Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 4 February 1998

49 articles found

Sofjan a faithful supporter of Soeharto: Politician

Sofjan a faithful supporter of Soeharto: Politician JAKARTA (JP): Noted 1966 Generation figure Abdul Gafur said yesterday he had no doubts about Sofjan Wanandi's allegiance to President Soeharto.Gafur was commenting in response to mounting rumors that business tycoon Sofjan had fled the country...

Excessive forex trading margin hurting economy

Excessive forex trading margin hurting economy JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's high foreign exchange trading margin has created tough times for Indonesian businesses, bankers and businesspeople have said."The margin here is the highest in the world," former senior Central Bank official I Nyoman Moena...

Stearin stocks accumulate after CPO export ban

Stearin stocks accumulate after CPO export ban JAKARTA (JP): Stearin stocks have been accumulating in the storage tanks of palm oil refining companies since a complete ban on the exports of crude palm oil (CPO) and all its derivatives began January.

Stove explosion kills housewife

Stove explosion kills housewife JAKARTA (JP): A mother of two died yesterday of severe wounds she endured from a stove explosion in her Bekasi residence.Muhaji, one of the victim's neighbors, said the incident happened on Jan.

TV today

TV todayTVRI 2:00 p.m. News: Berita 14 2:30 My Country 2:35 TV Series: Big Brother Jake 3:10 Indonesian Children 3:35 Talk Show: Kotak Pos 4:00 Regional News 4:30 Education Quiz: Cepat Tepat 5:10 Film: Road to Avonlea 6:00 News: Lintasan Berita 6:05 My Beloved Country 6:15 Village Program 6:30 TVRI...

Will women's publications vanish from newsstands?

Will women's publications vanish from newsstands?By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): "It's getting thinner," a woman griped as she flipped through a favorite magazine at a newsstand on Jl. Jend. Sudirman.Right she was.

Religious leaders pledge to support government

Religious leaders pledge to support government JAKARTA (JP): Christian and Moslem leaders have expressed concern over the deepening economic crisis and pledged to support the government's efforts to end it.

Goh urges multirateral guarantee for RI L/Cs

Goh urges multirateral guarantee for RI L/Cs JAKARTA (JP): Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong proposed yesterday the establishment of a multilateral committee to guarantee letters of credit (L/Cs) issued by Indonesian banks to help Indonesia finance badly needed imports.

Conversion Rates

Conversion Rates Jakarta (JP): Bank Ekspor Impor Indonesia's (Bank Exim) indicative conversion rates on Feb. 3, 1998: Buying Selling Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 9,000.00 12,000.00Austrian shilling 1 628.00 923.00Australian dollar 1 5,703.10 7,831.50Belgian franc 1 219.50 306.40Canadian dollar 1 5,723.

Senior U.S. commander worried by RI crisis

Senior U.S. commander worried by RI crisis LONDON (Reuters): The U.S. military commander in the Asia- Pacific region on Monday expressed concern about the crisis in Indonesia and said his forces were doing all they could to help stabilize the country.

Badminton body sends shuttlers out to clubs

Badminton body sends shuttlers out to clubs JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association's athletic development deputy, Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar, said yesterday the association would start its program of sending national players to clubs and provincial branches next week.

Bosses and luxury cars greet homebound maids

Bosses and luxury cars greet homebound maids JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of luxurious cars were spotted near Pulogadung bus terminal in East Jakarta yesterday as the owners waited to pick up their relatives and, just as importantly, their servants.

A change of leadership

A change of leadershipFrom Forum KeadilanI am a 40-year-old Indonesian citizen. For most of my life I have had only one president. Now it seems that I'm dreaming of having a new president, with new vision.

Preparation for security in March

Preparation for security in March JAKARTA (JP): National Police Chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo officiated an on-the-alert ceremony at the Mobile Brigade Headquarters in Kelapa Dua, Bogor, yesterday in preparation for next month's General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly.

Maid forced to eat dog droppings

Maid forced to eat dog droppings SINGAPORE (AFP): A 15-year-old Indonesian maid was twice forced by her employers, including a 13-year-old boy, to eat dog droppings for not cleaning up quickly after the dog, a newspaper reported yesterday.

Stock Exchange

Stock ExchangeStock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Feb. 3, 1998: Shares Close Change Trading Volume --------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 700 200 1,000 AHAP Insurance 350 0 0 Alter Abadi 175 -25 378,000 Alumindo Light Metal 275 0 184,000...

Spotlight

SpotlightPhoto A: TPIJP/bayDOUBLE DELIGHT: Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana (third left) celebrates her 49th birthday and local TV station TPI's 17th anniversary with friends and husband Indra Rukmana (second left).

Foreign workers seriously injured

Foreign workers seriously injured KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Six foreign workers suffered serious burns when a sawdust collection tank exploded at a sawmill factory about 27 kilometers northwest of here, a report said yesterday.

28 killed in road accidents

28 killed in road accidents SEMARANG: Twenty-eight people were killed and 30 others injured in road accidents in Central Java during the fasting month and Idul Fitri holidays.Central Java police chief Maj. Gen.

U.S. security strategy in SE Asia

U.S. security strategy in SE Asia The following is the first of two articles based on a paper delivered by U.S. Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen in Singapore on Jan. 15, 1998 during the officiating of the Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies.

Residents oppose Mt. Cyclops park

Residents oppose Mt. Cyclops park JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (Antara): Residents of Depapre district here have rejected a government plan to turn a 48,000-hectare nature reserve on Mt. Cyclops into a national park."These people draw their water from Mt. Cycloops.

Police urged to keep investigating Yorris

Police urged to keep investigating Yorris JAKARTA (JP): Members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) urged police yesterday to continue their investigation into Yorris Raweyai, an Assembly member, who was apprehended last week for his alleged involvement in gambling.

U.S. dollar exchange rate

U.S. dollar exchange rateFrom Pikiran RakyatIn his Jan. 7 draft state budget statement to the House of Representatives, President Soeharto used an estimated exchange rate of Rp 4,000 to the dollar. Later, following negotiations with Mr.

Sports council to start training for Asiad soon

Sports council to start training for Asiad soon JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council's 13th Asian Games task force decided yesterday to start training sessions for the Asiad in mid February.Task force chairman Muhammad Hindarto said the council and sports organizations had agreed to delay the...

Turmoil 'no laughing matter'

Turmoil 'no laughing matter' JAKARTA (JP): It ain't what jokes you say, it's how you say them.Unfortunately for the country's comedians however they are not even getting the chance to crack many gags in these financially fraught times, according to one of Indonesia's leading funnymen.

Rice stocks enough: Hartarto

Rice stocks enough: Hartarto JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister of Production and Distribution Hartarto strongly dismissed yesterday rumors that the country would soon face rice shortages."We have enough rice stocks for this year and even for coming years.

6,000 lose jobs in Kebumen

6,000 lose jobs in Kebumen SEMARANG: About 2,500 bag and cap home businesses that employ 6,000 workers in Kebumen regency have gone bankrupt because of the deepening economic crisis.The chief of the Association of Kebumen Bag and Cap Entrepreneurs, Nurhamid, said the companies were unable to buy...

Sugar import squeeze seen to affect Asia

Sugar import squeeze seen to affect Asia LONDON (Reuters): Asia's financial crisis has slowed the growth of emerging Far Eastern sugar markets, but the full impact of an uneven import squeeze has still be felt, sugar analysts and traders said.

New interest rate policy will force bank innovation

New interest rate policy will force bank innovation JAKARTA (JP): Bank Indonesia's (BI) latest move to control interest rates will force commercial banks to be more innovative, analysts have said.Jusuf Arbianto Tjondrolukito, a commissioner of Bank Danamon, said yesterday the measure would force...

Tigaraksa to get a grand mosque

Tigaraksa to get a grand mosque JAKARTA (JP): A grand mosque with a capacity of 4,000 is to be built on a 26,757-square-meter plot of land in Tigaraksa, Tangerang at a cost of more than Rp 5.89 billion (US$589,000), an official said yesterday.

Air Lanka privatization

Air Lanka privatization COLOMBO (AFP): Sri Lanka yesterday announced it was entering into talks with the Dubai-based Emirates airline to sell 40 percent of its national carrier, Air Lanka, under a privatization plan.

IMF opposes rate cut

IMF opposes rate cut SEOUL (AFP): A senior official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday rejected South Korea's request that it be allowed to lower interest rates, citing a still unstable foreign exchange market.

Teenager arrested for killing mother

Teenager arrested for killing mother JAKARTA (JP): Police arrested a 17-year-old man in Central Jakarta for allegedly stabbing his mother to death yesterday.City police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said the suspect, identified as Hardiansyah, was believed to have killed his mother after she...

'Ketupat' casing business a moneymaker during Idul Fitri

'Ketupat' casing business a moneymaker during Idul FitriBy Emmy Fitri JAKARTA (JP): For most Jakartans, the Idul Fitri celebration would not be complete without feasting on some ketupat (rice wrapped in young coconut palm leaves).

Private sector debts and offshore deposits

Private sector debts and offshore depositsBy Joe L. Spartz JAKARTA (JP): So far, neither IMF intervention nor the economic reform package announced by the government have been able to stem or to reverse the increasingly catastrophic fall of the rupiah.

Share prices fail to sustain Monday's gains

Share prices fail to sustain Monday's gains JAKARTA (JP): Share prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) failed to sustain their impressive gains yesterday, losing about 3 percent due to profit takings and reports of sporadic riots.

Ricardo predicts significant rise in grocery prices

Ricardo predicts significant rise in grocery prices JAKARTA (JP): The prices of the nine basic commodities, such as rice and cooking oil, are likely to rise by between 10 percent and 15 percent next week, Ricardo Gelael, president of the Goro Batara Sakti wholesale company, said yesterday.

Forest fires may be manmade, says official

Forest fires may be manmade, says official JAKARTA (JP): Satellite images and aerial photos suggest the fresh forest fires in East Kalimantan may have been started intentionally, a government official said yesterday.

Children forced into prostitution

Children forced into prostitution MEDAN, North Sumatra: A notorious pimp on Tanjungbalai Karimun island, Riau, has recruited hundreds of girls aged under 17 into her prostitution den, according to local reports.

Habibie stresses IPTN to continue its operations

Habibie stresses IPTN to continue its operations JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie said yesterday that state-owned aircraft manufacturer PT IPTN was financially healthy enough to continue operating.

IMF-sponsored reforms need not be taken for granted

IMF-sponsored reforms need not be taken for grantedBy Makmur Keliat SURABAYA (JP): The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been established to assist countries facing serious problems in their balance of payments and current accounts but it is a great mistake to conclude that it can do nothing...

Pertamina reduces fuel imports due to low demand

Pertamina reduces fuel imports due to low demand JAKARTA (JP): The state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina has reduced fuel imports in line with a drop in domestic demand during the economic crisis, company spokesman Ramli Djaafar said yesterday.

East Java violence blamed by hoodlums

East Java violence blamed by hoodlums JAKARTA (JP): East Java police said in Surabaya yesterday that the recent disturbances in Tuban and Pasuruan, where shops were attacked and looted, were "purely criminal acts" committed by hoodlums.Police spokesman Lt. Col. Soetrisno T.S.

Pertamina has 'no plan' to jack up lubricant prices

Pertamina has 'no plan' to jack up lubricant prices JAKARTA (JP): The state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina assured the public yesterday that it had no plan to increase lubricant prices and supply was plentiful here and nationwide."The public need not worry.

Two S'pore oil refiners deepen production cuts

Two S'pore oil refiners deepen production cuts SINGAPORE (Reuters): Two Singapore oil refiners have cut production further amid increasing price pressures in Asia, where excess supplies dominate.Industry sources said the refiners are adopting an aggressive stance in an effort to boost profit...

Soeharto won't name VP choice

Soeharto won't name VP choice JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto insisted yesterday he would not announce his preferred running mate for another term in office before factions in the People's Consultative Assembly unveiled their vice presidential candidates.

Taking the street for 'lesehan' dining

Taking the street for 'lesehan' dining Once-fat wallets, crammed with crisp Rp 50,000 bills, a string of credit cards and receipts from previous extravagant dining experiences, have gone on an impromptu diet.

Exit tax hike hits ailing travel agencies

Exit tax hike hits ailing travel agencies JAKARTA (JP): A 300 percent rise in departure taxes to begin tomorrow will pose another crushing blow to the country's battered travel industry as the measure will undoubtedly cause a further plunge in the number of travelers going overseas.

Suspected bomb plotter arrested

Suspected bomb plotter arrested YOGYAKARTA: The local Legal Aid Institute has protested the arrest of a local resident the authorities suspect of involvement in the recent bomb-making plot in Jakarta.Institute chief Budi Hartono said the arrest by Jakarta police officers on Jan.