U.S. business group hails RI Cabinet

JAKARTA (JP): The U.S.-ASEAN Business Council expressed its enthusiastic support for the new economics team named by President Megawati Soekarnoputri, noting that some of the names appointed were already familiar to the committee.

"We are very encouraged by the composition of the new economics team," said director of the council's U.S.-Indonesia Business Committee Walter Lohman.

He said that the committee was fortunate to know Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti during his years as the ambassador to the United States.

"He has always been most willing to listen to our concerns and work toward a fair resolution of our issues," Lohman said, adding that for three years Dorodjatun did an outstanding job promoting investment in Indonesia.

The other economics ministers in the new Cabinet have likewise been very accessible and cooperative during their government tenures, he said.

"The naming of this team is a very positive sign for U.S. investors," Lohman added.

The committee has previously worked with all members of the President's economics team.

New Minister for Industry and Trade Rini Soewandi cochaired the committee's 2000 U.S.-Indonesia private sector round table in Jakarta, and Kwik Kian Gie, the new state minister of national development planning, gave the keynote address.

The round table is an annual high-level discussion of business issues among representatives of the Indonesian and U.S. private sectors.

The U.S.-Indonesia Business Committee will conduct a business mission to Jakarta and Surabaya from Oct. 22 to Oct. 25 in an effort to directly engage the new Cabinet.

The U.S.-ASEAN Business Council is a nonprofit, national organization in the United States that works to promote increased trade and investment between the United States and the member countries of ASEAN.

Its office in Jakarta has been made possible with the support of its members General Electric Company, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Unocal and Cigna. (tnt)