Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 3 October 2000

47 articles found

Government told to protect nonsmokers

Government told to protect nonsmokers JAKARTA (JP): A health official proposed on Monday that the government slice at least 5 percent of tax revenues from cigarettes to promote protection for nonsmokers.

Speaker defends Sutiyoso's 'bonus' to councillors

Speaker defends Sutiyoso's 'bonus' to councillors JAKARTA (JP): In order to end the on-going controversy over Governor Sutiyoso's alleged bribery attempt on the 85-member city council, Council Speaker Edi Waluyo on Monday defended the action saying that the Rp 850 million (US$95,000) fund from the governor was part of the councillors' welfare fund taken and was taken from the 2000 city budget.

Pertamina, Sietco sign deal

Pertamina, Sietco sign deal JAKARTA (JP): State oil and gas company Pertamina signed on Monday a crude refining deal with Shell International Eastern Trading Company (Sietco) allowing the latter to refine the former's crude oil. Pertamina's spokesman Ramli Djaafar said in a statement that under the deal signed by Pertamina's president Baihaki Hakim and Sietco's president Glyn Hallday, Sietco would refine 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Arabian Light Crude, which will be imported by Pertamina.

Police net teen prostitutes

Police net teen prostitutes PURWOKERTO, Central Java: At least 20 teen prostitutes have been nabbed for operating in a housing complex near Baturraden tourist resort. Chief of Baturraden Police First Insp. Khozin said on Monday the streetwalkers were netted during a crackdown on prostitution in the area. "There have been mounting complaints from residents over the illegal prostitution," Khozin said. He predicted the number of prostitutes operating in the housing complex could reach 30.

PBHI accuse police of framing suspects

PBHI accuse police of framing suspects JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) has expressed its suspicion that the police have framed the suspects of the fatal bombing at the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) building using false evidence. PBHI's vice chairman on legal aid and advocacy Johnson Panjaitan told a press briefing here on Monday that police had no evidence when arresting the suspects.

Protests against fuel price hike continue

Protests against fuel price hike continue JAKARTA (JP): Student protests against the fuel hike continued on Monday with demonstrations in several cities turning violent. In Jakarta, some 300 university students from different groups rallied in front of the Presidential Palace to hold a joint protest on the fuel price increase and demands for Soeharto to be brought to court.

Stock Exchange

Stock Exchange Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Oct. 2, 2000: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ------------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 1,270 330 3,301,000 Adindo Foresta Indonesia 130 0 203,500 Alakasa Industrindo 430 0 0 Alfa Retailindo 820 30 16,000 Alter Abadi 205 -5 47,000 Alumindo Light Metal 950 10 500 Aneka Kimia Raya 285 0 20,000 Aneka Tambang (Persero) 1,010 20 788,500 Anwar Sierad 300 0 0 APAC Centertex Corp.

Airport customs officers foil snake smuggling

Airport customs officers foil snake smuggling TANGERANG (JP): Customs officers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport have foiled an attempt to smuggle 789 jali snakes to Singapore. Director General for Customs and Excise Permana Agung said the snakes were packed among 62 boxes labeled "chili" which were to be shipped on a Garuda flight to Singapore on Sept. 29.

Gunungkidul villagers face water shortage

Gunungkidul villagers face water shortage By Bambang M. YOGYAKARTA (JP): Whenever the dry season starts, villagers in Wonosari, Gunungkidul regency, would prefer a pail of water to almost anything else. The rich, however, have no problems since they can simply buy water. But the poor do not have this luxury. Most of the time, they have to walk for kilometers or dig holes in dry ponds just for one or two pails of dirty water.

Smoking mad at Persahabatan

Smoking mad at Persahabatan I am enraged by the number of smokers loitering about and fouling the air in the hallways and corners of Persahabatan Hospital in East Jakarta. It appears to me that not much has been done to enforce the "no smoking" signs scattered everywhere on the premises, maybe because the hospital has put its request very politely: "Thank you for not smoking." So if some people do light up, they face absolutely no consequences.

IBRA to sell Salim assets to meet 2001 target

IBRA to sell Salim assets to meet 2001 target JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) said on Monday it planned to sell assets of the giant Salim Group to meet the agency's 2001 budget sales target of Rp 27 trillion (US$3.1 billion).

Suspected robbers shot on train

Suspected robbers shot on train SURABAYA: Police have shot two alleged robbers for resisting arrest on Argobromo Anggrek executive train heading for Surabaya from Jakarta. Surabaya Police chief Sr. Supt. Sri Kresno said on Monday the suspects, identified as Aji Rahmanto, 27, and Santoso, 30, were shot in their leg and chest in the early hours of Thursday after they tried to attack the police with sharp weapons. Kresno did not specify the weapons.

Inflation down in September as food prices drop

Inflation down in September as food prices drop JAKARTA (JP): The Consumer Price Index (CPI), the important measure in calculating inflation, fell by 0.06 percent in September compared to the previous month thanks to falling food prices, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) said on Monday.

Bakrie units receive ISOs

Bakrie units receive ISOs JAKARTA (JP): Two affiliates of publicly-listed PT Bakrie & Brothers, PT Bakrie Building Industries (BBI) and PT Bakrie Corrugated Metal Industry (BCMI) received ISO 9002 certificates on Monday from Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance. Bakrie & Brothers said in a statement that the certificates were handed over by Lloyd's Country Manager John Catchpole to representatives of the two companies at the Bakrie Industrial Estate here.

Asian currencies mixed late, renewed weakness in won

Asian currencies mixed late, renewed weakness in won SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): Asian currencies were mixed late Monday, with the South Korean won and the New Taiwan dollar feeling the brunt of a selloff on their respective local bourses, dealers said. In Southeast Asian markets, the Thai baht and the Singapore dollar were stronger, while the Indonesian rupiah and the Philippine peso were weaker.

Six Maluku men seek PBHI help for political asylum

Six Maluku men seek PBHI help for political asylum JAKARTA (JP): Six Maluku men who climbed over the gate of the Swiss Embassy in South Jakarta last Wednesday have sought help from the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) to urge the embassy to grant them political asylum. PBHI vice chairman for legal aid and advocacy Johnson Panjaitan said the men had requested PBHI's help since the embassy had not yet granted their request for asylum.

Land of miracles?

Land of miracles? To call this land under the tropical sun full of miracles surely is an exaggeration. Yet there have been a number of, I would say, "miracle-like" developments recently. The first miracle is the inability, due to a certain conspiracy or not, of the South Jakarta Court, to start proceedings on the Soeharto case that has seemed for years such a simple task to tackle and the charges so obvious, being illegal conduct both political and personal.

Armed rebels kidnap and shoot councillor

Armed rebels kidnap and shoot councillor BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Two armed separatist rebels abducted a North Aceh councillor on Sunday evening and left him in critical condition with seven gunshot wounds in Tanah Luas district, Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, an officer said on Monday. "He is in a critical condition and admitted at the military hospital in Lhokseumawe," North Aceh Police precinct chief Supt. Abadan Bangko said.

Government pledges to give emphasis on education

Government pledges to give emphasis on education JAKARTA (JP): In an effort to improve the quality of Indonesia's human resources, the government will place more emphasis on the development of national education in the next fiscal year, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri said on Monday.

Greetings by the German Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia,

Greetings by the German Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Gerhard Fulda, on the occasion of the German National Day On 3 October 2000 we will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of German unity. After forty years of enforced division, Germany was once again united with the agreement of all its neighbours and allies. For the first time in our history Germany is surrounded only by friends and partners. For that we are grateful.

200 local and foreign firms join telecom expo

200 local and foreign firms join telecom expo JAKARTA (JP): Some 200 domestic and international companies are participating in the wireless telecommunications and networking conference and exhibition, Techno Pre-Eminence (TPE) Connectivity 2000, which opened on Monday.

City authorities sets new retail price for kerosene

City authorities sets new retail price for kerosene JAKARTA (JP): The city administration announced on Monday a maximum retail price for kerosene of Rp 430 (5 U.S. cents) per liter, an increase of about 25 percent. Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul Kahfi said the decision was made after a meeting with state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Industry and Trade earlier in the day.

Who wins from privatization?

Who wins from privatization? By Abdurrahman Binsyeh BOGOR, West Java (JP): One of the short-cuts to raise revenue during economic turmoil is through privatization of state-owned enterprises. All this has been highlighted with recommendations, if not pressures, from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and pro-market economists.

Enactment of labor law postponed further

Enactment of labor law postponed further JAKARTA (JP): The government has issued a regulation which further postpones the enactment of Law No. 25/1997 on Labor to allow more time for the House of Representatives to revise the controversial law. The new regulation, No. 3/2000 was issued Sept. 25. It postpones the enactment of the 1997 law until Oct. 1, 2002.

Where to go in Bandung:

Where to go in Bandung: Exhibitions * Painting Exhibition: by Soegeng Toekio, at Galeri Bandung, Jl. Siliwangi 16 (Phone: 022 2036515), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., until Oct. 14. * Japanese Pottery: Wadah features 71 works of Japanese contemporary ceramics artists, at Galeri Soemardja ITB, until Oct. 15. Performances * Sundanese Drama Tatangga, at Gedung Kesenian Rumentang Siang, Jl. Baranang Siang 1, Kosambi (Phone: 022 4233562), 4 p.m., 8 p.m., until Oct. 6.

Megawati unveils 2001 draft budget

Megawati unveils 2001 draft budget JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri unveiled on Monday the draft 2001 state budget which will be unlikely to provide any stimulus to the economy because quite a large portion of the spending will go on servicing government debt and financing subsidies.

Rates for tax payment, valid from Oct. 2 to Oct. 8

Rates for tax payment, valid from Oct. 2 to Oct. 8 U.S. dollar 1 Rp 8,730.00 Austrian schilling 1 554.62 Australian dollar 1 4,749.12 Belgian franc 1 189.18 Canadian dollar 1 5,816.12 Swiss franc 1 5,033.44 Deutschemark 1 3,905.17 Danish krone 1 1,030.19 French franc 1 1,163.45 Poundsterling 1 12,678.58 Hong Kong dollar 1 1,119.46 Italian lira 100 394.15 Japanese yen 100 8,092.32 Malaysian ringgit 1 2,297.43 Dutch guilder 1 3,463.17 New Zealand dollar 1 3,564.46 Norwegian krone 1 959.70 Swedish...

NGO tells government to pay greater attention to refugees' plight

NGO tells government to pay greater attention to refugees' plight JAKARTA (JP): Activists called on the government on Monday to pay greater attention to the plight of refugees in the country, saying that their neglect could be a source of further violence. During a media briefing here, the Civil Society Coalition on Public Policy warned that these internally displaced people could be easily incited to foment unrest due to continuous neglect.

Students demand police apology

Students demand police apology YOGYAKARTA: Hundreds of Muhammadiyah I private high school students and teachers here rallied at the provincial legislature to protest the police shooting of one of the school students Kahfi Hasan Alfi. The protesters urged the legislators to help them make the provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Logan Siagian apologize for the incident, which took place after a basketball game on Wednesday evening.

Budget realistic, except rupiah assumption: Experts

Budget realistic, except rupiah assumption: Experts JAKARTA (JP): Experts said that the government's 2001 budget proposal was generally quite realistic although legislators expressed skepticism on the exchange rate assumption. "I think the figures (in the proposed budget) are quite realistic," said senior economist at PT Danareksa Securities Raden Pardede.

Government must guarantee food, fare prices unchanged

Government must guarantee food, fare prices unchanged JAKARTA (JP): Five prominent non-governmental organizations, grouped in the Civil Society Coalition on Public Policy, asked the government on Monday to guarantee that there will be no subsequent increase in the prices of basic commodities and transportation fares in the next six months following an increase in fuel prices.

Tommy given two days to choose his own fate

Tommy given two days to choose his own fate JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta Prosecutors' Office has given former president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra less than 48 hours to decide whether to ask for clemency or a review of the Supreme Court's verdict against him. The head of the office, Antasari Azhar, said on Monday he had sent a second summons advising Hutomo to appear at his office on Wednesday morning at the latest.

Sony Corporation boosts Malaysian investment to move upmarket

Sony Corporation boosts Malaysian investment to move upmarket KAJANG, Malaysia (AFP): Japan's Sony Corp. on Monday announced plans to invest more than US$10 million in research and development at its color television plant here as part of a move to introduce more sophisticated products. Company officials said the Malaysian plant must move upmarket to make more sophisticated products such as high-definition TVs as other markets became more attractive for manufacturing low end products.

Outlook on RI long-term ratings stable, S&P says

Outlook on RI long-term ratings stable, S&P says SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): Standard & Poor's Corp. Monday raised its long-term and short-term foreign currency ratings on Indonesia to single-B-minus and C, respectively. S&P had previously assigned SD (selective default) ratings on both the long and short-term ratings.

Eurico included in list of East Timor violence suspects

Eurico included in list of East Timor violence suspects JAKARTA (JP): Four more people, including notorious militia leader Eurico Guterres, joined on Monday the list of 19 suspects responsible for last year's violence in East Timor. Leader of the investigation team, Deputy Attorney General for General Crimes M. Rachman, told a news conference that the other three were an army lieutenant colonel and two militia members. Rachman, who is facing an Oct.

Indonesia's contingent greeted in modest ceremony

Indonesia's contingent greeted in modest ceremony JAKARTA (JP): A modest welcoming ceremony greeted the return home of Indonesia's contingent after its three-week campaign at the just-concluded Olympics in Sydney. The squad -- which earned one gold, three silvers and two bronzes from badminton and weightlifting -- arrived at Soekarno- Hatta international airport at 5.40 p.m.

House to debate ten bills during current session

House to debate ten bills during current session JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives is due to debate 10 bills during its current session which lasts till mid-December. House Speaker Akbar Tandjung in his official address at the opening of the House's second session on Monday, said that priority would be given to a bill on free trade and free ports, and a bill on the Sabang-Aceh free trade and free port which would replace Government Regulations in Lieu of Law (Perpu) No. 1 and 2/2000.

Conversion Rates

Conversion Rates Bank Indonesia's conversion rates on Oct. 2, 2000: Bank notes rates TT rates Buying Selling Buying Selling Rp Rp Rp Rp U.S.

Rice prices trending lower

Rice prices trending lower JAKARTA (JP): In spite of Sunday's fuel price hikes, the price of rice in Jakarta held steady on Monday with indications it will fall next week because of plentiful of stocks, Antara reported. Bhaktiono Nasion, head of the Cipinang Central Market, told the news agency that prices were stable because the capital had more than enough stock to meet the strong demand.

Oops! You did it again, Gandhi!

Oops! You did it again, Gandhi! Reading between the lines is an art indeed. Most of our fellow Indonesians don't have that sense of distinction of what you mean seriously, half seriously or just as humor. In most cases they feel offended over what you intended to mean as humor. And I fully agree with you, that it is usually a certain category of our brethren, who run faster, jump higher and snatch more successfully, provided the police are chasing after them, but not wholeheartedly.

Tight security around Holyfield

Tight security around Holyfield JAKARTA (JP): World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Monday and was quickly whisked away from journalists. Tight security provided by about 30 young men prevented local reporters from getting any comments from the world champion. Antara news agency reported Holyfield traveled to Indonesia for a photo session that will be used in an advertising campaign.

The bare-bones budget

The bare-bones budget The draft 2001 state budget will impose contractive pressures on the economy in the fiscal year beginning in January despite deficit spending of Rp 52.11 trillion (US$5.9 billion) because more than 78 percent of the Rp 295.11 trillion total spending will fail to generate any new purchasing power.

Bank Arta goes public

Bank Arta goes public JAKARTA (JP): East Java-based PT Bank Arta Niaga Kencana will sell about 500 million new shares to the public this month to raise funds to finance its expansion program. The bank said that the new shares would be sold for about Rp 500 (about 0.6 U.S. cents) during the initial public offering scheduled for Oct 11-13.

Indonesia's balance of payments 1999/2000-2001 (in million of U.S. dollars)

Indonesia's balance of payments 1999/2000-2001 (in million of U.S. dollars) Description 1999-2000 2000-(April-Dec) 2001 (Jan-Dec) (realized) (estimate) (projection) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Exports of goods, fob 55,545 45,966 63,853 a. Non oil and gas 43,383 35,201 51,637 b. Oil and LNG 12,162 10,765 12,216 2. Imports of goods, fob -32,676 -26,702 -39,298 a. Non oil and non gas -28,143 -23,055 -35,051 b. Oil and LNG -4,533 -3,647 -4,247 3.

Pande defends loan disbursement

Pande defends loan disbursement JAKARTA (JP): A former top official of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) said in court on Monday that the agency's decision to pay Rp 904 billion (US$103.9 million) to Bank Bali last year had followed proper procedures. Pande Lubis told the South Jakarta District Court that he met with officials of Bank Bali and Bank BDNI on April 5 before deciding that the agency should disburse the money to Bank Bali.

Please, Gus Dur be rational

Please, Gus Dur be rational From Suara Karya As common people, we are bewildered upon hearing your statement urging demonstrators to attack Soeharto's house at Cendana. Don't you realize the consequences of your statement? Not only did Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X protest against your statement, but even worse is that the demonstrators have become more courageous as they have been given an endorsement by the President.

Klaten umbrella makers face bleak future

Klaten umbrella makers face bleak future By Kartika Bagus C. SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): An umbrella is usually used to protect oneself from the rain or the scorching sun, but the ones produced in Gumantar village in Klaten, Central Java are different. Although umbrellas from the village, which is located about 45 minutes east of Yogyakarta, still provide protection against the sun on a hot day, you can't use them into the rain as they are made from paper.