Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 20 November 2004

69 articles found

Interest and investment

Interest and investmentFrom Koran TempoPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has introduced three economic strategies for the banking sector, namely (i) an average economic growth rate of 6.5 percent in five years, (ii) creation of macro-economic stability to drive the real and business sectors and...

Text messages up by 100 percent

Text messages up by 100 percentLeony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta With new, cheaper cellular cards on the market and more people owning cell phones, text messaging during Idul Fitri saw a tremendous jump of almost 100 percent this year as compared to last year.

Council to probe Tanah Abang project

Council to probe Tanah Abang projectBambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThe inquiry team set up by the City Council will investigate possible irregularities in the Jakarta administration's plan to demolish the Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta, amid the strong opposition of traders.

Ladia Galaska project

Ladia Galaska project The Ladia Galaska road project in the Gunung Leusser ecosystem in Aceh is proving to be even more of a disaster than predicted. According to the observations of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) Aceh a large flood occurred on Sept.

Where to go in Jakarta: Saturday, November 20, 2004

Where to go in Jakarta: Saturday, November 20, 2004Exhibitions* Fine Arts Agoes Jolly Sendiri, Galeri Cipta II, Taman Ismail Marzuki Jl. Cikini Raya 73, Central Jakarta, Nov. 24 to Dec. 4. * Painting Rediscovering Indonesia by Italian Maestro Agostino De Romanis, Gedung Arsip Nasional (the National...

Bali favorite island in Asia: Magazine

Bali favorite island in Asia: MagazineThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Bali's panoramic views and unique mixture of spiritualism and tourism has made it the favorite island for travellers in the Asia-Indian Ocean region, according to readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration is prioritizing the

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration is prioritizing the eradication of corruption in its first 100-day program. In this context, the first thing to do must be to put law-enforcement agencies -- the prosecutors, the judges and the police -- in order, to ensure they are corruption-free.

Suffering not over yet for Alor earthquake victims

Suffering not over yet for Alor earthquake victimsYemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, KupangThe sky was dulled with clouds as Orpa Muakesak sifted through the rubble of what was once her home in the earthquake-rattled village of Tulen on Alor island.

Nov. 22, 2004

Nov. 22, 2004Waiting for economic action It is now already a month after the inauguration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's United Indonesia Cabinet and the market is still waiting for what has long been promoted as Susilo's first 100-day action plan to fully restore investor confidence.

Kafkaesque drama unfolds off Java as foreign divers find treasure

Kafkaesque drama unfolds off Java as foreign divers find treasureSebastien Blanc, Agence France-Presse/JakartaIn the blue waters of the Java Sea, a drama is unfolding around an ancient cargo of sunken treasure, but with corruption and bureaucracy never far from the surface in Indonesia, the tale...

1. Discourse (35) - 42 pts 7cols 1line (1x42)

1. Discourse (35) - 42 pts 7cols 1line (1x42) Government lacks initiative in approach to Aceh problem 2. APEC (60) - 36 pts 5cols 1lines (1x40) Protesters denounce Bush, Iraq war and APEC summit 3. Credit (35) - 36 pts 4cols 1line (1x32) UN spotlights microcredit for 2005 4.

British businessmen to visit Indonesia

British businessmen to visit Indonesia JAKARTA: A British delegation, grouped under the Indonesian- British Business Council, is scheduled to visit the nation on Nov. 22-23 to get a closer look at the business climate here and the government's plans to boost exports and investment.

Sexagenarian killed in ferry collision

Sexagenarian killed in ferry collision BATAM, Riau: An elderly woman was found dead after a boat she was on was hit by a ferry off of Banten Island on Thursday evening.Deputy chief of the Tanjungpinang Police Precinct Sr. Comr.

Prophetic religiosity

Prophetic religiosity From Media Indonesia A year ago (Nov. 25, 2003), in his Idul Fitri sermon at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, General Chairman of the central board of Muhammadiyah, Syafii Ma'arif said, "A religion failing to defend justice is a withering religion, one that has lost is vigor.

Stop TV corrupting youth

Stop TV corrupting youthFrom Koran Tempo Our television stations air quite a lot of TV shows for youngsters but, unfortunately, the stories dwell only on love affairs, mud-slinging and slander, vying for a girl's or a boy's heart, and partying. These shows will corrupt the minds of our youngsters.

Budget revision still unclear

Budget revision still unclearUrip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Despite a thawing in the once icy relationship between the government and the House of Representatives, the administration's plan to revise several assumptions in the 2005 state budget could still face challenges from legislators.

Right of way

Right of wayFor a newcomer, a simple drive across town can be a heart- stopping experience. A lack of discipline, ignorance of traffic regulations and the plain absence of courtesy among motorists make our streets a hazard.

1. Budget (1 x 26)

1. Budget (1 x 26) Budget revision still unclear 2. CPO (3 x 15) CPO output may drop, as drought threat looms 3. Bali (3 x 13) Bali favorite island in Asia: Magazine 4. Trade (1 x 42) Fed chairman worried about impact of deficits 5.

Shocking survey results

Shocking survey results Almost one in six Indonesian Muslims support the mass murder of their guests and other innocent people, among them women and children. And only a little more than half of Indonesian Muslims disagree with such cruelty.

Police nab 2 suspects in Poso bomb blast

Police nab 2 suspects in Poso bomb blastThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta, MakassarLess than a week after a deadly bomb blew up inside a public transportation minivan in the troubled Central Sulawesi regency of Poso, police arrested two men on Friday for their alleged role in the attack.

Holidaymakers return to the big smoke

Holidaymakers return to the big smokeAfter spending Idul Fitri with their families in their hometowns and villages across Java, Sumatra and other islands, hundreds of thousands of Jakartans return home in time to start work on Monday.

Malaysians of Nagari origin

Malaysians of Nagari origin There is a big group of Malaysians in Indonesia whose ancestors came from Nagari and I am one of them. We hear from our elders and in my case from my late grandmother stories about places such as Payo Kumbuh and Padang Panjang in West Sumatra.

'Pasar Lebaran Jogja' offers alternative shopping

'Pasar Lebaran Jogja' offers alternative shoppingSlamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, YogyakartaIt is common knowledge here that when Idul Fitri (the celebration that marks the end of Ramadhan) comes around, shopping centers in the city, especially those along Jl. Malioboro and Jl.

* Govt lacks initiative in approach to Aceh problem Page 3

* Govt lacks initiative in approach to Aceh problem Page 3 * Extortion of motorists rife in Lampung Page 4 * Palestine and Aceh: Limits of solidarity Page 6 * Job seekers stream to Jakarta despite threat of expulsion Page 8 * Roger Federer fights through in Houston Page 9 * Myanmar releases key...

Three killed in motorcycles crash

Three killed in motorcycles crash JAKARTA: Three people died instantly in an accident on Thursday afternoon involving two motorcycles, police revealed on Friday.Two of the fatalities, Saparudin and Peni Puji Rahayu, were riding on a motorcycle on Jl. H.R.

1.Ong Keng Yong-ASEAN summit in Laos

1.Ong Keng Yong-ASEAN summit in Laos 1 X 38 ASEAN Summit: Continuing the dynamism2. Maria T.Huhtala--Indonesia-US ties: building mutual understanding. 1 X 48 U.S. and Indonesia must work to build ties3.

UGM adopts education quality assurance system

UGM adopts education quality assurance systemSri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, YogyakartaIn a bid to assure the public of the high quality of its education, Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University (UGM) has recently declared that it has fully and thoroughly implemented the so-termed Quality Assurance...

President SBY makes international debut in Chilean capital

President SBY makes international debut in Chilean capitalEndy M. Bayuni, The Jakarta Post, Santiago What is the prospect of Indonesia trading with Chile? Given the vast expanse of water that separates the two countries, probably not a lot, but that has not stopped Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from...

Kulonprogo opens art market

Kulonprogo opens art market Kulonprogo regency, Yogyakarta, started the operation of dozens of kiosks selling artwork and handicrafts on Nov. 17 as part of an art market project being built on a 1.9-hectare plot of lnd in Salamrejo village, to showcase local handicrafts.

Residents oppose slaughter house

Residents oppose slaughter house TANGERANG: Residents of Pondok Kacang village in Pondok Aren, here, protested on Friday the presence of a slaughter house in the neighborhood, which they said was polluting the environment.The group also said the livestock slaughter house was illegal.

Messy sidewalks in Jakarta

Messy sidewalks in JakartaFrom KompasJakarta sidewalks are getting increasingly untidy; they have become more of a hindrance to pedestrians than convenient pavements to walk on.On Jl. Wahid Hasyim, Central Jakarta, for instance, vendors and motorcycle taxi drivers pack the sidewalks from the Hotel...

Vice President Kalla goes home in style

Vice President Kalla goes home in styleFabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, JakartaPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's call for a moderate and simple lifestyle seems to have fallen on deaf ears in the case of Vice President Jusuf Kalla and several Cabinet ministers.

Probe Munir's death

Probe Munir's deathFrom Media Indonesia The Institute for Study of Democracy (LKaDe) welcomes the formation of a team by the National Police to investigate the death of Munir, rights campaigner and coordinator of the National Commission on Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).

Law enforcement

Law enforcement and political willFrom Koran TempoThe initial drive launched by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to eliminate corruption, collusion and nepotism through the government's 100-day program has apparently received a serious response from all ministers and law enforcers.

Law enforcement

Law enforcement and political willFrom Koran TempoThe initial drive launched by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to eliminate corruption, collusion and nepotism through the government's 100-day program has apparently received a serious response from all ministers and law enforcers.

Major problems on Trans-Kalimantan

Major problems on Trans-Kalimantan BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan: Travelers and motorists have complained about the poor condition of the road in almost all sections of the Trans-Kalimantan Highway.The South Kalimantan provincial administration has remained silent despite the fact that the road...

Twisted logic

Twisted logicFrom Koran TempoWhen I learned that the toll road company PT Jasa Marga Jagorawi branch had provided facilities for the convenience of those returning to their hometowns for the Idul Fitri holiday, I became more convinced of the twisted logic that prevails in this country.

AirAsia set to make solid debut on stock exchange

AirAsia set to make solid debut on stock exchangeAgence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia's budget carrier AirAsia is expected to make a solid debut on the stock exchange on Monday, with gains to be made from its retail initial public offer (IPO) price of 1.16 ringgit (31 U.S.

Tangerang takes loans to fix schools

Tangerang takes loans to fix schoolsMulta Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, TangerangThe Tangerang Council has given the green light for a proposal to renovate 220 school buildings in the municipality, with most of the estimated Rp 200 billion (US$22.22 million) budget loaned from private companies.

AirAsia to make solid debut on Malaysian bourse next week

AirAsia to make solid debut on Malaysian bourse next weekAgence France-Presse Kuala Lumpur Malaysia's budget carrier AirAsia is expected to make a solid debut on the stock exchange on Monday, with gains to be made from its retail initial public offer (IPO) price of 1.16 ringgit (31 U.S.

Probe Munir's death

Probe Munir's deathFrom Media Indonesia The Institute for Study of Democracy (LKaDe) welcomes the formation of a team by the National Police to investigate the death of Munir, rights campaigner and coordinator of the National Commission on Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).

RI needs $72b for infrastructures

RI needs $72b for infrastructuresEndy M. Bayuni, The Jakarta Post, Santiago Building infrastructure will be the bedrock of the government's economic strategy for the next five years, and that means raising no less than US$72 billion, or around Rp 600 trillion to finance related projects, President...

Extortion of motorists rife in Lampung

Extortion of motorists rife in LampungOyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, BandarlampungSome 21 traffic police officers are facing possible demotion or dismissal for extorting money from motorists traveling through the province during the week-long Idul Fitri holiday.

Airport calm, Merak port crowded

Airport calm, Merak port crowdedMulta Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, TangerangThe mass influx of homeward-bound holiday revelers is yet to be seen at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, but people returning from Sumatra have started to pack Merak port.

Part 1 of 2

Part 1 of 2U.S.-Indonesian Relations: Building Mutual UnderstandingAmbassador Marie T. Huhtala Washington DC Indonesia has experienced a dizzying series of changes since the fall of President Soeharto in 1998, representing rather amazing progress in the country's democratization.

Developer set to build monorail depot next week

Developer set to build monorail depot next weekDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, JakartaAfter months of little or no progress on the ambitious monorail project, the developer is set to prioritize constructing its nine-hectare depot complex above the West Flood Canal in the crowded Tanah Abang,...

Indonesia tries to up maid wage in Singapore

Indonesia tries to up maid wage in SingaporeAgence France-Presse, SingaporeIndonesian maids working in Singapore will next year have their minimum salaries raised by S$50 (US$30) a month, under a plan being pushed by the Indonesian embassy.

'It's not easy to find work in Jakarta'

'It's not easy to find work in Jakarta'The Jakarta administration on Monday will start checking people returning home after Idul Fitri holidays. Those caught without Jakarta identity cards, permanent jobs or residence in the city, will be sent back home.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration is prioritizing the

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration is prioritizing the eradication of corruption in its first 100-day program. In this context, the first thing to do must be to put law-enforcement agencies -- the prosecutors, the judges and the police -- in order, to ensure they are corruption-free.

Acehnese hopes dashed

Acehnese hopes dashed The Acehnese will have to endure yet another six months of suffering after the new government this week extended the state of civil emergency until May 2005. It's appalling to see a golden opportunity slip through the fingers of former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and...

Government lacks initiative in approach to Aceh problem

Government lacks initiative in approach to Aceh problem President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued a regulation on Thursday to extend the state of civil emergency in Aceh for another six months. Criticism loomed even before the decision was taken, with many questioning the new government's...

Punctuality is Susilo's middle name

Punctuality is Susilo's middle nameFabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, JakartaPunctuality is one thing that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has enforced during his first month in office, unlike his predecessors.

1. MONORAIL: 3 X 18

1. MONORAIL: 3 X 18 Developer set to build monorail depot next week 2. KALLA: 1 X 28 VP Kalla goes home in style 3. SMS: 1 X 24 Text messages up by 100% 4. MAID: 1 X 27 RI tries to up maid wage in S'pore 5. DOLLAR: 1 X 36 Dollar woes have little impact on rupiah

Maulana challenges Medan mayor

Maulana challenges Medan mayor MEDAN, North Sumatra: The deputy mayor of Medan, North Sumatra, Maulana Pohan said here on Friday that he was preparing himself to challenge mayor Abdillah in the first-ever direct election for mayor next year.

Bogor Park full of people and litter

Bogor Park full of people and litterKosasih, a cleaning worker at the Bogor Botanical Park, is sweeping piles of ticket stubs thrown by visitors along Jl. Kenari I.The park is a very popular place for family outings during the Idul Fitri holiday.

Police capture logging ship in Papua

Police capture logging ship in PapuaNethy Dharma Somba and Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura/MedanThe nationwide drive against illegal logging continued as the police apprehended a foreign ship carrying illegal logs in Papua and a minister revealed that a number of officials were...

Four ambassadors from non-aligned and G-77 countries in the UN

Four ambassadors from non-aligned and G-77 countries in the UN atomic agency were to head to Tehran on Friday ahead of talks on whether Iran should face UN sanctions over its nuclear program, Malaysian ambassador Hussein Haniff told AFP.

Japan, RP work on trade pact talks

Japan, RP work on trade pact talksTOKYO: Japan and the Philippines have reached a basic agreement on a bilateral free trade agreement, a Japanese official said on Friday.The agreement was reached between Japanese Trade Minister Shoichi Nakagawa and his Philippine counterpart Cesar Purisima in talks...

Discipline the responsibility of both parents and teachers

Discipline the responsibility of both parents and teachersSimon Marcus Gower, Jakarta Recently the Letters pages of The Jakarta Post have seen a flurry of letters concerning matters of school policies, discipline and parental responsibility.

House seeks honest crash probe

House seeks honest crash probeEvi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, JakartaSeveral House of Representatives members urged the government and the police on Friday to disclose the procedure for halting traffic on toll roads for VVIPs to the public, in order to make the investigation of a fatal accident on...

Aceh administrator wants audit conducted

Aceh administrator wants audit conductedNani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda AcehThe acting civil emergency administrator in Aceh has asked the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to verify reports of malfeasance in the use of Rp 6 trillion (US$6.

Eradicating corruption

Eradicating corruption From Koran Tempo Corruption is a chronic social ill in Indonesia. However, it is not enough for the government just to find the right way to eradicate it. It is more important for the government to look for its root causes.

Illegal fees

Illegal feesFrom Warta KotaIllegal fees, practices that are a part of corruption, collusion and nepotism, are rampant at all levels of Indonesia's bureaucracy.The impact of illegal fees are more catastrophic than bomb blasts because they can destroy the whole nation.

Sleman to test over 8,000 candidates

Sleman to test over 8,000 candidates Well over 8,000 civil service candidates for Sleman regency, Yogyakarta, will take entrance tests on Nov. 24, for which 57 school buildings have been made ready around the local administration.

Punish backers of timber smuggling

Punish backers of timber smugglingFrom Media IndonesiaPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has instructed law enforcers to unhesitatingly take stern action against those backing illegal logging overtly and covertly, without discrimination.

Palestine and Aceh: Limits of solidarity

Palestine and Aceh: Limits of solidarityAguswandi, London An interesting opinion article appeared in this newspaper, which drew a comparison between the plight of the Palestinians and the Acehnese. (The Jakarta Post, Nov. 8).

Job seekers flood Jakarta after break

Job seekers flood Jakarta after breakAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, JakartaPipit Subakir, 40, holds his two children tightly by the hand while his wife, Tuti, 35, and his brother-in-law, Sofyan, 19, follow behind as the family walk out of the Senen railway station in Central Jakarta on Friday.

The Vientiane Summit

The Vientiane SummitOng Keng Yong, Jakarta The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will end the year 2004 on a high note. A record number of about 20 major agreements and declarations are expected to be signed or adopted either by the ASEAN member countries or between ASEAN and its...

KPU OKs councillors after rigged election

KPU OKs councillors after rigged election JAYAPURA, Papua: An alliance of 20 political parties that participated in the April 5 legislative election in Mimika, Papua protested the recent inauguration of 25 councillors for the Mimika regency legislature, saying it was against Decree No.