Foreign experts can help citizens develop Indonesia: Gene Sugandy - Gene is the head of division for residential tenant representatives to Colliers International, help newly repatriated expatriates navigate the property minefield Jakarta. With the Internet boom in the late 90s, Gene and his partner Danielle Surkatty created the very popular website expatriates Living in Indonesia , a site that on average aujourd 'hui 95,000 unique visits per month. Gene talks about his work, personal life and frustration with negative attitudes of the government towards the expatriate workers. How have you on the shores of this archipelago? After completing my university studies in the United States, I am in a serious relationship with an Indonesian man. Our visas were expired, so he suggested that I just saw Indonesia. I took on the offer and later, we got married and raised our family here in Jakarta. Thirty years later, I still encounter Indonesia. You worked for Colliers International since 2010, helping incoming expatriates to find suitable accommodation, as well as helping with orientation on arrival. What do you like about your job? When I arrived in Indonesia I did not know that there were companies such as Colliers who offered assistance and advice for expatriates. Knowing how difficult it was for me and how many misunderstandings I had known, I am grateful that I can now share my experiences "found more difficult" with others so they can avoid some of the mistakes I know I made but also give them a heads up on what to expect during their assignment here in Indonesia. Which newcomers experience challenges in trying to face the real estate market, without expert help? Indonesia is one of the few countries in the world that requires the full amount of rent for the full term of the lease payable in advance. For this reason, it is sometimes difficult to have the owner is responsible for repair or maintenance after receiving the lump sum in advance. Therefore, it is strongly advised that the house is well checked before transferring and spending to determine if there are major problems that must be repaired. It is our responsibility as a specialist property to raise awareness about these types of issues and share our local knowledge of communities so they can make an informed decision when choosing a home for their family. What is the first thing you say new expatriates who approach you looking to relocate here? Many of our customers are very concerned when they first arrive because they have heard or seen much negative media in their countries of origin in respect of Indonesia, mainly in regarding the level of security for their families. I say unfortunately there is not a great place to live and unfortunately, terrorism happens in many other places in the world. I assure them that if they keep an open mind to their ad I am confident they will grow to love the people they meet here and most likely - at the end of their assignment. - Be sad to leave Have you noticed a decrease in the number of incoming expatriates to Indonesia? The number of work permits that were issued to expatriates in Indonesia has actually been declining since 2011. Over the last 12 months, we found a significant decrease not only the number of expatriates to come to Indonesia, but also the period during which the work permit is issued. No doubt the global decline in the oil and gas industry was a factor because there is a strong foreign presence in this sector, but government policy towards foreign investment and heavy protocol that is needed to set up a new company, initially made interested parties are turning to neighboring countries that are more welcoming. What are your thoughts on the recent comments of Indonesia Mirah Sumirat of the Association of unions regarding the influx of foreign workers, she said, " This threat is not a joke ... [workers] from the United States, South Korea and India should be examined too. "
I am always interested in the arts and theater, but never had the time to participate until my children were grown. When I throw the first time in a generation, I was so fascinated by how a script came to life thanks to the performance of the distribution. No matter how small part could be, all members of the distribution is required to complete the production. Each member interacts with the others to tell the story, and it is so rewarding to see the response from the public. Can you share ideas in life as a mixed couple wedding? Any marriage will be full of compromises. A mixed marriage is no different, but there are still more questions you'll face not only two different personalities, but two different cultures. Both partners should have respect for each other and their cultures and their respective families and also have a very open mind and be willing to accept that you agree to be different. What is the biggest positive change you have noticed over the years in Jakarta The ease that you can communicate with people around the world ?; my early years in Indonesia took me a month to get a letter from Canada! If you were president for a day, what would you do? Schedule a meeting with Immigration, Ministry of Labour, Association of Trade Unions, and other government officials involved in foreign investment with the chambers of commerce such as AmCham, BritCham EuroCham, IkonID, and open a dialogue to highlight the enormous benefits that expatriates are currently door to Indonesia. I would stress that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages; these foreign experts can help citizens develop Indonesia. I hope this would be one of the first steps to change some of the negative attitudes of government officials that continue to hamper growth and the necessary development of this country. Thank you, Gene! To contact, please email: genesugandy1@gmail.com
the number of foreign workers were issued in Indonesia work permits in 2015 was 69,025.This number is not even 1 percent of the number . of people working in Indonesia! How can this be a threat to Indonesian workers? I would point to Ibu Sumirat and other government officials that in most cases, foreign workers actually create jobs for Indonesians . in almost all cases, an expatriate is hired on average in senior management positions where there is a serious shortage of local talent and these expatriates are responsible for improving the quality of work or product in their industry to try to bring these levels to a global standard.Although expatriates with whom we work are often impressed by the level of work being done in many multinational offices, almost always, it is necessary to improve so that Indonesian offices can be more competitive with the world market. Often, the position will be awarded to a citizen after being framed by the expat.I am sad to see that incoming expatriates are currently facing some of the toughest immigration process that we have seen in recent years. Indonesia will continue to fall further and further behind in both talent and product development and discourage foreign investment if government policy makers do not realize the many benefits that expatriates can share. Why not enjoy learning and sharing of experts from other countries to knowledge to accelerate the development of Indonesia? In 1997, you were starting part of the expatriate popular site www. livinginindonesia.org . Can you tell us the story behind the creation of the site? In 1997, my partner Danielle Surkatty and I have been involved with the associations of the publication of the American Women - Useful books for expatriates living in or planning to move to the Indonesia. We have often heard that once the expat found the book, which could be three to six months after their arrival in Indonesia, they expressed, it would have been more helpful if they had information earlier or even before move to Indonesia.We realized that with the Internet, it would be possible to obtain useful information to many more people and in a timely manner. We were both long-term expatriates, our goal was to help provide a source of information on a wide range of topics that help expatriates who travel or live in Indonesia.We actually started the website with five pages of information. Now it's over 1000! Changes are made to the site every day and I am very pleased that we are working on a new design that we hope to launch in 2017. You are known for your involvement in the Jakarta Players Theatre community group. What about this extracurricular activity that gets your blood pumping?
Gene actor in a series of short plays entitled Status It's complicated by the Jakarta Players
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