Archive: 9 March 1998
50 articles found
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
IMF package 'not in line' with the constitution
IMF package 'not in line' with the constitution JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto said yesterday he had to tread cautiously in implementing the International Monetary Fund's sweeping economic reforms because they were not in line with the country's 1945 Constitution. The President was quoted by a political party leader as saying that the IMF's bailout program, which Soeharto himself signed on Jan. 15, was based on liberal economic principles which were not in tune with the constitution.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Students keep up demands for reforms and lower prices
Students keep up demands for reforms and lower prices JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of students from at least nine universities throughout Java staged on-campus demonstrations Saturday, continuing their calls for immediate government reforms and lower prices for basic goods. The demonstrations, some of which continued until yesterday, ended a week-long series of protests staged by students in more than 20 universities across Indonesia.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Members ponder Doel's love life
Members ponder Doel's love life JAKARTA (JP): Everybody knows who will be Indonesia's next president and vice president, so Assembly members have another question on their minds: Will Doel choose Sarah or Zaenab? Golkar faction member Rano Karno happens to be the star of the famous television series Si Doel Anak Sekolahan (Doel Goes to School).
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
30% of Jakarta housing developers go bankrupt
30% of Jakarta housing developers go bankrupt JAKARTA (JP): Some 30 percent of Jakarta's 900 developers are currently bankrupt due to the monetary crisis, an official said Saturday. Yan Mogi, head of the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Real Estate Association (REI) told The Jakarta Post that the bankrupt developers had stopped operating over the past four months. There are some 2,400 developers throughout the country.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Thai PM to meet Soros
Thai PM to meet Soros BANGKOK (Reuters): Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai is expected to meet international financier George Soros during a visit to the United States, a local newspaper reported on Saturday. The Nation newspaper said Chuan was due to meet Soros to exchange views on the Asian economic crisis and to talk about investment opportunities in Thailand.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Unsold imported corn to be exported
Unsold imported corn to be exported By Sylvia Gratia M. Nirang JAKARTA (JP): Feedmeal producers are reselling their stocks of imported corn overseas due to sluggish demand here as bankruptcies batter the country's poultry farmers. Ismail, the manager of the trading department of major feedmeal producer JAPFA Comfeed, said yesterday that exports were expected to continue throughout the year as feedmeal producers tried to get rid of their unsold stock. "Feedmillers are not looking for the profits.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Discount spare parts offered
Discount spare parts offered JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Military Command in cooperation with the Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries (Gaikindo) held yesterday a market operation selling spare parts for 30 percent less to owners of public transportation vehicles. The two-day market operation at the Pulomas field in East Jakarta also provided a free service for 900 minivans, which come under the auspices of the city chapter of the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda).
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
IMF-plus
IMF-plus First, let me convey my gratitude and appreciation to your two series of analyses on the current Indonesia economic crisis. Your analyses -- using language so that the common business community could understand what's going on -- and suggested solutions to counter the deteriorating crisis were really helpful.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
IMF aid delay 'will further worsen confidence' in RI
IMF aid delay 'will further worsen confidence' in RI JAKARTA (JP): The delay in the disbursement of the International Monetary Fund's US$3 billion second tranche of bailout funds to Indonesia will further worsen confidence in the country's economy, analysts have said. "We're crushed," said Faisal Basri, a noted economist at the University of Indonesia.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Soeharto accepts his renomination
Soeharto accepts his renomination JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto called on the nation yesterday to stand behind the economic recovery programs now underway, in exchange for his acceptance to be renominated to his seventh consecutive term in office. Soeharto told chief of the Golkar faction in the People's Consultative Assembly Ginandjar Kartasasmita that full support from the public and all sociopolitical organizations was all that he needed to lead the country out of the economic doldrums.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Surya sells Denso shares
Surya sells Denso shares JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed property developer PT Surya Semesta Internusa announced Friday that it planned to sell half of its shares in PT Denso Corporation Indonesia, an automotive spare parts manufacturer. The company said Japan's Denso Corporation, Toyota Automatic Loom Ltd. and Toyota Tsusho Corporation have principally agreed to buy its Denso Indonesia shares. The company expects the plan to be approved by its shareholders in an April meeting.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
E. Timor and food shortage
E. Timor and food shortage Dino Patti Djalal had the kernel of an excellent story in his piece about East Timor False alarm over alleged starvation in Atauro published March 6, 1998. Unfortunately, his own prejudices appeared to have got in the way of his powers of observation and deduction. Indeed, the east of Indonesia, including East and West Timor, is in the grip of an extremely severe drought brought on by a protracted El Nino effect.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Speedy treatment needed
Speedy treatment needed As far as we are able to conclude from the statements made by the special foreign envoys who have met recently with President Soeharto, there is nothing wrong in relations between Indonesia and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Still, the frequency of the visits by the envoys to discuss the question of compliance leads us to surmise that something has indeed gone wrong. Sound reasoning tells us it is always possible for problems to emerge, for whatever reason.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Jan Pronk provokes controversy over Indonesia in Europe
Jan Pronk provokes controversy over Indonesia in Europe By Aboeprijadi Santoso THE HAGUE (JP): As the economic crisis in Asia continues to provoke discussion in Europe, a controversy has arisen in the Netherlands over the provision of credit for Indonesia. The Dutch minister of development co-operation Jan Pronk said that the billions of U.S.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Where to go in Jakarta:
Where to go in Jakarta: Exhibitions * Sculpture Exhibition: Jakarta Sculpture Triennial by 32 Artists from Yogyakarta, Bandung and Jakarta, at 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Galeri Cipta II, Jl. Cikini Raya No. 73, until March 10. * Art Exhibition: The Winning Entries of The ASEAN Essay, Photo, and Poster Competitions at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (except Saturday and Sunday), the ASEAN Secretariat, Jl. Sisingamangaraja 70A, Central Jakarta, until April 30.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Lessons for coping with economic troubles
Lessons for coping with economic troubles Demokratisasi Ekonomi dan Pertumbuhan Politik (Economic Democratization and Political Growth); By Prof. Dr. Loekman Soetrisno; Kanisius, Yogyakarta, 1997; 308 pp; Rp 20,000 YOGYAKARTA (JP): History apparently always repeats itself. The nation's economic crisis is not the first of its kind; there have been two others in the postcolonial era. The first occurred in the 1950s and lasted until 1965.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Crisis to slow coffee demand
Crisis to slow coffee demand LONDON (Reuters): Slower coffee demand in Indonesia and the rest of Asia following the financial crisis could raise robusta coffee availability by one million bags this year, the Association of Coffee Producing Countries (ACPC) said. Indonesia is one of the world's largest robusta coffee producers.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
IMF measures blamed for deflationary push
IMF measures blamed for deflationary push NEW YORK (AP): IMF-prescribed austerity measures in Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea have caused deflationary conditions and Asia must rely on exports to overcome its financial problems, Thailand's deputy prime minister said Friday. "The IMF measures have not always shown the right result," Supachai Panitchpakdi told a conference on challenges and opportunities of the Southeast Asia crisis hosted by Columbia University Business School.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Talk of reform confuses people, Alwi says
Talk of reform confuses people, Alwi says JAKARTA (JP): Assembly member Alwi Dahlan said the ongoing discourse about political reform confused the public as many speakers did not always know what they were talking about. Antara quoted the Golkar representative and chairman of BP7, the agency for the study of the state ideology Pancasila, as saying Saturday that it would be better if people used the term "improvements" rather than reform.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Goh seeks 'new rules' against destabilizing capital flows
Goh seeks 'new rules' against destabilizing capital flows SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong has called for "new rules" to be established in international currency trading to prevent destabilizing capital flows, but said the market cannot be fully regulated.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Brokers say IMF loan delay likely to hit stock market
Brokers say IMF loan delay likely to hit stock market JAKARTA (JP): Trading activities on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) are likely to remain gloomy this week on news that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will postpone the disbursement of its US$3 billion second tranche loan package for Indonesia, stock analysts and brokers have said.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
From colonialism to globalization
From colonialism to globalization By Franz Magnis-Suseno SJ JAKARTA (JP): Is globalization the continuation of colonialism? Is it the postcolonial form of colonialism? That was the central question of an international conference on Colonialism to Globalization that took place in New Delhi, India, in the first week of February. It was jointly sponsored by the Catholic Indian Social Institute, University of Delhi, Jamia-Milia-Islamia and three other institutions.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Heading off crisis
Heading off crisis As the rupiah jumped up and down yesterday (Friday) amid predictions of a currency board in place by midyear, the human cost of the financial crisis in Indonesia became ever more plain. Police action may have dampened down the food riots of recent weeks, but prices of staple commodities are soaring, with the effects of drought worsening the situation in some provinces.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Bukit Asam fires up to raise coal briquette production
Bukit Asam fires up to raise coal briquette production By Johannes Simbolon JAKARTA (JP): State coal mining company PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam is set to increase its coal briquette output to one million tons in 2000 to anticipate an increase in demand for alternative fuels. Bukit Asam currently puts out 14,500 tons of briquettes at four production facilities, including two in Tanjung Enim, South Sumatra, one in Tarahan, Lampung and another one in Gresik, East Java.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
What's new in the PC World? Open your eyes!
What's new in the PC World? Open your eyes! By Zatni Arbi JAKARTA (JP): The giant chipmaker Intel Corp. has just released a warning that its earnings may be around 10 percent lower than expected. As if to give another clear example of how interrelated we all are in today's global economy, the news rocked the semiconductor industry and sent high-tech companies' stocks down last Thursday.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
KL, Jakarta to discuss influx of immigrants
KL, Jakarta to discuss influx of immigrants KUALA LUMPUR (AP): The Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Commission will discuss a sudden influx of Indonesian illegal immigrants that is alarming Malaysia, Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Broadcasting hours
Broadcasting hours From Kompas In the present situation of the economic crisis, I fully understand if a television station, in this case SCTV, is compelled to reduce its broadcasting hours. However, I would appeal to SCTV to reconsider the changes in broadcasting hours recently introduced. Now, SCTV starts broadcasting at noon. This is not a suitable time for working people. SCTV should take into account their need for up-to-date information.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Golkar stands firm on state leadership issue: Akbar
Golkar stands firm on state leadership issue: Akbar JAKARTA (JP): No amount of external pressure will make Golkar budge from its decision to nominate Soeharto and B.J. Habibie as the next president and vice president, an official of the dominant faction vowed yesterday. Akbar Tanjung said Golkar's stance on state leadership was final.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
World palmoil output up
World palmoil output up KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia, the world's largest producer of palm oil, Saturday said world production of the commodity will record only a marginal increase in 1998 due to drought and haze. "... the prediction is that 1998 will not see a big increase in palm oil production, about 0.2 million tons," said Hishamuddin Tun Hussein, deputy minister of the primary industries ministry.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Books on Habibie a top seller
Books on Habibie a top seller JAKARTA (JP): A vice presidential nomination sells books, as the attendant of Gema Insani Press stall at the General Session venue has found out. "We sell an average of 10 copies of books on Habibie every day, while other titles do not sell as much," Eman Sulaeman told Antara. Eman sells BJ Habibie, Kisah Hidup dan Karyanya (B.J.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
S&P keeps ratings on RI project bonds
S&P keeps ratings on RI project bonds NEW YORK (Dow Jones): Standard & Poor's single-B ratings on the following Indonesian independent power producer (IPP) project bonds and bank loan ratings remain on CreditWatch with negative implications, where they were placed on Dec. 1, 1997: -- Paiton Energy Funding B.V.'s US$180 million senior secured bonds due 2014 (guaranteed by P.T.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Two dead, six injured in Penjaringan fire
Two dead, six injured in Penjaringan fire JAKARTA (JP): Two people died and six others were injured when fire gutted a two-story sock factory and six nearby houses in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, yesterday. One of the fatalities, Rubiyatun, worked at the factory owned by Zetset company on Jl. Bidara Raya, while the other victim has not been identified. Rubiyatun's body was found two hours after the fire was extinguished, First Lt. Sujarno of the Penjaringan Police subprecinct said.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Traditional cures get a boost due to crisis
Traditional cures get a boost due to crisis By A. Ariobimo Nusantara JAKARTA (JP): More people are turning to traditional medicines to cure what ails them as prices of generic and patented drugs soar. Traditional drugs are not only more inexpensive than their modern, chemical cousins, but can be just as effective. It should not just be a temporary measure for the duration of the crisis, but for the long term because the country enjoys a wealth of ingredients for traditional medicines.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Album
Album Photo A: TV JP/bay BOXING ASSEMBLY: Members of the Golkar faction gather in their work room at the House of Representatives building during a lull in proceedings to watch the World Boxing Council superlightweight title fight broadcast live from Mexico. Among those watching yesterday's bout was the chairman of the National Sports Council Gen. (ret) Wismoyo Arismunandar (second right).
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Students and lawmakers
Students and lawmakers The military authorities seem to be exercising a virtue of tolerance toward the thousands of students now staging antigovernment demonstrations at various Indonesian universities. Although they have not allowed the young people to hold street rallies, some thinking Army generals have taken the students' activities -- in which they mostly express their concern over the deteriorating economic crisis -- as an expression of a social responsibility.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Mischievous hack tricks Ginandjar
Mischievous hack tricks Ginandjar JAKARTA (JP): Because much of the proceedings of the General Session and the remarks of Assembly members are predictable, journalists are inventing ways to liven up situations in order to prompt interesting quotes. Antara reported that Golkar faction chief Ginandjar Kartasasmita was apparently taken aback when a reporter asked him whether President Soeharto was surprised because the People's Consultative Assembly was renominating him for another term of office.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Houses inundated in East Jakarta
Houses inundated in East Jakarta JAKARTA (JP): The heavy downpour, which started Saturday and refused to abate until early yesterday morning, inundated hundreds of houses in four subdistricts in East Jakarta. An officer from the East Jakarta Flood Control Agency said yesterday the floods hit Cipinang Muara, Halim, Dukuh and Kramatjati, with water levels reaching between 50 centimeters and 100 cm.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Beggars, buskers flood Yogya
Beggars, buskers flood Yogya YOGYAKARTA: Motorists in this town are complaining about the growing number of beggars and buskers on main intersections, Antara said over the weekend. They claim that beggars and buskers have taken the place of hawkers who used to trade their wares at busy intersections. Their chief complaint is that some of the buskers are intimidating rather than entertaining.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Citi hotels raise workers' wages
Citi hotels raise workers' wages JAKARTA (JP): Several star-rated hotels in the capital have raised employees' salaries by between 5 percent and 15 percent despite lower occupancy levels, an hotel association official said over the weekend. Trisno Tarmoedzi, chairman of the Hotels Human Resources Development Association, told the media Saturday that an association survey found 17 of 22 establishments, bearing from three to five stars, had increased salaries.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Women's business binds Mien, Inten
Women's business binds Mien, Inten JAKARTA (JP): They say being part of a minority group helps one feel closer to fellow members. The same could be said for Mien Sugandhi and Inten Soeweno, the only women ministers in the outgoing cabinet. "She is my younger 'sister', you know," Mien, the outgoing state minister of women's roles, was quoted by Antara as saying.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Indonesian demand bumps up rice prices in Thailand
Indonesian demand bumps up rice prices in Thailand BANGKOK (Reuters): Indonesian demand for Thai grain could drive up Thailand's domestic rice prices, trade sources have said . Indonesia is set to import a record five million tons of rice this calendar year and Thailand will be one of its major suppliers, the sources told Reuters. The chase for much-needed foreign currency, as economic turmoil grips Thailand, would prompt exporters to sell as much rice as possible abroad, they said.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Argentina central bank not advising RI
Argentina central bank not advising RI NEW YORK (Reuters): Argentina's central bank president, Pedro Pou, said his institution has not advised Indonesia about setting up a currency board, but noted that a healthy banking system and strong government were essential preconditions to putting such a system in place.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
No need to 'interrupt' leadership election
No need to 'interrupt' leadership election JAKARTA (JP): Senior Golkar legislator Akbar Tandjung said yesterday that based on the smooth proceedings so far, he saw no reason for anyone to interrupt either the presidential or vice presidential elections. Akbar told reporters that there should be no arguments against the substance of the state leadership nominations as the Golkar faction had made a commitment on its presidential and vice presidential candidates.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Beauties grace Assembly fair
Beauties grace Assembly fair JAKARTA (JP): The stall that produces the Bee Jelly health drink first attracted customers by inviting former badminton champion Verawati Fajrin to attend. On Saturday, the fair -- held on the sidelines of the General Session -- drew even more shoppers because of its special guests: Alya Rohali, Shella and Riries, according to Antara. All were finalists in the 1996 Miss Indonesia competition.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Robbers make off with Rp 5m
Robbers make off with Rp 5m SEMARANG: Five masked robbers made off with Rp 5 million in cash and jewelry from the home of local businessman Tan Djien Khan on busy Jl. Gombel. The robbery took place in the early hours of Friday in spite of frequent police patrols in the area, Antara reported. The robbers, who had fire arms and a sickle, threatened Tan and his children while they ransacked the home.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Six activists arrested in Yogya
Six activists arrested in Yogya YOGYAKARTA: Six student activists of the Yogyakarta branch of the Cipayung Group were arrested by police for leading protests along the city's streets yesterday. The six were being interrogated at Yogyakarta Police Headquarters yesterday evening, Antara reported. No details about the activists were available.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Missing plane found, three dead
Missing plane found, three dead PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: The national search and rescue team (SAR) located yesterday the wreckage of a missing Piper Chieftain PA 31-350 King Air, owned by PT Indonesian Air Transport (IAT), with all three on board dead. The plane, which went missing Friday afternoon while taking aerial photographs of a mining site in Musi Rawas regency, was found in Lubuk Linggau, Antara reported. Lt. Co.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Four killed in chain collision
Four killed in chain collision JAKARTA (JP): Four people were killed in a chain collision, involving a cement mixer, two city buses and two other vehicles, on the elevated Ir. Wiyoto Wiyono toll road in East Jakarta Saturday night. Seventeen others were injured. Three of the fatalities, Sujaya, the cement mixer driver, Saefudin, a codriver of the mixer and Warsito, the driver of one of the two Mayasari Bhakti buses, died instantly.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
USDA facilities for RI
USDA facilities for RI WASHINGTON (Reuters): The U.S. Agriculture Department is looking at a number of commodities -- including wheat, rice, soybeans and cotton -- for a PL480 package for Indonesia, a USDA aide said on Friday. USDA General Sales Manager Chris Goldthwait told Reuters he expected the department to announce the package fairly soon, but declined to be more specific than that.
Mon, 09 Mar 1998, 00:00 WIB
Presidential powers to pack more punch
Presidential powers to pack more punch By Pandaya JAKARTA (JP): The country's highest lawmaking body, the People's Consultative Assembly, is set to beef up the already powerful presidential powers despite fierce opposition from several quarters. The five factions in the 1,000-member Assembly, dominated by President Soeharto's supporters, will formally approve the controversial decree drafted by the government-backed Golkar today.