Bank Rakyat Indonesia BRI 14040 offers quick and easy banking transactions by phone Executives, professionals, academics and businesspeople who are always on the move can now make banking transactions by phone anywhere and anytime through Bank BRI, Indonesia's only bank which has offices in almost every town across the country.

Man gets death for fatal robbery attempt The Central Jakarta District Court sentenced a man to death on Thursday for his involvement in a fatal robbery attempt last year outside a Bank BCA branch on Jl. Bungur Besar Raya, Central Jakarta. The crime on Oct. 25 took the lives of a police officer, Chief Sgt. Slamet Riyanto, and Ari Wibowo, an accomplice of defendant Agung Widodo. The defendant, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, was shocked at the verdict. "I didn't shoot ...

'RCTI' slammed as 70 million viewers miss W. Cup matches Muhammad Nafik and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Holding the sole rights in Indonesia to broadcast the World Cup on television could turn out to be a poisoned chalice for RCTI as the House of Representatives condemned the country's oldest private television channel for ignoring the fate of 70 million potential viewers who were missing out on the month-long spectacular.

Indonesia govt told not to force through Bali Commitment Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali The Indonesian government, currently hosting the UN meeting on sustainable development here, should not insist that the final document, called the Bali Commitment, be completed since there are too many contentious issues blocking negotiations, NGOs say.

Megawati pays homage to late father The Jakarta Post Jakarta President Megawati Soekarnoputri went to Blitar, East Java, on Thursday to visit the grave of her father, founding president Sukarno. Sukarno was born on June 6, and the visit to his grave is an annual tradition for his relatives, who also hold a yearly memorial service for him on June 21, the date when he died. Blitar was the birthplace of Sukarno, and the locals maintain a strong emotional attachment to the charismatic leader.

VP wants end to party subsidies JAKARTA: Vice President Hamzah Haz called on Thursday for the government to stop subsidizing political parties, and to use the money instead for national education. "With the current multiparty system, in which 180 political parties have registered for the 2004 elections, the government should no longer provide subsidies," Hamzah said as quoted by the chairman of the Mathna'ul Anwar youth group, Son Haji Ujaji, who met with the Vice President here.

Tommy's lawyer released JAKARTA: The police finally released Elza Syarief, the lawyer for Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, on Thursday afternoon after spending one month in the city police headquarter's detention cell. Elza was arrested on May 6 on charges of bribing witnesses in Tommy's case to lie before the court. Police spokesman Anton Bachrul Alam said that the police granted her request to delay her detention because her dossier had been completed.

Da'i urges Poso people to avoid provocation Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar asked the conflicting Christian and Muslim camps in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi, on Thursday not to be provoked by a bomb blast in public bus serving the Palu-Poso-Tentena route.

Firdaus promotes culinary arts Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta His main activity is in the investment, banking and fund management sector. But as the bailli delegue (chairman) of the Indonesian chapter of the international gastronomic society, Chaine des Rotisseurs, Firdaus Abdullah Siddik is also committed to promoting culinary arts in Indonesia and promoting the country's rich culinary culture.

Earlier Disbandment of IBRA When the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency was set up in early 1999, it was decided that it would exist for only five years. If all the agency's duties could be accomplished earlier, the agency, as its chief Syarifuddin A. Temenggung has said, will be disbanded a year earlier. Can we breathe a sigh of relief? There should be no doubt in this matter.

Ministers show disdain to NGOs Different ministers, different temperaments and different ways of handling the public, as two of Indonesia's coordinating ministers showed. Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro- Jakti kept his cool when a member of the Indonesian Indigenous People group warned him not to take anymore loans from foreign creditors in an open dialog with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Wednesday.

JP/15/N00 Stock prises on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on June 6, 2002: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Shares Close Change Trading Volume ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Abdi Bangsa Tbk 370 -5 75,000 Ades Alfindo Tbk 1,100 0 0 Adindo Foresta 55 0 0 AGIS Tbk 125 0 265,000 Akbar Indo Makmur 365 0 0 Alakasa 150 0 0 Alfa Retailindo 775 0 80,000 Alter Abadi Tbk 40 0 0 Alumindo Light 625 0 1,000 Andhi Chandra...

Anti-human trafficking law urgent, experts say Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Indonesia needs to carve out an anti-human trafficking bill, considering that it has no law against all forms of human trafficking, experts say. The United Nations regards Indonesia as a supplier of victims and one of the worst countries in handling the heinous phenomena. Lawyer Nursyahbani Katjasungkana said on Thursday that Indonesia should set penalties equivalent to those set for other grave crimes.

FKDPM delays lawsuit against finance ministry Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Association of Oil and Gas Producing Regencies (FKDPM) has postponed plans to sue the Ministry of Finance over oil and gas earnings for several days to better prepare itself for the legal battle. "We're serious with our step. We're going to take legal action next Monday or Tuesday," FKDPM senior official Drajat Hadiwijoyo told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

EU, East Asian foreign ministers gather for Madrid meeting Agencies Madrid Foreign ministers from the European Union (EU) and East Asia were gathering in Madrid on Thursday for a two-day meeting, with the Kashmir conflict and illegal migration high on their agenda.

House delays decision on Bulog JAKARTA: The House of Representatives has pushed back to July 1 a plenary session to decide whether to establish a special committee to investigate the role of House Speaker Akbar Tandjung in a financial scandal involving the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).

Govt moves to block access to state secrets Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government will submit a draft law on official secrets to counter the freedom of information bill proposed by the House of Representatives, which, if passed, would give the public, including the media, statutory access to information on state institutions and government offices.

Govt criticized for exploiting guards The presence of Balinese traditional village guards or pecalang has captured the attention of most delegates attending the current UN meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali. Everything appeared to be running smoothly until Wednesday morning when hundreds of NGO members staged a big rally at the resort complex, which apparently provoked dozens of pecalang to the brink of an ugly, violent clash with the demonstrators.

BRI 14040 offers quick and easy banking transactions by phone Executives, professionals, academics and businesspeople who are always on the move can now make banking transactions by phone anywhere and anytime through Bank BRI, Indonesia's only bank which has offices in almost every town across the country.

Govt, House avoid hike in haj fee JAKARTA: The government and House of Representatives Commission VI for human resources and religious affairs agreed on Thursday to reduce, or at least to maintain, the haj fee for next season. The agreement was reached during a hearing with Director General of Islamic and Haj Affairs Taufiq Kamil, which was presided over by the commission's deputy chairwoman, Chodidjah.

RI told to be prepared for court decision on disputed islands Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Although the Sipadan-Ligitan issue is not expected to be a constant agitation in bilateral relations with Malaysia, Indonesia should be prepared to accept the International Court of Justice's decision on the matter later this year, observers said on Thursday.

'Free final examination? It's only a rumor' Junior high school and high school students in the city recently finished taking final exams. And for the first time, the city administration provided funds to finance the exams, so the students would not have to pay for the tests themselves. Unfortunately, the money arrived late, something to do with the fact that the city began distributing the funds on June 4, the day after high school students began taking the tests. Alma M.

Where to go in Jakarta: Exhibitions * Visual Arts Deep Blue, the Art and the Sea, National Museum, Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No. 12, Central Jakarta (Tel. 3868172), until June 17. * Video Art from Finland, Lontar Gallery, Jl. Utan Kayu 68H, East Jakarta (Tel. 8573388), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., until June 12. * Advertising, Bentara Budaya Jakarta, Jl. Palmerah Selatan, Central Jakarta (Tel. 5483008 ext. 7910, 7911), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., until June 8.

Headings 1. Lampung: 12 x 4 lines Executive, legislature race to use up budget money 2. Poso: 21 x 2 lines Poso people urged to avoid provocation 3. Ambon: 24 x 2 lines Djoko vows to end Maluku's military-police conflict 4. Tiger: 24 x 2 lines Sumatran tiger faces extinction

Estrada not allowed to leave RP PHILIPPINES: A court barred ousted president Joseph Estrada on Thursday from leaving the country to undergo knee surgery in the United States, saying he might not return for his trial on a charge which carries the death penalty. "The perceived risk of flight is not without basis," the antigraft court said in rejecting Estrada's petition to be allowed to be operated on by his personal U.S. doctor for his arthritic knees.

RP to get US$1.7b in WB loans MANILA: The World Bank has earmarked up to US$1.7 billion in loans to the Philippines over the next three years, a bank statement received here said Thursday. The bank's executive board has approved a three-year assistance strategy for the Philippines to "re-establish a pattern of rapid and sustained poverty reduction," the statement said.

Sofjan admits to having issued documents for smuggled cars Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta In an inquiry led by National Police generals, Comr. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb said on Thursday that he had issued temporary vehicle documents for 11 Mercedes Benzes, allegedly smuggled in from Singapore, during and after his term as South Sulawesi Police chief ended last year. National Police inspector-general Comr. Gen.

Haircuts for small businesses Ross H. McLeod, Editor, 'Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies', Canberra An interesting policy suggestion that has been made in recent times is that small businesses with outstanding bank loans should be given haircuts. The purported rationale for this is fairness. Firms owned by the conglomerates allegedly have been given haircuts, so to be fair, small firms should be given haircuts as well.