Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 25 March 2002

53 articles found

Who cares for our poor?

Who cares for our poor? It is unfortunate, if not incomprehensible, that Indonesia paid scant attention to last week's UN Conference on Financing for Development in the Mexican city of Monterrey. This is an important issue in which Indonesia wants to make its voice heard. Not only did President Megawati stay away, she also failed to dispatch an official of significant stature to join the more than 50 other heads of state in Monterrey.

Restructuring plan for SMEs hits snags

Restructuring plan for SMEs hits snags Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The formulation of a policy to restructure the bad debts owed by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has turned out to be complex than expected as government officials are now divided on what approach should be taken.

KL's Tajudin in tough court fight with agency

KL's Tajudin in tough court fight with agency Wong Choon Mei, Reuters, Kuala Lumpur A debt-plagued Malaysian tycoon, who once had powerful political contacts, heads to court on Monday in a bid to save the last bastion of his financial empire.

1. CIREBON: 55 PT, 2 COLS, 4 X 12

1. CIREBON: 55 PT, 2 COLS, 4 X 12 Port workers lose jobs due to drop in docking ships 2. TOBA: 40 PT, 3 COLS, 2 X 22 PLHI criticizes regreening policy for Lake Toba 3. SCHOOL: 36 PT, 2 COLS, 2 X 23 Poverty forces thousands of students to quit school

East Natuna's D-Alpha closer to development

East Natuna's D-Alpha closer to development The Jakarta Post, Jakarta State-owned oil and gas company Pertamina and its Malaysian counterpart, Petronas signed a preliminary deal for the supply of gas that may end uncertainty over the development of the D-Alpha gas field in East Natuna. The deal could pave the way for the supply of 10 billion cubic feet of gas per day (bcfd) over a 20 year period starting in 2010, said Pertamina upstream director Iin Arifin Takhyan.

More woes in Citra Garden

More woes in Citra Garden I refer to my letter Links from Citra Garden 5 published in The Jakarta Post on Feb. 4, 2002 in respect to problems in the complex and am pleased to inform you that the second gate into Citra 5 was opened on Feb. 3. However, the security guards who man the gates of Citra 3 are slack and indifferent. For instance, the rule that a gate pass should be given to a motorist before he or she is allowed to enter the compound of Citra 3 is not always followed.

Rp 100m for free health care

Rp 100m for free health care BOGOR: Bogor Health Agency has provided Rp 100 million (US$10,000) fund to provide free health care for poor people in the municipality. "The people can obtain free treatment by filling out the form available in each public health center," said head of the agency, Triwandha Elan, on Thursday. The agency has distributed 28,203 forms to the centers. By being registered, the people do not need to worry about medical treatment, medicines and surgery fees.

Bush, Toledo vow common fronts on poverty, terrorism

Bush, Toledo vow common fronts on poverty, terrorism Olivier Knox, Agence France-Presse, Lima U.S. President George W. Bush was to depart Lima for El Salvador early on Sunday (Sunday night in Jakarta), after vowing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Peru's Alejandro Toledo in the battle against terrorism and poverty. Three days after a bombing killed nine people and injured 30 more near the U.S.

Trial of Akbar starts today

Trial of Akbar starts today Annastashya Emmanuelle and Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The trial of House Speaker Abkar Tandjung will begin on Monday at Central Jakarta District Court, making him the highest official to be brought to court under the government's campaign to fight corruption, collusion and nepotism.

* Headlines: Property tax errors admitted 2

* Headlines: Property tax errors admitted 2 * Opinion: The risk of amnesty: Continued impunity 4 * City: Forum accuses Sutiyoso of legalizing bribery 6 * Archipelago: Nearly 2000 Cirebon port workers lose jobs 7 * National: Arson attack kills two RI workers 8 * World: Bush, Toledo vow common fronts on poverty 10 * Business: Wanted, new IBRA chief 11 * Features: Collaborate on projects in Internet meetings 15 * Sports: Lamouchi strike dents Juventus title hopes 20

BIG CATCH: A fisherman cuts a large shark he caught off Aceh

BIG CATCH: A fisherman cuts a large shark he caught off Aceh at the Lampulo fishing port in Banda Aceh. The shark meat is salted before being sold. Additionally, local fishermen also sell shark fins and bones to buyers who process them into traditional medicine.

;AFP;KOD;

;AFP;KOD; ANPAu..r.. Aglance-Thai-Myanmar-drugs Thirteen killed in Thai-Myanmar border drugs clash JP/9/ASEAN Thirteen killed in border drugs clash THAILAND: Twelve alleged drug traffickers and one Thai soldier were killed in a clash that netted 1.6 million amphetamine tablets in northern Thailand on Friday night, reports and officials said on Sunday.

Environment body slams Lake Toba regreening policy

Environment body slams Lake Toba regreening policy Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan The Indonesian Environmental Association (PLHI) has slammed the North Sumatra administration, saying that it had not properly used the fund the central government had allocated for the Lake Toba regreening program.

Sunda Kelapa history

Sunda Kelapa history JAKARTA: Historically, Sunda Kelapa was first mentioned in the 12th century as a port for the Javanese Hindus of the Pajajaran Kingdom, located near Bogor, West Java. Portuguese ships started to dock at Sunda Kelapa in 1512. Portuguese soldiers returned to Pajajaran in 1552 to construct a port but they were forestalled by Islamic troops under the leadership of Fatahillah from the Sultanate of Banten. The first Dutch expedition visited the port in 1596.

Burn your data on a CD

Burn your data on a CD Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, Jakarta Nowadays, new personal computer systems come packaged with a CD Writer. These specialized devices cannot only play your music, show your movies or read your computer data but can also "burn" them onto a special CD. Also known as "CD Burners", these optical drives come in two different technologies. One is the CD-R, or CD Recordable.

Lampung PDIP chief released

Lampung PDIP chief released BANDAR LAMPUNG: Under pressure from supporters of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the prosecutors office released the Lampung party chief from prison on Friday night. The province's prosecutors office spokesman, Zaidar Barlen, said last Saturday that they released the party chief after the province's legislative body, represented by Mahhani Manan, of the United Development Party and Nurhasanah of PDIP, intervened and gave a guarantee.

Poverty forces thousands of students to quit school

Poverty forces thousands of students to quit school Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Banjarnegara Poverty has forced tens of thousands of students in Banjarnegara regency to drop out of school last year, official data from the local administration shows. The data from the regency administration and the regency's education agency shows that in 2001 the number of junior high school students, between 13 years and 15 years of age, reached 43,336, but more than 20,000 of them dropped out.

China, Indonesia move to boost ties

China, Indonesia move to boost ties Susanto Pudjomartono, The Jakarta Post, Beijing Indonesia and China moved to bolster bilateral diplomatic ties on Sunday, signing a number of memorandum of understandings (MOUs) including on the establishment of a joint Energy Forum and on a US$6 million grant to Indonesia. The MOUs were signed after President Megawati Soekarnoputri held a meeting with her Chinese host President Jiang Zemin. Both Megawati and Jiang witnessed the signing of the two MOUs.

Sutiyoso accused of legalizing bribery

Sutiyoso accused of legalizing bribery Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Undeterred by the filing of a police report against him for defamation, chairman of the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) Azas Tigor has publicly repeated his allegation that Governor Sutiyoso attempted to bribe councillors. Tigor accused Sutiyoso on Saturday of trying to bribe city councillors by allocating Rp 17.8 billion (US$1.78 million) for session fees during the deliberation of the governor's budget speech.

Fire guts train in C. Java

Fire guts train in C. Java BLORA, Central Java: A Gumarang executive train plying the Jakarta-Surabaya route caught on fire in Wedu village, 10 kilometers west of the Central Java town of Blora, on Saturday. No casualties were reported. The two-hour long fire began at 4:20 a.m. from the train's cafeteria carriage and spread to another carriage. Crew members were powerless to put out the blaze which razed both carriages as fire-fighting equipment failed to work properly.

Port workers lose jobs due to drop in docking ships

Port workers lose jobs due to drop in docking ships Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon Nearly two thousand workers in Cirebon are facing unemployment because the number of ships entering Cirebon port has dropped dramatically during last week, labor activists have claimed. Port workers' cooperative chairman Moch.

The risk of amnesty: Continued impunity

The risk of amnesty: Continued impunity Todung Mulya Lubis, Lawyer, Jakarta Can justice be replaced with another means of social avenue? A fair and lasting reconciliation can only be achieved by emphasizing the rights of victims. In Indonesia, efforts to make peace with the past through the formation of a truth and reconciliation commission are more guided by the interest to prevent national disintegration. Reconciliation is deemed more important than accountability.

Muslim leaders call for calm over int'l rhetoric on terror

Muslim leaders call for calm over int'l rhetoric on terror Tiarma Siboro and Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Mainstream Islamic leaders have called on the country's Muslims not to be became angered over U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz's statements on the presence of suspected al-Qaeda cells in the country, saying that all such allegations had yet to be backed up by concrete evidence.

Rupiah poised to gain more: Analyst

Rupiah poised to gain more: Analyst Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The rupiah got off to a record-high level against the U.S. dollar last week, with analysts expecting the bullish trend to continue this week amid lingering bright sentiments. Last Friday, the rupiah surged to 9,835 against the greenback, its highest closing this year due in part to suspected late dollar selling by the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA).

Dude, where's my car?

Dude, where's my car? From Republika On March 11, my family and I went to the Safari Park in Cisarua, Bogor. We parked our car in front of a ticket booth near the cable cars. At about 1 p.m., we found that our car was gone. We asked the man in charge of the ticket booth about our 1996 dark blue Grand Extra Kijang van. He answered that about five minutes earlier, two men had gotten into a dark blue Kijang van whose alarm was going off. Unfortunately, he had seen no reason to become suspicious.

Perez's planned visit opposed

Perez's planned visit opposed JAKARTA: The Indonesian Committee for World Muslim Solidarity (KISDI) is against Israeli foreign minister Shimon Perez's planned visit to Indonesia at the invitation of the youth wing of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). "We have sent a note to NU general chairman Hasyim Muzadi, urging him to cancel the invitation," KISDI secretary Adian Husaini said, after delivering a lecture at Al Azhar Mosque in Jakarta on Friday.

Ninithowong, a Javanese that can tell the future

Ninithowong, a Javanese that can tell the future Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta The pretty doll resembling an Ondel-ondel (Jakarta mask dancer) swayed flirtatiously right and left, back and forth. Suddenly, it began jerking and writhing uncontrollably before fiercely attacking two of the four people holding it. The wooden doll was the size of an average adolescent, but its movement was as violent as an angry man, savaging anyone who tried to hold it.

Will Akbar's trial end his career in national politics?

Will Akbar's trial end his career in national politics? Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung is scheduled to stand trial for his alleged involvement in the high- profile Bulog scandal on Monday, the first time a head of one of the country's highest institutions has ever been tried in this country.

Punish big corruptors

Punish big corruptors From Rakyat Merdeka The current state of our country is attributable to rampant corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN), as well as the mega- debts that are strangling the economy. How can the country remain unaffected if some Rp 150 trillion is now in the hands of dirty business magnates and some Rp 500 trillion in debts has yet to be repaid? The total amount reaches about Rp 650 trillion, a figure nearly as large as the government's foreign debts.

Wanted new IBRA chief: Must be clean and capable

Wanted new IBRA chief: Must be clean and capable Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Now that the government has said it wants to replace the chairman of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA), the next question to ask is what qualities should the new chairman have to run the powerful agency in the most appropriate manner. The new IBRA chief must have strong networking and leadership abilities, and sound knowledge of the finance and banking sector.

Undip rector to protest against minister

Undip rector to protest against minister SEMARANG, Central Java: Rector of Semarang-based Diponegoro University (Undip) Eko Budihardjo is planning to lodge a protest against Minister of National Education Ahmad Malik Fadjar for his decision not to allow the university to open a doctorate program in fishery and marine sciences.

PMI may stop ambulance operation

PMI may stop ambulance operation JAKARTA: The Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has warned it may be forced to stop its ambulance service and blood donor service due to lack of funds. Jakarta PMI head Uga Wiranto, said that PMI was facing financial problems, and if it failed to receive additional donations from sponsors, it would stop the ambulance service, and even blood transfusion service, beritajakarta.com reported.

New suspect in Cirebon smuggling case

New suspect in Cirebon smuggling case CIREBON, West Java: The Cirebon prosecutor's office in West Java has named a new suspect in a high-profile case involving the smuggling of 19 containers containing luxury cars and electronic goods via the city's seaport. "Previously there was only one suspect, namely the president director of PT Tiang Grage, Soenarko Kasidin. There are now two suspects.

More woes in Citra Garden

More woes in Citra Garden I refer to my letter Links from Citra Garden 5 published in The Jakarta Post on Feb. 4, 2002 in respect to problems in the complex and am pleased to inform you that the second gate into Citra 5 was opened on Feb. 3. However, the security guards who man the gates of Citra 3 are slack and indifferent. For instance, the rule that a gate pass should be given to a motorist before he or she is allowed to enter the compound of Citra 3 is not always followed.

Maritime tourism: Big project with little money

Maritime tourism: Big project with little money Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta An attractive historical tourist destination has long been a dream of Jakarta city authorities. And that's just what it remains -- a dream. It is more than a decade since the Sunda Kelapa maritime tourism project was first launched, but there is still no significant progress on the planned showcase of Java's Dutch colonial history.

Arson attack kills two RI workers

Arson attack kills two RI workers Agencies, Kuala Lumpur Two Indonesian immigrant workers were burnt to death and five others injured when their makeshift home was set ablaze by unidentified assailants, Malaysian police said Sunday. The Indonesians were believed sleeping when the incident occurred late Friday at a construction site on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, a district police spokesman said on condition of anonymity.

TV Program: Monday, March 25, 2002

TV Program: Monday, March 25, 2002 TVRI 5:00 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 News 8:00 Environment 8:30 Children's Program 9:00 Cooking Program 10:00 Technology 11:00 News 11:30 Music 12:00 p.m. News 1:00 Talk Show 2:30 Quiz 3:00 Children's Program 3:30 Cartoon 4:00 Music 6:00 News 7:00 Dialog 8:00 Quiz 9:00 News 9:30 Blues Night 11:00 Debating 12:00 a.m. News TPI 5:30 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 News 7:00 Music 8:00 TV Drama 9:00 Indonesian Film 11:00 TV Drama 12:00 p.m.

Report on Theys' death expected next week

Report on Theys' death expected next week The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The National Investigation Commission (KPN) in charge of investigating the killing of Papuan independence leader Theys H. Eluway is expected to give a comprehensive report to the government next week, an official said. Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Sunday he would arrange a meeting with Koesparmono Irsan, chairman of the inquiry commission.

Latest graft cases 'not a deterrent'

Latest graft cases 'not a deterrent' Muninggar Sri Sarawati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Despite being one of the most corrupt countries in the world, Indonesian officials continue to drag their feet in efforts to combat the crime. In the latest corruption case, the Central Jakarta District Court seemingly got tough by sentencing a former bank president to life, and his two accomplices to 20 years in jail each. But will the harsh sentences deter corruption? Legal experts say no.

Megawati leaves for China

Megawati leaves for China Susanto Pudjomartono The Jakarta Post Beijing Indonesia and China moved to bolster bilateral diplomatic ties on Sunday, signing a number of memorandum of understandings (MOUs) including on the establishment of a joint Energy Forum and on a US$6 million grant to Indonesia. The MOUs were signed after President Megawati Soekarnoputri held a meeting with her Chinese host President Jiang Zemin. Both Megawati and Ziang witnessed the signing of the two MOUs.

1. Mega (50) - 68 pts BB l/c 4cols 2lines (2x12)

1. Mega (50) - 68 pts BB l/c 4cols 2lines (2x12) China, RI move to boost ties 2. Corruption - 48 pts BB l/c 5cols 1lines (1x30) Latest graft cases 'not a deterrent' 3. UKM (43) - 36 pts BB l/c 2cols 3lines (3x12) Restructuring plan for SMEs hits snags 4. Akbar (28) - 28 pts BB l/c 1col 4lines (4x8) Trial of Akbar starts today --- 5. Photo : Megawati 5. 24hours plus 1inside

Layoffs loom on plan to revoke oil worker decree

Layoffs loom on plan to revoke oil worker decree Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Executives at foreign oil firms warned the Indonesian government against revoking a decree that allows them to retain temporary workers for an indefinite period, saying revoking the decree would increase costs and could lead to layoffs.

Collaborate on projects in Internet meetings

Collaborate on projects in Internet meetings Zatni Arbi, Columnist, Jakarta, zatni@cbn.net.id A 24-hour broadband connection to the Internet is definitely a boon for home workers. For one thing, there is no meter running, so we can calmly work on things that take hours to finish.

JP/11/J06

JP/11/J06 Canadian firm to invest US$5b in fish-processing The Jakarta Post Jakarta A Canadian company is ready to invest some US$5 billion for the development of a fish-processing business in Indonesia, an official said on Sunday. Soempeno Putro, a senior official of the Marine and Fishery Ministry, said in Bogor, West Java, that a Canadian company which has joined the Chianti Group would develop a squid and shrimp- processing business as "ready to eat food" in Indonesia.

Child killed when truck hits house

Child killed when truck hits house BOGOR: A truck slammed into a house in Cibentang village in Ciseeng, Bogor, on Friday at 2 a.m., killing an 11-year-old boy who was asleep inside. The driver of the truck, which was carrying a load of sand, apparently lost control of the vehicle as he was navigating the sloping road in front of the house. The boy, Sutrisno, his father, Mahfud, and his two siblings were sleeping when the truck crashed into the house. Sutrisno died instantly.

Debt deals: IBRA lawyers' latest tactic to recover $10b

Debt deals: IBRA lawyers' latest tactic to recover $10b The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The team appointed to identify uncooperative debtors of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) is prepared to offer debt rescheduling deals in a bid to recover $10 billion in lost funds. Legal counsel member Luhut Pangaribuan, a lawyer, said his team would attempt to achieve the highest possible recovery rate.

Don't give us any trouble

Don't give us any trouble From Warta Kota Referring to a statement by the director of Bina Sumberdaya Mitra that appeared in the March 9 edition of Warta Kota about the public's need for trouble-free and affable service, I would like to share a personal experience. A land swap deal at Jl. Salemba Raya No.

Poultry firms blamed for polluting river

Poultry firms blamed for polluting river Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang Dozens of residents living along Cimanceuri river in Cibadak village, Cikupa district, Tangerang, complained on Friday about pollution in the river. They said they were no longer able to use the water in the river for bathing and washing since two chicken slaughterhouses, PT Ciomas Adi Satwa and PT Jafpa OSI, began operating in the area 10 years ago.

Property tax errors admitted but no corrections planned

Property tax errors admitted but no corrections planned Rendi A.Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Tax officials have admitted they made some major miscalculations that caused property taxes here to skyrocket, but the acknowledgment does not necessarily mean that all the mistakes will be corrected. "We can't make a correction unless the taxpayers file an objection," a tax official at the Directorate General of Tax said.

Abu Sayyaf camp overrun by RP troops

Abu Sayyaf camp overrun by RP troops Agence France-Presse, Zamboanga, Philippines Philippine troops have overrun an Abu Sayyaf guerrilla camp on the southern island of Basilan following a clash that left five gunmen dead, an official said on Sunday. Army soldiers stumbled onto the camp near Basilan's Lantawan town on Saturday, Colonel Roland Detabali said.

VIP toilets at Gambir

VIP toilets at Gambir From Warta Kota The fee for using VIP toilets at Gambir railway station, Central Jakarta, has been increased to Rp 1,000 probably because they are mostly used by passengers who travel on executive-class trains. At all other railway stations in Jakarta, the fee is still just Rp 500 per person. Two toilets for the disabled on the ground floor at Gambir railway station are always locked. Once I saw, to my surprise, a physically able man using one of these special toilets.

Angie 2001 best athlete: Polls

Angie 2001 best athlete: Polls The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Junior Wimbledon champion Angelique Widjaja was named 2001 best female athlete, while badminton player Hendrawan won the men's category at an award ceremony here on Sunday. Angie, as the 17-year-old tennis player is popularly known, pipped the other four nominees in a lopsided readers' poll conducted by leading national sports tabloid Bola.

* Headlines: Property tax errors admitted 2

* Headlines: Property tax errors admitted 2 * Opinion: The risk of amnesty: Continued impunity 4 * City: Forum accuses Sutiyoso of legalizing bribery 6 * Archipelago: Nearly 2000 Cirebon port workers lose jobs 7 * National: Arson attack kills two RI workers 8 * World: Bush, Toledo vow common fronts on poverty 10 * Business: Wanted, new IBRA chief 11 * Features: Collaborate on projects in Internet meetings 15 * Sports: Lamouchi's goal dents Juventus title hopes 20