Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 6 December 1994

48 articles found

Repatriation of boat people to be delayed

Repatriation of boat people to be delayed JAKARTA (JP): The development of Galang Island as part of the Barelang (Batam, Rempang and Galang islands) bonded zone area is likely to encounter a further set back due to the delayed repatriation of several thousand boat people originally slated for mid-1995. "We would like to complete it as soon as possible, but it will be impossible to do it by the end of this year," Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said yesterday.

More roads built in E. Timor

More roads built in E. Timor DILI, East Timor: The ministry of public works has built 1,035 kilometers of roads in the 13 regencies across the youngest province over the past five years, an official said yesterday. The roads are only 35 percent of the total 3,452 kilometers to be built by 1999, chief of the local public works office Soemarjono said. "Most of the road projects are in the southern part of East Timor and meant to improve land transportation with East Nusa Tenggara," he told Antara.

Merpati Nusantara Airlines to buy and lease more jets

Merpati Nusantara Airlines to buy and lease more jets JAKARTA (JP): As part of its modernization plan, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, a subsidiary of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, will buy and lease a number of new and aging jets, including Fokker-100 and Boeing 737-200 aircraft. "We focus more on operating F-100 and B-737 jets," Merpati's director of operation, Amin Kahar, told reporters after witnessing the arrival of a new F-100 aircraft for Merpati at the Soekarno-Hatta airport.

Jakarta to hold cycling race

Jakarta to hold cycling race JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Sport Cycling Association (ISSI) will celebrate the year end with a cycling track race at the Rawamangun velodrome on Sunday. Committee spokesman Susanto Wijaya said yesterday the competition was aimed at reintroducing the race, which has long been absent from the country. Sunday's race will be the first of five scheduled legs throughout Java.

Guthrie to venture in RI

Guthrie to venture in RI KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia's Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd. is to seal a deal soon to develop an oil palm estate in Indonesia, officials said yesterday. The conglomerate plans to invest some 250 million ringgit (US$100 million) over the next 10 years to develop 70,000 hectares (175,000 acres) of oil palms in North Sumatra jointly with two Indonesian partners, they said.

Stock Exchange

Stock Exchange JAKARTA (JP): Share prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) drifted lower with most issues loosing ground in heavy trading yesterday. The JSX Composite Index closed lower to end at 470.52 yesterday, as compared to 471.05 on Friday. The narrower-based GTDBS-50 Index also closed lower at 109.61 from 109.95 previously.

Consultant urges simplification of trade documents

Consultant urges simplification of trade documents JAKARTA (JP): Export-import procedures are inefficient, lengthy, bureaucratic and involve at least 22 documents to export or import a single item, a consultant says. R.N. Shivpuri, chairman of the Technical Advisory Group on Trade Facilitation at the Ministry of Trade, said here yesterday that Indonesia should simplify the procedures so that the flow of international trading will be smoother.

Cement hike hits small contractors

Cement hike hits small contractors JAKARTA (JP): Recent hikes in cement prices, excessive supervision and out-of-date cost estimates for state-funded projects have brought great losses to small-scale construction contractors.

Surakarta needs Rp 178 billion

Surakarta needs Rp 178 billion SURAKARTA, Central Java: The municipal administration needs Rp 178 billion (US$86 million) to develop the city as the province's "international gate". Mayor Hartomo said recently that the government would need five years to develop the ancient city into one which has adequate facilities to function as an international transit point.

Lawyer named winner of rights award

Lawyer named winner of rights award JAKARTA (JP): A Surabaya-based lawyer known for his handling of numerous controversial cases pitting him against the government was named this year's recipient of the Yap Thiam Hien human rights award. The Foundation of the Center for the Study of Human Rights (Yapusham) announced yesterday that this year's award goes to Trimoelya D. Soerjadi.

Telkom employees awarded by U.S.

Telkom employees awarded by U.S. JAKARTA (JP): The White House, the U.S. presidential residence, has given awards to six employees of the Jakarta chapter of the state-owned telecommunication company PT Telkom for their outstanding work in serving the White House delegation during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Jakarta last month.

Aceh workers off to Malaysia

Aceh workers off to Malaysia BANDA ACEH: More than 215 female job seekers will be sent to Malaysia this week for employment at an electronics factory in the neighboring country. It is part of Aceh's commitment to sending 3,000 workers to Malaysia, chief of the provincial office of manpower Abdullah Syukur Hutasuhut said yesterday. He said so far the province had exported about 1,000 of those.

Try closes NU congress with call for prowness

Try closes NU congress with call for prowness By Santi WE Soekanto and Petty Prihartini TASIKMALAYA, West Java (JP): Vice President Try Sutrisno closed the 29th congress of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) yesterday, calling on the largest Moslem organization to continue moving forward.

Balai Pustaka ridden with Rp 6b in debts

Balai Pustaka ridden with Rp 6b in debts JAKARTA (JP): State-owned Balai Pustaka, the nation's leading publishing house in the 1950s and 1960s, is now Rp 6 billion ($2.75 million) in debt with millions of unsold books. Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro yesterday confirmed that the 77-year old publishing agency has been in deep financial trouble for some time and badly needs restructuring.

ASEAN readies gas plan

ASEAN readies gas plan MANILA (AFP): A regional plan to develop and use natural gas is being readied for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippine Energy Department says. The 12-month study, funded by the European Commission, will forecast potential natural gas supply and demand and analyze pricing policies and other technical issues. ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.

Office buildings to give spaces for sidewalk vendors

Office buildings to give spaces for sidewalk vendors JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja is urging the management of all office premises located along the city's main roads to provide spaces for sidewalk vendors. It is hoped the move will deter them from trading in prohibited areas.

SilkAir serves S'pore-Solo

SilkAir serves S'pore-Solo YOGYAKARTA (JP): SilkAir, one of two Singaporean airlines, has started service linking the island republic and Solo in Central Java with Boeing 737 aircraft. "The new service is meant to introduce the Singaporean market to new destinations and this year we consider Solo as a new destination for scheduled service," the carrier's commercial manager, Balbir Singh, told reporters here over the weekend.

Pertamina to sign seven new contracts

Pertamina to sign seven new contracts JAKARTA (JP): The state oil company Pertamina will sign four technical assistance contracts and three production-sharing deals later this month for oil and gas exploration and production, a company executive says.

PDI'boycot threat brushed aside

PDI'boycot threat brushed aside JAKARTA (JP): Governor of the National Defense Institute (Lemhanas) Lt. Gen. Moetojib has brushed aside a threat by the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) to boycott the 1997 election in protest against the government's meddling in its internal problems. "I would say that the threat was a mere emotional statement," Moetojib said when addressing a workshop of the Moslem educational organization, Muhammadiyah, in the East Java town of Malang yesterday.

Private sector debt up

Private sector debt up JAKARTA (JP): The outstanding foreign debt of the private sector surged by US$6.8 billion within three months, while the government's outstanding borrowing fell by almost $3 billion.

360 families to be resettled

360 families to be resettled JEMBER, East Java: About 360 families are awaiting resettlement in Sulawesi under the state-sponsored transmigration program. They will be dispatched in January or February when the government has completed land clearance and housing construction in Sulawesi, a spokesman for the Jember office of transmigration office, Trisunu Prahoro, said yesterday. He said the farmers would be employed at plantation projects in Central Sulawesi, Antara reported. (pan)

Indonesia seeks pride in `takraw'

Indonesia seeks pride in `takraw' JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia, represented by the Central Sulawesi athletes who wore the national colors in Hiroshima's Asian Games in October, set a modest target of finishing fourth in the first World Sepaktakraw Championship in Kuala Lumpur from Dec. 13 to Dec. 18.

NU congress re-elects Gus Dur as its chairman

NU congress re-elects Gus Dur as its chairman By Santi WE Soekanto and Petty Prihartini TASIKMALAYA, West Java (JP): Incumbent Abdurrahman Wahid beat his competitor, Abu Hasan, by a slim margin in the highly- charged, nearly chaotic, election of the chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). Abdurrahman, also known as Gus Dur, snatched 174 votes while Abu Hasan, an NU businessman, received 142 votes for the post of chairman of the Tanfidzyah (executive board).

Water quality poor in Bekasi

Water quality poor in Bekasi JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Bumi Bekasi Baru housing complex in Bekasi, West Java, are complaining about the poor quality and limited availability of water ever since the distribution has been managed by the Bekasi chapter of the water company (PDAM). They said the water is not only inadequate but also smelly and milky in color. The poor service has forced many residents to buy drinking water daily at a cost of Rp 600 (US$0.27) per 20 liters.

Soeharto urges world cooperation on health

Soeharto urges world cooperation on health JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday called for international cooperation in combating the spread of contagious diseases, including AIDS. "With the emergence of diseases which were previously unheard of, such as HIV/AIDS, there is no alternative way other than mobilizing cordial international partnerships," Soeharto said in his keynote address to the seventh international congress of the World Federation of Public Health Associations.

Gus Dur's re-election

Gus Dur's re-election As predicted, Abdurrahman Wahid, also known as Gus Dur, was re-elected as Nahdlatul Ulama's (NU's) executive chairman for a third consecutive term during the organization's 29th congress which ended yesterday. But he did not win the chairmanship as easily as many had predicted. He narrowly beat his toughest opponent, Abu Hasan, who is virtually unknown outside NU circles, by a slim margin of only 32 votes.

Armed Forces to take part in fight against illiteracy

Armed Forces to take part in fight against illiteracy JAKARTA (JP): The government has enlisted the Armed Forces (ABRI) in its campaign to wipe out illiteracy in the country. But make no mistake. The military will not use force to compel people to study. Rather, the anti-illiteracy campaign will be incorporated with ABRI's highly successful civic programs known as ABRI Masuk Desa (ABRI enters villages), or AMD for short. ABRI Chief Gen.

TV Today

TV Today TVRI 2:30 p.m. TV Series: Hassai Sensei 3:05 Diletansia 3:30 Film 4:30 Science Program 5:00 Regional News 5:30 English Lessons 6:05 Nusantara, the Beloved Country 6:15 Village Program 6:30 Religious Teachings 7:00 Evening News 7:30 Wawasan 8:05 TV Drama: Surya Kanta Kala 9:00 World News 9:30 National Film 10:35 Late News 10:45 Film: Hostage Dallas Program 2 4:30 p.m.

Poisonous centipede

Poisonous centipede From Kompas I live in a well-known housing complex in North Jakarta. I have been told that this area used to be rice fields, fishponds or moors. What is clear is that before the houses were built, the land was filled in with any material available. Our problem now is that there are poisonous centipedes coming up through the drain in our bathroom. Every day I have to kill no less than ten of these insects.

Sunday morning jazz show delights young fans

Sunday morning jazz show delights young fans JAKARTA (JP): There was something refreshingly new during Jak- Jazz '94: A program offered up fresh on Sunday morning for the jazz lovers that just could not stay out late. Anyone one could guess from its name that "Sunday Student Jazz" the event was meant for young jazz players. But that was not the only "student" aspect of it.

Ramos to determine premier airport

Ramos to determine premier airport MANILA (AFP): Philippine President Fidel Ramos is expected to make a policy statement this week on the country's new international airport, Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) chairman Victor Lim said yesterday. The possibility that Clark International Airport will become the country's premier airport remains alive until Ramos makes his stand, Lim said.

Police come close to Levina's murder

Police come close to Levina's murder JAKARTA (JP): After eight months of intense investigations police yesterday claimed they have found a person believed to have played a role in the murder of a six-year-old girl found dead near her bicycle in Ancol Dreamland, North Jakarta, last March. "We are currently focusing on this person as our main suspect (in relation to the murder of the girl)," head of the City Police Crime Investigation Directorate Col. Nurfaizi told reporters yesterday.

Workers killed by lightning

Workers killed by lightning BANDAR LAMPUNG: Five workers were killed and eight others injured when lightning struck a hut in a sugar cane plantation in Seputih Regency, Central Lampung, last week. All of the victims were women who ranged between 33 and 37 years of age, Antara reported. Eyewitnesses said that 24 workers were resting in the hut after lunch.

Ajit Sing in Cambodia

Ajit Sing in Cambodia JAKARTA (JP): The Secretary General of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Ajit Singh, is due to meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh on Thursday. During his four-day visit which begins tomorrow, Ajit Singh is also scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Ung Huot.

Australia deports 13 Indonesians

Australia deports 13 Indonesians KUPANG, East Nusa Tanggara: Thirteen Indonesian fishermen that Australia deported last week landed here on Saturday, a local official said yesterday. The fishermen from East Nusa Tenggara and Maluku had been arrested by Australian authorities in Darwin on charges of territorial infringement. Lambertus Labi Dorok of the local office of social service told Antara that 330 Indonesian fishermen had been deported from Australia for similar charges as of October.

Police declare war on pornography

Police declare war on pornography JAKARTA (JP): City police have declared war against pornographic material and sex aids sold at clandestine shops. They urge the public to assist by giving information on the whereabouts of shops selling such items. "We all know those things benefit only greedy traders without a thought of the impact on the public, particularly teenagers," head of the Operational Affairs Unit of the On-the-Alert City Police Squad Capt. Syaiful Bd. told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

South Korean navy on goodwill tour

South Korean navy on goodwill tour JAKARTA (JP): A training unit of the South Korean Navy is scheduled to arrive at the Tanjung Priok Port, North Jakarta, on Thursday as part of a training tour of the Naval Academy's midshipmen, according to the South Korean embassy yesterday. The unit, commanded by Rear Admiral Sang Ki-han, consists of two frigates and one logistic support ship, with a total crew of 600 officers including midshipmen, said Bong Hyup-chung, information attache of the embassy.

Citra Garden housing complex

Citra Garden housing complex From Kompas Citra Garden housing complex keeps expanding and developing, from Citra 1 up to Citra 5. It has adopted a very attractive slogan Convenient and ever growing complex. But as the developer is now focusing on the project "The City of Arts Citra Grand City" the convenient aspects of Citra 1 have been neglected. Many street lamps are not working and many manhole covers are gone. Also the area's security needs immediate attention.

Govt urged to review policy on electricity towers

Govt urged to review policy on electricity towers JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) urged the government yesterday to review its policy on the construction of 500,000 volt electricity towers and to take into account the health of people living in the area.

New subscription rate

New subscription rate Due to increases in the price of newsprint and in production costs, The Jakarta Post has to increase its monthly subscription rate to Rp 18,000 as of January 2, 1995. The new unregistered mailing rate is Rp 48,000 for a three- month subscription. The new rates are applicable throughout Indonesia.

Village head election rans smoothly

Village head election rans smoothly TANGERANG (JP): The election process in the Rancakalapa subdistrict head in Cikupa district ran smoothly even though it was previously marked by the threats of three candidates to boycott the election. H. Gunawan was finally reelected on Saturday as the new head of the subdistrict for another 8-year term with 1,619 votes out of a total 2,000.

Indonesia draws with England

Indonesia draws with England JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian mens chess team yesterday managed to draw 2-2 with the English team in the fourth round of the 31th Chess Olympiad in Moscow. This was exactly the result anticipated by the Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi) to face the strong English team, which is seeded fourth. "We have instructed our players to try scoring a victory only if the likelihood is really great," said Djamil Djamal, Percasi's secretary general in Moscow.

Kendo public show here

Kendo public show here JAKARTA (JP): Japanese kendo athletes will stage a public demonstration on Dec. 11 at the Jakarta Japanese School in Cilandak, South Jakarta, and in Senayan's badminton Hall A on Dec. 13. The Japanese public showing of martial arts will be continued on Dec. 17 at the Sasagawa hall of the Padjadjaran stadium in Bandung, West Java, the Japanese Cultural Foundation, the showing's organizer, announced here yesterday.

Where to go in Jakarta:

Where to go in Jakarta: Music * The Aryaduta Jakarta, Jl. Prapatan 44-48, Central Jakarta: - Ambiente Italian Restaurant: Bonauli vocal group, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Lost Morenitos, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. - Ambassador Lounge: Amir (pianist), Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.; Jakarta String Fantasy Trio, Monday to Saturday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Sunday from 12:30 p.m.

Nuclear project

Nuclear project Correction: The heading in the story about the nuclear plant on this page yesterday should have read Jepara nuclear project starts in 1998: Governor and not in 1988 as written. We regret the error. -- Editor

Bali mounts anti-rabies drive

Bali mounts anti-rabies drive DENPASAR, Bali: The provincial administration has banned dogs, monkeys, cats and other pets from other provinces in a bid to prevent rabies. The head of the provincial veterinary service, I Wayan Masudana, told Antara yesterday that his office, in cooperation with other government agencies, had mounted an anti-rabies campaign, centering on marketplaces where people sell and exchange pets.

Hartono's men still await trial

Hartono's men still await trial JAKARTA (JP): The trial of three assistants of the alleged high-class brothel owner, Hartono Setyawan, was postponed by the judge yesterday because prosecutors were not prepared for sentencing. Presiding judge Stephanus Sutrisno decided to give prosecutor Eko Siwi Irianti and prosecutor Esther Datu Rante until Thursday to prepare. Esther Datu Rante is the prosecutor for Hamzah, the locale's receptionist, and Ari Dewanto, who worked as a driver for Hartono.

Nickel price soars

Nickel price soars LONDON (Reuter): The world price of nickel soared yesterday in a panic about supply from Russia after reports of explosions and power shortages at a huge smelter in Siberia. At US$9,575 a ton on the London Metal Exchange the metal was up more than 25 percent in a week and a blistering seven percent in just a few hours of yesterday's trading.