T

he Public Works Ministry has called on professionals in the construction sector to apply for ASEAN-level certification in a bid to increase their competitiveness in the regional market integration next year.

Indonesian professionals need the certificates as otherwise their competency will not be recognized by other ASEAN member states.

'€œThe number of Indonesian engineers and architects who already hold the certificates is still low. We need them to get the certificates to seize opportunities [overseas],'€ Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said on Wednesday.

As part of preparations for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), ASEAN member states have signed a mutual recognition agreement (MRA), which includes the ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer (ACPE) and ASEAN Architect (AA) certificates, among others.

Engineers and architects with the certificates will be recognized as having the same level of competency when they look for construction jobs within the AEC zone.

Djoko said the free flow of trade, investment and manpower during the AEC implementation would drive tight competition among professionals in the construction sector at the regional level.

The minister urged domestic professionals with adequate qualifications to register for the ACPE certification, as once they obtained the certificates, foreign professionals would be unable to dominate the local market.

According to Public Works Ministry head of construction Hediyanto Husaini, Indonesia has only 176 ACPE and AA-certified engineers and architects out of 120,000 construction professionals with local-level Competency Certificates (SKA) and Work Skill Certificates (SKT).

'€œOur number of 176 ACPE and AA-certified engineers and architects does not seem too far from Malaysia, which has around 250 people. However, our country is far more populous than Malaysia. So, we are actually far behind,'€ Hediyanto said.

In order to increase the number, Hediyanto said the ministry had prepared a plan to next year make an automatic registration system for ACPE certification, for practitioners who are deemed qualified but ignore the need for ASEAN recognition.

Hediyanto said the current number of 120,000 construction practitioners with competency certificates was small when compared to the approximately 480,000 uncertified engineers, architects, contractors and consultants in the country.

'€œPractitioners should realize that the ASEAN certificates will automatically open the opportunity for them to have more benefits, such as higher salaries, if they look for jobs at the regional level. Currently, local construction consultants are paid one-third of the fees [earned by] foreign consultants,'€ he said.

National Construction Service and Development Board (LPJKN) chairman Tri Wijayanto expressed his hope that at least 20 percent, or 1,400 of the 75,000, competency-certified professionals would participate in the ACPE certificate examinations at the ASEAN level. (gda)