VP : GOVT SAFEGUARDING CONTINUITY OF BUSINESS WORLD

Jakarta, Nov 14 (ANTARA) - Vice President Yusuf Kalla said the government was safeguarding the continuity of the business world and would help all businessmen who were in trouble.

"The government is making sure the business world continues to function and will help any business," Kalla told the press after Friday prayers here Friday.

He made the remark in response to the suspension of trading in PT Bumi Resources shares in the Indonesian Stock Exchange. "Whatever happens at the Indonesian Stock Exchange, the suspension or resumption of trading in Bumi Resources shares, it's all part of the existing market mechanism," he said.

He said the government had an interest in safeguarding the continuity of the nation, and stressed giving protection to national businesses was something proper and done by many countries in the world.
"Please don't be suspicious of all national businessmen. That would be dangerous. Who eventually will be paying taxes, if not national businessmen. Foreign businessmen will ultimately leave the country," he said.
Even in liberal countries like the United States and Japan, the government was helping national businessmen , so what the Indonesian government was doing was quite normal, he said.
However, the vice president stressed that assistance provided by the government to PT Bumi Resources was only in the form of moral support.