Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 26 July 1999

47 articles found

TNI deputy commander

TNI deputy commander The swearing in and installation of Admiral Widodo AS as deputy commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI) by President B.J. Habibie has brought about many unfavorable opinions about the reinstitution of this position.

Indonesian debutants want SEA Games gold

Indonesian debutants want SEA Games gold JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian pendekar (fighters) Heny Marhendrawati and Widya Astuti will make their international debut at the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam from Aug. 7 to Aug. 15.

Water rate hike sought in Bogor

Water rate hike sought in Bogor BOGOR (JP): City-owned water company PDAM Bogor threatened to put into effect a plan to distribute water on a rotating basis if members of the Bogor mayoralty council remained opposed to its proposal to raise water rates.

Squatters incensed by plan to be removed

Squatters incensed by plan to be removed JAKARTA (JP): The government's plan to set up public facilities in Tanah Abang Bongkaran slum area in Central Jakarta hit a snag on Saturday."We will not leave this area if the government does not give us a better place to live or pay us compensation to go...

Redefining college education

Redefining college educationBy A. Chaedar Alwasilah BANDUNG (JP): This year nearly 480,000 senior high school graduates nationwide attended entrance exams to state universities, vying for approximately 72,600 seats.

Budget proposal rejected

Budget proposal rejected JAKARTA (JP): The city administration rejected a budget proposal for 282 development projects worth Rp 57 billion (US$8.38 million) in North Jakarta due to the limited availability of funds, an official said.

Sowing discord

Sowing discord The new breakthrough by Amien Rais and other Islamic parties to form a reform faction and to propose Nahdlatul Ulama chairman Abdurrahman Wahid, better known as Gus Dur, as a presidential candidate must be watched as an effort to sow discord in the PASO group consisting of the...

PGI criticizes plan on religious teaching

PGI criticizes plan on religious teaching JAKARTA (JP): The Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) urged Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono to reconsider the ministry's plan to require Christian schools to drop their tradition of teaching only Christianity to students.

Economists warn of over confidence

Economists warn of over confidence JAKARTA (JP): Economists said on the weekend the upgraded revision of the country's macroeconomic assumptions made by the government and International Monetary Fund (IMF) were too optimistic, and warned that economic recovery was not around the corner yet.

Leaders pray for smooth MPR session

Leaders pray for smooth MPR session JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of major political parties and the military reached a consensus on Sunday to cooperate and work together for a peaceful and smooth General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), after the tense June 7 general election.

Kite kills man

Kite kills man JAKARTA (JP): A 36-year-old bus conductor was electrocuted on Friday when his kite string came into contact with a high voltage cable at Pulogadung industrial estate in East Jakarta.According to a witness, Daryono was flying his kite under the power cables, and at about 4:45 p.m.

Adventures with 'kartu halo'

Adventures with 'kartu halo' On July 20, I called Telkomsel Pusat at 8282811, asking for their nearest branch in the West Jakarta area. They gave me the address and phone number of their branch on the third floor of Mal Taman Anggrek.

'Barongsai' dance attracts small crowd

'Barongsai' dance attracts small crowd JAKARTA (JP): The enchanting performances of orchestra, dance, and the Chinese barongsai dragon dance in the front yard of Fatahillah Museum in West Jakarta on Saturday unfortunately was enjoyed by only a small number of viewers.

Thai fishermen to be deported

Thai fishermen to be deported MEDAN, North Sumatra: The North Sumatra immigration office will soon deport a dozen Thai fishermen who entered Indonesian waters illegally, Antara reported on Saturday.The fishermen were apprehended by a Navy patrol squad last month while fishing aboard a ship flying a...

Habibie backs Kuntoro on Pertamina

Habibie backs Kuntoro on Pertamina JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie put his weight behind Minister of Mines and Energy Kuntoro Mangkusubroto over the weekend, and supported the minister's plan to take over contract- awarding rights from state oil and gas company Pertamina.

Slated multilevel ruling 'to curb fraud'

Slated multilevel ruling 'to curb fraud' JAKARTA (JP): Companies adopting multilevel marketing systems would be required to obtain a special license under the new regulation currently being prepared by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, a senior official said on Saturday.

Activists call for political dialog with government on Aceh

Activists call for political dialog with government on Aceh JAKARTA (JP): Representatives from a number of organizations in Aceh on Saturday urged political dialog with the Indonesian government to help put an end to the violence in the province and attain independence from Jakarta.

Matahari striving to meet challenge from foreigners

Matahari striving to meet challenge from foreigners JAKARTA (JP): Retail giant Matahari Group chairman Hari Darmawan said on Sunday his group was striving to answer the challenge posed by the presence of aggressive foreign retail chains in the local market.

Demand for industrial estates continues to fall

Demand for industrial estates continues to fall JAKARTA (JP): Demand for industrial estate land will decline in the coming year by as much as 75 percent to 77 percent of available supply due to political and economic uncertainties, leading property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle/PT Procon Indah said...

Nine infants die due to measles

Nine infants die due to measles KENDAL, Central Java (JP): Nine infants below five years of age in Telogopayung village here have died of measles in the past month.Mrs. Suwanto, the wife of the head of Plantungan district, which oversees the village, said on Sunday the babies could have been saved...

Beetle lovers to hold meeting

Beetle lovers to hold meeting JAKARTA (JP): Volkswagen owners from 35 clubs throughout the country will meet here on Aug. 15 at the '99 VW Festival, to be held in the parking lot of the Jakarta Police headquarters on Jl. Sudirman.

Giant Garuda to be shown

Giant Garuda to be shown SURABAYA, East Java: The Westin Surabaya Hotel plans to display the biggest replica ever made of the Garuda Pancasila national symbol on Independence Day on Aug. 17.The giant replica will weigh 650 kilograms and measure 8.1 meters wide by 5.2 meters tall.

New restaurant opened

New restaurant opened JAKARTA (JP): Hotel Mercure Rekso Hayam Wuruk in Jakarta's Chinatown announced over the weekend the opening of its new restaurant catering mainly to its Chinese patrons.Taking the original name of the hotel, the Chiao Tung restaurant will serve Chinese cuisine, including...

An entry-level notebook that is not to be taken lightly

An entry-level notebook that is not to be taken lightlyBy Zatni Arbi JAKARTA (JP): When it comes to designing notebooks, I believe we still have reason to respect Big Blue. The ThinkPads, as I've mentioned in this column time and time again, have always raised the standard of portable computer...

Pencak silat upbeat about SEAG target

Pencak silat upbeat about SEAG targetBy Primastuti Handayani JAKARTA (JP): Pencak silat is known all over the world as Indonesia's martial art. In international tournaments, Indonesian athletes have always dominated the event.

Use the Net to revitalize library networks

Use the Net to revitalize library networksBy Muhartoyo JAKARTA (JP): The idea of library networking in Indonesia has been around since the 1970s. The idea was born of four main reasons which are still valid.

Five injured as tension envelops Maluku capital

Five injured as tension envelops Maluku capital AMBON, Maluku (JP): Tension gripped this Maluku capital on Sunday following overnight clashes involving residents of a downtown housing complex in Poka subdistrict.

Telkom partners propose earlier end of contracts

Telkom partners propose earlier end of contracts JAKARTA (JP): Joint operation (KSO) partners of state telecommunications company PT Telkom Indonesia have suggested an early termination of the contract and establishment of a new joint venture firm to solve the disputed KSO contract.Stephen R.

Truck stashed with TV sets hijacked

Truck stashed with TV sets hijacked JAKARTA (JP): A group of unidentified people hijacked a container truck carrying television sets on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road on Thursday evening.The container, with a still unknown number of TV sets, was loaded at PT Sanyo Electronics in the Cikarang...

Prointegration groups soften stance on UNAMET activities

Prointegration groups soften stance on UNAMET activities JAKARTA (JP): Prointegration militia groups in apparent realization that they cannot continue their hostile attitude toward the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) have taken a less confrontational stance in several subdistricts.

Police seek man for cheating

Police seek man for cheating TANGERANG (JP): Tangerang Police are attempting to locate the whereabouts of labor exporting firm PT Bina Setia Copora chairman Chung Ta, who is wanted for allegedly bilking job seekers out of up to Rp 1 billion (US$147,058).Tangerang Police detective chief Capt.

Joint Communique on the 32nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, 23-24 July 1999

Joint Communique on the 32nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, 23-24 July 1999 This is the first of two articles of the Joint Communique on the 32nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting held in Singapore.1. We, the Foreign Ministers of the ten ASEAN countries, met in Singapore from 23 to 24 July 1999 and renewed our...

Daewoo has $9.9b in loans

Daewoo has $9.9b in loans SEOUL (AFP): South Korea's troubled Daewoo Group was saddled with US$9.9 billion in foreign currency loans substantiated by creditors at the end of June, officials said Saturday.

More firms threatened with delisting

More firms threatened with delisting JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) over the weekend put another 36 listed companies on the watch list for possible delisting, the second batch after that consisting of 49 companies announced in late June.

Ten arrested over lottery ticket sales

Ten arrested over lottery ticket sales JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police arrested 10 people, including four teenagers, in Central Jakarta on Thursday for allegedly selling Singaporean lottery coupons, locally known as judi buntut.

Hotel back in business

Hotel back in business BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung: The Sheraton Hotel here resumed operations on Sunday after its employees went on strike on Saturday, Antara reported.Hotel general manager Nasir Mattusin said the striking employees dispersed just after dusk on Saturday.

Bogor's street kids needs help: Mayor

Bogor's street kids needs help: Mayor BOGOR (JP): Citing a limited budget, Bogor Mayor R. Iswara Natanegara called on the public on Saturday to help the mayoralty improve the lives of street children."Please don't close your eyes to street children, street vendors, orphans and working children...

Wiranto tells students to uphold democracy

Wiranto tells students to uphold democracy JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) expects students to continue to serve as a moral force and help uphold democracy, TNI Commander Gen. Wiranto said during a meeting with some 300 student leaders here on Saturday.

The antigraft law

The antigraft law The government seems to be very boastful about the new anticorruption law approved by the House of Representatives last week. By sponsoring the bill, B.J. Habibie's administration must have wanted to demonstrate its seriousness in the anticorruption drive, which has actually been...

World leaders pay last respects to King Hasan II

World leaders pay last respects to King Hasan II RABAT (Agencies): World leaders joined Morocco's masses on Sunday in bidding a last farewell to King Hassan II, with his eldest son Mohammed VI succeeded him as the Arab world's youngest leader.

UIC restructures US$138.8m debt

UIC restructures US$138.8m debt JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed chemical producer PT Unggul Indah Corp. (UIC) announced on Sunday it had successfully restructured US$138.8 million in debt.The company said in a statement a debt restructuring agreement was reached with its 23 bank creditors after a...

Revocation of timber concessions will 'hurt' plywood industry

Revocation of timber concessions will 'hurt' plywood industry JAKARTA (JP): The government's recent move to revoke the concessions of several timber companies will severely hurt the country's plywood industry, according to the Indonesian Forestry Society.The society's general chairman, Sudradjat Dp.

IBRA repeats warning to closed bank owners to repay debts

IBRA repeats warning to closed bank owners to repay debts JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) warned on Saturday the owners of closed down Bank Centris, Bank Pelita and Bank Istismarat to immediately repay their debts to the government or risk legal action.

Indonesia pledges to fight tuberculosis

Indonesia pledges to fight tuberculosis JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will fight to reduce the prevalence of tuberculosis by 50 percent in the next five years with an integrated anti-TB program, Minister of Health F.A. Moeloek said on Friday.

Where to go in Jakarta:

Where to go in Jakarta:Exhibitions * Sketch Exhibition: Hitam Putih Jakarta, at Galeri Cipta II, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jl. Cikini Raya 73, Central Jakarta, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., until July 29. * Photo Exhibition: by Anne-Marie Grobet and Charles Weber, at Gran Melia Jakarta, Jl.H.R. Rasuna Said Kav.

Panwaslu says government intervention unlawful

Panwaslu says government intervention unlawful JAKARTA (JP): The Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) said on Sunday the government had no right to take over from the General Elections Commission (KPU) if it fails to certify the poll results on Monday.Committee deputy chairman Mulyana W.

ASEAN Regional Forum told to focus on security

ASEAN Regional Forum told to focus on securityBy Oei Eng Goan and Meidyatama Suryodiningrat SINGAPORE (JP): "The ARF must address common security concerns, otherwise ARF will in time be proved irrelevant," Singapore foreign minister S.