Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 17 December 2004

86 articles found

Weather bureau warns of downpours, floods

<p>Weather bureau warns of downpours, floods</p><p>Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) has warned residents about taking measures over the next two weeks to anticipate possible flooding in major parts of the...

Ba'asyir prosecution dealt major blow

<p>Ba'asyir prosecution dealt major blow</p><p>Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>The prosecutors' bid to link Abu Bakar Ba'asyir to the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) group blamed for a series of bomb attacks in the country was dealt a major blow on...

Where to go in Jakarta: Friday, December 17, 2004

<p>Where to go in Jakarta: Friday, December 17, 2004</p><p>Exhibitions</p><p>* Photo The Master Class Klavdij Sluban, Oktagon Gallery, Jl. Gunung Sahari Raya No. 50A, Central Jakarta, until Dec. 22. * The Hungry Box: the endless interiors of MVRDV, Erasmus Huis, Jl. H.

Rupiah Rates Dec. 16

<p> Rupiah Rates Dec. 16 </p><p> Banknote rates TT rates</p><p> Selling Buying Selling Buying </p><p> </p><p>Australian dollar 1 7,444.70 6,677.58 7,097.62 7,024.53 Brunei dollar 1 5,941.79 5,328.37 5,664.78 5,605.22 Canadian dollar 1 7,957.

Medco starts producing LPG

<p>Medco starts producing LPG</p><p> JAKARTA: PT Medco Energi Internasional, Indonesia's biggest publicly traded oil company, said it started output of liquefied petroleum gas from its plant at the Kaji oil and gas field in South Sumatra on Wednesday.

Send House members back to school

<p>Send House members back to school</p><p> From Warta Kota</p><p> It has been reported in the mass media that many members of the House of Representatives have demonstrated improper behavior.

Shares end up; Telkom leads on expansion

<p>Shares end up; Telkom leads on expansion</p><p>Dow Jones, Jakarta</p><p> Indonesian shares ended higher on Thursday led by a further rebound in Telekomunikasi Indonesia on the company's plan to buy a stake of up to 30 percent in an Asian-based telecommunication...

CIC merges with smaller rivals

<p>CIC merges with smaller rivals</p><p> JAKARTA: PT Bank CIC International, a mid- sized Indonesian lender, combined with two smaller rivals to form a new entity named PT Bank Century.

Banten governor quizzed over graft

<p>Banten governor quizzed over graft</p><p>Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang</p><p>Banten Governor Djoko Munandar was questioned as witness in a graft case on Thursday at the prosecutor's office, which has tightened its security following several...

Munir's death and TNI

<p>Munir's death and TNI</p><p>From Media Indonesia</p><p>The death of human rights activist Munir has evolved into a polemic following an autopsy that showed his death was caused by arsenic poisoning.

Bank Global bond holders may lose all

<p>Bank Global bond holders may lose all</p><p>The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>Over a dozen big Bank Global Internasional bond holders, many of them pension funds, may lose the millions they have invested if the central bank finally decides to shut down the...

Gresik to remain in govt control: Minister

<p>Gresik to remain in govt control: Minister</p><p>Urip Hudiono and Rendi A. Witoelar, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>The government has decided that it will retain its 51 percent controlling stake in the country's largest cement producer PT Semen Gresik (SG), a...

Students injured in campus clash

<p>Students injured in campus clash</p><p>Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar</p><p>Engineering took on the social sciences on Thursday as hundreds of students at the University of Hasanuddin here ran amok, leaving a dozen people injured, one seriously.

Media people criticized for lack of solidarity

<p>Media people criticized for lack of solidarity</p><p>Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p> Prominent lawyer Nono Anwar Makarim criticized the Indonesian media on Thursday for its lack of cohesion in putting pressure on the government and the House of...

Looking for scapegoats

<p>Looking for scapegoats</p><p>From Media Indonesia</p><p> Several newspapers have reported that State Minister for National Development Planning Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said that taxation is the constraint that the government is facing in its efforts to boost...

Munir's death and TNI

<p>Munir's death and TNI</p><p>From Media Indonesia</p><p>The death of human rights activist Munir has evolved into a polemic following an autopsy that showed his death was caused by arsenic poisoning.

Fishermen complain over low fish output

<p>Fishermen complain over low fish output</p><p> PALU, Central Sulawesi: Fish catches in the Palu Gulf had dropped dramatically during the past two years because of sand dredging in the area, fishermen said on Thursday.

Terror alerts 'putting off tourists'

<p>Terror alerts 'putting off tourists'</p><p>Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>Renewed warnings by Western states of an imminent terrorist strike in Indonesia have prompted some foreigners to cancel planned trips to the country, tourism...

S'pore schools protect int'l students' fees

<p>S'pore schools protect int'l students' fees</p><p> JAKARTA: As many as 102 private education organizations (PEOs) in Singapore have signed up for the so-termed student protection scheme, which is expected to protect international students' fees.

Rogue on Pakuan Express

<p>Rogue on Pakuan Express </p><p>From Kompas</p><p>As a commuter traveling by the Bogor-Jakarta Pakuan Express train, I consider this railway service fairly secure, except for the presence of beggars, who often make passengers feel uncomfortable as they push and shove...

Revolution is right on streets, General Sutiyoso

<p>Revolution is right on streets, General Sutiyoso</p><p>Damar Harsanto The Jakarta Post/Jakarta</p><p>When one looks at the evolution of Jakarta one cannot go past Governor Ali Sadikin who was once dubbed the city's "father of development".

Ex-chief councillor held for graft probe

<p>Ex-chief councillor held for graft probe</p><p>Jon Afrizal and Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Jambi/Samarinda</p><p>Prosecutors in Jambi province detained on Thursday a former chief councillor for interrogation over the alleged embezzlement of Rp 5.7 billion (US$633,333).

25% population in Yogya jobless

<p>25% population in Yogya jobless</p><p> YOGYAKARTA: Twenty-one percent out of a total of 2.5 million people in Yogyakarta are effectively unemployed, the province's Manpower and Transmigration Office says.

New TOEFL scraps grammar section

<p>New TOEFL scraps grammar section</p><p>Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is to be reintroduced in September 2005 with a new assessment section on speaking skills, a seminar has announced.

Newmont refutes team's report

<p>Newmont refutes team's report</p><p> JAKARTA: PT Newmont Minahasa Raya refuted on Thursday the verified report of a government-sanctioned joint team on the alleged contamination of Buyat Bay with the company's tailings.

DPD's role? Empowering itself ...

<p>DPD's role? Empowering itself ...</p><p> The Jakarta Post Jakarta</p><p>The dream for better legislative representation appeared to have come true when the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) agreed in 2002 to adopt a bicameral legislative system.

Disenfranchised victims: Children of violent homes

<p>Disenfranchised victims: Children of violent homes</p><p>Andayani, Jakarta</p><p> The last decade has been marked by an increasing awareness of domestic violence in Indonesia. On Sept.

SKorea probes British pension fund

<p>SKorea probes British pension fund</p><p>Agence France-Presse, Seoul</p><p> South Korea's financial watchdog is looking into allegations that British pension fund Hermes Investment Management violated stock market rules, officials said on Thursday.

[b]

<p> Ba'aysir trial dealt major blow </p><p>2. Agung (32) 1x27</p><p> Agung's swift fall from grace 3. Demo (45) 1x32</p><p> Decentralization jeopardizes policy </p><p>4.

ADB, World Bank to extend new loans to help finance budget deficit

<p>ADB, World Bank to extend new loans to help finance budget deficit</p><p>The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>Indonesia is set to receive loan packages from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank to help finance its budget deficit and implement reform in...

Heineken to be produced in Indonesia

<p>Heineken to be produced in Indonesia</p><p>Associated Press, Jakarta</p><p> Beer lovers in predominantly Muslim Indonesia will find Heineken cheaper and more widely available as part of a deal to have the Dutch brew produced locally, its local partner said Thursday.

Scholars preserve mangrove forests

<p>Scholars preserve mangrove forests</p><p> BOGOR: The Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), the University of Indonesia and Indonesia Christian University have taken the initiative to preserve the mangrove forests in Muara Angke Kapuk, West Jakarta.

Japan offers to help secure Malacca Strait

<p>Japan offers to help secure Malacca Strait</p><p> JAKARTA: Japan offered assistance on Thursday to boost security in the Strait of Malacca, the world's busiest seaway.</p><p>Visiting Japanese Minister for Trade and Industry Shoichi Nakagawa said Japan was...

Inner conflict of a princess at Sendang Kasihan

<p>Inner conflict of a princess at Sendang Kasihan</p><p>Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta</p><p> The moral conflict to make a dilemmatic choice between state defense, love and a noblewoman's dignity during the Mataram Kingdom under Panembahan Senopati...

JP/5/COUNCIL

<p>JP/5/COUNCIL</p><p>Councillors face uphill battle against graft charges </p><p>A'an Suryana The Jakarta Post/Jakarta</p><p>The 10 people who came to the Attorney General's Office here as representatives of councillors nationwide were kept...

1. Golkar (40) - 60 pts 6 cols 1line (1x30)

<p>1. Golkar (40) - 60 pts 6 cols 1line (1x30)</p><p>Dramatic turn favors Akbar's reelection bid</p><p>2. Global (35) - 36 pts 4cols 1line (1x30)</p><p> Bank Global bond holders stand to lose all or Bank Global bond holders may lose...

'Reza fled airport to evade media'

<p>'Reza fled airport to evade media'</p><p>Multa Fidrus and Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Tangerang</p><p>Singer Reza Artamevia was not kidnapped but fled the Soekarno- Hatta International Airport to avoid journalists who had been waiting for her,...

RI says new Australian security zone unacceptable

<p>RI says new Australian security zone unacceptable</p><p>Agencies, Jakarta</p><p>Indonesia said on Thursday it could not accept Australia's proposed new maritime security zone, saying it infringed on Indonesian waters and violated freedom of navigation.

Officials keep gift giving under wraps

<p>Officials keep gift giving under wraps </p><p>Muninggar Sri Saraswati The Jakarta Post/Jakarta</p><p>Government officials are accustomed to gift giving and will not easily give it up, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) was recently told.

Illegal fees at Soekarno-Hatta

<p>Illegal fees at Soekarno-Hatta</p><p>From Kompas</p><p> On Oct. 18, my Thai guests arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, and were only permitted to leave the immigration checkpoint after they had each paid US$10 to the immigration officers in charge, who...

City asked to curb proposed funds for busway project

<p>City asked to curb proposed funds for busway project</p><p>Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>The City Council has asked Governor Sutiyoso to reduce the proposed fund for the construction of the busway corridor from Pulogadung bus terminal in East...

Taman Rasuna is best apartment

<p>Taman Rasuna is best apartment</p><p> JAKARTA: The City Housing Agency declared on Wednesday the Taman Rasuna apartments in Kuningan area, South Jakarta, the best managed apartment in the city.

Chauvinistic verdict

<p>Chauvinistic verdict</p><p>Indonesia after Soeharto is full of surprises. Almost daily we are greeted by more surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant. We woke up on Thursday to yet another surprise, this one supplied by the Constitutional Court: it had annulled Electricity Law...

Middle ground sought for harm reduction program

<p>Middle ground sought for harm reduction program</p><p>Dewi Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>A year since the harm reduction program was launched, the National AIDS Commission (KPA) and the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) are still encountering difficulties...

Irman aims to strengthen DPD

<p>Irman aims to strengthen DPD</p><p>Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>Becoming a politician was not his childhood dream.</p><p>As the son of a successful businessman, his entrepreneurship skills were stronger than his ambition to go into...

Environmental disaster lingers at Kendari sand quarrying site

<p>Environmental disaster lingers at Kendari sand quarrying site</p><p>Hasrul, The Jakarta Post, Kendari</p><p>Daeng Embang stared in despair at his dying orchard when a team of government officials and environmental activists stopped by his house on their way to...

Respiratory illness, diarrhea kill 97 in Papua

<p>Respiratory illness, diarrhea kill 97 in Papua</p><p>Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura</p><p>At least 97 infants died from respiratory ailments and other illnesses that affected six districts in Paniai regency, Papua over the past two months.

Fransisca upsets top seed Pi Hongyan

<p>Fransisca upsets top seed Pi Hongyan</p><p>Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p> Young Indonesian shuttler Fransisca Ratnasari Haris produced the biggest shock so far at the Djarum Indonesia Open badminton championship, beating top seed Pi Hongyan of...

What kind of cops does RI have?

<p>What kind of cops does RI have?</p><p> It was to my great surprise that Indonesian police officers are still continuing their same old ways, as the article written in The Jakarta Post on Monday Dec. 13, page 1, points out.

Govt to propose new power law

<p>Govt to propose new power law</p><p>Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p> The government, in response to the Constitutional Court's annulling Electricity Law No.

KPUDs told to use existing logistics

<p>KPUDs told to use existing logistics</p><p> SURABAYA: General Elections Commission (KPU) deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti suggested on Thursday that local elections next year use the logistics of this year's general election.

Route Km Travel Time Travel Time %

<p>Route Km Travel Time Travel Time %</p><p> 1985 2002 </p><p>Jl. Pasar Minggu to 9 22.5mins 35.6mins 58% Jl. Manggarai</p><p>Kalideres to 14.5 29.5mins 51.7mins 75% Jl. Gadjah Mada </p><p>Jl. TB Simatupang to 13.9 38.2mins 48.

Officials keep gift giving under wraps

<p>Officials keep gift giving under wraps</p><p>Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>Government officials are accustomed to gift giving and will not easily give it up, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) was recently told.

1. DISCOURSE: 1 X 42

<p>1. DISCOURSE: 1 X 42 'Indonesia will once again be a net oil exporter' </p><p> 2. PLN: 1 X 28 Govt to propose new power law </p><p> 3. CEMEX: 1 X 33 Gresik to remain in govt control: Minister </p><p></p><p>4.

Governor reject worker demand

<p>Governor reject worker demand</p><p> BANDUNG: West Java Governor Danny Setiawan rejected on Thursday workers' demand for a repeal of the governor's decree on the minimum wage.

Managing waste properly

<p>Managing waste properly</p><p>From Koran Tempo</p><p>I have been wondering if the government can draw up a regulation on the proper management of waste, which regulates the separation of organic from inorganic garbage and recycling.

Decentralization jeopardizes policy

<p>Decentralization jeopardizes policy</p><p>Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>Everyone is deeply concerned about the poor human development index (HDI), drug abuse and the increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS among school-aged children in the country,...

A year of expansion rather than breakthroughs

<p>A year of expansion rather than breakthroughs</p><p>Zatni Arbi Contributor/Jakarta</p><p>Almost 30 years after the birth of the Altaire and 23 years after IBM came up with the world's first PC, have computer scientists and standard organizations hit a brick...

Four bombs found in Dumai house

<p>Four bombs found in Dumai house</p><p> PEKANBARU, Riau: Riau Police discovered on Wednesday four home-made bombs in a house in the Dumai area, which they believe would have been used to attack churches around Christmas time.

JP/ /

<p>JP/ /</p><p>Major economic and political events in 2004</p><p>March 4: The government launches a US$1 billion international bond, more than double the initial plan of $400 million, to meet overwhelming demand from global investors.

Agung's swift fall from grace

<p>Agung's swift fall from grace</p><p>Kornelius Purba and M.Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali</p><p>Along the streets from Ngurah Rai International Airport to the Westin Resort, where the seventh Golkar Party national congress is being held, dozens...

RI, Japan launch joint forum on investment

<p>RI, Japan launch joint forum on investment</p><p>Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>Indonesia and Japan have launched a high-level forum involving the government and private sector to discuss and solve problems hindering investment here.

Fourteen nabbed in concert brawl

<p>Fourteen nabbed in concert brawl</p><p> JAKARTA: Fourteen people were arrested on Wednesday night while 10 police officers were injured in a clash at the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

Indonesia will once again be a net oil exporter

<p>Indonesia will once again be a net oil exporter</p><p>Indonesia has liberalized the upstream oil industry and is moving to liberalize the downstream sector. The Jakarta Post's Riyadi Suparno interviewed energy expert Soebroto to get a better picture of the situation of the...

JiFFest 2004 honors young film makers

<p>JiFFest 2004 honors young film makers</p><p>The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>Besides screening selected films from world-class filmmakers, the 2004 Jakarta International Film Festival also opened the door to young filmmakers to showcase their works to compete for...

Key suspect in Global case in the U.S.

<p>Key suspect in Global case in the U.S.</p><p>Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>President director of the troubled Bank Global Irawan Salim has left for the United States, while the police have named him a fugitive for his role in banking crimes...

Dadan slugs for single RI gold

<p>Dadan slugs for single RI gold</p><p>Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam</p><p> Dadan Amanda beat Murat Airmassov of Kazakhstan in the 54- kilogram final here on Thursday to earn Indonesia the only victory, while South Korea claimed five of 10 golds on offer at the...

TV stations pledge to avoid indecency

<p>TV stations pledge to avoid indecency</p><p> JAKARTA: The Indonesian Television Broadcasting Association (ATVSI) pledged not to air programs showing indecent material, and those that highlight violence and ghost busting.

2 X 16

<p>2 X 16 Students injured in campus clash </p><p>JP/5/MINING</p><p>2 X 27 Environmental disaster lingers at Kendari sand quarrying site </p><p>JP/5/log</p><p>2 x 25 Five policemen on trial in illegal logging case...

Waste disposal and welfare

<p>Waste disposal and welfare</p><p>From Koran Tempo</p><p>The recent riot at the waste treatment plant in Bojong, Bogor, which left several villagers hospitalized, has aroused public concern over the fate of ordinary people struggling to make a living.

Rogue on Pakuan Express

<p>Rogue on Pakuan Express </p><p>From Kompas</p><p>As a commuter traveling by the Bogor-Jakarta Pakuan Express train, I consider this railway service fairly secure, except for the presence of beggars, who often make passengers feel uncomfortable as they push and shove...

Driving in Jakarta to slow to snail's pace by 2020

<p>Driving in Jakarta to slow to snail's pace by 2020</p><p>Evi Mariani and Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>Sixteen years from now, driving in Jakarta will be at a running pace of 10 kilometers per hour (kph) as revealed in a recent study conducted...

Dramatic turn favors Akbar's bid

<p>Dramatic turn favors Akbar's bid</p><p>The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali</p><p>The Golkar congress agreed suddenly on Thursday to change the party's standing order and allow regental branches to vote in the election for party leader.

South Sulawesi governor slams autonomy law

<p>South Sulawesi governor slams autonomy law</p><p>Muninggar Sri Sarashwati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>South Sulawesi Governor Amin Syam has filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court over an autonomy law he claims disadvantages his provincial government.

'We have to treat them as equals'

<p>'We have to treat them as equals'</p><p>Housemaids have learned to live with low salaries and indefinite working hours, as there is no regulation to protect their basic rights.

Five policemen on trial in illegal logging case

<p>Five policemen on trial in illegal logging case</p><p>Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura</p><p>The trial of five police officers allegedly involved in illegal logging activities opened on Thursday at a district court in Sorong regency, Papua.

Today's cars are smarter, but drivers must still use their heads

<p>Today's cars are smarter, but drivers must still use their heads</p><p>Zatni Arbi Contributor/Jakarta</p><p>We were traveling in the center lane of the Jakarta-Merak toll road.

Rupiah Rates Dec. 16

<p> Rupiah Rates Dec. 16 </p><p> Banknote rates TT rates</p><p> Selling Buying Selling Buying </p><p> </p><p>Australian dollar 1 7,444.70 6,677.58 7,097.62 7,024.53 Brunei dollar 1 5,941.79 5,328.37 5,664.78 5,605.22 Canadian dollar 1 7,957.

Bosnia signs MoUs with RI to boost trade ties

<p>Bosnia signs MoUs with RI to boost trade ties</p><p>Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>Bosnia Herzegovina wants to develop its relationship with Indonesia and put more emphasis on trade and economic cooperation, its foreign minister said in Jakarta.

Bright spot

<p>Bright spot amid bad news</p><p> My local newspaper listed the events that made news throughout the year. Almost all were "bad news" events. Doom, gloom, bloodshed and slaughter.

JP/ /

<p>JP/ /</p><p>Major economic and political events in 2004</p><p>March 4: The government launches a US$1 billion international bond, more than double the initial plan of $400 million, to meet overwhelming demand from global investors.

JP/ /

<p>JP/ /</p><p>Major economic and political events in 2004</p><p>March 4: The government launches a US$1 billion international bond, more than double the initial plan of $400 million, to meet overwhelming demand from global investors.

Is it time to cut energy subsidies?

<p>Is it time to cut energy subsidies?</p><p>Aziz, Munich, Germany</p><p> The term subsidy has become a part of daily vocabulary (again) since new Vice President Jusuf Kalla announced that the government of Indonesia intended to cut fuel subsidies by 40% in 2005.

Bank Global bond holders may lose all their money

<p>Bank Global bond holders may lose all their money</p><p>The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p>More a dozen big Bank Global Internasional bond holders, many of them pension funds, may lose the millions they have invested if the central bank finally decides to shut down the...

Regional autonomy makes little headway

<p>Regional autonomy makes little headway </p><p>Ridwan Max Sijabat The Jakarta Post/Jakarta</p><p>Regional autonomy, including special autonomy in the conflict- ridden provinces of Aceh and Papua, has made little headway in the years since its introduction, not only...

Sugar policy in place until 2007: Mari

<p>Sugar policy in place until 2007: Mari</p><p>The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p> The government will maintain the sugar policy of the previous administration until 2007, despite criticism the policy is responsible for the rampant smuggling of the commodity.