U.S. business group hails RI Cabinet
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)