1. Visa -- 48pt Bodoni Bold 5\/1 (1x24)<\/p>\n
Visa policy granted grace period<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The government is not postponing the new visa policy but is
\nmerely implementing a six-month transition period instead,
\nspokesman Ade E. Dahlan for the Directorate General of
\nImmigration at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights said on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, the transition period has been in effect since late
\nMarch, so it is not an extended delay,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The controversial decree on the new visa policy was signed on
\nMarch 31 and will be implemented in September.<\/p>\n
The new visa policy will scrap the 60-day visa-free policy
\nbecause the facility had been abused by several foreign
\nnationals. The new policy will require visitors to Indonesia to
\napply for the appropriate visa at Indonesian embassies or
\nconsulates in their respective countries.<\/p>\n
Alternatively, they can also apply for a visa on arrival,
\nwhich will charge visitors US$45 per person for each visit.<\/p>\n
\"Which countries will be given this visa-on-arrival privilege
\nwill be determined later.<\/p>\n
\"In the meantime, we're also waiting for technical guidelines
\nfrom the ministry, which are now ready. Reassessment (of the
\nguidelines) involving relevant parties will be conducted later,\"
\nAde said.<\/p>\n
The technical guidelines include regulations on those
\ncountries eligible for the visa-on-arrival facility and the
\nreciprocal visa, and will also outline the economic benefits of
\nthe new policy.<\/p>\n
2. didik -- 28pt Bodoni Bold 2\/2 (2x24)<\/p>\n
Legislators told to delay
\neducation bill endorsement<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar urged
\nfellow lawmakers on Monday to resolve all of the contentious
\nissues in the national education bill before bringing it to a
\nHouse plenary meeting for endorsement.<\/p>\n
Legislators deliberating the bill have yet to resolve three
\nissues -- the introduction that serves as the basis of the bill,
\nthe function and role of national education, and the recognition
\nof five religions in the country.<\/p>\n
House Commission VI for education affairs agreed earlier to
\nsettle the issues through a vote should lawmakers fail to reach a
\nconsensus.<\/p>\n
However, Muhaimin said legislators should avoid voting on
\nthese issues because that would have a serious impact on the
\nentire nation.<\/p>\n
\"Legislators must not insist on endorsing the bill if they
\ncannot accommodate the people's aspirations. We can vote on the
\npresidential elections bill, but we cannot do that on the
\neducation bill,\" Muhaimin said during a meeting with a delegation
\nfrom Makassar, South Sulawesi, and councillors from Nias, North
\nSumatra.<\/p>\n
Muhaimin said a hasty endorsement of the education bill would
\ncreate disharmony among the people.<\/p>\n
Commission VI members and Minister of National Education Abdul
\nMalik Fadjar are negotiating to settle the three issues before
\nthe bill's scheduled endorsement on June 10.<\/p>\n
Muhaimin of the National Awakening Party (PKB) emphasized that
\nthe bill should accommodate the aspirations of the people.<\/p>\n
At least two parties, PKB and the Indonesian Democratic Party
\nof Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), have called for a delay in the
\nbill's endorsement.<\/p>\n
During the meeting with Muhaimin, the delegations from
\nMakassar and Nias demanded that the House not endorse the bill,
\nsome of whose articles they said were not in line with the 1945
\nConstitution.<\/p>\n
3. ILC -- 32pt Bodoni Bold 5\/1 (1x45)<\/p>\n
Manpower minister leads RI delegation to ILC<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea is leading
\nIndonesia's tripartite delegation to the 91st International Labor
\nConference (ILC) taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 3
\nto June 17.<\/p>\n
The conference is being held to discuss labor issues such as
\npoverty alleviation, workplace safety and security, and the
\nelimination of discrimination in the workplace.<\/p>\n
An adviser to the minister on institutional and international
\nrelations, Edison Situmorang, is already in Geneva to lead the
\ndelegation during the ILC's preliminary meetings, which will last
\nuntil June 7.<\/p>\n
A number of other top officials from the Ministry of Manpower
\nand Transmigration have left for Geneva to represent the
\ngovernment at the conference.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) chairman Hasanuddin
\nRachman and several other Apindo executives will represent
\nemployers, investors and state-owned Pertamina at the conference,
\nwhile a number of labor activists will represent workers.<\/p>\n
Only five of Indonesia's 68 labor unions are sending
\nrepresentatives to the two-week meeting. The five are the
\nConfederation of All-Indonesian Workers Union (KSPSI), the
\nFederation of Trade Unions for Justice, Welfare and Unity (SPKP),
\nthe Federation of Indonesian Unions (SPI), the Indonesian
\nProsperity Trade Union (SBSI) and the Telcom Sector Union (SP
\nTelkom).<\/p>\n
According to a press release from the International Labor
\nOrganization (ILO) office in Jakarta on Monday, all of the
\ndelegations to the conference are expected to discuss a road map
\nfor fighting poverty, enhancing safety and security in the
\nworkplace, and eliminating labor discrimination.<\/p>\n
The ILC is also slated to review ILO Seafarers' Identity
\nDocument Convention No. 108\/1958 and to discuss a new
\ninternational standard on human resource development, to replace
\nILO Human Resource Development Recommendation No. 150\/1975.<\/p>\n
South African President Thabo Mbeki is scheduled to deliver an
\naddress to the conference on June 11, while Jordan's King
\nAbdullah II is scheduled to address the meeting on June 12.<\/p>\n
4. RUU -- 36pt Bodoni Bold 3\/2 (2x24)<\/p>\n
Only candidates may
\nprotest election results<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Only presidential candidates and their running mates, not
\npolitical parties, will be allowed to submit objections to the
\nConstitutional Court should they find any fraud in the final
\nresults of presidential elections, according to the special
\ncommittee currently deliberating the presidential election bill.<\/p>\n
The complaint must be submitted within three days of the
\nannouncement by the General Elections Commission of the results
\nof the presidential election to avoid any prolonged unproductive
\ndisputes that may disturb the state administration.<\/p>\n
\"It is only the presidential candidates and their running
\nmates that can submit complaints. If all people and parties are
\nallowed to do so, it will create many more problems,\" Chozin
\nChumaidy, deputy chairman of the special committee, said here on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
Chozin, also a legislator of the United Development Party
\n(PPP), said that all nine factions in the special committee had
\nagreed to the stipulation.<\/p>\n
Yet, several factions were divided over the time period for
\npresidential candidates to submit any objections or complaints.<\/p>\n
\"We are still discussing that,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Besides, KPU should listen to complaints submitted by
\nindependent organizations before it announces the presidential
\nelection results.<\/p>\n
Firman Jaya Daeli of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan), Hafiz Zawawi of Golkar, and Patrialis
\nAkbar of the Reform faction concurred, saying KPU was supposed to
\nvalidate the final election's result before announcing it to the
\npublic and that only major cases were expected to be brought to
\ncourt.<\/p>\n
Chozin said that only the court had the authority to decide
\nwhether to process the complaints or not.<\/p>\n
The stipulation won support from all factions.<\/p>\n
The bill drafted by the home ministry did not specifically any
\nregulations on that matter but only stated that the KPU must
\nvalidate the election result before it is approved by the
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
Hafiz Zawawi meanwhile emphasized that the election results
\ncould be brought to the Constitutional Court only if the there
\nwere nationwide objections.<\/p>\n
\"All disputes at a regional level will be settled by the local
\nchapter of the KPU and the Election Supervisory Committee,\" Hafiz
\nadded.<\/p>\n
With such a problem-solving mechanism at the regional level,
\nthere will no major disputes nor a total rejection of the
\npresidential election results at the national level, he said.<\/p>\n
The bill is expected to be endorsed by the House by the end of
\nthis month.<\/p>\n
5. HUTAN -- 32pt Bodoni Bold 7\/1 (1x58)<\/p>\n
Linggasana gives rise to new forest management concept<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nKuningan, West Java<\/p>\n
When a mudslide at a hotspring resort in Pacet, East Java killed
\nat least 26 visitors last December, state forestry firm Perhutani
\ncould no longer hide its poor management of Javanese state
\nforests.<\/p>\n
Families of the victims sued the firm, which oversees the
\ntourist area, for negligence. Rampant illegal logging in the area
\nabove the hotspring had helped trigger the mudslide. The local
\ngovernment was also sued, but the court rejected the lawsuits.<\/p>\n
Critics said Perhutani had not only had failed to curb illegal
\nlogging, but had encouraged the illegal practice by planting
\ncommercial trees on land that was designed to protect the soil of
\nwater catchment areas. Perhutani had also not involved local
\npeople in managing the forest.<\/p>\n
In certain areas such as the Kuningan regency in West Java,
\nthe illegal logging of state forests no longer has the chance to
\nincrease as Perhutani has begun managing the forest with the help
\nof the local people and government.<\/p>\n
The new concept is known as community based forest management.
\nThe success of the concept can be seen in Linggasana village in
\nKuningan, where at least 100 poor farmers have been able to plant
\nfruit and other trees alongside pines and other harvested trees
\nsince last year.<\/p>\n
Said, a 60-year-old farmer, who manages 0.3 hectares of land
\nin the state forest, said he benefited a lot from the change in
\nstate forest management.<\/p>\n
\"Before 2002, I was afraid of entering the state forest as the
\nrangers were always suspicious of us. The forest management also
\nused to force us to grow certain fruits that we could harvest in
\ntwo years,\" he told reporters over the weekend.<\/p>\n
\"But now I can grow trees like banana, durian, avocado and
\njackfruit to fulfill my own needs and patchouli that can be sold
\nto businessmen for the cosmetics industry,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Farmers in Linggasana and Perhutani will soon sign a profit
\nsharing agreement for the crops of supporting trees.<\/p>\n
In other villages, 75 to 80 percent of the profit goes to
\nfarmers and the rest to Perhutani.<\/p>\n
A Kuningan businessman has also established a simple patchouli
\noil refinery capable of processing 200 kilograms per day.<\/p>\n
The businessman exports the oil to partners in France and the
\nUnited States.<\/p>\n
Wawan, a man who runs the refinery, said the refinery employs
\nthree local people and earn profits of Rp 3 to 4 million a month.<\/p>\n
Besides benefiting from planting supporting trees in the state
\nforest, farmers in Linggasana will also receive a share of
\nrevenue from the harvesting of pine and the sale of latex for 30
\nyears.<\/p>\n
In this field, 75 to 80 percent of the profit goes to
\nPerhutani, while the rest to farmers.<\/p>\n
The success of community-based forest management in Linggasana
\nhas attracted the attention of foreigners.<\/p>\n
S.P. Sasmita, head of the Forum of Community-based Forest
\nManagement in Linggasana said the visitors came from Canada, Laos
\nand other countries.<\/p>\n
Sanusi Wijaya K, Chairman of Kuningan-based Institute of
\nCommunity Based Forestry Implementation Service (LPI) said people
\nin Kuningan and the local government had responded well to the
\ncommunity based forest management scheme.<\/p>\n
In 2001, Perhutani and the Kuningan administration signed a
\nmemorandum of understanding (MOU) to implement the community-
\nbased forest management to replace the centralized forest
\nmanagement run by Perhutani.<\/p>\n
Perhutani and other forestry villages later signed similar
\nMOUs.<\/p>\n
At the end of 2002, at least 23 of 141 forestry villages in
\nKuningan signed MOUs with Perhutani to manage state forests
\ntogether, ranging from planting supporting trees in the state
\nforests to forestry based tourism.<\/p>\n
In the same year, the Kuningan administration also agreed to
\nallocate funds for the community-based forest management.<\/p>\n
Noor Rochman, Perhutani official in charge of environment
\nsupervision in West Java, said the scheme helped Perhutani
\nminimize conflict with local people in Kuningan at an early stage
\nand foster cooperation with local people and the Kuningan
\nadministration in managing state forests.<\/p>\n
6. Proper -- 28pt Bodoni Bold 2\/2 (2x24)<\/p>\n
House urges govt to name
\nenvironmental violators<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives called on the government to announce
\nimmediately the final report on an audit (PROPER) of companies
\nwhich are allegedly polluting the environment to help uphold the
\nlaw on the environment and avoid raising any suspicions of
\ncollusion among the public.<\/p>\n
Irwan Prayitno, chairman of Commission VIII on oil, gas,
\nmining and the environment, said any delay in the announcement of
\nthe audit's results would raise questions among the public.<\/p>\n
\"If PROPER's results are final, the government should announce
\nit to the public. It will be very good for public to know which
\ncompanies comply with the law on the environment and those
\npolluting the environment,\" said Irwan when asked on Monday to
\ncomment on the government's delay in announcing the result.<\/p>\n
State Minister for the Environment Nabiel Makarim disclosed to
\nthe commission last week that the environmental audit was
\nfinished but he declined to identify the polluting companies.<\/p>\n
PROPER is conducted annually to encourage companies,
\nespecially the ones using pollutants in their raw materials, to
\nhelp preserve the environment. The government has also conducted
\na clean river program (Prokasih) to discourage companies from
\ndumping toxic waste into the rivers.<\/p>\n
Non-governmental organizations and environmentalists have
\nurged the public not to buy products produced by polluting
\ncompanies.<\/p>\n
Nabiel also expressed disappointment over the findings, saying
\nmany companies had poor management of waste water for numerous
\nreasons.<\/p>\n
Based on the PROPER's result, the government will rank the
\ncompanies, depending on their performance in managing their
\nwaste. Companies complying with the law in managing their waste
\nwill be awarded gold and green environment labels while companies
\npolluting the environment will be given red and black labels.<\/p>\n
Nabiel said there had been a growing trend since the 1998
\neconomic crisis for companies to pay less attention to protecting
\nthe environment.<\/p>\n
Nabiel said that many factories in Java no longer complied
\nwith the law on the environment in managing their waste due to
\nincreased overall costs.<\/p>\n
Julius Bobo, member of Commission VIII, said the government
\nshould start imposing sanctions on polluting companies to
\nencourage other companies to comply with the law.<\/p>\n
\"There is no reason for the government to delay the
\nannouncement of the list of polluting companies for another two
\nmonths as the result is final,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The government faces a dilemma in identifying the polluting
\ncompanies because the audit was conducted randomly and the
\ngovernment had run short of equipment to examine the serious
\nimpacts of polluting companies' waste water on the environment.<\/p>\n
Many companies declared as polluters, are expected to object
\nto the environmental audit, since not all companies were examined
\nthoroughly.<\/p>\n
The government examined only 85 of thousands of companies
\nacross the country<\/p>\n
Hermien Roosita, an assistant to the environment minister on
\nenvironmental conservation, conceded that her office had carried
\nout a limited examination of certain companies.<\/p>\n
\"We just want PROPER's results to be perfect,\" she said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/1-visa-48pt-bodoni-bold-51-1x24-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }