RI shares business skills with Palestinians

JAKARTA: The minister for small and medium enterprises will help train more Palestinian businessmen as part of the government's support for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.

"Indonesia is committed to helping train Palestinian businessmen in character building," Neddy Rafinaldi Halim, deputy minister of human resources at the Office of the State Minister for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, told Antara on Thursday.

The first phase of the training program will be held in Jakarta in June next year and will include 40 Palestinian businessmen.

"We have set aside a budget for the 2010 and 2014 character building training programs for Palestinian businessmen in Indonesia," he said.

Character building is essential for pioneering businesses in Palestine, said Halim. Indonesia has suggested that for the first stage Palestine send 10 people consisting of three bureaucrats and seven businessmen..

The Office of the State Minister for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises will cover the training and accommodation expenses of the training program.

For the year 2010, the ministry has allocated Rp 600 million (US$64,200) for the training program. - JP