RI tourism facing stiff rivalry JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia, anticipating stiffer competition from neighboring countries in the Southeast Asian region, will promote its tourist industry consistently with adequate approaches, an executive said. "We don't have to worry if some countries in the Southeast Asian region join hand-in-hand to promote their tourist industries together," chairman of the Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board Tanri Abeng said Wednesday.

HRD vital in eastern Indonesia By Riwanto Tirtosudarmo JAKARTA (JP): Eastern Indonesia, the provinces located east of the biogeographic Wallace line, is a vast area containing remarkably diverse heterogeneous ethnic groups which follow everything from stone-age to highly educated and urban lifestyles. It's obvious that development in the provinces, a hot topic during the past five years, will be hampered by this sociocultural plurality.

I like to make things happen: Gontha JAKARTA (JP): "Relatively high education, friends, working hard and logic," said Peter F. Gontha when The Jakarta Post asked what helped make him a successful manager. Gontha, a commissioner of the widely diversified Bimantara group and chief executive officer of the petrochemical company PT Chandra Asri, graduated from Praehap Institution, a business school in the Netherlands, and spent about 12 years working for foreign companies.

Soeharto wants Tansil's overseas assets tracked JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto ordered Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad Wednesday to trace businessman Eddy Tansil's assets in Hong Kong and China. "Go and trace his assets," Mar'ie quoted the President as telling him. Mar'ie reported to the President on the latest developments in his efforts to trace Tansil's assets, which may have been hidden abroad before his escape from a Jakarta prison last week.

Mr. Big makes a hit with local fans JAKARTA (JP): Some 3,000 people, mostly young soft rock fans, gave a hysterical welcome to Mr. Big who performed here Monday evening at the Jakarta Convention Center. The group, on its world tour to promote their latest album, Hey Man!, started loud and colorful and remained so for the rest of the concert, twenty bumptious songs in all.

Obituary Umar Nur Zain, a senior journalist and novelist, died of a stroke on Wednesday in Jakarta. He was 57. Umar, a reporter for the evening daily Suara Pembaruan, was well-known for his column Si Cemplon. The heroine in this series is a witty young woman, Cemplon, who goes to great length in her criticism about many social issues, ranging from rampant corruption to the sky-rocketing prices of vegetables.

Stock Exchange Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on May 15, 1996: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ------------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 925 0 0 AHAP Insurance 2,800 0 0 Alumindo Perkasa 650 -50 349,500 Andayani Megah 1,475 0 45,000 Aneka Kimia Raya 4,300 25 405,500 Anwar Sierad 2,325 75 703,000 Aqua Golden Mississippi 2,300 0 0 Argha Karya Prima Industry 3,200 0 139,500 Argo Pantes 2,300 0 0 Asahimas Flat 2,925 25 91,000 Asiana IMI...

Fire razes 3-storied building JAKARTA (JP): A fire razed a three-storied building housing a small garment firm on Jl. Gunung Sahari in Central Jakarta on Wednesday. "The total loss caused by the fire is being calculated," Central Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Abubakar Nataprawira said, adding that some employees were questioned about the fire. No fatalities were reported.

Komselindo: The cellular expert Suppose we combine a strong technical expertise in telecommunications engineering and a long history of being a national telecommunications service provider, what would we get? Probably a synergistic joint venture telecommunications operator like PT Komselindo, the leading AMPS cellular mobile telephone service provider in Indonesia.