1. No security guarantee for Indonesian ministers in Aceh<\/p>\n
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): GAM could not guarantee the security of
\nthe Indonesian ministers visiting the restive province, according
\nto GAM spokesman Sofyan Daud.<\/p>\n
\"It depends on developments, especially when their visit is
\nproven to cause the people and GAM to suffer more,\" Sofyan said
\nto The Jakarta Post here on Tuesday. He did not go into details.<\/p>\n
\"No one here wishes a visit from Indonesian officials, which
\nwill make no difference in the Aceh people's demand (for
\nfreedom),\" he said.<\/p>\n
As many as 13 high-ranking officials, including ministers and
\nsecurity chiefs arrived and spent the night in Medan on Tuesday
\nand were scheduled to fly to Banda Aceh before proceeding to
\nLhokseumawe by land. Lhokseumawe is known as one of the
\nstrongholds of GAM.<\/p>\n
However, after a closed meeting with Aceh Governor Abdullah
\nPuteh at the Tiara Hotel in Medan on Tuesday night, the officials
\ndecided to go to Lhokseumawe (from Banda Aceh) by plane.<\/p>\n
Last April the helicopter carrying the Minister of Energy and
\nMineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro and his entourage,
\nincluding reporters from Jakarta, was shot at by unidentified
\narmed men when the helicopter was about to land at the ExxonOil
\nplant in Lhokseumawe.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian authorities said that the separatist group the
\nFree Aceh Movement (GAM) was behind the shooting.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono leads the team in the two-day visit to
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
He said in Jakarta on Monday that the visit was aimed at
\nfinding short-term and immediate solutions to the complex
\nproblems in Aceh.<\/p>\n
2. Govt plans Rp 40t in new bonds to secure IMF deal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government announced on Tuesday that it
\nplanned to issue bonds worth Rp 40 trillion (about US$4.67
\nbillion) in the near future, as part of a set of preconditions
\ndesigned to secure an International Monetary Fund (IMF) lending
\nagreement.<\/p>\n
Minister of Finance Boediono said the government is seeking
\nlegislators' approval before issuing more bonds.<\/p>\n
\"The Rp 40 trillion equals roughly 5 percent of our banks'
\ntotal liabilities, amounting to some Rp 800 trillion,\" he told
\nreporters after a meeting with House Commission IX, which
\noversees financial affairs.<\/p>\n
Boediono, however, did not explain why the size of the bond
\nissue was larger than the Rp 30 trillion originally proposed.<\/p>\n
The bond issue is one of six \"prior actions\" the government
\nmust undertake before the IMF will agree to signing a new lending
\nagreement, called a Letter of Intent (LoI), with the government.<\/p>\n
The government expects to be able to sign a new LoI on
\nThursday to restart a $5 billion IMF loan program suspended late
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Proceeds from the bonds will be used to cover the government
\nsponsored blanket guarantee scheme for the banking sector.<\/p>\n
The scheme was established to instill public confidence in a
\nbanking sector crippled by the 1997 economic crisis.<\/p>\n
Under the scheme, the government will guarantee bank customers
\nthe safety of their deposits in the event of a bank's closure.<\/p>\n
This safety net has become more important with Bank
\nIndonesia's requirement that banks have a minimum capital
\nadequacy ratio (CAR) of 8 percent by the end of this year.<\/p>\n
3. Women better entrepreneurs than men: ADB<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) led by women
\nare more successful than those led by men, a survey conducted by
\nthe Asian Development Bank (ADB) technical assistance team for
\nIndonesia revealed on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Results of the survey indicated that some 50 percent of
\nfemale-led businesses have experienced growth in the last two
\nyears, while only 45 percent of male-led businesses grew.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, some 25 percent of male-led enterprises had
\ndeteriorated in the last two years compared to only 13 percent of
\nfemale-led businesses, the report stated.<\/p>\n
The survey examined the activities of 482 SMEs in Semarang,
\nCentral Java, and Medan, North Sumatra, of which 85 companies are
\nowned by women.<\/p>\n
The ratio of businesses owned by women compared to men
\nincluded in the survey was purposely disproportionate to reflect
\nmarket realities, the report said.<\/p>\n
The survey encompassed 121 businesses in the manufacturing and
\nprocessing sector; 120 businesses in the services sector; 120
\nbusinesses in the wholesale, retail, restaurant and accommodation
\nsector; and 121 businesses in the transport, storage, and
\ncommunications sector.<\/p>\n
\"Female entrepreneurs are apparently more realistic and
\ncautious,\" the report said, explaining that this may be the
\nreason why they are more hesitant to apply for bank loans, as
\ndemonstrated by the 49 percent of businesswomen who said that
\nthey had no need for bank loans, compared to 35 percent of the
\nbusinessmen.<\/p>\n
4. Mega, Arroyo promise to work as sisters<\/p>\n
MANILA (JP): Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri and
\nPhilippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo promised here on
\nTuesday to be like sisters to each other and continue to provide
\nmutual support in leading their troubled countries.<\/p>\n
In a joint press statement at Malacanang Palace, the two
\nPresidents agreed to continue the friendship of their fathers,
\nwho were former presidents of the respective countries, by
\nenhancing bilateral ties.<\/p>\n
\"We agreed that since our fathers, President Sukarno and
\nPresident Macapagal, were like brothers, we should also be like
\nsisters supporting each other in finding solutions to the
\nproblems that we inherited in our respective countries,\" Gloria
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Megawati and Arroyo share similar backgrounds. They were both
\npresident's daughters and were both former vice presidents who
\nplayed a pivotal role in ousting the presidents of their
\nrespective countries and then became president.<\/p>\n
Referring to Megawati as \"the champion of democracy\", Gloria
\nthanked the Indonesian government for facilitating the peace
\nagreement between the Philippine government and the Moro National
\nLiberation Front (MNLF).<\/p>\n
\"We will reminisce the common struggle to share the fight
\nagainst poverty, oppression and injustice,\" Gloria said.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post editorial for Aug. 22, 2001<\/p>\n
Megawati's ASEAN tour<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri's departure for a one-week
\nwhirlwind tour of ASEAN countries marks an important milestone in
\nIndonesia's relations with the world outside. Indonesia's
\nrelationship with ASEAN countries, to cite Minister of Foreign
\nAffairs Hassan Wirayuda's words, is \"the cornerstone of our
\nforeign policy\". The Assocation of Southeast Asian Nations is a
\nvital part of Indonesia's national security. Moreover, it is a
\ntime-honored tradition in this part of the world for a newly
\ninstalled head-of-government to introduce him or herself to their
\nASEAN counterparts. That is why President Megawati is making her
\nfirst visit abroad to ASEAN countries.<\/p>\n
For years, Indonesia under president Soeharto's leadership was
\nconsidered ASEAN's anchor of stability even though Jakarta
\nscrupulously maintained a low-profile stance. Continued economic
\ngrowth and overall domestic stability throughout this sprawling
\narchipelago, coupled with the conduct of a moderate foreign
\npolicy, placed Indonesia in a leadership position in the region.<\/p>\n
But the outbreak of the 1997 monetary crisis which seriously
\ncrippled Indonesia's economy -- exacerbated, most probably, by
\nthe spreading political decay and President Soeharto's
\nresignation, which ushered in an era of complicated reformasi
\npolitics -- brought about the overall impact that weakened
\nIndonesia's geopolitical position. It can also be said that
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid's erratic leadership, although filled
\nwith good intentions, did not improve Indonesia's international
\nstanding.<\/p>\n
In that context, President Megawati's foremost task during her
\npresent ASEAN tour is to create a sympathetic understanding among
\nASEAN member countries that her newly established government
\nneeds time to lay down the foundations for domestic stability and
\nsustained economic recovery. After all, ASEAN cannot afford to
\nhave Indonesia, a large archipelagic state in which crucial
\ninternational sea-lanes are located, remain unstable for too long
\nwith a stagnant economy and a sulking attitude toward the outside
\nworld.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's current weakened position, however, does not mean
\nthat this country cannot convey some specific messages to its
\nASEAN neighbors. To Malaysia, Jakarta could, with prudence and
\ncare, convey the message that its neighbor to the north could
\nassist Jakarta in settling the complex problem of Aceh. There are
\na considerable number of people formerly from Aceh living on the
\nMalay peninsula. It would greatly help if the government in Kuala
\nLumpur could convince them -- as Malaysian citizens or permanent
\nresidents of Malaysia -- not to help the armed insurgency in
\nAceh.<\/p>\n
To the government in Yangon, Indonesia could, in a manner of
\ngood fellowship, convey a message of encouragement to extend the
\ndialog with Aung San Suu Kyi toward reaching a comprehensive
\npolitical solution. The point that needs to be stressed is that a
\nMyanmar that is ostracized by the outside world will unavoidably
\nhave a negative impact on ASEAN as well.<\/p>\n
President Megawati's visit to ASEAN countries will hopefully
\nconvince this country's neighbors that Indonesia is entering a
\nnew era under a new leadership and with a more pragmatic
\napproach, and that it is making every effort to tackle the
\ncountry's problems in order to ensure its national survival.<\/p>\n
Ends<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/1-no-security-guarantee-for-indonesian-ministers-in-aceh-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }