RIYADH, 16 August — Jakarta will import more oil and petrochemicals from Saudi Arabia following the consistent growth reported in the domestic oil consumption market in Indonesia, which is also planning to set up two multibillion riyal oil refinery projects in cooperation with a consortium of investors from Saudi Arabia, the United States and China.
“The total Saudi oil exports to Indonesia increased by 72 percent this year and the exports will continue to increase gradually according to the growth in our domestic oil consumption,” said Kemas Fachruddin, charge d’affaires at the Indonesian Embassy, here yesterday.
Fachruddin was speaking to Arab News ahead of the Indonesian National Day on Aug. 17.
He said that the two countries have forged closer relations in all sectors. In monetary terms, Jakarta imported oil worth $1.4 billion from the Kingdom last year, compared to $835 million in 1999.
The refinery projects to be developed in Indonesia will further boost Saudi oil exports, according to a recently published report. The Saudi investors will hold a 40 percent share in the two refineries to be built at a cost of about $3 billion each.
Asked about the plan of the Indonesian government to tighten regulations on the recruitment of Indonesian maids, Fachruddin said that there have been no changes in the basic policy. However, he confirmed that “Jakarta is reviewing and evaluating the whole management and procedures regarding how to send more skilled workers to foreign countries.”
The news of the temporary ban was earlier confirmed by Indonesian Labor Attache Anwar Samsuddin, who said that Jakarta is studying the possibility of imposing an additional $200 recruitment fee on the top of present $100 fee charged per worker.
There are officially more than 500,000 Indonesian workers in Saudi Arabia. Independent estimates, however, put the number of workers at nearly 600,000. About 40 percent of them are women. A total of 80 percent of the maids working in the Kingdom are Indonesian, the maids most preferred by Saudi families.
Referring to the move to review the policy of recruitment by the government, the diplomat said it would help curb malpractice. There are 132 Indonesian workers currently in Saudi jails, according the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He did say, however, that the evaluation of the recruitment policy aims at reducing the numbers of unskilled Indonesian workers in the Kingdom. Presently, the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower requires every worker to participate in 45 days of basic training to upgrade their skills.
