Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 20 March 1999

49 articles found

Widayat a living legend of Indonesian art

Widayat a living legend of Indonesian art JAKARTA (JP): The opening of Galeri Widayat is held Saturday (today) in conjunction with the launching of a book on Widayat, The Magical Mysticism of an Modern Indonesian Artist, written by Dutch scholar Helena Spanjaard.

People want their own governor

People want their own governor PADANG, West Sumatra: A group of people calling themselves the Committee of the West Sumatra Community demanded on Friday an independent gubernatorial election involving all people in the province.

Minivan plunges into river

Minivan plunges into river JAKARTA (JP): A public minivan, plying the Kampung Melayu- Gandaria route, plunged into a river allegedly due to reckless driving on Jl. Raya Bogor, Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta early Friday morning.The incident took place at 2 a.m.

S'pore to ban pig imports from RI

S'pore to ban pig imports from RI SINGAPORE (Bloomberg): Singapore will impose a week-long ban on live pig imports from both Malaysia and Indonesia, following the outbreak of a pig-linked virus that has killed more than 40 people in Malaysia.

Pakistan Day celebration

Pakistan Day celebration JAKARTA (JP): A flag-hoisting ceremony will be held at the Embassy of Pakistan at 9 a.m. on Tuesday to celebrate Pakistan Day.The embassy said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Friday that Pakistan Ambassador Afzal Akbar Khan would hoist their national...

Govt suspends Indorayon operation

Govt suspends Indorayon operation JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie decided to temporarily suspend the operation of rayon and pulp producer PT Inti Indorayon Utama near Lake Toba, North Sumatra, in an attempt to calm tension and allow an evaluation team time to do its work, North Sumatra...

SE Asian currencies mixed; baht falls, rupiah rises

SE Asian currencies mixed; baht falls, rupiah rises SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): Southeast Asian currencies turned in a mixed performance on Friday. The Thai baht fell, while the Indonesian rupiah and the Philippine peso inched upward. The Singapore dollar traded sideways.

UN team to Indonesia for E. Timor ballot

UN team to Indonesia for E. Timor ballot UNITED NATIONS (Agencies): A six-member United Nations team left for Indonesia on Thursday to prepare for an autonomy ballot in East Timor, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

Conversion Rates

Conversion Rates Bank Bali's conversion rates on March 19, 1999: TT rates Bank notes rates Buying Selling Buying Selling Rp Rp Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 8,895.00 8,925.00 8,895.00 8,965.00Australian dollar 1 5,544.95 5,637.75 5,519.00 5,687.00Austrian schilling 1 704.78 716.12 - -Belgian franc 1 240.

JICA provides aid to boost performance of customs office

JICA provides aid to boost performance of customs office JAKARTA (JP): The Japanese government will provide Indonesia with modern laboratory equipment worth 58.47 million yen (about US$500,000) to boost the performance of the country's customs office, according to Agung Permana, the director...

PT Astra International to resume debt repayments

PT Astra International to resume debt repayments SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): Indonesia's PT Astra International plans to resume interest rate payments on US$1.1 billion in debt starting in July, company President Rini Soewandi said on Friday.

RI ready to cut crude oil output to improve prices

RI ready to cut crude oil output to improve prices JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is prepared to cut its crude oil output at the next meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Counties (OPEC) to boost world oil prices, Minister of Mines and Energy Kuntoro Mangkusubroto said on Friday.

Habibie orders development of moral safety net program

Habibie orders development of moral safety net program JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie ordered State Minister of Women's Affairs Tutty Alawiyah on Friday to develop a national "moral" safety net program to help overcome moral decadence during the ongoing economic crisis.

Three parties name presidential candidates

Three parties name presidential candidates JAKARTA (JP): Two political parties tested the waters on Friday, naming lesser known presidential candidates.The Justice Party named Didin Hafidhuddin, a Muslim scholar, as their presidential candidate.

Stock Exchange

Stock ExchangeStock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on March 19, 1999: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 350 0 0 AHAP Insurance 400 0 0 Alakasa Industrindo 125 0 0 Alter Abadi 200 0 15,000 Alumindo Light Metal...

ASEAN ministers vow to boost cooperation

ASEAN ministers vow to boost cooperation HANOI (AFP): ASEAN finance ministers vowed to work closely to ensure Southeast Asia's recovery from economic crisis as they launched two days of talks here on Friday.

Man mobbed to death

Man mobbed to death JAKARTA (JP): A man was mobbed to death by residents of Kapuk Lapangan Bola in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, late Thursday for allegedly wounding a neighbor who unintentionally shouldered him in a narrow alley, a police officer said.City police spokesman Lt. Col.

Where to go in Jakarta:

Where to go in Jakarta:Exhibitions * Painting Exhibition by Sem Cornelyoes Bangun, at Galeri Cipta III, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jl. Cikini Raya 73, Central Jakarta, 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. until March 22. * Painting Exhibition: Menjaring Waktu, by Iskandar Syah, at Pusat Kebudayaan Jepang - The Japan...

Ban on Japanese scholar at request of military

Ban on Japanese scholar at request of military JAKARTA (JP): The government confirmed on Friday that renowned Japanese scholar Yoshihara Kunio has been barred from entering Indonesia at the request of Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto, who is also Minister of Defense and Security.

ICW denies

ICW denies In its "Your Letters" column, The Jakarta Post published on March 15, 1999, a joint statement of the World Bank and the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) concerning clarification of the World Bank aid to the PDAM Jaya in connection with ICW's statement in an article published in the Post...

Major tax fraud found at Garuda and PT Peruri

Major tax fraud found at Garuda and PT Peruri JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police revealed on Friday major taxation scams at national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia and state-owned securities papers and banknotes printing company PT Peruri.City police detective chief Col.

Museum Widayat preserves legacy of Indonesian Art

Museum Widayat preserves legacy of Indonesian ArtBy Amir Sidharta JAKARTA (JP): In the quiet village of Mungkid not far from Borobudur stands a large white structure, monumental but not imposing. Its appearance, which is similar to a bastion, has a purpose; it is in fact one of the foremost...

Housewives lodge protests over their husbands' arrests

Housewives lodge protests over their husbands' arrests JAKARTA (JP): A group of 12 housewives and their relatives from Cibeliung village in Pandeglang, West Java, questioned on Friday the legitimacy of the arrests of 20 farmers by police following a dispute over a 16-hectare plot of land.

Lack of info on safety net fund

Lack of info on safety net fund The social safety net fund, with the support of multilateral loans, is designed to help people start helping themselves during the economic crisis. Following demands to postpone further disbursement of the fund because of a lack of transparency in the process, the...

Indonesia wields influence in Moro conflict resolution

Indonesia wields influence in Moro conflict resolutionBy Dino Patti Djalal This is the second of two articles based on a paper presented at the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific preventive diplomacy workshop in Bangkok on Feb. 28, 1999.

INRO gets support from RI membership

INRO gets support from RI membership TOKYO (Bloomberg): Indonesia's decision to remain a member of the International Natural Rubber Organization, a price-supporting cartel, should help keep the struggling group alive, an INRO official said on Friday.

Bung Karno's signature

Bung Karno's signatureFrom Pikiran RakyatThe New Order government used to regard March 11 as a sacred day because it commemorated the issue of the March 11 Instruction.The government interpreted the order as a power transfer.

Thai trade surplus narrows

Thai trade surplus narrows BANGKOK (DPA): Thailand's trade surplus narrowed to US$511 million in February, with imports rising 5 per cent compared to the previous month, a Finance Ministry official said Friday.Thailand's exports last month reached $4.17 billion, a rise of 2.

Fund for food supplements criticized as too small

Fund for food supplements criticized as too small JAKARTA (JP): Community health center officials expressed concern on Friday over the paltry sum -- amounting to only Rp 750 per day for each child -- set aside by the city administration for provision of food supplements for undernourished children.

Asian can achieve another miracle: WB

Asian can achieve another miracle: WB HANOI (Reuters): Asian economies can achieve "miracle" status again but must ensure their reform efforts are not derailed by complacency, the World Bank said on Friday.

North Korea says no inspection of other facilities

North Korea says no inspection of other facilities SEOUL (AFP): North Korea has warned the United States against attempting to inspect any other sensitive facilities after the two struck a crucial deal to allow access to a suspected underground nuclear site.

Women 'do men's bidding at the polls'

Women 'do men's bidding at the polls' JAKARTA (JP): About 80 percent of all rural women in the country still have their political preferences shaped by men, with their urban counterparts faring only marginally better, a recent nationwide survey has found.

Over 60 killed in Sambas unrest

Over 60 killed in Sambas unrest PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan (JP): Over 60 people in Sambas, mostly Madurese migrants, have been killed and more than 1,000 houses burned down as ethnic clashes in the West Kalimantan regency escalated on Friday, security authorities said.

Persija and Persebaya draw matches

Persija and Persebaya draw matches JAKARTA (JP): Both top ranked Persebaya Surabaya and Persija Jakarta failed to win their second matches in the fifth Indonesian soccer league round robin on Friday.Cheered on by about 500 members of their Jak Mania supporter club at the Senayan soccer stadium,...

Habibie's tasks

Habibie's tasks I found Lance Castles's article "Will new govt heed Anderson's plea?" on March 15, 1999, to be strange in many ways. For example, he says that it is as certain as anything in human affairs that the next government will be a coalition led by Megawati and Amien Rais, but he gives no...

Student drowns in river

Student drowns in river BANDUNG: Hendra Gunawan, 21, a student of Padjadjaran University's School of Geological Engineering drowned in Serayu River in Cilacap, Central Java, on Wednesday.His body was found on Friday in Serayu, Purwokerto, some 60 kilometers north of Cilacap.

Edison finds no payoffs in winning RI contract

Edison finds no payoffs in winning RI contract ROSEMEAD, California (Bloomberg): Edison International, California's second-largest utility, said on Thursday a company investigation found no improper payments were made to Indonesian government officials to win a sales contract for a US$2.

RP captives yet to be released

RP captives yet to be released MANILA (AP): Philippine officials demanded on Friday the early release of an army general and three other military and police officers held captive by communist rebels.On Thursday, communist leaders living in exile in the Netherlands announced they would release the...

Young artist claims constructivist tag

Young artist claims constructivist tagBy Lilia S. Naga JAKARTA (JP): Webster's New World Dictionary describes constructivism as an early 20th century movement in sculpture, painting, architecture, etc., which originated in the Soviet Union, characterized by abstract and geometric design, manmade...

Government set to introduce new forestry fee

Government set to introduce new forestry fee JAKARTA (JP): The government will impose a new fee on the country's timber companies to inject funds into local community resources, Minister of Forestry Muslimin Nasution said on Friday.

Economic stability slow to come

Economic stability slow to comeBy Christopher Lingle DENPASAR (JP): Confusion continues to reign over when East Asia will move from crisis to recovery. Many analysts insist the worst for East Asia is over. This includes officials from the International Monetary Fund and other international agencies.

ABRI is for the people

ABRI is for the people It was published in Kompas on March 19, 1999, that the Supreme Advisory Council's chairman, Baramuli, was publicly seeking "coalition" with the Armed Forces (ABRI) to win votes in the coming elections.Indeed, it is time now for Gen.

Poll bodies independence ensured

Poll bodies independence ensured JAKARTA (JP): National Election Committee (PPI) chairman Jacob Tobing insisted that government representatives would not play a dominant role in the committee, to ensure its independence and a free and fair general election.

Police questioned over Ambon riots

Police questioned over Ambon riots JAKARTA (JP): Maluku Police chief Col. Bugis Saman said on Friday at least three police officers were questioned by military police for alleged involvement in weeks of sectarian clashes in the province, Antara reported.

Gap in understanding of natives revealed

Gap in understanding of natives revealed JAKARTA (JP): A gap in the understanding of indigenous peoples was revealed on Friday during the third day of a congress of indigenous peoples.Officials addressing the congress, using terms such as "backward communities" and "isolated people", their...

Elections body to decide ministers' fate on Monday

Elections body to decide ministers' fate on Monday JAKARTA (JP): The General Elections Commission (KPU) will decide on Monday whether to allow Cabinet ministers to campaign for parties contesting the June 7 polls.

Why was Kunio barred?

Why was Kunio barred? Once again a foreign scholar has been barred from entering Indonesia. Yoshihara Kunio, a historian who teaches at Kyoto University's Southeast Asian Studies Center but who is better known as the author of The Rise of Ersatz Capitalism in Southeast Asia, was denied entry at...

Revision of routine expenditure urged

Revision of routine expenditure urged JAKARTA (JP): A councilor urged the city administration on Friday to revise the routine expenditure for road maintenance in the 1999/2000 draft budget.Ali Wongso, head of Commission D for development affairs, said at least Rp 35 billion was needed for the...

Man arrested with bullets at soccer match

Man arrested with bullets at soccer match JAKARTA (JP): A man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly attempting to bring 100 .22 caliber bullets into the stadium hosting the Indonesian soccer league playoffs, a police officer said.City police spokesman Lt. Col.