Fuad while he was still director general of international affairs and had to travel overseas.

"Pak Djoko already knows how to do things," he said.

Djoko, 53, has held positions such as director general of foreign trade at the Ministry of Trade before the ministry was fused with the Ministry of Industry in late 1995. He was also a director at PT Sarinah which manages the Sarinah department store in Jakarta.

Ilchaidi, 59, was the Ministry of Industry's secretary general, before the Ministry was integrated with the Ministry of Trade. He also held positions such as head of the Ministry of Industry's Financial Bureau and its Planning Bureau. (pwn)