Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 29 October 1998

53 articles found

City seeks review on tax rulings

City seeks review on tax rulings JAKARTA (JP): The government should review three regulations pertaining to collection of taxes and levies because they are burdensome to the regional administration, Deputy Governor for Economic and Development Affairs Budiardjo Soekmadi said on Wednesday.

Why were we stopped?

Why were we stopped? As a visitor to Indonesia, I am very impressed with the friendliness of the people and the many wonderful sights in the cities and the countryside. Having already traveled around Jakarta and Yogyakarta with my family, earlier this week we set our minds toward the sights and...

Workers stage hunger strike

Workers stage hunger strike MEDAN, North Sumatra: Three workers of PT Latexindo Toba Perkasa began a hunger strike while camped out in front of the Medan Legal Aid Institute office. They are protesting the arrest of 12 fellow workers, Antara reported on Wednesday.

Stock Exchange

Stock ExchangeStock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Oct. 28, 1998: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 275 0 500 AHAP Insurance 400 0 0 Alter Abadi 250 0 228,000 Alumindo Light Metal 250 0 0 Alumindo Perkasa 125...

ABRI in business

ABRI in business Apart from its sociopolitical function, the trading and business activities that have for years been conducted by ABRI -- either by individual members or by ABRI as an institution -- have now come under fire.

Saleh Djasit elected governor

Saleh Djasit elected governor PEKANBARU, Riau: Brig. Gen. Saleh Djasit, a legislator of the Armed Forces faction, won the Riau governor's election to replace Soeripto for the 1998/2003 term.Saleh won 25 of the 45 available votes in the plenary session of the Riau provincial legislative council,...

APEC: Mahathir's 'last hurrah'?

APEC: Mahathir's 'last hurrah'?By Edward Neilan Malaysian Prime Minister may be snubbed by Clinton at Kuala Lumpur meeting TOKYO (JP): Next month's meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) was supposed to be a crowning moment for host Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Bankruptcy claim against Davomas pulled

Bankruptcy claim against Davomas pulled JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Commercial Court has approved a request made by American Express Bank of Jakarta to withdraw an insolvency petition against the publicly-listed cocoa producer PT Davomas Abadi.Hotman Paris Hutapea of Makarim and Taira S.

Where to go in Bali:

Where to go in Bali:Exhibitions * Painting Exhibition: Atmospheres by American artist Mark Rutkowski, at Blue Moon Gallery, Jl. Tirta Tawar, Banjar Kutuh Kaja, Ubud (Phone: 0361 976727), 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., until Nov. 4. * Arts Exhibition: Kelompok Reinkarnasi, at Museum Puri Lukisan, Jl.

Youth Pledge Day marked with rallies

Youth Pledge Day marked with rallies JAKARTA (JP): As had been widely expected, the 70th anniversary of the Youth Pledge on Wednesday was marked with noisy anti-Habibie protests by thousands of demonstrators in the capital and many other big cities across the country.

Daihatsu doubles stake in Indonesian joint venture

Daihatsu doubles stake in Indonesian joint venture JAKARTA (JP): Japan's Daihatsu Motor Co. Ltd. will soon double its stake in PT Astra Daihatsu Motor, a joint venture with Indonesia's largest auto producer PT Astra International, to 40 percent under an agreement signed here on Wednesday.

Manila to import rice

Manila to import rice MANILA (AP): President Joseph Estrada has authorized a government agency to import up to 300,000 metric tons of rice because of damage to rice crops from four recent typhoons, officials said Wednesday.

Where to go in Surabaya:

Where to go in Surabaya:Exhibition * Works Exhibition by Heri Dono, Indonesian contemporary artist, CCCL - French Cultural Center Jl. Darmokali 10 (Phone: 031 5678639), 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday to Saturday, until Oct. 31.

Sintong ignores U.S. court verdict

Sintong ignores U.S. court verdict BANDUNG: Secretary of Development Operations Sintong Pandjaitan has decided to ignore the verdict of a Boston district court that he pay a US$14 million compensation to Helen Todd for the death of her son Kamal Bamadhaj in the 1991 Dili incident in which troops...

People's appeal to DPR members

People's appeal to DPR membersFrom RepublikaWith reference to Republika of Oct. 15, I, who personally would like to see a basic change in this nation's life, became worried about the heavy load of the House of Representatives (DPR) to analyze, in a very short period of time, the bills submitted by...

Strong quake jolts Ternate

Strong quake jolts Ternate TERNATE, Ambon: A strong earthquake jolted Ternate town and its surroundings on Wednesday afternoon, but no casualties were reported, according to Antara."We have not received any reports of casualties or material losses.

Malaysia plan crackdown on fresh street protests

Malaysia plan crackdown on fresh street protests KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Malaysian police warned on Wednesday supporters of sacked finance minister Anwar Ibrahim that they would crack down on any street protests even if it meant risking harm to women and children."The police can only take so much.

50 ex-convicts undergo training

50 ex-convicts undergo training BOGOR (JP): The Bogor social services office has enrolled 50 former convicts in vocational training courses to improve their chances of earning an independent living.Kusnadi, head of the social service office, said on Wednesday training opportunities ranged from...

No rift in team probing May unrest, Marzuki says

No rift in team probing May unrest, Marzuki says JAKARTA (JP): Human rights campaigner Marzuki Darusman denied on Wednesday that a rumored rift between members of the team investigating the May riots caused the postponement of the announcement of its findings.

TNT presses on with RI expansion

TNT presses on with RI expansion JAKARTA (JP): Netherlands-based air express company TNT Express Worldwide will continue to expand its business in Indonesia despite the country's worst economic turmoil in decades.

Students demonstrate to mark Youth Pledge Day

Students demonstrate to mark Youth Pledge Day JAKARTA (JP): Students commemorated the 70th anniversary of the country's Youth Pledge on Wednesday by staging demonstrations against the planned special session of the People's Consultative Assembly, the Armed Forces' (ABRI) political role, and a host...

Winners of May 21 Trisakti monument announced

Winners of May 21 Trisakti monument announced JAKARTA (JP): Private Trisakti University, which plans to build a monument in commemoration of the deaths of four of its students who were fatally shot during the May 12 tragic incident, revealed on Wednesday three winners of the monument design contest.

Fake diplomas mar village chief race

Fake diplomas mar village chief race TANGERANG (JP): At least 17 of 386 candidates up for 119 village chief posts in Tangerang regency here are suspected of submitting fake school diplomas to meet the prerequisites for the coveted position.

Insulting statement

Insulting statement A controversial statement made by State Minister of Food and Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin concerning Megawati was, in my opinion, really an act of bigotry. I truly can't understand how such a high-ranking official as educated as himself could have made such an insensitive...

Workers want withdrawal of discriminatory decree

Workers want withdrawal of discriminatory decree JAKARTA (JP): More than 600 workers loyal to the current leadership of the Federation of All Indonesian Workers Union demonstrated at the Ministry of Manpower on Wednesday to push the government to lift what they said was a discriminatory ministerial...

Spotlight

Spotlight Correction: Max de la Fuente is Peruvian ambassador to Hungary, not to Indonesia as mentioned in the caption of a photo under Spotlight on Page 9 in Wednesday's paper. Peruvian Ambassador to Indonesia is Elard Escala.We apologize for any inconvenience. -- Editor

Ginandjar off to Japan to discuss more loans

Ginandjar off to Japan to discuss more loans BANDUNG (JP): Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita was scheduled to leave for Japan on Wednesday night to follow up on the Japanese government's pledge to provide additional aid packages to Indonesia and other...

PT Inco reports $800,000 loss

PT Inco reports $800,000 loss JAKARTA (JP): PT International Nickel Indonesia (PT Inco) announced on Wednesday an audited loss of US$800,000 for the third quarter of 1998, compared with net earnings of $8.3 million, or three cents per share, for the same period last year.

PT PLN aims to lower power price to $0.04

PT PLN aims to lower power price to $0.04By Johannes Simbolon JAKARTA (JP): Cash-strapped state electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) will seek to cut the price of power supplied by independent power producers (IPP) to around 4 U.S.

Conversion Rates

Conversion Rates Bank Bali's conversion rates on Oct. 28, 1998: TT rates Bank notes rates Buying Selling Buying Selling Rp Rp Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 7,350.00 7,450.00 7,350.00 7,500.00Austrian schilling 1 579.40 649.40 - -Australian dollar 1 4,392.75 4,652.75 4,360.00 4,710.00Belgian franc 1 196.

Sex crime victims lack protection: Experts

Sex crime victims lack protection: Experts JAKARTA (JP): Noted law expert Loebby Loqman has sought a revision of the Criminal Code so that it covers a wider range of sexual crimes and affords victims better protection.

Rupiah strengthening

Rupiah strengthening Neither the recent mysterious killing spree in East Java, nor the latest wave of student demonstrations in the capital has been able to impede the rupiah's strong rebound that started last month.

Local chess hero faces Karpov in quarters

Local chess hero faces Karpov in quarters JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Utut Adianto will square off in a rematch against official world champion Anatoly Karpov of Russia in the quarterfinals of the US$48,000 Intercontinental Rapid Chess tournament at Cap d'Agde, France, on Wednesday.

Megawati views Saefuddin blunder as an 'ordeal'

Megawati views Saefuddin blunder as an 'ordeal' JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Food and Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin has again apologized for remarks which incurred the wrath of thousands of Hindus, but Megawati Soekarnoputri -- the original target of the minister's statement -- has remained...

Local residents catch suspected killers of cabbie

Local residents catch suspected killers of cabbie JAKARTA (JP): A taxi driver was allegedly stabbed to death in a robbery attempt by two teenage passengers on Tuesday night. The two suspects were later captured and beaten up after they stopped for help when the vehicle broke down in Bekasi.

Clean bus project resumes in April

Clean bus project resumes in April JAKARTA (JP): Swisscontact, a Switzerland-based nonprofit organization, will hold the second phase of its Rp 1 billion (US$125,000) clean bus project in the capital in April next year in a bid to help improve air quality, an environmental consultant said on...

Berlin impresses Governor Sutiyoso

Berlin impresses Governor Sutiyoso JAKARTA (JP): What's Governor Sutiyoso done so far on his two- week official trip to Turkey, Rotterdam and Berlin?According to Antara, while in Berlin, the governor was stunned by the rapid but well-integrated development of the city which -- in his opinion --...

Three members of known criminal gangs shot dead

Three members of known criminal gangs shot dead JAKARTA (JP): Police detectives shot dead three men alleged to be members of notorious criminal gangs in separate incidents early on Wednesday, fulfilling their recent pledge to take stern measures against brutal crooks.

Ex-servicemen go on rampage

Ex-servicemen go on rampage AMBON: About 2,000 retired servicemen and civil servants went on a rampage on Tuesday and damaged the branch office of state- owned PT Taspen and the district court in protest against the court's verdict over their case, Antara reported on Wednesday.

Beards problem for Afghan boxers

Beards problem for Afghan boxers KABUL (AFP): Afghanistan's religious sports officials on Monday urged Asian Games and Olympics organizers to change laws banning beards in boxing, to allow their athletes to compete.

TV today

TV todayTVRI 2:00 p.m. News: Berita 14 2:30 Music 2:35 Children's Film: Thundercats 3:05 Symphony Film 3:30 Science Film 4:00 Regional News 4:30 Creative Program: Karya Kita 5:00 Arabic Lessons 5:30 TV Series: The Man from Uncle 6:00 News: Lintasan Berita 6:05 Documentary: Catatan Perjalanan 6:15...

Official vows help in cheap credit bid

Official vows help in cheap credit bid JAKARTA (JP): Deputy Governor for Economic and Development Affairs Budiardjo Soekmadi pledged on Wednesday to help minivan operators qualify for cheap credit worth Rp 94.1 billion (US$11.76 million) provided by the government for the transportation sector.

Inflation may be falling, but rupiah hit by rally

Inflation may be falling, but rupiah hit by rally JAKARTA (JP): Inflation in October is expected to be zero and could even begin to fall on the back of lower food prices and the strengthening rupiah, Bank Indonesia Governor Sjahril Sabirin said on Wednesday.

Kadin hails creditors' moves on loans to firms

Kadin hails creditors' moves on loans to firms JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Aburizal Bakrie hailed on Wednesday efforts by several international creditors to renegotiate loan repayments from local companies.

DHL receives best rating

DHL receives best rating JAKARTA (JP): Air courier, DHL Worldwide Express, has been awarded the title of "Europe's most admired company in the express parcels sector", according to a survey.A survey by Michael Brown of the Nottingham School of Business rated DHL the top among its competitors...

Mandela arrives for Congo talks

Mandela arrives for Congo talks WINDHOEK (DPA): South African President Nelson Mandela arrived in Windhoek on Wednesday for private talks with Namibian President Sam Nujoma over the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Winters' allegation against Ginandjar

Winters' allegation against GinandjarFrom KompasBy nature, I am an Indonesian nationalist, one that adheres to the five-point state principle Pancasila. However, as far as the truth is concerned, I will not come to the defense of something solely on the basis of nationalism.

Serial killings are jeopardizing reform: Habibie

Serial killings are jeopardizing reform: Habibie BANDUNG (JP): President B.J. Habibie said here on Wednesday that a series of mysterious killings of Moslem preachers and alleged black magic practitioners in East Java was jeopardizing the country's move toward democratic reform.

Top seeds cruise into second round at Indonesia Open

Top seeds cruise into second round at Indonesia Open JAKARTA (JP): Most top seeds romped through their first round outings in the US$120,000 Sanyo Indonesia Open Badminton Championships on Wednesday, but it was rough going for Denmark's heavily favored men's stars.

'Four forces' seen vying for power

'Four forces' seen vying for power JAKARTA (JP): The influential Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) said on Wednesday there were four social forces involved in the political power struggle, including the remnants of Soeharto's New Order regime.

Singaporean minister: ASEAN solidarity remains solid

Singaporean minister: ASEAN solidarity remains solidBy Kornelius Purba SINGAPORE (JP): Singaporean Minister of Foreign Affairs S. Jayakumar said on Wednesday the spirit of solidarity and cooperation prevailed in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) despite temporary weakening caused...

Mrs. Fields close outlets

Mrs. Fields close outlets JAKARTA (JP): Baked food franchise Mrs. Fields plans to close its last two outlets in Indonesia in the next few weeks, as the severe economic crisis has made doing business here financially untenable.An advisor to the local franchisee of the U.S.-based Mrs.

Deepening poverty 'biggest threat to human rights'

Deepening poverty 'biggest threat to human rights' JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas warned on Wednesday that deepening poverty caused by East Asia's financial meltdown poses the biggest threat to human rights.