Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 13 September 2002

64 articles found

Dengue outbreak hits Padang

Dengue outbreak hits Padang PADANG, West Sumatra: Dengue fever epidemics are reported to have hit the city of Padang and other regions in the province, claiming at least one life and hospitalizing several others. Sources in the city said Arif, 6, of Balai Baru Sub-district, died on Tuesday of dengue due to belated medical treatment. Other residents, mostly children, were receiving intensive treatment in the city's hospitals.

The euphoria must end

The euphoria must end President Megawati Soekarnoputri's statement in front of the Indonesian community in Algeria that the euphoria of reform should be limited was in fact a reflection of public sentiment. The reform movement should not have overjoyed us or inappropriately obsessed us into continuously demanding our rights without fulfilling our duties and being accountable to the public.

The epitome of pettiness

The epitome of pettiness On learning that the U.S. had decided to close its embassy and consular offices because of a "specific terrorist threat" on Sept. 11, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono whined it was "a unilateral decision ... that would give the false impression that Indonesia was incapable of ensuring the security of foreigners and their assets here".

Jakartans enjoy Friday night of the DJs

Jakartans enjoy Friday night of the DJs Joseph Mangga, Contributor, Jakarta It's not unusual to head-out for an evening in Jakarta without a specific venue or destination in mind, but that certainly wasn't what happened the last Friday in August (8/30), when no less than four major Jakarta clubs sponsored special DJ events the very same night, and in most cases, featuring some serious imported talent.

Karate hopeful remains on Asian Games team

Karate hopeful remains on Asian Games team Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta National karateka Sonny Simangasing will be going to the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, after all, following the National Sports Council (KONI)'s rejection of a proposal for his replacement on the squad. The Indonesian Karate-Do Association (Forki) submitted a letter to KONI on Sept. 5, asking that Sonny be replaced on the team by Yan Pieter Napitupulu.

Tighter security at U.S. embassy called for

Tighter security at U.S. embassy called for The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Vice President Hamzah Haz ordered the National Police on Thursday to increase security around the American embassy and its consulate in Surabaya, responding to the U.S. decision to shut down both establishments on account of security threats. "The Vice President has instructed National Police Headquarters to tighten security and increase the number of police personal (at the U.S.

ST Telemedia eyes Indosat stake

ST Telemedia eyes Indosat stake SINGAPORE: Singapore Technologies Telemedia, a unit of the Singapore Technologies Group, may be in talks with PT Indonesian Satellite Corp., or Indosat, to acquire a stake in its mobile phone unit PT Satelit Palapa Indonesia, or Satelindo, the Today newspaper reports, without quoting sources. ST Telemedia is a majority stakeholder of Singapore mobile operator Starhub.

TV Today: Friday, September 13, 2002

TV Today: Friday, September 13, 2002 TVRI .tb .30" .90" 5:00 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 News 8:00 Environment 9:00 Indonesian Film 11:00 News 11:30 Music 12:00 p.m. News 1:00 Talk Show 3:00 Music 3:30 Religious Teachings 4:00 TV Drama 5:00 The Brilliant 6:00 News 7:00 Talk Show 9:00 News 9:30 TV Drama 11:00 Puppet Show TPI 5:30 a.m. Religious Teachings 7:00 Quiz 8:00 Music 9:00 Entertainment News 10:00 Music 11:00 Quiz 12:00 p.m.

'SCTV', 'TPI' unveil Serie A live package

'SCTV', 'TPI' unveil Serie A live package The Jakarta Post, Jakarta SCTV and TPI are set to go head to head against each other to lure soccer viewers when they both commence their live broadcasts of Italian soccer's Serie A, or A League, matches on Sept. 15. The two private television channels separately announced their Serie A packages, but failed to disclose their respective values The Serie A competition, which involves 18 clubs, will last for 34 weeks and consist of a total of 136 matches.

2. Cifor -- Fires: Stop blaming,

2. Cifor -- Fires: Stop blaming, start acting! atau Fires: Stop seeking scape goat, just start acting! 3. Paul -- Supporting development in eastern Indonesia

Aceh police question two foreign women

Aceh police question two foreign women Agence France-Presse, Banda Aceh Two foreign women allegedly found with photos and documents linked to separatist rebels are being questioned by police in Indonesia's Aceh province, police said Thursday. Police spokesman Taufiq identified them as Lesley Jane, 42, born in Scotland and an instructor at a university in Tasmania, Australia, and Joy Lee, also 42, a retired American health worker born in Iowa.

Attack on Iraq would aggravate anti-West feelings: Scholars

Attack on Iraq would aggravate anti-West feelings: Scholars Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Muslim scholars joined the mounting opposition to any intention by the U.S. to attack Iraq, saying it could further encourage radicalism, feelings of hatred and enmity against the West and the U.S. in particular.

Mbah Ranto's makes life meaningful

Mbah Ranto's makes life meaningful Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Surakarta If he could turn the clock back, comedian Ranto Edi Gudel would like to return to the year 1997 and scrap a song he had written that became a prophecy. Now 67, the comedian under the stage name "Mbah Ranto", regrets writing the song, Anoman Obong, popularized by Mamiek Melani in an album that became a hit. The song retells the story from the Ramayana epic about the monkey-king Hanoman setting himself ablaze.

Abdul Hakim elected Komnas HAM chief

Abdul Hakim elected Komnas HAM chief Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Noted lawyer Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara was elected chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas Ham) on Thursday, with an uphill challenge of restoring the country's poor records in rights protection.

RI 'could be model' of democratic Muslim nation

RI 'could be model' of democratic Muslim nation Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Indonesia could become the prototype of a democratic Islamic nation as the majority of Muslims here embrace moderation and modernity despite the fact that radicalism has been growing since the fall of former strongman Soeharto in 1998, says a noted German Muslim scholar. "The mainstream of Islam in Indonesia is not scriptural and the popular face of Islam here is flexible.

Malaysia to set up CPO distribution in Africa, Europe

Malaysia to set up CPO distribution in Africa, Europe Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia has announced plans to set up palm oil distribution centers in Africa and Eastern Europe to boost crude palm oil (CPO) exports into new markets, a report said Thursday. Victor Ngo, regional head of the Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council, said the centralized hubs would cut shipping costs by effectively distributing palm oil to end-consumers.

East Lombok calm after arson attacks

East Lombok calm after arson attacks The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The situation in Selong, East Lombok Regency in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) returned to normal on Thursday, following arson attacks on a mosque belonging to the Ahmadiyah community as well as other assets on Wednesday evening. Local police chief Adj. Sr. Comm. M.A. Wiguna said Thursday that authorities were currently questioning six persons as witnesses in the attacks that started on Tuesday.

Attack on Iraq would aggravate anti-West feelings: Scholars

Attack on Iraq would aggravate anti-West feelings: Scholars Muhammad Nafik The Jakarta Post Jakarta Muslim scholars joined the mounting opposition to any intention by the U.S. to attack Iraq, saying it could further encourage radicalism, feelings of hatred and enmity against the West and the U.S. in particular.

Bank lending expands

Bank lending expands The central bank disclosed on Wednesday a confidence-building trend within the economy, saying that bank lending increased by 25 percent to Rp 9.5 trillion (US$1.07 billion) in August from Rp 7.6 trillion in July. Yet more encouraging is that almost 34 percent of the total credits was extended to small and medium enterprises.

On pedophiles in Bali

On pedophiles in Bali In the Aug. 29 edition of The Jakarta Post you ran an interesting section of several articles on pedophilia in Bali. This was accompanied by a photograph of a light-skinned man sitting on the beach with a dark-skinned boy. The caption, as well as the positioning of the photo, made it absolutely clear that this photo was meant to illustrate a pedophile and his toy. In Aug. 30 of the Post, you ran a cowardly disclaimer stating that it was merely meant to illustrate "Bali".

Old problems plague ASEAN

Old problems plague ASEAN Raju Gopalakrishnan, Reuters, Manila When the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was being expanded in the 1990s to include communist Vietnam, army-ruled Myanmar and poverty-stricken Laos and Cambodia, many wondered if the group's unity was at risk. The earlier members -- Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and later Brunei -- had after all coalesced over decades.

IBRA to sell more BCA shares

IBRA to sell more BCA shares The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) said Thursday it hoped to sell a further 13.5 percent stake in Bank Central Asia next year. IBRA - set up after the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis to clear up the local banking sector collapse - took over BCA from the Salim Group as part of its massive bailout of the financial system. Earlier this year, the agency sold a 51 percent stake in BCA to U.S. investment firm Farallon Capital for just over US$500 million.

Workers protest imported sugar

Workers protest imported sugar Ainur R. Sophia'an and Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya/Cirebon Thousands of sugar farmers and peasants employed by sugar plantations in West and East Java went on strike Thursday to protest sugar imports that have affected the sugar industry at home.

Indonesia, Egypt share intelligence in war on terror

Indonesia, Egypt share intelligence in war on terror Agence France-Presse, Cairo Presidents Megawati Soekarnoputri of Indonesia and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt (photo above) discussed here Thursday how to improve sharing intelligence in fighting terror, Mubarak advisor Osama al-Baz said.

JP/6/FAIZA

JP/6/FAIZA It's pseudo-nationalism to blame only Malaysia Malaysia, Indonesia both exploit workers Faiza Mardzoeki Women's Solidarity for Human Rights (Solidaritas Perempuan) Jakarta Since Malaysia passed Immigration Act No. 1154 2002 in August, there has been a mass deportation of migrant workers from there. The new law applies to those workers not possessing legal documents and also to their employers. The new law imposes penalties of caning, fines as well as prison terms for both parties.

Fires: Stop blaming others, just start acting!

Fires: Stop blaming others, just start acting! Luca Tacconi, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor Each year, from February to March and August to October, the haze that disrupts social and economic activities in Indonesia also brings with it conflicting accusations of blame. The game of allocating blame for the fires that cause haze repeats itself as regularly as the fires themselves. But it's time to stop blaming and start acting.

Supporting development of eastern Indonesia

Supporting development of eastern Indonesia Paul L. Coutrier, Executive Director Indonesian Mining Association (IMA), Jakarta Only in the last two years the government came to realize that eastern Indonesia (KTI) has been lacking far behind the western regions; estimates say the east is about 40 years behind western Indonesia, mainly Java. But it is only in this present period of reform that a special Ministry for the Acceleration of Eastern Indonesia was formed.

ASEAN told to restore investor confidence

ASEAN told to restore investor confidence Dow Jones, Bandar Seri Begawan The Association of South East Asian Nations, or ASEAN, must restore investor confidence and reduce the cost of doing business in the region, the group's economic ministers heard Thursday. Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah also told the ASEAN Economic Ministers meeting that the group must press ahead with forging wider links with its East Asian and Asia Pacific trading partners.

Small firms seek to involve in JORR

Small firms seek to involve in JORR JAKARTA: The Association of Indonesian General Contractors (Askumindo) hopes that state-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga will involve small and medium firms in developing the Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR). Chairman of the Association Tubagus Imron said on Thursday that the 60-kilometer JORR project would cost trillions of rupiah.

Tenggerese to hold chant contest

Tenggerese to hold chant contest SURABAYA: Tenggerese sorcerer Soedjai said on Thursday that people living near Mount Bromo in the East Java regency Probolinggo would perform the Sanskrit chant prayer contest before commemorating Yadnya Kasada Day on Sept. 23. The Tenggerese, strong followers of Hinduism, celebrate Yadnya Kasada Day during which they show their gratitude to Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa (the one and only God) by giving offerings and sacrificing animals.

City Council quiet after gubernatorial election

City Council quiet after gubernatorial election Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The City Council was silent on Thursday, one day after Governor Sutiyoso was controversially elected for a second term with 47 of 84 votes. The scene on Thursday was in stark contrast to the events that took place during the election on Wednesday, when thousands of demonstrators took to the streets around City Hall and the City Council building to oppose the election of Sutiyoso.

Rupiah Rates Sept.12

Rupiah Rates Sept.12 Banknote rates TT rates Selling Buying Selling Buying Rp Rp Rp Rp Australian dollar 1 5,199.69 4,642.39 4,948.03 4,893.83 Brunei dollar 1 5,351.51 4,779.54 5,092.50 5,038.40 Canadian dollar 1 5,951.88 5,315.41 5,663.82 5,603.29 Swiss franc 1 6,273.19 5,604.03 5,969.57 5,907.54 Danish krone 1 1,236.40 1,104.45 1,176.56 1,164.27 Euro 1 9,192.30 8,210.30 8,747.40 8,654.97 Poundsterling 1 14,613.85 13,055.15 13,906.56 13,762.22 Hong Kong dollar 1 1,205.29 1,077.04 1,146.95...

Blackout plunges city into darkness for hours

Blackout plunges city into darkness for hours The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Much of Greater Jakarta was in the dark on Thursday evening as most of the area was hit by power blackouts for more than three hours, causing confusion and traffic jams in many parts of the region. The blackout was due to a problem along the 500-kilovolt Suralaya-Cibinong-Bekasi transmission system. The problem started at 5:53 p.m.

2. 2 x 25

2. 2 x 25 Asian markets lie low ahead of Bush and Greenspan Asian markets lie low ahead of Bush and Greenspan 3. 1 X 28 Oil holds near 2002 highs as U.S. stocks ebb 4. 2 x 15 Malaysia to set up CPO distribution in Africa, Europe Malaysia buys 40% of PT PGN

Civil servants pledge loyalty to ousted leader

Civil servants pledge loyalty to ousted leader Yuliansyah, The Jakarta Post, Banjarmasin Defying an expulsion vote by the local legislature and a resignation demand by student and non-governmental organization activists, South Kalimantan Governor Sjachriel Darham rallied thousands of civil servants on Thursday to pledge loyalty to his leadership. Sjachriel, removed from office by provincial legislators on Aug.

Bill on witness protection to benefit rights trials

Bill on witness protection to benefit rights trials Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Justice in the country will be bolstered with a witness protection law, as the nation seeks retribution on human rights abuses, in which the powerful military and police have been implicated. Rights activists hailed the House of Representatives-sponsored draft law as further easing the way for human rights trials to nail down abusers.

H.B. Jassin center is sadly neglected

H.B. Jassin center is sadly neglected Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta In a corner of Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) arts center lies a lonely two-story building that houses the country's most comprehensive literary arts documentation center, the H.B. Jassin Documentation Center for Literature. A flower bed in front of the building's entrance tries to cheer up the building but neither the multicolored flowers nor the brightly painted structure can hide the gloomy atmosphere of the place.

Gunmen ignore boy's plea for mother's life in Aceh

Gunmen ignore boy's plea for mother's life in Aceh Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh Two unidentified gunmen in Aceh ignored the cries by a schoolboy for his mother's life on Thursday morning, shooting her in the head before stealing her motorcycle, local residents said.

Indonesia told to quit from Cairns Group

Indonesia told to quit from Cairns Group A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Indonesia must quit from the Cairns Group of agricultural exporting nations, a local non-governmental organization (NGO) said on Thursday. The NGO, called the Institute for Global Justice, argued that Indonesia had no longer been considered an agricultural exporting nation since 1990, meaning that membership of the lobby group would offer no benefit to the country.

BI says no plan yet to boost minimum CAR requirement

BI says no plan yet to boost minimum CAR requirement The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Bank Indonesia Governor Sjahril Sabirin said on Thursday that the central bank had no plans to boost the minimum capital adequacy ratio (CAR) requirement for banks to 12 percent from the current 8 percent level.

2. PROTEST: 1 x 45

2. PROTEST: 1 x 45 Activists reject Sutiyoso as governor 3. POLIO: Polio vaccination begins nationwide 4. KOMNAS: 1 x 36 Abdul Hakim elected Komnas HAM chief 5. BROADCAST: 1 x 58 Legislators defiant, will go ahead with anti-foreign TV bill 6. ODD: 1 x 35 One of 2,801 victims is still alive

East Java ulemas to visit China

East Java ulemas to visit China SURABAYA: Twelve religious scholars (ulemas) from East Java are scheduled to leave for China for a dialog with Chinese Moslems on the development of Islam. Of the 12, nine were from the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's biggest association of Moslem scholars, NU-East Java chairman Ali Maschan, told reporters here Thursday.

Legislators defiant over calls to delay broadcasting bill

Legislators defiant over calls to delay broadcasting bill Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Ignoring public criticism over several contentious articles in the broadcasting bill, some legislators on Wednesday refused to postpone the endorsement of the bill scheduled for Monday. They attributed the criticism of the bill to people's misunderstanding and lack of accurate information.

RI's legal system too timid

RI's legal system too timid For the record, judges in Indonesia have been showing some backbone lately. The trouble is, as much as they've been lauded for a willingness to render tough decisions, they've also been criticized for the perceived leniency of the sentences they hand out. First there was the former governor of East Timor, who was found guilty of failing to prevent human-rights abuses by his subordinates and handed a three-year sentence.

Polio vaccination begins nationwide

Polio vaccination begins nationwide The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A volunteer at a health center in Utan Kayu (photo ebove), East Jakarta, gives a child a pollio vaccine. National Immunization Week began Thursday, with officials hoping to give some 20 million children across the country pollio vaccine as well as vitamins. During the immunization program, the children will also receive a Vitamin A supplement. Some 3.5 million children living in isolated areas would also be immunized against measles.

One generation, two kinds of political trials

One generation, two kinds of political trials Max Lane Visiting Fellow Center for Asia Pacific Social Transformation Studies University of Wollongong New South Wales Australia Akbar Tandjung has finally been sentenced to three years in gaol. He was charged with various acts of corruption. He was found guilty by the court. He was given a light sentence because, the judges said, he did not benefit personally from the corruption.

Team to probe bombing case

Team to probe bombing case KUPANG, West Nusa Tenggara: District police chief, Adj.Sr. Comr. FFJ Mirah said here on Thursday he had set up a special team comprising eight police officers to solve Wednesday's pre- dawn bomb blast at the house of the editor of the Timor Radar daily. He said his team had no leads and had no idea who was behind the attack on at the house, located in the Kolhua Housing Complex, at 1.54 a.m.

Malaysia and Indonesia both exploit workers

Malaysia and Indonesia both exploit workers Faiza Mardzoeki, Women's Solidarity for Human Rights (Solidaritas Perempuan), Jakarta Since Malaysia passed Immigration Act No. 1154 2002 in August, there has been a mass deportation of migrant workers from there. The new law applies to those workers not possessing legal documents and also to their employers. The new law imposes penalties of caning, fines as well as prison terms for both parties.

Poor urban communities to convene

Poor urban communities to convene JAKARTA: Representatives of Asian poor urban communities will organize a meeting here to seek solutions to problems marginalized people are facing. Coordinator of the Urban Poor Consortium Wardah Hafidz said on Thursday the gathering would take place in Cibubur flower park from Saturday through Thursday next week.

Activists reject Sutiyoso as city governor

Activists reject Sutiyoso as city governor Damar Harsanto and Novan Imam Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Activists rejected on Thursday the result of the gubernatorial election in which Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso was reelected for the 2002-2007 term by 47 of 84 councillors, in view of Sutiyoso's bad record and his status as a suspect in the bloody attack on the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters in Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta in 1996.

The trials and tribulations of city public transportation

The trials and tribulations of city public transportation Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Suhari spends almost one-third of his day on the road. It is not because he is a driver. The employee of a company in Kota, Central Jakarta, spends, on average, nearly six hours in public vehicles because he lives in East Bekasi, which is about 40 kilometers away from his workplace. He wakes at 4:15 a.m and leaves home by 5 a.m.

SmartFM relaunched in Jakarta

SmartFM relaunched in Jakarta JAKARTA: Amid tight competition among local radios, SmartFM Network was relaunched on Wednesday as a general news broadcaster in Jakarta. Fachry Mohamad, the station's group chairman, said that the radio had already been operating on the 95.65 MHz frequency.

Li Peng meets East Java businesspeople

Li Peng meets East Java businesspeople SURABAYA: China's parliamentary speaker Li Peng met on Thursday with some 200 East Java businesspeople and leaders of the local Chinese community in Surabaya before ending his two-day stay here. During the meeting, the Chinese number two said that East Java had the potential to attract more Chinese investors. He said that China was currently taking steps to improve economic and trade cooperation with Southeast Asian countries.

House summons ex-state secretaries

House summons ex-state secretaries JAKARTA: A team of legislators from House of Representatives Commission I overseeing the State Secretariat will question former state/minister secretaries and businesspeople over the construction of hotels and shopping malls in the Bung Karno sports complex.

Malaysia buys 40 percent of PT PGN

Malaysia buys 40 percent of PT PGN The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Trans Asia Pipeline Co., a consortium led Malaysia's Petroliam Nasional Bhd., has bought a stake in a unit of state-owned gas distribution and marketing company PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN) for US$187.6 million.

Sutiyoso must work hard to improve his image

Sutiyoso must work hard to improve his image Sutiyoso and Fauzi Bowo were elected as new governor and deputy governor of Jakarta for the 2002-2207 term amid strong protests on Wednesday. For Governor Sutiyoso, his reelection proves his success in drawing support from the City Council even though there was strong evidence that President Megawati Soekarnoputri was really behind his victory.

NGO alliance lashes out at WSSD action plan

NGO alliance lashes out at WSSD action plan Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta An alliance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) expressed disappointment over the outcome of the recently concluded World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa, saying it was too proindustry at the expense of the common people. The alliance urged the government not to implement the agreements reached at the summit immediately.

Govt plans raising floor price of rice, import tariff

Govt plans raising floor price of rice, import tariff The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Ministry of Agriculture has proposed to the Ministry of Finance a 15 percent hike in the floor price of unhusked rice to help rice farmers cope with rising production costs, interim minister M. Prakosa said on Thursday.

Dhaka underplays arsenic well water

Dhaka underplays arsenic well water BANGLADESH: A government minister downplayed the threat of arsenic-tainted well water, though experts warn it could expose 57 million Bangladeshis - half the nation's population - to diseases such as cancer. "Arsenic contamination of water is not a serious problem," Finance Minister Saifur Rahman said in a speech late Wednesday. The ministry is tasked with disbursing money to fight what some experts have described as one of history's worst mass poisoning.

'I am disappointed by Sutiyoso's reelection'

'I am disappointed by Sutiyoso's reelection' Governor Sutiyoso's reelection has sparked public controversy due to his unfavorable track record during his tenure. The Jakarta Post talked to some people on the street to find out what they thought about Sutiyoso. Paulus, 16, a second grader vocational school student at a noted private school in Pulo Raya, South Jakarta. He lives with his family in Ciledug, South Jakarta: I'm disappointed that Sutiyoso was reelected.

Ginandjar pleads not guilty

Ginandjar pleads not guilty JAKARTA: Former mining and energy minister Ginandjar Kartasasmita appeared on Thursday for questioning as the prime suspect in a fraudulent oil technical assistance contract. Ginandjar defied the charges, saying the project which he endorsed would have generated revenue and improved efficiency had it run according to the contract.

Govt, House hope for more transparency in TNI budget

Govt, House hope for more transparency in TNI budget Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Pressures have mounted for the Indonesian Military to improve transparency in its spending following the government proposal to raise its defense budget for 2003.

* Headlines: Old problems plague ASEAN2

* Headlines: Old problems plague ASEAN2 * National: Witness protection bill to benefit rights trials4 * Opinion:Multilateralism can guarantee global peace: Annan 6 * City: City Council quiet after gubernatorial election8 * Archipelago: Workers protest imported sugar9 * World: Prayers, new anti-terror pledge highlight UN day12 * Business: U.S. Fed says economic activity is slowing16 * Sports: Safin, Haas advance to quarterfinals20 * Features: Old playboy comedian repentant24

Free competition in power sector will begin in Batam, Java, Bali

Free competition in power sector will begin in Batam, Java, Bali The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government will begin liberalizing the country's power sector in 2007, with Batam, Java and Bali expected to be the first areas to introduce free-market competition. "We hope (the liberalization) will start in 2007 at the latest," Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Thursday.