Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 29 August 1998

56 articles found

Stocks tumble to an historic five-year low

Stocks tumble to an historic five-year low JAKARTA (JP): Local stock prices tumbled to a five-year low yesterday, but the rupiah continued to muster strength to break the 11,000 resistance level against the U.S. dollar.

Rape issue

Rape issue I was very surprised to watch an interview between Col. Gories Mere and a TV reporter on the night of Aug. 11, when he said that there was no evidence so far concerning anyone who had been raped during the May 14 and May 15 riots, although he had contacted certain parties, such as...

Asian stocks dive on fears of global fall

Asian stocks dive on fears of global fall SINGAPORE (AFP): Asia's financial markets, already bruised by a year of regional turmoil, were battered Friday by the ominous prospect of a global recession as Russia's economy teetered on the brink of collapse.

Malaysia appoints acting central bank governor

Malaysia appoints acting central bank governor KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia's finance ministry announced yesterday that associate central bank governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz would become acting governor next Tuesday after the bank's top two officials resigned.

Telkomsel's unpaid bills may total Rp 90 billion this year

Telkomsel's unpaid bills may total Rp 90 billion this year JAKARTA (JP): The amount owed to mobile telephone operator PT Telkomsel by its customers may reach Rp 90 billion (about US$82 million) by the end of this year, the company's president Mulia Tambunan said yesterday.

On Lt. Gen. Prabowo

On Lt. Gen. Prabowo This is in reference to the feature article on Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, my elder brother, which appeared in The Jakarta Post on Aug. 25, 1998, page 5, entitled Lt. Gen. Prabowo's downfall faster than his ascent.

Conversion Rates

Conversion Rates JAKARTA (JP): Bank Ekspor Impor Indonesia's (Bank Exim) indicative conversion rates on Aug. 28, 1998: Buying Selling Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 10,700.00 11,300.00Austrian shilling 1 815.00 916.00Australian dollar 1 5,967.00 6,268.00Belgian franc 1 288.00 301.00Canadian dollar 1 6,752.

Garuda, Merpati to raise airfares by 40 percent

Garuda, Merpati to raise airfares by 40 percent JAKARTA (JP): Passengers traveling on the state-owned Garuda Indonesia and Merpati Nusantara airlines will have to pay Rp 727,000 (US$66) for a ticket from Jakarta to Denpasar in Bali from next Tuesday following the announcement of an average 40...

Indian offerings to beat the 'krismon' blues

Indian offerings to beat the 'krismon' bluesBy John Aglionby JAKARTA (JP): As the krismon (krisis moneter) becomes more and more of a kristal (krisis total), the need to book a table at five-star hotel restaurants has become redundant.

Six killed in two road accidents

Six killed in two road accidents JAKARTA (JP): Six people were killed and four severely injured in two separate accidents on Jl. Letjen S. Parman and at the Kebon Jeruk toll gate in West Jakarta early yesterday morning.

SE Asian currencies down, skepticism marks trading

SE Asian currencies down, skepticism marks trading SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): Southeast Asian currencies are mostly lower against the U.S. dollar in late dealings yesterday amid extremely volatile, jittery trading, said market players.

I'am no copy of Soeharto: Habibie

I'am no copy of Soeharto: Habibie JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie yesterday rebuked suggestions that he was a mere shadow of his predecessor, Soeharto, and asserted that he was not a photocopy of the former president."I am not a photocopy of the previous president...

ASEAN gearing for trade liberalization

ASEAN gearing for trade liberalization MANILA (AFP): Economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will push for an accelerated free trade area in the region when they meet here in October, a Philippine trade official said yesterday.

Will our newfound freedom last?

Will our newfound freedom last?By Ignas Kleden This is the second of two articles on state and democracy. JAKARTA (JP): The limitation of democratic rights during the New Order was justified on the basis of several related reasons.

Garuda may be remerged with Merpati: Tanri

Garuda may be remerged with Merpati: Tanri JAKARTA (JP): The country's flagship carrier Garuda Indonesia may be remerged with its former subsidiary, state-owned airline Merpati Nusantara, in an effort to prevent the latter from going bankrupt, according to a government official.

Blackout hits parts of the city

Blackout hits parts of the city JAKARTA (JP): A breakdown at the main electricity relay station on Jl. Yos Soedarso in North Jakarta caused blackouts in a number of districts yesterday, Budi Harto, an employee of state-owned electricity company PT PLN, said.

Cellular phone industry suffers slump

Cellular phone industry suffers slump JAKARTA (JP): Sales of cellular phones are projected to slump 80 percent this year as consumers slash their spending to cope with rising inflation.The general manager of mobile phone company PT Ericsson Indonesia, Franky Prionggo, said yesterday sales were...

Simplify licensing procedure

Simplify licensing procedureFrom Bisnis IndonesiaWith a view to reducing the increasing rate of unemployment as a result of recent layoffs, the government must take speedy action to expand employment opportunities.

U.S. Army joins talk on armed law

U.S. Army joins talk on armed law JAKARTA (JP): A group of military law experts from the U.S. Army together with their Indonesian counterparts and some unit commanders of the Armed Forces (ABRI) took part in a one-day discussion on the law of armed conflict here Thursday.

Current signs show recovery still years away

Current signs show recovery still years awayBy Santo Koesoebjono This is the second of two articles on necessary efforts to overcome the economic crisis in Indonesia. WASSENAAR, the Netherlands (JP): The crumbling Indonesian economy, occurring in such a short time and with such severity, is a great...

Yayuk set to call it quits after 1999 Australian Open

Yayuk set to call it quits after 1999 Australian Open JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's best tennis player Yayuk Basuki said Thursday she would definitely hang up her racket after the Australian Open in January next year.She said Thursday the time had come for her to call it quits.

Children encouraged to learn art from an early age

Children encouraged to learn art from an early ageBy Yudha Kartohadiprodjo JAKARTA (JP): Sitting on the floor of the Graha Bhakti Budaya hall at the Taman Ismail Marzuki art center, a group of elementary school students began to hit themselves and the floor with their hands.

Filipinos to be deported

Filipinos to be deported AMBON, Maluku: Immigration authorities in Ternate district will soon deport 30 Filipino fishermen arrested in February 1997 for entering Indonesian territorial waters illegally.

Thousands of fishermen run amok in Cilacap

Thousands of fishermen run amok in CilacapBy Agus Maryono CILACAP, Central Java (JP): Thousands of fishermen ran amok yesterday at the Nusantara Fishery Port and nearby areas because of low wages and corruption.

Companies tee off for charity in golf event

Companies tee off for charity in golf event JAKARTA (JP): PT Birotika Semesta/DHL Worldwide Express Indonesia and Planet Hollywood Jakarta will jointly hold a charity golf tournament at Rancamaya Golf and Country Club in Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday.

Victims' families to get donations

Victims' families to get donations TANGERANG (JP): The Tangerang regency plans to donate Rp 250,000 to each of the families of 12 people who died when the overloaded Krisna-1 boat capsized Monday in the Thousand Islands chain in North Jakarta, an official said Thursday"Hopefully, the money can help...

Wiranto must apologize: Activists

Wiranto must apologize: Activists JAKARTA (JP): Acehnese activists demanded here yesterday that Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto apologize for doubting the findings of a National Commission on Human Rights' investigation of military atrocities allegedly committed in Aceh.

T-shirt workers go on strike

T-shirt workers go on strike TANGERANG (JP): Over 1,500 workers of T-shirt manufacturer PT Franc Brother Sejati held a one-day strike Thursday to protest the company's decision to cut their monthly wage Rp 4,000 each for tax purposes.

A new political map in the making

A new political map in the making Provided that the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) can consolidate its masses of supporters, it is not inconceivable that the party will emerge a main contender to dominant political forces such as Golkar and the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Malaysian Moslems protest strikes

Malaysian Moslems protest strikes KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Hundreds of angry Moslem protesters gathered outside the United States Embassy here yesterday to denounce missile attacks against alleged terrorist targets in Afghanistan and Sudan.

Gubernatorial elections spark protests

Gubernatorial elections spark protests JAKARTA (JP): Protests and some violence have erupted in Bali and West Nusa Tenggara recently over the results of the two provinces' gubernatorial elections and over the government's insistence in upholding them.

Maximum rates for Aug. 31/Sept. 6

Maximum rates for Aug. 31/Sept. 6 Time deposit Maximum rate Maximum rate rupiah deposit (%) U.S. dollar deposit (%)---------------------------------------------------------1-month 64 153-month 57 146-month 46 1412-month 45 1424-month 28 18 Maximum overnight rate for rupiah : 65 percentMaximum...

Donation

Donation I recently wrote a letter about the plight of the starving inmates of a mental institution in Jakarta. Thanks to that letter, and a related front page article, there have been offers of help -- both money and food.

Whereabouts of missing persons must be revealed

Whereabouts of missing persons must be revealed JAKARTA (JP): Rights activist Maj. Gen. (ret) Samsuddin strongly urged the Armed Forces (ABRI) yesterday to disclose the fate of the pro-democracy activists still missing now that a former officer had admitted to abducting and releasing nine other...

Film artists body picks new leadership lineup

Film artists body picks new leadership lineup JAKARTA (JP): In its first democratic election in 20 years, the Indonesian Film Artists Union (Parfi) selected Sys N.S. and Dede Yusuf to head the organization until 2002 during its 12th congress held Wednesday and Thursday.

Kadin sets up promotion agency to lure investors

Kadin sets up promotion agency to lure investors JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) established yesterday an investment, tourism and trade promotion agency in a bid to win back the elusive foreign investor confidence that has deserted the crisis-hit country.

Rare birds found in Kutai

Rare birds found in Kutai SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: The East Kalimantan nature conservation office in association with a team of Dutch researchers have found an endangered species of bird in the Kutai hinterland which was not known to be living in the area.

KL denies row is behind pull-out

KL denies row is behind pull-out KUALA LUMPUR (DAP): Malaysia's decision to pull out from a five-nation defense exercise for the rest of this year was due to the current economic crisis, and not to recent tensions with Singapore, a news report said yesterday.

Pos Indonesia on tariffs increase

Pos Indonesia on tariffs increaseFrom KompasIn response to letters sent to this newspaper (Aug. 2) by several users of state-owned postal company PT Pos Indonesia services, we would like first to thank you for your suggestions and input and then to say that the increase in tariffs of postal...

Marzuki endorses guest houses

Marzuki endorses guest houses JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Marzuki Usman is encouraging city residents to enter the guest house business to help promote the country's tourist industry and earn themselves additional income.

Bob Hasan accused of marking up project

Bob Hasan accused of marking up project JAKARTA (JP): Timber tycoon Mohamad "Bob" Hasan will face scrutiny again when the Association of Indonesian Forest Concessionaires (APHI), which he chaired until last March, questions him over a US$176.94 million aerial photography project next week.

Where to go in Jakarta:

Where to go in Jakarta:Exhibitions * Ceramics, Sculptures, Accessories Exhibition: Noon at Majapahit-High Tea, by Harry Darsono Couture, The Dharmawangsa, Jl. Brawijaya Raya 26, South Jakarta (Phone: 7258181), 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., until Sept. 3.

Police outnumbered by huge crowds during riots: Hamami

Police outnumbered by huge crowds during riots: Hamami JAKARTA (JP): Former Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said yesterday that the absence of police officers during the mid-May riots was caused mainly by an imbalance between the small number of police and the huge size of the angry...

30% of banking industry still viable: Banker

30% of banking industry still viable: Banker JAKARTA (JP): Only 30 percent of the country's more than 200 banks have been able to weather the year-long economic crisis without liquidity support from the government, a noted banker said yesterday.James T.

Villagers vent rage over scam in rice sales

Villagers vent rage over scam in rice sales TANGERANG (JP): Hundreds of residents of Kedung Dalam village in Mauk district ran amok yesterday after they learned their village chief had sold 3.5 metric tons of government-subsidized rice to a middleman.

Armed Forces: From state violence to a welfare state

Armed Forces: From state violence to a welfare stateBy J. Sumardianta YOGYAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) is by far the country's dominant political player. Political reform is only possible if ABRI allows it.

Let the team do its job

Let the team do its job For ordinary Indonesians it may be confusing enough, but for those who actually lived through the traumatic experience of being raped during the May riots and the people close to them, it must be a real tragedy that what began as a sincere effort to help them has turned into...

Megawati to fight against govt's recognition of Budi

Megawati to fight against govt's recognition of Budi JAKARTA (JP): Megawati Soekarnoputri, the popular ousted leader of the divided Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), is preparing an information campaign to force President B.J.

Doctors demand protection

Doctors demand protection DILI, East Timor: The East Timor branch of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) has called on the provincial government and security authorities to guarantee the safety of doctors posted across the province.

New daily to hit streets next week

New daily to hit streets next week JAKARTA (JP): Jakartans will get another daily afternoon newspaper on Tuesday when Suara Independen (Independent Voice) begins to regularly hit the streets.The daily's chief editor, Taufik Darusman, said 10,000 copies would initially be printed for distribution.

Indonesian politics still a host of uncertainties

Indonesian politics still a host of uncertaintiesBy Peter Richards This is the second of two articles on possibilities in the development of Indonesian politics up to the general election planned for May 1999.

Former cop faces death penalty for drug trafficking

Former cop faces death penalty for drug trafficking JAKARTA (JP): A former Malawi police officer on trial for trafficking 3.7 kilograms of heroin burst into tears yesterday when a prosecutor asked the court to sentence him to death.

Stock Exchange

Stock ExchangeStock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on August 28, 1998: Shares Close Change Trading Volume --------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 325 0 0 AHAP Insurance 400 0 0 Alter Abadi 250 50 182,500 Alumindo Light Metal 275 0 2,500 Alumindo...

Crisis drives singers to move into cafes

Crisis drives singers to move into cafesBy Helly Minarti JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's crisis has forced the pop industry to find alternative ways of doing things. Instead of touring the archipelago to promote their new songs, artists are now filling the cafes around town.

Habibie not to attend NAM summit

Habibie not to attend NAM summit JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie has decided not to attend the 12th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) starting next Wednesday in Durban, South Africa, to avoid a power vacuum, a minister announced yesterday.

Riots bring home Ciputra's ethnicity

Riots bring home Ciputra's ethnicity JAKARTA (JP): Born in Manado, North Sulawesi, and a resident of Indonesia all his life, business tycoon Ciputra said his ethnic Chinese ancestry was never brought home to him until the bloody riots erupted in May.