SembGas, Pertamina deal SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): SembGas, the consortium led by Singapore's SembCorp Engineering, has finally sewn up the long overdue US$8 billion deal with Indonesian state oil company Pertamina to buy natural gas from West Natuna and pipe it to here, a local daily reported Thursday.

Japan gives Indonesia 100 billion in cheap loans JAKARTA (JP): The Japanese government is giving Indonesia 100 billion (US$870 million) in long-term, low-interest loans to help the country cope with its worst-ever crisis.

Bankruptcy petition against Hutama Karya rejected JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Commercial Court turned down a bankruptcy petition on Wednesday against state-owned builder PT Hutama Karya brought by private construction firms PT Jaya Readymix and PT Primacout Lestari.

By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): Expressions of agony, anger and disappointment imbued the themes of most performing art works staged throughout l998.The fall of the New Order regime, with former president Soeharto's stepping down in May after 32 years in power, should have been reason enough for...

Golkar's felonious ploy Every time Indonesians, whose sense of humanitarianism remains intact, speak about civil servants, they do so with strong emotion. This is due to the fact that for decades, administration after administration, the crusade to improve the lot of civil servants has proved...

Silent Indovision! I would like to join in the ongoing correspondence published in your paper regarding Indovision, to which the company has not seen fit to reply. I agree with what all your other writers have said and find Indovision's service nothing short of appalling.

Six banks may change status INI JUDUL DIPAKAI JAKARTA (JP): Six commercial banks have applied to change their status into interest-free Islamic banks, Bank Indonesia director Soebardjo said here on Thursday.

TV Today: Saturday, Dec. 26, l998TVRI 5:30 a.m. Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 6:00 Morning News6:30 News: Nuansa Reformasi7:00 Children's Program: Lagu Anak Nusantara7:30 Cartoon8:00 Music8:30 My Country9:00 TV Drama: Gelas Retak10:00 Interval2:00 p.m.

Rupiah slips to 7,850 as stocks slightly up JAKARTA (JP): The rupiah slipped further to close at 7,850 against the U.S. dollar in extremely quiet dealings on Thursday, with most banks closing their dealing rooms earlier than usual, currency dealers said.

Stock quotations on JSX.rm .plStock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Dec.24, 1998: ------------------------------------------------------------- Shares Close Change Trading Volume ------------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 450 0 0 AHAP Insurance...

Where to go in Jakarta: Saturday, Dec. 26, 1998Exhibitions * Photo Exhibition: World Press Photo 1998, at Erasmus Huis, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said, Kav S-3, Kuningan, South Jakarta (Phone: 5252321), Dec. 27 to Feb. 11.

;JP;JP;AFS;MSA;LEO;LEO ANPAv..r.. Photo-Butet-Guruh-Suid-Koma-Tanz Photo caption JP/7/CAPPhoto captionsA BActor Butet Kartaredjasa (above) performs in Lidah Pingsan (A Numb Tongue), at Utan Kayu Theater.

3 million ha of forests will be auctioned to the public JAKARTA (JP): The government will auction to the public next month a number of concession rights to carry out logging activities in three million hectares of the country's forests, a senior official of the ministry of forestry and plantations...

Bankruptcy petition against Hutama Karya rejected JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Commercial Court turned down a bankruptcy petition on Wednesday against state-owned builder PT Hutama Karya brought by private construction firms PT Jaya Readymix and PT Primacout Lestari.

Bankruptcy petition against Hutama Karya rejected JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Commercial Court turned down a bankruptcy petition on Wednesday against state-owned builder PT Hutama Karya brought by private construction firms PT Jaya Readymix and PT Primacout Lestari.

Christmas in a time of crisis In Indonesia this year, Christmas is being celebrated in unfavorable sociopolitical and economic conditions. On the social and political plane, the people are in an euphoric mood over the prospect of reform, which unfortunately has brought with it some ominous negative...

;JP;JSK; ANPAf..r.. Yearender-Pertamina-scandal Pertamina struggling to improve battered image JP/8/PertaminaPertamina struggling to improve battered image By Johannes Simbolon JAKARTA (JP): The state oil and gas company, Pertamina, which has been rocked by many scandals over the past several...

Crippled emerging markets seek new lease of life BRASILIA (Reuters): Indonesia has been knocked off its feet, Russia is on its knees and Brazil is hobbling on crutches. For emerging market specialists, the crippling events of 1998 will be hard to forget.

Conversion Rates Bank Bali's conversion rates on Dec. 24, 1998: TT rates Bank notes rates Buying Selling Buying Selling Rp Rp Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 7,725.00 7,875.00 7,725.00 7,925.00 Austrian schilling 1 612.90 682.90 - - Australian dollar 1 4,581.00 4,841.00 4,585.00 4,885.00 Belgian franc 1 205.

Being modern without being westernized By Daniel Lindgren and Rob Goodfellow------------------------------------------------------------------The following is an excerpt of a paper presented at a seminar at the Faculty of Economics of the Islamic University of Indonesia, the International Program,...