Soros buys $40m in bonds from Datakom<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): American billionaire and hedge fund manager
\nGeorge Soros has bought US$40 million out of the $250 million in
\nbonds issued by a local telecommunications company, media baron
\nPeter F. Gontha said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Soros, who Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad blamed
\nfor the currency crisis in Southeast Asian countries, bought the
\nbonds recently from PT Datakom Asia, Gontha told newsmen.<\/p>\n
\"It's a surprise because that was the first time he has
\ninvested in bonds, let alone the ones issued by an Indonesian
\ncompany,\" Gontha said after a meeting with President Soeharto
\nyesterday to report on the planned launch of Datakom's
\nbroadcasting satellite in October.<\/p>\n
Datakom floated the eight-year bonds in the United States with
\na fixed coupon rate of 12.75 percent, added Gontha, a director of
\nDatakom.<\/p>\n
PT Media Citra Indostar, a subsidiary of Datakom, will launch
\nthe Indostar-1 satellite, a direct broadcast television
\nspacecraft in October, he said.<\/p>\n
The European aerospace consortium Arianespace will launch the
\nUS$173 million satellite from Kourou in French Guiana. The
\nsatellite will operate four months after it goes into orbit.<\/p>\n
The satellite operation will deliver programs from five
\nprivate television networks across the country and interactive
\nnontelephony services.<\/p>\n
\"The President has named the satellite Cakrawarta which means
\nnews weapons,\" Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications
\nJoop Ave said.<\/p>\n
Accompanying Joop and Gontha at yesterday's meeting were
\nMinister of Information R. Hartono, Minister\/State Secretary
\nMoerdiono, PT Indosat's president Tjahjono Soerjodibroto and
\nbusinessman Bambang Trihatmodjo, chairman of the widely
\ndiversified Bimantara Group.<\/p>\n
Gontha, an executive of the company, said Media Citra's
\nshareholders included the state-owned telecommunications company
\nPT Indosat, PT Asriland (Bambang Trihatmodjo), PT Lembah Subur
\n(Salim Group), PT Persada Giri Abadi (Gontha), state-owned TVRI
\nFoundation, PT Telkom and PT Yasawiryatama Tama Cipta (YTC).<\/p>\n
\"Indosat has a right to buy 20 percent of the total shares, PT
\nTelkom 12 percent and TVRI Foundation up to 7.5 percent,\" Gontha
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Datakom's shareholders include state-owned PT Indosat, PT
\nAsriland (Bambang Trihatmodjo), PT Lembah Subur (Salim Group), PT
\nPersada Giri Abadi (Gontha) and PT Azbindo Nusantara.<\/p>\n
The satellite, manufactured by CTA of the Virginia-based
\nInternational Technology Inc. of the United States, will cover
\nthe entire Southeast Asian region.<\/p>\n
The satellite is expected to operate on the 117.2 eastern
\ndegree.<\/p>\n
Gontha said the satellite would be linked to all private
\ntelevision stations such as RCTI, Indosiar, ANteve, TPI
\nand SCTV.<\/p>\n
\"Foreign TV stations including CNN and Discovery have also
\nexpressed interest in using our transponders,\" said Gontha.<\/p>\n
PT Indonusa Telemedia, a subsidiary of Media Citra Indostar,
\nwill offer interactive nontelephony services for domestic and
\ninternational markets beginning next year after the satellite
\nstarts its operation.<\/p>\n
It will provide entertainment services including news, audio
\nmaterials, videos and games on demand, home shopping as well as
\ntransactions.<\/p>\n
Using the satellite, the Ministry of Education and Culture
\nwill launch a new television channel dedicated solely for
\neducation in November. (prb)<\/p>\n
Insurance -- Page 12<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soros-buys-40m-in-bonds-from-datakom-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }