Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 1 February 1996

55 articles found

Who's afraid of Mega?

Who's afraid of Mega? It is beyond doubt that President Soeharto will be re-elected in the coming presidential election if he agrees to run for another term. At the moment, nobody is strong enough to challenge him.

Four jailbirds still at large

Four jailbirds still at large DILI, East Timor: Four of the eight inmates who broke out of the Becora Correctional Facility during a riot on Tuesday are back behind bars, while the other four are still at large, Antara reported.Chief of the East Timor Office of the Ministry of Justice Benny J.

Bank Niaga records 41.5% increase in pre-tax profit

Bank Niaga records 41.5% increase in pre-tax profit JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed Bank Niaga reported a 41.5 percent increase in its unaudited pre-tax profit in 1995 to Rp 80.6 billion (US$35.20 million) from Rp 56.9 billion in the previous year.

Kempes to join Indonesian side

Kempes to join Indonesian side JAKARTA (JP): Former Argentinean World Cup hero Mario Kempes will arrive today to complete a deal with Indonesian side Pelita Jaya as a playing coach for the remainder of the season.

Gus Dur's growing influence led to Habibie move

Gus Dur's growing influence led to Habibie move SEMARANG (JP): State Minister for Research and Technology B.J. Habibie's request that Abdurrahman Wahid quit the chairmanship of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization was made out of fear of the latter's growing influence, says a political...

109 teachers sent to remote places

109 teachers sent to remote places SURABAYA: The local office of the Ministry of Education and Culture will soon send 109 teachers to remote villages in Irian Jaya, Kalimantan, Bengkulu and South Sumatra.

TV today:

TV today:TVRI 2:30 p.m. Travel: My Country 2:35 TV Series: Ultraman 3:00 News: Lintasan Berita 3:05 One Day with Dibyo Widodo, City Police Chief 3:30 Education: Bina Pramuka 4:00 News: Lintasan Berita 4:05 TV Series: Al Jamalludin Al Afghani 5:00 Evening News 5:25 Travel: My Country 5:30 Arabic...

Traffic policemen removed for health reasons

Traffic policemen removed for health reasons JAKARTA (JP): The City Traffic Police plan to transfer officers who have been deployed on the roads for a long time to help reduce stress, as was revealed in a recent study made by a renowned university.

Try upset at bureaucracy supervision

Try upset at bureaucracy supervision JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Administrative Reform T.B. Silalahi conceded yesterday that supervision in the bureaucracy is slack and has not brought about the desired results.

Where to go in Jakarta:

Where to go in Jakarta:Music * Hotel Dai-ichi, Jl. Senen Raya 135, Central Jakarta. - Mezzanine Lounge: Solo Pianist, daily from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., opening hours Monday to Sunday 11 a.m to 1 a.m. * Hotel Aryaduta, Jl.

Language and law experts defend Bintang in court

Language and law experts defend Bintang in court JAKARTA (JP): Experts in language and constitutional law were called into court yesterday to defend controversial politician Sri Bintang Pamungkas, who allegedly called President Soeharto a dictator.Linguist J.S.

Poulterer robbed, wife raped in Bekasi

Poulterer robbed, wife raped in Bekasi JAKARTA (JP): Police are still trying to determine the identities of the men who allegedly robbed a Bekasi poultry breeding farm manager and then raped his wife in front of their daughter on Tuesday.City Police Spokesman Lt. Col.

More flights to Manado

More flights to Manado JAKARTA (JP): Airlines from Taiwan and South Korea plan to open direct flights from their countries to Manado, North Sulawesi, making the city a gateway to the eastern part of Indonesia.North Sulawesi Governor E.E.

Change of attitude vital to save environment

Change of attitude vital to save environmentBy Rusdian Lubis JAKARTA (JP): What can be gleaned from the recent list exposing the environmental sinners in Indonesia?First, the program, dubbed Proper, diversifies environmental policy in Indonesia by modifying the traditional command and control...

Aneka to expand into chemical production

Aneka to expand into chemical production JAKARTA (JP): Publicly-listed chemical product distributor PT Aneka Kimia Raya got its shareholders' approval yesterday to purchase shares of two chemical producers, PT Polekao Indonesia Chemicals and PT Arjuna Utama Kimia, at Rp 26 billion (US$11.3 million).

Stock Exchange

Stock ExchangeStock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Jan. 31, 1996: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ---------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 700 0 2,500 AHAP Insurance 3,000 0 0 Alumindo Perkasa 1,375 0 0 Andayani Megah 2,075 175 612,000 Aneka...

Selling practice

Selling practice As frequent visitors to Indonesia over the past 15 years, we have been increasingly impressed by the improvement in the standard of living of the average Indonesian. To a large degree, this has been the result of the government's economic policies and the exercise of tight controls...

Mistakes part of democracy process

Mistakes part of democracy process Some members of the tiny Indonesian Democratic Party have proposed that the party's chairwoman, Megawati Soekarnoputri, run for president. Political scientist J. Soedjati Djiwandono evaluates the suggestion, which is unprecedented in the history of the New Order...

Indonesian Palapa satellite represents third generation

Indonesian Palapa satellite represents third generationBy I. Christianto COCOA BEACH, Florida (JP): After seeing it's first satellite lift off into orbit two decades ago, Indonesia will today witness the launching of Palapa-C1, the first of the third generation of it's satellites, which will be...

Sabang mayor breaks down over ferry grief

Sabang mayor breaks down over ferry grief JAKARTA (JP): Emotion caught up with Sabang Mayor Bustari Mansyur who has been touring Weh Island these past 10 days to console the grieving relatives of those who died when their ferry sank on the way to the island on Jan. 19.

Beaten pedestrian seeks justice

Beaten pedestrian seeks justice JAKARTA (JP): A pedestrian was beaten black and blue by a police officer last Friday, says the Legal Aid Institute (LBH).Rudolf Hemor was one of 30 pedestrians crossing the street together in front of the Hyatt Hotel to the corner of the Wisma Nusantara building on...

Pertamina expands to tackle private sector

Pertamina expands to tackle private sector SINGAPORE (Reuter): Indonesia's state oil company Pertamina will expand and upgrade its refineries to produce better quality products to face private competition when the oil industry is deregulated, a Pertamina official said yesterday.

Bimantara, Alcatel link

Bimantara, Alcatel link JAKARTA (JP): Alcatel Alsthom of France and PT Elektrindo Nusantara, an affiliate of the Bimantara Group, have signed an agreement to cooperate in telecommunication projects in the country, Alcatel said in a statement yesterday.

Plywood workers claim back pay

Plywood workers claim back pay JAKARTA (JP): Approximately 40 workers from a plywood company in Maluku sought help from the House of Representatives yesterday to resolve a dispute with the management over claims for unpaid overtime for the 1991-94 period.

Ramadhan time for Jakarta

Ramadhan time for JakartaThursday Maghrib 6.20 p.m.Friday Imsak 4:25 a.m. Subuh 4.35 a.m.

Growth through cooperation (2)

Growth through cooperation (2) The following is an excerpt of a statement made by Governor of Bank Indonesia J. Soedradjat Djiwandono at the Bankers' Annual Meeting on Jan. 19, 1996. This is the second of two articles.

State firms asked to hold Telkom shares for 2 years

State firms asked to hold Telkom shares for 2 years JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad confirmed yesterday that a number of state-owned companies and pension funds have been told to hold their Telkom shares for at least two years to prop up their price.

Bakrie's component plant

Bakrie's component plant JAKARTA (JP): Bakrie Tosanjaya, a subsidiary of Bakrie & Brothers, signed yesterday a joint venture agreement with Jidhosa Buhin Kogyo Co. Ltd. of Japan to build an automotive component plant in Kerawang, West Java, with an investment of US$4 million.

U.S. car salesman sentenced to life

U.S. car salesman sentenced to life MANILA (AFP): An American businessman was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Manila court yesterday for the 1993 murder and mutilation of his Filipina girlfriend.Mark Stephen Whisenhunt, a car salesman from San Fransisco, California, was found "guilty beyond...

Bank customers say no to police protection

Bank customers say no to police protection JAKARTA (JP): The city's police are mystyfied why most people are reluctant to ask police officers to accompany them when withdrawing money from banks."Many times we have asked customers to call for police help for security reasons to help them take money...

Seminar on anthropology

Seminar on anthropology UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi: Some 140 anthropology students from 14 universities across the country will gather at Hasanuddin University here on March 3 to attend a seminar.The focus of the talk, according to Antara, is poverty alleviation programs.

Bad loans

Bad loansFrom Media IndonesiaIn November 1995 bad loans were reported to reach Rp 10.465 trillion, an amount equivalent to Indonesia's foreign loan obtained from CGI (Consultative Group for Indonesia). Most of the bad loans involve state-owned banks. The money is thus in fact owned by the people.

Compensation for ferry disaster paid

Compensation for ferry disaster paid BANDA ACEH: The state-owned insurance company PT Jasa Raharja will pay Rp 324 million in compensation to the relatives of the 54 people who died when the ferry Gurita sank in the waters off Weh Island earlier this month.

Foreign worker wages

Foreign worker wages Foreign workers employed in certain sectors in Indonesia are earning fantastic wages. According to Ministry of Manpower data, Indonesia spent no less than Rp 5 trillion (US$2.4 billion) last year on wages for 57,159 workers from various countries.

Housewife found dead

Housewife found dead JAKARTA (JP): A 50-year-old housewife was found dead with several wounds to the face yesterday morning in her house in the Taman Kedoya Baru housing complex, West Jakarta.The body of Yeni Tanama was found at around 7 a.m. by her cousin, Suhaidi Gandhi, a police officer said.

Food laws to regulate 'halal' label: Soeharto

Food laws to regulate 'halal' label: Soeharto JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said yesterday that all halal food packages must, in the future, bear a label stating the contents are suitable for Moslems to consume.

Billiard players complain about lack of equipment

Billiard players complain about lack of equipment JAKARTA (JP): No equipment, no achievement. That's one of the retorts the Indonesian billiard and snooker association has about why its athletes have no say in international competitions.

RI and Malaysia agree to protect workers

RI and Malaysia agree to protect workers JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Malaysia have drawn up guidelines that standardize the fees and protect the interests of Indonesian maids working in Malaysia, Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief said yesterday.

Swapping cash for peace of mind

Swapping cash for peace of mind JAKARTA (JP): Pay a little cash and leave your worries behind, while you enjoy the Idul Fitri holiday out of town.The state-owned pawn brokerage is now offering the service of taking care of valuables usually left behind in vacant houses by holiday travelers.

City proposes Rp 2.84t budget

City proposes Rp 2.84t budget JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has proposed to the City Council a budget of Rp 2.84 trillion (US$1.3 billion) for Jakarta in the next fiscal year, or 9.26 percent higher than the current budget of Rp 2.7 trillion.

'Sriwijaya Post' stops publication

'Sriwijaya Post' stops publication JAKARTA (JP): Sriwijaya Post, a daily newspaper based in Palembang, South Sumatra, is suspending its publication as of today following a physical clash among its employees in the latest conflict embroiling the newspaper's management.

Guidelines on 'poverty' fund raising issued

Guidelines on 'poverty' fund raising issued JAKARTA (JP): The Director General of Taxes Fuad Bawazier yesterday dismissed speculation that his office will deduct 2 percent off every after-tax income of more than Rp 100 million (US$43,290) for the state-sponsored poverty alleviation program.

Strong environmental authority needed

Strong environmental authority neededBy Jim Scherer JAKARTA (JP): Critics of government efforts at environmental protection in Indonesia need to look at the legal framework that makes enforcement actions difficult.

Legislators support peat land mega-project

Legislators support peat land mega-project JAKARTA (JP): Legislators yesterday supported the government's plan to convert one million hectares of peat land into rice fields in Central Kalimantan but stressed that thorough studies were needed to ensure the mega project was a success.

CMNP to take equity stakes in tree projects

CMNP to take equity stakes in tree projects JAKARTA (JP): The shareholders of publicly-listed toll road developer PT Citra Marga Nusaphala Persada (CMNP) yesterday approved the company's plan for equity participation in three projects.

Use Ramadhan for introspection, minister says

Use Ramadhan for introspection, minister says JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman stressed the importance of introspection, particularly for those who consider themselves community leaders.

KL joins Ongko Group

KL joins Ongko Group JAKARTA (JP): Malaysian stock-brooking company TA Enterprise Berhad acquired 49 percent of PT Ongko Multicorpora's shares in its subsidiary, PT Arya Prada Sekuritas, which it then renamed PT TA Ongko Securities.

Best bridge pair invited by Israel

Best bridge pair invited by Israel JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's best pair of Eddy Manoppo and Henky Lasut have received an invitation to play in the Israel Bridge Festival in Tel Aviv, scheduled for Feb. 15 to Feb. 24.

PSP to issue rights shares

PSP to issue rights shares JAKARTA (JP): Putra Surya Perkasa (PSP), a publicly-listed property developer, will issue 472.5 million rights shares at the price of Rp 1,000 (44 U.S. cents) this month."The owner of every 10 old shares, as recorded by Feb.

PDI board urged to sue meddling government

PDI board urged to sue meddling government JAKARTA (JP): A senior legislator urged the executive board of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) yesterday to settle it's conflict with the government over the East Java leadership rift in court.

More help for lepers

More help for lepers The articles on leprosy by K. Basrie in The Jakarta Post of Jan. 29, 1996 were very interesting, yet for me they raised more questions than they answered. In Jakarta, I remember seeing many lepers begging at traffic lights and was horrified by their plight.K.

Birthplace of Lord Buddha

Birthplace of Lord Buddha I would like to comment on Jeebit Shresta's Misleading Information (The Jakarta Post Sunday, Jan. 28, 1996) letter, in which the writer cites Nepal as the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha.

Philipus and four others stand trial on murder charges

Philipus and four others stand trial on murder charges JAKARTA (JP): The East Jakarta District Court yesterday began trying five suspects charged with killing a woman and three children in Bambu Apus, East Jakarta, on Oct.2 last year.

Non-tariff barriers obstruct economy: Kadin

Non-tariff barriers obstruct economy: Kadin JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has blamed non-tariff barriers, such as monopolistic practices, as well as various legal and illegal levies as the major problems hampering the country's economy development.

Cooperation accords in satellite business

Cooperation accords in satellite business COCOA BEACH, Florida (JP): Private companies interested in doing business with Indonesia's telecommunications satellite industry will have the chance to form cooperation agreements (KSOs) with state-owned PT Telkom.