Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 11 August 1998

58 articles found

Exchange program to be set up

Exchange program to be set up JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to start a program to exchange educational staff, students and academicians.The memorandum of agreement was signed here yesterday by Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono (right) and his Malaysian...

Brawl turns into townwide fracas

Brawl turns into townwide fracas JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: A fight turned into a townwide melee in Nabire yesterday morning, resulting in the destruction of two major markets and the local council building.

Dar es Salaam bomb suspects held

Dar es Salaam bomb suspects held NAIROBI (Reuters): The Tanzanian government said yesterday it had detained some suspects in the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam, as delicate efforts continued to rescue a survivor from the more deadly blast at the U.S. mission in Kenya.

Hotel Ciputra beats 'Post' 3-1

Hotel Ciputra beats 'Post' 3-1 JAKARTA (JP): Hotel Ciputra beat The Jakarta Post 3-1 yesterday in their Group A opening match of the Hotel-Media soccer tournament at ABC Senayan field in Central Jakarta.Ciputra led the match 1-0 at halftime.

Rich and poor alike affected by Malaysian water shortage

Rich and poor alike affected by Malaysian water shortageBy Beth Duff-Brown PUCHONG, Malaysia (AP): For nearly 2,000 people in this low- income housing project, going eight days without water simply confirmed their belief that Malaysian officials had forgotten them.

Brunei heir established

Brunei heir established BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (AP): A wide-eyed 24-year-old with a passion for snooker and Bon Jovi was installed yesterday as heir to one of the world's richest monarchies.Amid Islamic prayers and booming guns, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah passed on a jeweled Malay dagger to his eldest...

S&P expects more sovereign defaults

S&P expects more sovereign defaults LONDON (Reuters): Sovereign credit rating cuts so far this year outnumber rating rises and countries defaulting on debts are expected to increase in the coming decade, a study by rating agency Standard & Poor's said yesterday.

Habibie inaugurates six bridges in Batam

Habibie inaugurates six bridges in Batam JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie yesterday inaugurated a Rp 369.9 billion (US$26.4 million) highway with six bridges connecting Batam island to nearby islands in Riau province, and disclosed plans to build a bridge connecting Java and Sumatra.

KONI may get profit share

KONI may get profit share JAKARTA (JP): Managing director of the Senayan sports complex Yasidi Hambali ruled out yesterday the possibility of handing over management of the venues to the National Sports Council or State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports office, but said they deserved a share of...

Grand peat land project sacrifices local people

Grand peat land project sacrifices local peopleBy Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): Gone are the years when Sumiadi earned enough money from his rattan field and fish ponds to send his children to good schools outside his village in Sungai Jaya, Central Kalimantan.

Jakartans warned to be ready for huge flooding

Jakartans warned to be ready for huge flooding JAKARTA (JP): The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) warned Jakartans yesterday to prepare themselves against the possibility of massive flooding due to the impact of the La Nina weather phenomenon.

IMF to disburse another $1 billion this month

IMF to disburse another $1 billion this month JAKARTA (JP): The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will disburse the next $1 billion loan payment to Indonesia at the end of this month, Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita said yesterday.

Jakarta market plunges over bearish sentiment

Jakarta market plunges over bearish sentiment JAKARTA (JP): Rupiah started the week weaker yesterday in line with the falling yen and the bearish domestic sentiment, and the local bourse followed suit.Currency dealers said the trading volume of the rupiah-dollar was thin, which they attributed to...

Utut moves to third place in MK Cafe Cup

Utut moves to third place in MK Cafe Cup JAKARTA (JP): Grand Master (GM) Utut Adianto of Indonesia jumped to third place in the provisional standings at the MK Cafe Cup chess tournament in Koszalin, Poland, following two straight victories over the weekend.

Talk show halted in midbroadcast

Talk show halted in midbroadcast JAKARTA (JP): A political talk show on private TV station Indosiar abruptly went off the air in midbroadcast last night, with the station later blaming the interruption on "technical" problems.

Lampung villagers go to rights body

Lampung villagers go to rights body JAKARTA: A delegation representing some 1,000 villagers from Bakung Udik, Tulangbawang regency in Lampung submitted a complaint to the National Commission on Human Rights here yesterday over what they claim was the unjust appropriation of their land in 1992.

Rainfall in many areas above normal

Rainfall in many areas above normal JAKARTA (JP): Rain in Jakarta, the northern areas of West Java, Yogyakarta and large parts of East Java, Sumatra, Central and South Kalimantan and Sulawesi will continue to fall in above normal frequencies for the remainder of the month, the Meteorology and...

DKP points finger at Prabowo

DKP points finger at Prabowo JAKARTA (JP): The abduction of political activists were not ordered by the Armed Forces' (ABRI) top brass, but were carried out because of then Army Special Force (Kopassus) chief Lt. Gen.

Bans on PRD, critical book lifted, court rules

Bans on PRD, critical book lifted, court rules JAKARTA (JP): A court has lifted the ban on the Democratic People's Party (PRD) which was blamed for the July 1996 riots and the Attorney General's Office has overturned the ban on a book written by labor leader Muchtar Pakpahan.

IPTN needs more than five years to turn around

IPTN needs more than five years to turn around JAKARTA (JP): It will take more than five years to turn around ailing state-owned aircraft maker PT Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara (IPTN), a government official said yesterday.

Where to go in Bandung:

Where to go in Bandung:Exhibition * Arts Exhibition by Tanto and Kipli, at Galeripadi, Jl. Ir. H. Juanda 329 (Phone: 022 2500578), until Aug. 23.Performances * Poetry Reading, An evening with Indonesian and German Poetry, by Hamid Jabbar and Berthold Damshuser, the 'musique automatique' of...

Eating out? Wait a minute, it's crisis time

Eating out? Wait a minute, it's crisis timeBy Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): The clock strikes 12 noon. Time for lunch. Hundreds of workers, housewives and their children flock to family restaurants in the city's malls or to more sophisticated cafes in the basements of office buildings and hotels.

Stock Exchange

Stock ExchangeStock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Aug. 10, 1998: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ------------------------------------------------------------ Ades Alfindo 325 0 10,000 AHAP Insurance 400 100 3,500 Alter Abadi 400 -25 5,000 Alumindo Light Metal 375 0 0...

Manila raises interest rate

Manila raises interest rate MANILA (AP): The Philippine Central Bank announced yesterday it will raise its key overnight borrowing rate to 15 percent from 13 percent in an effort to slow the peso's rapid depreciation.

Not all parties will contest general election: Expert

Not all parties will contest general election: Expert JAKARTA (JP): The newly found greater political freedom allows anyone to establish a political party but the political laws being drafted will apply tight screening procedures so that not all of the parties will be able to contest the general...

Marketing office torched in clash

Marketing office torched in clash DEPOK (JP): A marketing office building in the Telaga Golf Sawangan housing complex here was torched Friday night when hundreds of nearby residents clashed with the complex's security guards, a police officer said Saturday.Depok Police Chief Lt. Col.

Drugstore owner busted for selling marijuana

Drugstore owner busted for selling marijuana JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested a man who used his traditional medicine shop on Jl. Sahardjo in Tebet, South Jakarta, as a front for drug dealing, an officer said yesterday.The head of the city police Narcotics Detective Unit Lt. Col.

On Irian Jaya issue

On Irian Jaya issue The Page 2 article titled Churches back calls for Irian Jaya Independence published on Aug. 3 clearly shows that churches support the movement for Irian Jaya's independence. To clarify the matter, I feel the need to convey the following:Recently there has been political...

JSX asked to refrain from delisting firms

JSX asked to refrain from delisting firms JAKARTA (JP): The Capital Market Supervisory Agency (Bapepam) has asked the local stock exchanges to be more tolerant of poorly performing companies.Bapepam chairman Jusuf Anwar said that stock exchange operators should not delist ailing companies even...

Hotel workers act as foster parents

Hotel workers act as foster parents JAKARTA (JP): Fifty employees of Hotel Ciputra have agreed to act as foster parents to 69 orphanage children and finance the cost of their education, an executive of the hotel said Saturday.

City to receive bigger profits

City to receive bigger profits JAKARTA (JP): Consolidated profits to be received by the city administration from PT Pembangunan Jaya, a city firm jointly run with business tycoon Ciputra, are projected to increase by 10 percent this year, an executive said.The firm's acting president, H.

Govt should eliminate nontariff barriers: Ginsi

Govt should eliminate nontariff barriers: Ginsi JAKARTA (JP): Importers urged the government yesterday to abolish immediately nontariff barriers on imports of chemical and plastic products to cut the soaring production costs of local industries.

Canada takes RI place in Thai IMF bailout

Canada takes RI place in Thai IMF bailout BANGKOK (Dow Jones): Canada formally took Indonesia's place yesterday as a lender in a US$17.2 billion credit line arranged for Thailand by the International Monetary Fund.

Police provide contrary stories on shooting

Police provide contrary stories on shooting JAKARTA (JP): The police have given conflicting accounts of how a plaincloth officer shot dead two alleged street robbers at point-blank range on Jl. KH. Moch. Mansyur in Tambora yesterday morning.

Adi Sasono defends 'populist policies'

Adi Sasono defends 'populist policies' JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises Adi Sasono parried yesterday the barrage of criticism leveled at the government's populist economic policy line, arguing it was the only way to feed the country's growing number of poor.

AMINEF responds

AMINEF responds In reply to Ms. Nurhaya's letter (July 30) about the procedures for applying for 1999/2000 Fulbright scholarships, I would like to clarify how Indonesians wishing to apply for the highly competitive Fulbright scholarships can proceed.Ms.

Commision to probe rights violations in Aceh

Commision to probe rights violations in Aceh JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights is to send a second fact-finding team to Aceh to investigate alleged human rights violations in the westernmost province.

Rates for Tax Payment

Rates for Tax Payment JAKARTA (JP): The new official conversion rates as the basis for payment of import duty, value-added tax on goods and services, sales tax on luxury goods, export tax and income tax, valid from Aug. 10 to Aug. 16: U.S. dollar 1 Rp 12,750.00Austrian shilling 1 1,021.

Rescuing the economy

Rescuing the economy Some may see it as too early and therefore unfair to judge the performance of President B.J. Habibie's 80-day old government, which came to power by political default and inherited an economy already on the brink of collapse.

Neighborhood security system

Neighborhood security system JAKARTA (JP): City police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman yesterday kicked off a neighborhood security system in Glodok, West Jakarta, with the aim of fighting crime."Such a system constitutes a real attempt by the public to prevent crime," Noegroho said at a...

Digitcom to serve Indonesia

Digitcom to serve Indonesia SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Dow Jones): Digitcom Corp. plans to install its Internet Protocol telephony network in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and Australia.In a press release Friday, the company said testing will begin this month.

Patra Jasa takes huge losses from forced sales

Patra Jasa takes huge losses from forced sales JAKARTA (JP): PT Patra Jasa, a subsidiary of state oil and gas company Pertamina, said yesterday it had been forced to sell luxury houses to government officials at discounted prices over the past five years, creating a loss totaling Rp 45.

Forestry research grant approved

Forestry research grant approved YOGYAKARTA: The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) signed an agreement yesterday to present a US$600,000 research grant to Gadjah Mada University and the Forestry and Plantation Department of Ministry of Forestry.

Japanese teacher aids needy Tangerang children

Japanese teacher aids needy Tangerang children JAKARTA (JP): A Japanese teacher presented cash donations and school supplies which she collected in her small prefecture in Fukuoka province to children of state schools in Tangerang yesterday.

Confidence in govt low: Survey

Confidence in govt low: Survey JAKARTA (JP): Confidence in the current government, including in its economic and political efforts to bring the country out of its dire economic crisis, has not been restored, a survey says.

Competition policy a must for RI to be competitive

Competition policy a must for RI to be competitiveBy Bob Widyahartono President B.J. Habibie has initiated the establishment of an Agency for the Empowerment of Indonesian Competitiveness. Such an agency sounds attractive but a thorough analysis of the competitive power of companies' strategic...

INRO considers rubber market intervention

INRO considers rubber market intervention SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): The International Natural Rubber Organization has inquired about buying rubber from dealers, exporters and producers in Asia, after the rubber group's five- day Daily Market Indicator Price breached the "may buy" intervention level,...

SE Asian currencies slide in thin trading

SE Asian currencies slide in thin trading SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): The seemingly unstoppable slide of the yen dragged most Southeast Asian currencies lower yesterday.Even with transaction volumes greatly diminished by the closure of trading rooms in Singapore for a public holiday marking Sunday's...

Habibie vows not to repeat mistakes of his predecessor

Habibie vows not to repeat mistakes of his predecessor JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie promised yesterday not to repeat the mistakes of his predecessor Soeharto who prioritized economic growth at the expense of wealth distribution.

Doomsday near?

Doomsday near? What can be done and who can ease the pain of the victims of the recent riots?I believe that the local government should bear responsibility for the losses suffered by the local residents (Indonesians of Chinese descent as well as Chinese residents) because the government is...

Conversion Rates

Conversion Rates JAKARTA (JP): Bank Ekspor Impor Indonesia's (Bank Exim) indicative conversion rates on Aug. 10, 1998: Buying Selling Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 12,800 13,500Austrian shilling 1 969 1,099Australian dollar 1 7,499 7,948Belgian franc 1 343 361Canadian dollar 1 8,268 8,706Swiss franc 1 8,411...

Indonesian economy not ruined (2)

Indonesian economy not ruined (2)By C.J. de Koning This is the second of two articles on the Indonesian currency. JAKARTA (JP): Managing risks of foreign currency lending to Indonesia in general requires across-the-board transparency.

Experts urge legislators to revoke MPRS decree

Experts urge legislators to revoke MPRS decree JAKARTA (JP): Legal experts urged legislators yesterday to revoke the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) Decree No. XX/1966, thereby paving the way for constitutional amendments.

City told to simplify joint venture running

City told to simplify joint venture running JAKARTA (JP): A city councilor underlined yesterday the necessity to simplify management of the city's joint ventures with private companies in the campaign to whip them into better financial shape.

TV today

TV todayTVRI 2:00 p.m. News: Berita 14 2:35 Children's Film: The Big Valley 3:05 Children's Program: Tunas 3:30 Village Program 4:00 Regional News 4:30 Music: Lagu Pop Daerah 5:00 English Lessons 5:30 Documentary: Upacara Adat Panjang Jimat 6:00 News: Lintasan Berita 6:05 Documentary: Rona...

The PDI in an era of change

The PDI in an era of change The Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) led by Megawati Soekarnoputri completed its national conference smoothly and without a hint of trouble over the weekend. This signals quite a considerable progress for Megawati's PDI in terms of its relationship with the government.

Dialog must be maintained

Dialog must be maintained Although there is a long way to go before all the wrongs imposed on the Indonesian people can be addressed, the political reforms begun by the government of President B.J. Habibie offer hope of a national healing process.

Asia palm oil prices mixed, RI supply up

Asia palm oil prices mixed, RI supply up KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Palm oil markets in Asia are likely to be mixed this week with Indonesian prices expected to soften because of anticipation that the Bulog commodity regulator would release its stocks into the market to boost supply.