Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 15 February 1999

49 articles found

Asia and Europe reiterate resolve for liberalization

Asia and Europe reiterate resolve for liberalization SINGAPORE (AFP): Senior officials from member countries of the Asia-Europe meeting have reiterated their resolve to keep the two region's markets open despite renewed protectionist pressure.

Security guard killed in S. Jakarta robbery

Security guard killed in S. Jakarta robbery JAKARTA (JP): A group of seven robbers broke into an Ades mineral water distribution office in Tanjung Barat, South Jakarta, making away with the safety deposit box after killing a security guard and wounding two others early Saturday morning.

Teachers are heroes without rewards

Teachers are heroes without rewardsFrom Pikiran RakyatTeachers have been called "heroes without rewards". In my opinion this predicate was coined by the New Order regime. It is like christening former president Soeharto (when he was still president) the "father of development".

Soeharto protected corrupt aides: Brother

Soeharto protected corrupt aides: Brother JAKARTA (JP): Businessman Probosutedjo described on Saturday the methods his half-brother Soeharto used to protect corrupt officials when he was still in power, blaming this practice for the paralyzing economic crisis gripping the country today.

Garuda takes off on course for change

Garuda takes off on course for changeBy Devi M. Asmarani JAKARTA (JP): At a recent celebration of Garuda Indonesia's golden anniversary in Bali, a minister summed up hopes for the national flag carrier in a sentence: "If life begins at 40 for men, than life begins at 50 for airlines.

Children's choir at Taman Mini

Children's choir at Taman Mini JAKARTA (JP): Following the success of performing Lear for Jakarta audiences early this month, the Tanah Airku theater will present a children's choir, the Szczecin Boy's Choir Nightingales from Poland.

Sumbawa gets OECF loan

Sumbawa gets OECF loan JAKARTA (JP): Japan's Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) will provide Rp 153 billion (US$18 million) in soft loans to finance the construction of two irrigation facilities in Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara.

Can't we all just get along

Can't we all just get along President B.J. Habibie's comment about racism in Singapore was really shocking.In my opinion, to maintain a good and harmonious relationship with our neighbors, it is always best not to talk about something which we find bad or annoying in their domestic affairs.

Much ado about autonomy

Much ado about autonomy Much of the hype about granting increased autonomy to the regions will most likely end up as empty rhetoric. The government's bill on regional administration, presented to the House of Representatives last week, promises more authority and responsibility to provinces,...

Bearish mood overseas will cloud local market

Bearish mood overseas will cloud local market JAKARTA (JP): Stock trading on the local market will likely languish again this week as most investors, especially from the regional market, will be on holiday to celebrate the Chinese New Year, stock analysts said.

RI beats Qatar to meet Philippines in Davis Cup

RI beats Qatar to meet Philippines in Davis Cup JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia moved closer to rejoining the Davis Cup Asia Oceania top flight after scoring a perfect 3-0 lead to host Qatar over the weekend.The doubles pairing of Hendri Susilo Pramono and Edy Kusdaryanto settled the issue with a...

ARIAWEST International keeps good commitments to customers

ARIAWEST International keeps good commitments to customers A good relationship between a telecommunications operator and its customers is essential. In this era of globalization, this relationship is going to need to improve.

Dim forecast for retail-space market

Dim forecast for retail-space market JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta's retail-space market faces a dim outlook with demand and occupancy projected to continue to decline in 1999, property consultants have said.PT Procon Indah/Jones Lang Wootton predicts in the latest edition of its biweekly property report...

RI faces hurdle in log export target

RI faces hurdle in log export target JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is facing difficulties in meeting its log export quota because of a domestic shortage of timber, a senior official at the Ministry of Forestry and Plantations said.

Mashill holds finance workshop

Mashill holds finance workshop JAKARTA (JP): Bank Mashill will cooperate with Bank Indonesia, the central bank, in holding a series of workshops on how to benefit from the government's trade financing scheme.

PDI Perjuangan slams Habibie's E. Timor policy

PDI Perjuangan slams Habibie's E. Timor policy JAKARTA (JP): The newly-launched Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) lashed out at President B.J. Habibie for calling East Timor "a burden" and called on the nation to let go of the troubled territory.

Gus Dur to solicit support for truth seeking committee

Gus Dur to solicit support for truth seeking committee JAKARTA (JP): Muslim figurehead Abdurrahman Wahid departed for Germany on Sunday for eye surgery, and to solicit international support for his planned Commission for Truth-Seeking and National Reconciliation.

Oil refining, retail market to be liberalized: Kuntoro

Oil refining, retail market to be liberalized: Kuntoro JAKARTA (JP): A law now being prepared by the government will liberalize the oil refinery sector and open up the retail market in oil products, Minister of Mines and Energy Kuntoro Mangkusubroto has said.

Rectors to set up poll watch

Rectors to set up poll watch JAKARTA (JP): Rectors of all institutes of higher learning in Indonesia have agreed to establish a forum among themselves to monitor the general election scheduled for June 7, 1999.

Bank liquidations

Bank liquidations Take your pick between doing business with hundreds of unsound banks, or dealing with a handful of sensible operations - the second option is of course preferable.The government offers a similar choice.

Aide clarifies on Habibie remarks

Aide clarifies on Habibie remarks SINGAPORE (Reuters): Indonesian President B.J. Habibie will respect Singapore if it respects him, the Sunday Times newspaper quoted a presidential aide as saying.Tensions between the neighboring countries have grown since Habibie last week accused Singapore of...

PDI Perjuangan now official

PDI Perjuangan now official JAKARTA (JP): An estimated 120,000 supporters of Megawati Soekarnoputri packed the Senayan Sports Stadium on Sunday to mark the launching of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and her nomination as the party's presidential candidate.

Plane skids in Ujungpandang

Plane skids in Ujungpandang UJUNGPANDANG: A Boeing 737-200 plane skidded on landing at Hasanuddin International Airport here on Saturday but none was killed in the mishap.The Bouraq aircraft slipped off the runway amid strong winds and rain around 12:35 p.m.

Where to go in Jakarta:

Where to go in Jakarta:Exhibitions * Painting Exhibition: Perangkap Hedonisme, by Veri Apriyatno, at the Galeri Mini, Pusat Kebudayaan Jepang - The Japan Foundation, Summitmas I, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 61-62 South Jakarta (Phone: 5201266), Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.

Man treated for gun shot wounds

Man treated for gun shot wounds LHOKSEUMAWE: A resident of Nisam district in North Aceh has been treated in hospital for shot wounds he received on Friday.Antara reported Saturday that M. Sufi bin Syahbuddin, 41, of Alue Papeun subdistrict, was shot by unidentified men riding a motorcycle at around...

KL police set for PR classes

KL police set for PR classes KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Hoping to nurture a more people-friendly police force, Malaysia will enroll 11,000 of its top brass in courses on morals and public relations, news reports said on Sunday.

Translation works demand cultural mastery

Translation works demand cultural masteryBy S. Harmono JAKARTA (JP): A letter to The Jakarta Post on Jan. 25 by Adrianus Hiyung Tjung declares: "Translators deserve high pay." Translators deserve to be better remunerated because theirs is a demanding job, he said.

Malaysia allots $28.2m to win 2001 SEA Games

Malaysia allots $28.2m to win 2001 SEA Games KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia has set aside 107 million ringgit (US$28.2 million) under an athlete training program to dislodge Indonesia as the overall champion in the 2001 SEA Games, reports said Sunday.

Emergency fund disbursement

Emergency fund disbursement TANGERANG (JP): Disbursement of an emergency fund amounting to Rp 7.9 billion has been hindered in Tangerang by failures on the part of the Village Resilience Boards (LKMD) to meet the set requirements, an official said on Saturday.

Persib 1-3 defeat to Persija sparks violence

Persib 1-3 defeat to Persija sparks violence BANDUNG (JP): Hundreds of dejected fans turned violent on Sunday after local team Persib suffered a 1-3 defeat to Persija Jakarta.The upset crowds stoned windows of dozens of shops and smashed flower pots to pieces on their way home from the Siliwangi...

LNG team heading to China

LNG team heading to China JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Mines and Energy Kuntoro Mangkusubroto and president of state oil and gas company Pertamina Martiono Hadianto will travel soon to China to market liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced at Tangguh LNG plant in Irian Jaya.

Regional autonomy bill dissappoints experts

Regional autonomy bill dissappoints experts JAKARTA (JP): Instead of meeting its promise of greater regional autonomy, a recently issued draft bill is striking out with analysts who charge it fails to sever the dependent relationship of regional governments to their central counterpart.

Handicraft expo at WTC

Handicraft expo at WTC JAKARTA (JP): A two-day handicraft fair will be held in the atrium of the World Trade Center, Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, from Tuesday, Feb. 16, organizers said on Saturday.The Jakarta Arts and Crafts Fair will offer a selected range of local handicrafts from several...

Subdistricts can't pay for cheap rice

Subdistricts can't pay for cheap rice JAKARTA (JP): Most of the capital's 265 subdistricts owe a total of Rp 1.9 billion (about US$215,000) to the Jakarta chapter of the State Logistics Agency (Dolog Jaya) for cheap rice they received in the past five months, an official said.

Jakarta hoodlums warned

Jakarta hoodlums warned SEMARANG: The police here have warned hoodlums who have moved to this city from elsewhere to refrain from committing crimes and acts disturbing the peace, Antara reported Saturday.The warning was issued in view of the arrival of hoodlums from Jakarta, Col.

Rumored Saudi plan to let women drive a test of tradition

Rumored Saudi plan to let women drive a test of traditionBy Hosniya Hanem JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia may soon allow women to drive, which could be the most significant advance for women since girls were allowed to go to school in the 1960s.

Parties back strict rules on campaigning

Parties back strict rules on campaigning JAKARTA (JP): Representatives of political parties support a strict code of conduct to govern campaign activities, including stiff sanctions for offending parties and supporters, to guard against violence when electioneering gets underway on May 18.

Administration suable over lost traffic signs

Administration suable over lost traffic signs JAKARTA (JP): City residents, whose convenience is disturbed by the disappearance of traffic signs and the neglected condition of thoroughfares, have the right to sue the city administration, an activist and two city councilors said on Sunday.

TV today

TV todayTVRI 5:30 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 Morning News 6:30 News 7:00 Children's Songs 8:00 Music 8:30 Documentary 9:00 Music 9:30 Interval 2:00 p.m. News 2:35 Soccer: New Castle vs Blackburn Rovers (rerun) 3:05 Documentary 3:30 TV Drama 4:00 Regional News 5:00 Indonesian Lessons 5:30...

Tareq Aziz visits Turkey to discuss U.S., British raids

Tareq Aziz visits Turkey to discuss U.S., British raids DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters): Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz swept into NATO-member Turkey on Sunday for a high profile visit to the country the United States uses as a launch- pad for air strikes on northern Iraq.

Five officers killed in accident

Five officers killed in accident JAKARTA (JP): Five South Jakarta police officers were killed in a motor accident on Jl. Patuk Besi, Ciasem, in Subang, West Java on Saturday night together with a crook they were escorting in search of his accomplices' hideouts.

Government's capital participation in banks

Government's capital participation in banksFrom Bisnis IndonesiaDisregarding the pros and cons surrounding the premature issuance of Government Regulation No. 4/1999, the enforcement of this government regulation must be postponed.

Anwar courts ethnic Chinese from behind bars

Anwar courts ethnic Chinese from behind bars KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): From behind bars, ousted deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim is making attempts to court Malaysia's ethnic Chinese ahead of the Lunar New Year.In a two-page statement faxed to AFP, Anwar warned of a new plot to "plant fear" of ethnic clashes...

Fresh violence breaks out in Maluku, 11 people killed

Fresh violence breaks out in Maluku, 11 people killed JAKARTA (JP): At least 11 were killed on Sunday morning in the latest outbreak of violence in Maluku, which this time hit the two islands of Haruku and Saparua to the east of Ambon island, where recent riots claimed at least 105 lives.

Streets, hundreds of houses inundated after heavy rains

Streets, hundreds of houses inundated after heavy rains JAKARTA (JP): Some parts of the city's streets were inundated on Sunday after heavy rainfall that began Saturday.The affected streets included Jl. D.I. Pandjaitan, Jl. Pahlawan Revolusi and Jl.

Searchers find three more victims of sunken ship

Searchers find three more victims of sunken ship JAKARTA (JP): Rescue workers discovered on Sunday three more bodies from the KLM Arta Rimba, which carried 325 people on board when it sank last week near Penikek Island in West Kalimantan, an official said.

Number of TB-infected people expected to swell

Number of TB-infected people expected to swell JAKARTA (JP): The official number of 40,000 tuberculosis- infected Jakartans is expected to rise sharply due to a hike in medication costs combined with an absence of community awareness to combat the disease, an expert has said.

Expecting convict escapes prison

Expecting convict escapes prison SERANG, West Java: Juman bin Marwan, 37, a detainee at the Serang correction unit fled to his village in Ciomas when he heard his wife was going into labor.Antara reported Saturday that he escaped Wednesday to see the birth of his second child, only 11 days before...

Property sector needs major restructuring, analyst says

Property sector needs major restructuring, analyst says JAKARTA (JP): The government's bank recapitalization program should be immediately followed by a restructuring of the shattered property sector to defuse a ticking time bomb, a property consultant said over the weekend.