Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 14 February 1998

61 articles found

Mohamad Sadli, BIS warn of great risks of CBS

Mohamad Sadli, BIS warn of great risks of CBS JAKARTA (JP): Former minister Mohamad Sadli warned the Indonesian government yesterday against adopting a currency board system (CBS) without IMF endorsement and support.

Taiwan firms form fund for SE Asia investment

Taiwan firms form fund for SE Asia investment TAIPEI (Reuters): Taiwan's Chinatrust Commercial Bank and up to seven other Taiwan firms are forming a fund to invest in stocks in Southeast Asia, chiefly Malaysia, Chinatrust chairman Jeffrey Koo said yesterday.

Edy promoted to major general

Edy promoted to major general JAKARTA (JP): Edy Waluyo, the City Council Speaker, will be promoted to major general, an employee of the council said yesterday. An official announcement is expected from the Ministry of Security and Defense on Monday.

Islam strives for peace: Farrakhan

Islam strives for peace: Farrakhan JAKARTA (JP): Visiting American Nation in Islam leader Louis Farrakhan said yesterday the Western world's fear of Islam stemmed from a smear campaign by anti-Islamic bodies, including industrialized countries' intelligence services and their mass media.

Kijang production cut

Kijang production cut JAKARTA: Astra will sharply cut Toyota production in Indonesia due to the worsening economic crisis, company officials said. The firm's plant in Jakarta will halve monthly production of its popular Kijang commercial vehicle to 3000-4000, and may reduce output further if demand...

Prabowo sad to leave Kopassus for new post

Prabowo sad to leave Kopassus for new post JAKARTA (JP): Commandant of the Army's special force (Kopassus), Maj. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, said he was sad he had to leave the elite force to assume his new post as commander of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad).

Dancer twirls crockery in homage to mother

Dancer twirls crockery in homage to motherBy Sirikit Syah SURABAYA (JP): Parmin Ras broke dozens of plates during the painstaking creative process for refining his dance number, The Empty Plates.It was not a pleasant experience, especially when the family income depended on how many bowls of...

Psychiatrists busy as many Jakartans seek help

Psychiatrists busy as many Jakartans seek help JAKARTA (JP): Ongoing economic difficulties have brought Jakartans, rich and poor alike, flocking to the psychiatrist's couch, according to experts.Renowned psychologist Sartono Mukadis, psychiatrist Dwijo Saputro and doctor Amir Hussein Anwar told The...

Salim and Telkom head lists of largest taxpayers

Salim and Telkom head lists of largest taxpayers JAKARTA (JP): Tycoon Soedono Salim of the widely diversified Salim Group and PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia have topped the lists of largest individual and corporate taxpayers respectively for 1996.

Conversion Rates

Conversion Rates Jakarta (JP): Bank Ekspor Impor Indonesia's (Bank Exim) indicative conversion rates on Feb. 13, 1998: Buying Selling Rp Rp U.S dollar 1 7,000.00 10,000.00Austrian shilling 1 512.20 798.20Australian dollar 1 4,562.80 6,654.20Belgian franc 1 180.80 262.30Canadian dollar 1 4,718.

Movies for sweethearts this Valentine's Day

Movies for sweethearts this Valentine's Day JAKARTA (JP): Plans to spend Valentine's with your significant other today? A candlelit dinner at a star-rated hotel restaurant or dancing the night away to romantic music may tickle your fancy.

Singapore PM visits Malaysia

Singapore PM visits Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong will meet his Malaysian counterpart next week for the third time in a month to discuss Asia's financial crisis, the foreign ministry said yesterday.

Jusuf Wanandi meets authorities' summons

Jusuf Wanandi meets authorities' summons JAKARTA (JP): Jusuf Wanandi was questioned for almost five hours by the city branch of the Agency for the Coordinating of Support for National Stability (Bakorstanasda Jaya) yesterday, in connection with an explosion in a cheap apartment in Tanah Tinggi last...

Sudjana defends PT Artha Daya

Sudjana defends PT Artha Daya JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana has defended the designation of PT Artha Daya Coalindo to handle the sale of coal received by the government from private coal mining contractors.

Govt to reduce medicine prices to affordable levels

Govt to reduce medicine prices to affordable levels JAKARTA (JP): The government moved yesterday to alleviate public outcry over the soaring prices of generic drugs, promising to gradually reduce them to an affordable rate.

International call rates to rise due to rupiah's fall

International call rates to rise due to rupiah's fall JAKARTA (JP): International telephone calls will soon be 25 percent more expensive when the government adjusts the rates to a new lower rupiah exchange rate against the dollar.

Three teenagers detained for attempted robbery

Three teenagers detained for attempted robbery JAKARTA (JP): Three teenagers were arrested for attempting to rob taxi drivers in two separate incidents in Central and South Jakarta, a police officer said yesterday.City police spokesman Lt. Col. E.

TV today

TV todayTVRI 2:00 p.m. News: Berita 14 2:30 My Country 2:35 TV Series: The Crystal Maze 3:10 Sundanese Traditional Perfomances 3:35 Tour and Travel: Wisata Nasional 4:00 Regional News 4:30 Sports 5:30 TV Series: Full House 6:00 News: Lintasan Berita 6:05 Nusantara, The Beloved Country 6:15 Village...

Students concern prices of paper

Students concern prices of paperFrom KompasThe government has recently organized cheap markets for the nine basic commodities in order to help alleviate the burden on people in the lower income brackets.

Japan outplays RI in Davis Cup

Japan outplays RI in Davis Cup SAPPORO, Japan (AP): Japan beat Indonesia in both singles tennis matches yesterday for a 2-0 record in their three-day duel in the first round of Group One in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone.

Mercedes-Benz prices set to rise as production restarts

Mercedes-Benz prices set to rise as production restartsBy John Aglionby There's good news and there's bad news this week, as far as anyone wanting to buy a Mercedes-Benz as a generous Valentine's Day present is concerned.

Rp 12b of projects to be officiated

Rp 12b of projects to be officiated MAUMERE, East Nusa Tenggara: President Soeharto is due to inaugurate three government projects worth over Rp 12 billion ($1.5 million) in the near future, an official said yesterday.

Harmoko says he won't refuse VP nomination

Harmoko says he won't refuse VP nomination JAKARTA (JP): Golkar vice presidential candidate Harmoko asserted yesterday his intention to remain in the race until Golkar's chief patron, President Soeharto, decided otherwise.

Public advised not to told mass meetings during MPR session

Public advised not to told mass meetings during MPR session JAKARTA (JP): The police are advising people not to hold meetings, conferences, gatherings or parties involving a large number of people from Feb.

BIS urges early deals between creditors, lenders

BIS urges early deals between creditors, lenders BALI (AFP): A top official of the Swiss-based Bank for International Settlements (BIS) called here yesterday for an early and voluntary agreement among creditors and debtors to resolve Asia's mounting debt problems.

U.S. human rights report misses the mark

U.S. human rights report misses the markBy Dino Patti Djalal JAKARTA (JP): The annual human rights report published recently by the U.S. Department of State has, as usual, drawn a sharp response from many of the 194 foreign governments reviewed in the text.

President confident of CBS therapy

President confident of CBS therapy JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto expressed confidence yesterday that a currency board system (CBS) would be Indonesia's best and least-risky option to stabilize the rupiah exchange rate, an American economist said.

Three Fretilin rebels found dead

Three Fretilin rebels found dead DILI (JP): The military said yesterday three Fretilin separatist rebels were found dead in a river in Viqueque, about 300 kilometers east of here.East Timor military chief Col.

30 city schools prone to flooding: Councilor

30 city schools prone to flooding: Councilor JAKARTA (JP): At least 30 schools in the city are prone to flooding, a city councilor said yesterday.City councilor Soeparmo, head of Commission E for welfare affairs, told The Jakarta Post that over the last few years most of these schools had been...

Police seal three warehouses full of foodstuffs

Police seal three warehouses full of foodstuffs TANGERANG (JP): Tangerang police and military district personnel have sealed three warehouses here suspected to be housing stockpiles of basic commodities withheld from the market.

Firm to extract gas from garbage

Firm to extract gas from garbage JAKARTA (JP): A private firm has submitted a proposal to municipal authorities which, if approved, could see gas being extracted at the 108-hectare Bantargebang rubbish dump in Bekasi, 40 kilometers west of Jakarta.

ASEAN electronic commerce

ASEAN electronic commerce KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad called yesterday for the establishment of an ASEAN framework on electronic commerce amid the dawn of the digital marketplace.

UPS eyes Indonesian deal

UPS eyes Indonesian deal HONG KONG (Reuters): United Parcel Service (UPS) expects to finalize its joint venture with Indonesia's PT Cardig Citra and the Salim group at the end of this month, UPS vice president for Asia Pacific Charles Adams said.

Winter Olympics out in the cold

Winter Olympics out in the cold As far as I know, Indonesia is not participating in the ongoing Winter Olympics in Japan, but I still feel it is a great pity local TV stations are completely ignoring this important event, which people around the world are following with enthusiasm.

Trading course for newly unemployed

Trading course for newly unemployed JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta mayoralty has been selected for a pilot project designed to return people recently made redundant to work, Mayor Andi Subur Abdullah said yesterday.

RI corporate debtors set up contact committee

RI corporate debtors set up contact committee JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's private corporate debtors established a contact committee yesterday to move forward on negotiations with their foreign creditors.The chairman of the Corporate Foreign Debt Settlement Team, Radius Prawiro, said yesterday the...

Overseas trip prohibited

Overseas trip prohibited MEDAN, North Sumatra: Governor Raja Inal Siregar has prohibited regents and mayors from traveling overseas until after the upcoming meetings of People's Consultative Assembly in Jakarta scheduled for March 1 to March 11.

Precocious child in book of record

Precocious child in book of record JAKARTA (JP): She is only four-year-old, but she writes Roman numerals up to 2,000, calculates the cotangent, cosine and sine of a triangle and the roots of numbers of up to 225,000.

Activists oppose police phone tapping plan

Activists oppose police phone tapping plan JAKARTA (JP): A police plan to access cellular phones and stop political calls were met with strong criticism yesterday from a human right campaigner and a legal activist.

Stock Exchange

Stock ExchangeStock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Feb. 13, 1998: Shares Close Change Trading Volume -------------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 700 0 0 AHAP Insurance 350 0 0 Alter Abadi 575 0 0 Alumindo Light Metal 350 -25 63,500 Alumindo...

Snake smuggling attempt foiled

Snake smuggling attempt foiled SURABAYA: Customs and excise officials here foiled a company's attempt to smuggle 1,500 protected snakes out to China on Thursday, a press report said yesterday.The snakes, which were to be smuggled by PT Pilar Rekayasa Muda to Chinese restaurants in Guangzhou...

Deadline for bank capital requirement rescheduled

Deadline for bank capital requirement rescheduled JAKARTA (JP): Bank Indonesia (BI) has agreed to postpone introducing a requirement that commercial banks hold a minimum capital of Rp 2 trillion for one year, until the end of 2000, following a request from the Private National Banking Association...

Malaysia against fixed rate

Malaysia against fixed rate SHAH ALAM, Malaysia (AFP): Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim said yesterday that Malaysia would not consider adopting a currency board system such as that being planned by Indonesia.

New Deans

New Deans Former minister of mines and energy M. Sadli (left), new dean of the University of Indonesia's School of Economics Anwar Nasution (right) and new dean of the School of Social and Political Sciences Kamanto Sunarto.

RI currency board plan drives Asian currencies

RI currency board plan drives Asian currencies SINGAPORE (Reuters): Asian currencies recovered some lost ground late yesterday as traders hedged their bets on signs Indonesia would go ahead with a currency board system to stabilize its rupiah despite mounting criticism of the plan.

Quake jolts Bandarlampung

Quake jolts Bandarlampung BANDARLAMPUNG, Lampung: Thousands of people here rushed out of their homes in panic late Wednesday night as a strong quake jolted the municipality for a few seconds.Some residents in Way Halim and Karunia Indah housing complexes told Antara shortly after the quake that...

W. Sumatra to host 2nd leg Gudang Garam motocross

W. Sumatra to host 2nd leg Gudang Garam motocross JAKARTA (JP): The province of West Sumatra has been chosen to host the second leg of the Gudang Garam international motocross championships, from March 11 to March 12.West Sumatra capital Bukittinggi will probably be the venue for the event.

The currency board system

The currency board system President Soeharto's fast, bold move on a fixed exchange rate system under currency board arrangements, to arrest the wild volatility and downward spiral of the rupiah, is founded strongly on both economic and political rationale.

Economists oppose RI currency board

Economists oppose RI currency board MANILA (AP): Southeast Asian economists believe Indonesian plans for a currency board and Malaysian proposals for the use of local currencies in trade will further aggravate the region's financial crisis, an official said yesterday.

ADB to lend Thailand $1b

ADB to lend Thailand $1b BANGKOK (Reuters): The Asian Development Bank is finalizing details of a $1 billion, five-year syndicated loan to help Thailand boost its exports by March, Thai finance ministry officials said yesterday.

Friday the 13th spooks Asian stock markets

Friday the 13th spooks Asian stock markets HONG KONG (AFP): Asian markets were hit hard with investors apparently frightened away by ill omens yesterday, the 13th, with sharp falls in Hong Kong and Tokyo sparking profit-taking throughout the region, analysts said.

Thailand to revise old law

Thailand to revise old law BANGKOK (AFP): Thailand is considering abolishing its decades- old anti-Communism law which some politicians say could be used to suppress ordinary citizens, reports said yesterday.

Film description

Film description On Nov. 8, 1997, The Jakarta Post printed a letter written by Branimir Salevic (TV programs) in which attention was drawn to an ongoing deficiency in the Post's daily TV program guide.This deficiency was (and still is) the lack of even basic information about the content of some of...

'Jakarta Post' wins photography awards

'Jakarta Post' wins photography awards JAKARTA (JP): The organizer of badminton's Lipton World Grand Prix final judged two photographs from The Jakarta Post as the winning images from the four-day meet in December last year.

Give Wiranto a chance

Give Wiranto a chance Even before the presidential decree was made public, military observers predicted that Gen. Wiranto would be appointed commander of the Army. A 1968 graduate of the National Military Academy, Gen.

Boeing joints with KL firms

Boeing joints with KL firms SEATTLE (AP): Boeing Co. said Thursday it had joined with three other companies in a joint venture in Malaysia to make composite parts for commercial aircraft.Boeing will join Hexcel Corp.

Perspective on Asian crisis (2)

Perspective on Asian crisis (2) This is the second of two articles based on a paper presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Hans van Mierlo before the Indonesian-Netherlands Association and the Forum Indonesia-Netherlands on Feb. 11, 1998 in Jakarta.

Peg useless without political change

Peg useless without political change Indonesia is gearing up to establish a currency board system aimed at stabilizing the beleaguered rupiah. This would mean pegging the Indonesian rupiah to the United States dollar. Sounds familiar? It should.

More food protests grip W. Java towns, military in control

More food protests grip W. Java towns, military in controlBy M.M.I. Ahyani LOSARI, West Java (JP): More than 1,000 people, desperate in the face of dramatic price hikes, ran riot here yesterday, smashing, burning and looting shops.

Opel defies trend as vehicle sales blaze ahead

Opel defies trend as vehicle sales blaze aheadBy John Aglionby A new rare breed has been discovered in Indonesia, a non- exporting company that is expanding production despite the near- paralyzing effects of the economic crisis.

Probosutedjo in China

Probosutedjo in China BEIJING (AFP): The half brother of Indonesian President Soeharto met yesterday with Chinese Vice Premier Wu Bangguo to discuss the financial crisis which has wracked the Southeast Asian region, the official Xinhua news agency said.