National

Kadin Ready to Help with Supply of Military Equipment
Wednesday, 16 March, 2005 | 17:08 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has suggested that the Indonesian Military (TNI) try to purchase military equipment through business schemes, such as barter or export credit.

Kadin itself is ready to help with the lobbying power that the organization has.

“Businesspeople are ready to act as a bridge for the purchases, because we have sources everywhere,” said Kadin Chairman M.S. Hidayat on Tuesday (15/3) after meeting with the TNI Commander in Chief General Endriartono Sutarto in Jakarta.

Hidayat said that bartering with commodities was the most likely scheme that could be realized.

According to the Kadin Chairman, this could be carried with countries that can fulfill TNI’s needs and vice versa they need commodities from Indonesia.

He added that Kadin had told the TNI Commander in Chief there were many business to business schemas the TNI could utilize which were outside the conventional purchase procedure through the state budget.

Hidayat went on to say that Kadin and the TNI Commander in Chief also exchanged their views about efforts to create political stability and security.

On the one hand, Kadin explained that high economic growth could only be achieved if political stability and security was guaranteed.

On the other hand, the TNI Commander in Chief also explained about the TNI’s policy to provide a guarantee of security.

In principle, Endriartono said he agreed that the democratic process must be continued, but democracy must be defined as freedom that has limits and is ethical.

Efri Ritonga