Young businessmen told not to rely on government

Young businessmen told not to rely on government

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday told members of the
Indonesian Association of Young Business People (Hipmi) to reduce
their dependence on government initiatives to gain instant
success.

"The government's financial role in the country's economic
development will continue to gradually decrease and Hipmi members
should not depend so much on its projects," Hipmi chairman
Bambang Atmanto Wiyogo quoted Soeharto as saying.

Bambang and six other Hipmi executives met Soeharto at the
Bina Graha presidential office here to report the results of the
association's recent congress and its new programs.

According to the government, Indonesia will need total
investments of Rp 815 trillion (US$352.8 billion) in the current
sixth five-year development plan period (1994-1999) in order to
achieve an economic growth rate of about 7 percent per annum.
Seventy per cent of the investments are expected to come from the
private sector and the remaining 30 percent from the government.

Soeharto said that there are many business opportunities open
to Hipmi members to participate in small businesses and the
manufacture of components.

"Do not hesitate to make joint ventures with conglomerates and
learn from the success stories of experienced businessmen,"
Soeharto told the association members, while citing the
conglomerates owned by Sudwikatmono and Ibrahim Risjad as
examples.

Bambang, a son of former Jakarta governor, Wiyogo
Atmodarminto, acknowledged that Hipmi members usually did not
usually obtain exclusive rights to obtain contracts from the
government. The exceptions are a few people who run businesses in
provinces and regencies.

Soeharto also suggested that Hipmi members involve themselves
in agriculture and agroindustry. (kod)