Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 23 September 1998

51 articles found

Sukarno 'died slow death in seclusion'

Sukarno 'died slow death in seclusion' JAKARTA (JP): The nation's founding president Sukarno, who was officially declared dead of kidney failure on June 21, 1970, was "slowly killed" by Soeharto's government through his isolation, according to the former head of Sukarno's medical team.

Imminent global crisis haunts RI economy

Imminent global crisis haunts RI economy Indonesia and neighboring crisis-hit Asian countries have failed to find quick solutions to their monetary crises. Economist Sri Mulyani Indrawati, vice chairwoman of the University of Indonesia's Center for Social and Economic Studies, discusses possible...

In search of good governance

In search of good governanceBy Mochtar Buchori JAKARTA (JP): I find reflecting on old and new wisdom a very enlightening exercise. It can provide a different view of our national problems -- a view that makes the situation look more soluble. The following is an example.

Pertamina to rework Humpuss tanker deal

Pertamina to rework Humpuss tanker deal JAKARTA (JP): State oil and gas company Pertamina will renegotiate tanker fees with Pacific LNG Transport Ltd, an affiliate of Soeharto family-owned PT Humpuss, for the shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Bontang, East Kalimantan, to foreign markets.

Freedom of expression decree comes under fire

Freedom of expression decree comes under fire JAKARTA (JP): Activists again urged the House of Representatives (DPR) to reject the controversial government decree which purports to limit freedom of expression -- a call which was promptly supported by some legislators.

City to clear away political banners

City to clear away political banners JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso reiterated an order to officials on Tuesday to take down all unlicensed political banners erected throughout the city over the past few weeks.

Japan to lend Malaysia $1.8b

Japan to lend Malaysia $1.8b KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Japan is considering a request from Malaysia for a yen loan of US$1.8 billion, visiting Japanese Minister of International Trade and Industry Kaoru Yosano said on Tuesday.

The cost of a prized and pricey plate of rice

The cost of a prized and pricey plate of riceText and photos by PJ Leo JAKARTA (JP): A meal is not a meal without a plate of rice to most people here. It is the food which provides them with the energy to get through their day.

Pig enclosure protested

Pig enclosure protested TANGERANG (JP): Hundreds of residents of Kohod, Tanjung Burung, Tanjung Pasir and Melayu Barat villages in Pakuaji district here went to the Tangerang regency office on Monday, demanding the closure of a pig farm in their area.H.

Developed nations also to blame for crisis: Alatas

Developed nations also to blame for crisis: Alatas JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas reminded developed countries they could not blame developing countries for their economic crises, arguing they too were partly responsible for the hardships now facing many people.

Buton island base for smuggling

Buton island base for smuggling KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: The Wangi-wangi island in the Buton regency has reportedly become a base for smuggling rice overseas, particularly to Singapore and Malaysia.

Ratna briefs police on political standing

Ratna briefs police on political standing JAKARTA (JP): Playwright Ratna Sarumpaet, in her capacity as coordinator of the National Coalition, briefed city police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman on Tuesday, about her political standing after she refused to abide by a police summons.

Stock Exchange

Stock ExchangeStock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Sept.22, 1998: Shares Close Change Trading Volume -------------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 325 0 0 AHAP Insurance 400 0 0 Alter Abadi 175 0 0 Alumindo Light Metal 200 0 7,500 Alumindo Perkasa...

Police warn public of U.S. dollar swindle syndicate

Police warn public of U.S. dollar swindle syndicate JAKARTA (JP): The city police have issued a public warning over the rising incidence of U.S. dollar swindles allegedly perpetrated by foreigners targeting gullible city residents desperate to make easy money.Chief detective Col.

Art summit schedule of performances

Art summit schedule of performances Sept. 25-26: Theater, The Wedding on the Field, Yukio Waguri (Japan), Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), Jl. Cikini Raya 73, Central Jakarta (Phone: 3154087).Sept. 26-27: Music, Tony Prabowo (Indonesia), GKJ.Sept.

World leaders urge action on Asian crisis

World leaders urge action on Asian crisis UNITED NATIONS (AP): World leaders opened the first day of the General Assembly's annual debate Monday by urging an international effort to rein in the Asian financial crisis before it brings down more economies and calling for a comprehensive attack on...

PAL staff vote for closure

PAL staff vote for closure MANILA (AFP): Union members of debt-ridden Philippine Airlines voted Tuesday to reject the management's rehabilitation proposal, clearing the way for the flag carrier's closure as scheduled on Wednesday night, the labor department said.

The value of evidence

The value of evidence I would like to respond to Ms. Julia Suryakusuma's article "Power dictates whether proof of rape exists" that appeared in The Jakarta Post on Sept. 17, 1998.Ms. Julia Suryakusuma identified the ways in which the New Order government deals with the subject of "evidence" in...

Youths urge Habibie to dismiss Ghalib

Youths urge Habibie to dismiss Ghalib JAKARTA (JP): Muhammadiyah youths told President B.J. Habibie on Tuesday to sack Attorney General Andy M. Ghalib because he was too weak and did not have enough guts to investigate the alleged illegally acquired wealth of former president Soeharto and his...

Cigareete levy for sports gets support

Cigareete levy for sports gets support JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives (DPR) supported on Tuesday the government's move to dust off an old proposal for an excise duty on cigarette sales to fund sports development.

Concession limits not to affect existing deals

Concession limits not to affect existing deals JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Forestry and Plantations Muslimin Nasution said on Tuesday a government plan to limit the amount of state forests controlled by individuals and companies would not affect existing logging contracts.

ABRI denies confirming rapes during May riots

ABRI denies confirming rapes during May riots JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto denied on Tuesday he confirmed the occurrence of mass sexual assaults and rapes during the May riots in Jakarta and other cities, as some media reported.

World Bank must face the corruption music

World Bank must face the corruption musicBy Jeffrey A. Winters CHICAGO, Illinois (JP): At the end of July 1997, the World Bank's country director, Dennis de Tray, and the vice president for East Asia and the Pacific region, Jean-Michel Severino, issued an angry press release denying that a large...

Malaysia steps up Anwar clampdown

Malaysia steps up Anwar clampdown KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): The Malaysian authorities stepped up a clampdown on Tuesday on the reform movement launched by detained former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim after two days of street clashes.

Ghalib denies start of Soeharto probe

Ghalib denies start of Soeharto probe JAKARTA (JP): Despite mounting public pressure, Attorney General Andi Muhammad Ghalib admitted on Tuesday his team had yet to launch an investigation into Soeharto's personal wealth, allegedly amassed illegally over his 32 years in power.

Rahardi leads trade mission

Rahardi leads trade mission JAKARTA (JP): An Indonesian trade mission led by Minister of Industry and Trade Rahardi Ramelan will visit Germany on Wednesday to promote trade, investment and tourism here.

Kuta cafe owners in rift with locals on religious reason

Kuta cafe owners in rift with locals on religious reasonBy Putu Wirata DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Owners of 30 cafes along the Kuta beach are now in conflict with the Hindu community in the area.People want the cafes to be demolished because they disturb the annual religious ceremony performed by the...

JIEP sticker scheme may be delayed

JIEP sticker scheme may be delayed JAKARTA (JP): City councilors asked the management of the Pulogadung industrial estate in East Jakarta on Tuesday to postpone its plan to require vehicles passing through the area to display stickers.

Toll road sees drop-off in usage

Toll road sees drop-off in usage JAKARTA (JP): The volume of traffic along the 72 km Jakarta- Cikampek toll road has dropped 10 percent to 30 percent since the beginning of the economic crisis in July last year.

Inco cuts output but not growth

Inco cuts output but not growth UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): PT International Nickel Indonesia (Inco) has cut production of its nickel in matte by 30 percent to 70 million pounds (31.8 million kilograms) per annum due to the commodity's falling international price.

Government may lift import duty, VAT on automotive spare parts

Government may lift import duty, VAT on automotive spare parts JAKARTA (JP): The government may lift both the import duty and value-added tax (VAT) on automotive parts in a bid to salvage the crippled automotive industry and the transportation sector, Minister of Industry and Trade Rahardi Ramelan...

MPR body commits to clean governance

MPR body commits to clean governance JAKARTA (JP): Factions in the Ad Hoc Committee II of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) have all endorsed the draft special decree on the eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism.The chairman, Widodo A.S.

Will 'Jakarta Initiative' succeed in its daunting purpose?

Will 'Jakarta Initiative' succeed in its daunting purpose?By Eddy Soeparno JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian government recently announced The Jakarta Initiative, by forming a Task Force to coordinate the restructuring process of Indonesia's mounting private sector debt, estimated to be around US$65...

Salim, Nursalim agree to settle Rp 78t debts

Salim, Nursalim agree to settle Rp 78t debts JAKARTA (JP): The government said on Tuesday that the Salim and Gajah Tunggal groups had agreed to settle Rp 78 trillion (US$7 billion) in debts belonging to failed banks they controlled by ceding shares in almost all their global investments to the...

Misleading ad due to 'poor coordination'

Misleading ad due to 'poor coordination' JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso admitted on Tuesday that shoddy coordination between the city administration and the Ministry of Home Affairs was behind the publication of a job vacancy advertisement which misled hundreds of job seekers.

Reconciliation an urgent matter

Reconciliation an urgent matterFrom NeracaI was greatly saddened to read a front-page report in one of Jakarta's daily newspapers which revealed that 33 sub-districts in the capital are now classified as poor, a figure which stood at 11 before the crisis.

Dialog in art summit

Dialog in art summit JAKARTA (JP): The second art summit is not only about dance, music and theater performances. It also includes a two-day dialog to update participants about current developments and trends in the art world.

TV today

TV todayTVRI 2:00 p.m. News: Berita 14 2:30 Music 2:35 Children's Film: Thunder Cats 3:05 TV Series: Daktari 4:00 Regional News 4:30 Teen Program: Remaja Indonesia 5:00 Science and Technology 5:30 Documentary: The Winner 6:05 Documentary: Rona Nusantara 6:15 Sports 6:30 TVRI News (in English) 7:00...

Regent marked up appropriation

Regent marked up appropriation SURABAYA: Tuban regent Col. Hindarto was reprimanded by Governor Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo for marking up the costs for appropriation of 141 hectares of land in four villages in the Kerek district for the expansion of PT Semen Gresik.

Stocks up 1.5% while rupiah remains stable

Stocks up 1.5% while rupiah remains stable JAKARTA (JP): Share prices on the local tattered market rose 1.5 percent on Tuesday after some foreign investors made late buying orders on selected stocks which had been under selling pressures over the past few days, a stockbroker said.

Thai minister seeks curbs on currency speculation

Thai minister seeks curbs on currency speculation WASHINGTON (Reuters): Thailand's Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan urged the international community on Monday to come up with ways to control currency speculation, warning that market- opening reforms in developing nations were at stake.

ABRI never blinded by power, says Wiranto

ABRI never blinded by power, says Wiranto BANDUNG (JP): Minister of Defense/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto asserted here on Tuesday the military had never and would never be blinded by power.

Anwar accused of plotting Indonesian-style uprising

Anwar accused of plotting Indonesian-style uprising KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad accused his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday of plotting an Indonesian-style uprising and said he had no immediate plans to step down.

Conversion Rates

Conversion Rates JAKARTA (JP): Bank Bali's bank notes conversion rates on Sept. 22, 1998: Buying Selling Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 10,875 11,175Australian dollar 1 6,250 6,650Brunei dollar 1 6,500 7,000Swiss franc 1 7,480 8,080Deutschemark 1 6,105 6,655French franc 1 1,690 2,010Poundsterling 1 16,600...

BHP sees no E. Timor impacts

BHP sees no E. Timor impacts MELBOURNE (Dow Jones): Broken Hill Proprietary Co (BHP) chairman, Jerry Ellis, said Tuesday that potential political change in East Timor will not impact the company's business.

Teachers' rice delayed in Kei

Teachers' rice delayed in Kei AMBON, Maluku: Hundreds of elementary teachers in the Kei Besar District have yet to receive their rice rations allocated for February and March, resulting in threats of a strike.

Southeast Asian currencies down on U.S. dollar rally

Southeast Asian currencies down on U.S. dollar rally SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): Southeast Asian currencies finished Asian trading hours on Tuesday marginally lower against the U.S. dollar, as the U.S. currency once again nosed above Y135 to the Japanese yen.

Malnutrition a threat to Central Java kids

Malnutrition a threat to Central Java kids SEMARANG (JP): Nutritional deficiencies could jeopardize the health of eight million infants in Central Java, a hospital administrator warned on Tuesday."If the economy continues like this, more and more parents will not be able to meet their children's...

RI needs market control

RI needs market controlBy Peter Sheehan and David Ray MELBOURNE (JP): In the months since the fall of the Soeharto government, Indonesia has begun a remarkable political transformation, and a new democratic nation is slowly beginning to take shape.

Sweden aids forestry project

Sweden aids forestry project JAKARTA (JP): The Swedish government has agreed to provide a 4.22 million Swedish krona (US$515,000) grant for a forest and land rehabilitation project in Sumatra.The agreement for the grant, which will be used to finance the Integrated Watersheds Rehabilitation and...

The value of books

The value of books It is one of the great paradoxes of life in Indonesia that although better learning standards have long been recognized as a basic necessity for promoting progress, books have always been classified as luxury items that must be taxed accordingly.