Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 5 February 2005

82 articles found

Warner, Toomer to visit tsunami areas

Warner, Toomer to visit tsunami areas BANDA ACEH, Indonesia: Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Amani Toomer of the NFL's New York Giants will visit the tsunami-ravaged Indonesian province of Aceh to highlight United Nations relief efforts there.

Indonesia eyes European halal food market

Indonesia eyes European halal food marketZakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Indonesia aims to expand its exports to Europe through the unexplored halal food market segment, which is worth 150 million euro (US$195 million) a year, a senior official at the Ministry of Trade said on Friday.

1. BOA: 2 LINES, 20 COUNTS

1. BOA: 2 LINES, 20 COUNTS Government scraps Aceh Authority Board plan 2. UN: 1 LINE, 28 COUNTS UN to employ 30,000 survivors 3. CRITICS: 1 LINE, 38 COUNTS Susilo courts media as popularity wanes 4. WORKERS: 2 LINES, 27 COUNTS KL must be realistic about Indonesian workers: Kalla

RI welcomes Clinton's appointment

RI welcomes Clinton's appointmentThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta The appointment of former U.S. president Bill Clinton as the United Nations special envoy for tsunami relief will accelerate the realization of billions of dollars in aid pledged to Indonesia and other affected countries, a foreign affairs...

BI urges govt to hike fuel prices immediately

BI urges govt to hike fuel prices immediatelyRendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The central bank is urging the government to immediately raise fuel prices to end uncertainty, since the issue has been used by some parties to speculate over the prices of goods, which then pushes up inflation.

Bank DKI opens new office

Bank DKI opens new office JAKARTA: City-owned Bank DKI has opened a new subbranch office on Jl. Panglima Polim in South Jakarta on Friday as part of its effort to upgrade services to customers in the southern part of the capital.

1. BI : 3 X 18

1. BI : 3 X 18 BI urges government to hike fuel prices -- immediately 2. TOTAL: 1 X 30 Total case will spook investors: IPA 3. TODUNG: 4 X 9 Total lawyer accused of contempt of court for PR 4. SWISS: 3 X 16 Swiss launch homestay project for tsunami victims

Investment to grow by 15 percent: World Bank

Investment to grow by 15 percent: World BankLeony Aurora, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The World Bank expects investment in Indonesia to grow by 15 percent this year, but warns that further measures to improve the investment climate must be taken to maintain the momentum.

JP/ /

JP/ /Susilo's 100 Days and the tsunamiThe first hundred days of President Susilo Bambang Yudhyono's mandate have passed and the pundits, predictably, are pontificating.How does one assess the President's success or failure to achieve the expected results? The situation in Indonesia today precludes...

NEC offers 200 grants via StuNed

NEC offers 200 grants via StuNed YOGYAKARTA: Netherlands Education Center (NEC), a nonprofit, government-appointed institution representing tertiary education institutions in the Netherlands, is offering full scholarships for 200 eligible Indonesians via the StuNed (Studeren in Netherland)...

'I don't want to be striken by grief'

'I don't want to be striken by grief'Dedy Ardiansyah, Contributor/Banda Aceh It is really painful to lose loved ones. Only a few people can overcome the grief that comes with this loss. Retika, 20, however, always looks cheerful even though she has lost her parents and one of her siblings.

'Does the government want us to be poorer?'

'Does the government want us to be poorer?' The city administration announced its decision to raise tap water rates by between 4 percent and 16 percent, 10 days after the hike took effect on Jan. 20. The Jakarta Post asked residents about their opinion on the issue.

Swiss govt launches new project for tsunami victims in Aceh

Swiss govt launches new project for tsunami victims in AcehAdianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Switzerland, one of the richest countries in the world, launched a new program for the tsunami victims in Indonesia's Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam under which each family that hosts homeless people...

Mall raises funds for tsunami victims

Mall raises funds for tsunami victims JAKARTA: Mal Taman Anggrek in West Jakarta in cooperation with the Singapore Indonesia Business Association is holding a Sharity Fair from Jan. 18 through Feb. 13.The fair is offering various products, accessories and food to celebrate Chinese New Year, or...

Mandiri's profit last year rose

Mandiri's profit last year rose PT Bank Mandiri, Indonesia's biggest lender by assets, said profit probably rose about 4.6 percent last year, as companies and consumers borrowed more in an expanding economy.Net income in 2004 was about Rp 4.

1. Article 13,

1. Article 13,1) Public places, health facilities, working places, learning and teaching venues, children playing grounds, worship houses, and public transports are free smoking areas.2) Managers of public places are required to prepare specific places for smokers that be provided with exhausting...

JP/5/YULI

JP/5/YULIFloods haunt residents in southern Bandung for yearsYuli Tri Suwarni The Jakarta Post/BandungSuhanda, 55, a resident of Bojong Citepus hamlet, Dayeuhkolot district in Bandung, is certainly an unfortunate man.

Conjoined twins still await medical miracle

Conjoined twins still await medical miracleThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Harmaini spreads a teddy-bear blanket out on the bed in the room provided for her family by the North Sumatra administration. It's almost like home, the 33-year-old smiles to herself as she puts her twin baby girls down to rest.

Imparsial warns TNI against promoting dubious officers

Imparsial warns TNI against promoting dubious officersTiarma Siboro Jakarta Respected human rights watchdog Imparsial has urged the Indonesian Military (TNI) not to promote officers with questionable track records on human rights into strategic posts, as such a move would threaten internal reform...

Police probe fake banknotes case

Police probe fake banknotes case JAKARTA: The National Police are investigating a possible link between counterfeit banknotes found in East Java and Central Java and a case involving National Intelligence Agency (BIN) officers.Director of the fraud squad Brig. Gen.

UN to employ 30,000 survivors

UN to employ 30,000 survivorsUrip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) plans to employ up to 30,000 tsunami survivors to clean up shattered buildings, debris and other waste materials in ravaged towns of Aceh as the rehabilitation and reconstruction...

Penalties for employers violating Law No. 3/1992

Penalties for employers violating Law No. 3/19921. Employers face up to six months jail or Rp 50 million (US$5,430) in fines for failure to pay premiums for workers' social security programs, for failure to provide compensation in the event of occupational accidents of workers who have not been...

Busway operators to handle feeder lines

Busway operators to handle feeder linesDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The Jakarta administration has said it will require the operators of the new busway corridors to set up and operate feeder routes.

Fair abdication and rewarding disposition

Fair abdication and rewarding dispositionPrijono Tjiptoherijanto, Jakarta In a single week, Kompas daily twice carried Javanese sayings of high philosophical value. The first expression, mikul dhuwur mendem jero (avoiding the exposure of old wounds), emerged through Herry Tjahjono's article on...

Japan can 'bridge misunderstanding' between Islam and the West

Japan can 'bridge misunderstanding' between Islam and the West Kosugi Yasushi, a professor of Islamic affairs and globalization at the Graduate School of Asian and African Studies at Kyoto University, Japan, spoke recently with The Jakarta Post's Muhammad Nafik about a possible role for Japan in...

Key suspects' accounts located

Key suspects' accounts located JAKARTA: The National Police announced on Friday they had tracked down three bank accounts in the names of key suspects in the Bank Global fraud case, in a bank located in Europe.

Aid fund control crucial

Aid fund control crucialFrom Koran TempoThe distrust in some circles over the utilization of aid funds for the reconstruction of post-tsunami Aceh and North Sumatra is inseparable from the short-term orientation of most Indonesian officials and the lack of supervision.

ITS enters robot contest

ITS enters robot contest SURABAYA: Eight teams from the November 10 Institute of Technology (ITS) have been selected to participate in the upcoming 2005 Indonesian Robot Contest (KRI) and the Indonesian Robot Intelligence Contest (KCRI), both of which will be held in Jakarta in May.

Formula One takes note of Asian draw

Formula One takes note of Asian drawAlan Baldwin, Reuters/London The confirmation of Narain Karthikeyan as India's first Formula One driver is an important step for the sport, even if he is unlikely to trouble world champion Michael Schumacher too much.

Parents bank on success of offspring

Parents bank on success of offspringMusthofid, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta At Asia-Africa Badminton Sports Hall in Central Jakarta, schoolchildren from around the city showed their budding prowess on court.

Students lack teachers, classrooms

Students lack teachers, classroomsTheresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post/Bogor Three teachers for an entire elementary school could be considered a lot in Bogor, because many schools in the regency only have one teacher for over 200 students, said head of the administrative unit at the education agency,...

'Michael' has two-pronged mission

'Michael' has two-pronged missionMuslima Hapsari, Contributor/Jakarta The earthquake and tidal waves that devastated parts of Aceh and North Sumatra have motivated people to lend a hand to help survivors.Many different events have been held to raise money for the rebuilding of destroyed areas.

Dengue fever claims 30 lives

Dengue fever claims 30 lives BANDUNG: In less than two weeks, 23 more people have died of dengue fever in West Java, putting the total number of deaths at 30 people from the beginning of the year.West Java Governor Danny Setiawan declared on Friday that the dengue fever outbreak in the province an...

Soge Sanden, Muneng become 'duck villages'

Soge Sanden, Muneng become 'duck villages'Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post/Bantul, Yogyakarta "Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!" That is the sound one will almost certainly hear every time they pass a village on the coastal area of Samas Beach in Bantul regency, Yogyakarta, especially in the hamlets of...

Aceh restoration plan under fire

Aceh restoration plan under fireNani Afrida, The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh A group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has condemned the central government for its failure to involve the public in drafting a master plan to rebuild Banda Aceh. "The central government has not been participative.

JP/5/MERAPI

JP/5/MERAPIWary residents make offerings to Merapi volcanoTarko Sudiarno The Jakarta Post/YogyakartaResidents living on the slopes of Mount Merapi, located on the border of Yogyakarta and Central Java, have stepped up their vigilance following rumors that eruptions are imminent, despite its status...

Soewarna offers integrated warehousing system

Soewarna offers integrated warehousing systemAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta An online connection with the Customs and Excise Office is expected to lessen the paperwork for freight forwarding companies at the Soewarna Business Park, located near Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in...

The price of clean air

The price of clean air After years of much talk and effectively no action at all, Jakarta's administrators seem at long last to have arrived at the realization that the problem of pollution in the Indonesian capital has reached the point where any further delay of action is no longer possible.

Accommodating

Accommodating thousands of children From Republika Following the report in The Jakarta Post on Jan. 3 that there is fear about the future of the child survivors of the tsunami disaster in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, the central executive board of Hidayatullah would like to state as follows: 1.

KL must be realistic about Indonesian workers: Kalla

KL must be realistic about Indonesian workers: KallaRendi A. Witular and Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Vice President Jusuf Kalla has asked Malaysian authorities not to abruptly deport Indonesian illegal immigrants, who comprise the majority of foreign workers in the neighboring...

BI and supervisory function

BI and supervisory function In response to a statement from the head of Bank Indonesia (BI)'s communications bureau, A. Djaafara, and the director of BI's Bank Supervision Directorate, Sabar Anton Tarihoran (Suara Pembaruan, Jan. 27) regarding Bank Global to the effect that: 1.

Good or bad year ahead, all enjoy spring festival

Good or bad year ahead, all enjoy spring festivalThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta "I would suggest to you, my friends, of all shio (Chinese zodiac signs), to try much harder and take control of every aspect of your lives.

Accommodating

Accommodating thousands of children From Republika Following the report in The Jakarta Post on Jan. 3 that there is fear about the future of the child survivors of the tsunami disaster in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, the central executive board of Hidayatullah would like to state as follows: 1.

Hotel Medan back in business

Hotel Medan back in businessFadli, The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh Once surrounded by shops, restaurants and offices, following the Dec. 26 tsunami the nearest thing to the Hotel Medan in Banda Aceh is a large wooden fishing boat that washed up from the nearby beach.The hotel reopened on Jan.

Water commands a price

Water commands a price The public furor over the 8.14 percent increase in tap water rates charged by PAM Jaya could scare off investors intending to submit bids for 91 infrastructure projects over the next few months following the Jan. 17 and Jan. 18 Infrastructure Summit in Jakarta.

Rebuilding Aceh anew

Rebuilding Aceh anew It's been weeks since the devastating earthquake and tsunami, but the pain is still there. The tears might have dried. The dust might have settled. People living on another continent might have already forgotten it, but not the Acehnese. It will take a long time to recover.

City bans smoking in public places

City bans smoking in public placesBambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Smoke at your own risk.That was the message left hanging in the air from city councillors on Friday when they endorsed the air pollution bylaw, which bans smoking in all enclosed public places.

Learning from U.S. to prepare teachers for future generations

Learning from U.S. to prepare teachers for future generationsTotok Amin Soefijanto, Boston/ Massachusetts There is a Javanese saying: "A teacher is to be listened to and followed." The problem is, we as a society do not know how to make teachers teach and lead professionally.

KL leader considers Thailand's request

KL leader considers Thailand's request MALAYSIA: Malaysia's prime minister will consider Thailand's request to extradite a suspected Muslim insurgent but urged the Thai government to stop making public its demands, news reports said on Friday.

We help our neighbors

We help our neighbors Uli Pandjaitan's reply to Mark Potts' Ignoring American aid (The Jakarta Post, Jan. 13 was well said. I gave a donation to the appeal because they are fellow human beings in trouble, they are also our neighbors.

Total lawyer accused of contempt of court for PR

Total lawyer accused of contempt of court for PR The legal dispute between mining company Total Indonesie and its contractors is heating up, with Total lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis likely to face charges of influencing court proceedings.A lawyer for the contractors, O.C.

Revised code criminalizes public kissing

Revised code criminalizes public kissingHera Diani, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Watch out all you lovebirds out there -- there is now a chance that lip-locking in public could send you to jail for 10 years and cost you as much as Rp 300 million (US$32,800) in fines.

JP/18/JAPAN

JP/18/JAPANTourist industry urged work hard to win back Japanese market Wahyoe Boediwardhana The Jakarta Post/DenpasarThe Dec. 26 tsunami that struck Aceh and North Sumatra in Indonesia and other countries in Asia and Africa, including Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, has had a dramatic impact on...

Strange nation

Strange nationFrom Koran Tempo Our country is indeed a strange nation. Some in the political elite have claimed that supposed foreign aid we are receiving is often just lip service as no money actually goes into the state's coffers.

RP inflation slows in January

RP inflation slows in January MANILA: Inflation prices in the Philippines slowed to 8.4 percent in January after 8.6 percent in December, the government's National Statistics Office said on Friday.The central bank had projected the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to rise 7.

JP/20/RETIKA

JP/20/RETIKA'I don't want to be overwhelmed by grief'Dedy Ardiansyah Contributor/Banda AcehIt is really painful to lose loved ones. Only a few people can overcome the grief that comes with this loss. Retika, 20, however, always looks cheerful even though she has lost her parents and one of her...

Yogya to build Rp 320b harbor

Yogya to build Rp 320b harbor YOGYAKARTA: In cooperation with South Korean investors, the provincial government of Yogyakarta is to build a Rp 320 billion fish harbor at Glagah Indah beach, Kulonprogo regency, this year.

Jeremy's case file declared complete

Jeremy's case file declared completeAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta A Singaporean suspected of theft, Tang Khen Seng, 32, alias Jeremy, was moved to the Jakarta prosecutor's office on Friday after his case file was declared complete.City Police spokesman Sr. Comr.

Govt to enforce social security scheme

Govt to enforce social security schemeRidwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The government will start getting tough enforcing the law on compulsory social security programs and insist that employers register all their workers with a program, an official says.

Total case will spook investors: IPA

Total case will spook investors: IPAFabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta While the legal battle involving Total E&P Indonesie -- a local affiliate of French oil giant Total SA -- and its contractors is only in its early stages, it is already sending a bad signal about Indonesia's...

Academics no slouches as band members, either

Academics no slouches as band members, eitherM. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta If someone decides to grab an instrument and jump on stage to perform, they ought to have a conviction that they can please a crowd.

Eradicate illegal levies

Eradicate illegal leviesFrom Warta KotaThe eradication of illegal levies by the government should be simultaneously carried out in all public offices, from top to bottom, because however small the amount involved it is a harmful form of graft.

Shorter stay suggested for pilgrims

Shorter stay suggested for pilgrimsThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Ministry of Religious Affairs should provide more flights for Indonesian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia because shorter hajs would be cheaper, meaning more people could go, two haj groups say.

Lonsum to build new palm oil mills

Lonsum to build new palm oil millsThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta In a bid to boost its production, the publicly listed plantation company PT PP London Sumatra Indonesia (Lonsum) plans to build three new palm oil mills in Sumatra -- all expected to start operation later this year.

Illegal workers share bitter stories

Illegal workers share bitter storiesApriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Medan Tati, an illegal worker who recently arrived home from Malaysia, broke into tears when describing her experience working in the neighboring country for a year and a half as a maid without pay.

Government scraps Aceh Authority Board plan

Government scraps Aceh Authority Board planRendi A. Witular and Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government has decided to drop its plan to set up a special authority for Aceh since the tsunami-stricken areas in the province already had functioning local governments, according to...

Susilo courts media as popularity wanes

Susilo courts media as popularity wanesMuninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta After declaring that his declining popularity did not really matter to him, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono invited two chief editors to his office for talks on two separate occasions on Thursday evening and...

Seminar on Italian Textile Finishing Technology

Seminar on Italian Textile Finishing Technology The Italian Trade Commission in Jakarta and the Italian Association of Textile Machinery (ACIMIT), in cooperation with the Indonesian Textile Association (API), will hold a seminar on the latest Italian textile technology at the Sheraton Hotel,...

Family mourn death of baby Dwipayani

Family mourn death of baby DwipayaniID Nugroho and Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post/Surabaya I Gusti Ayu Ketut Sriani sits alone in the corridor of Surabaya's Dr. Soetomo General Hospital. She mourns the loss of her eight- month-old baby girl, Dwipayani, who died on Thursday, five days after...

City mobilize forces in battle against dengue

City mobilize forces in battle against dengueThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Jakarta administration has set up a task force to deal with a dengue fever outbreak that as of Friday has infected at least 1,277 people, leading to nine deaths.

Turkish PM Erdogan to visit Indonesia

Turkish PM Erdogan to visit IndonesiaThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan will visit Indonesia from Feb. 6 to Feb. 7 during a regional tour of countries hit by the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami, the Embassy of Turkey in Jakarta said.

JP/7/SETH

JP/7/SETHThe relations between Jakarta and Canberra have been strained by becuase of the way East Timor got its independence.What Went Wrong in Indonesia-Australia Relations?S.P. SETH SidneyThe tsunami disaster has brought Indonesia closer to the world, particularly with rich developed countries...

Rupiah Rates Feb. 4

Rupiah Rates Feb. 4 Banknote rates Selling BuyingAustralian dollar 1 7,463.15 6,692.40 Brunei dollar 1 5,929.25 5,315.06 Canadian dollar 1 7,825.95 7,015.07 Swiss franc 1 8,069.34 7,233.07 Danish krone 1 1,690.68 1,515.68 Euro 1 12,583.50 11,283.42 Poundsterling 1 18,258.99 16,374.

Embassy to offer legal assistance

Embassy to offer legal assistance KUPANG: The Indonesian Embassy in Timor Leste has been asked to provide legal assistance to Daniel Mendes, an Indonesian citizen who was arrested in Becora Dili on Jan. 21 for his alleged involvement in an exchange of gunfire with Timor Leste Police.

Flooding is a commonplace problem for the people of Jakarta

Flooding is a commonplace problem for the people of Jakarta and other flood-prone areas across the country, such as Lampung, South Sumatra and Kalimantan. Almost every year, Jakarta and these areas are inundated during the wet season.

Author Pramoedya celebrates birthday

Author Pramoedya celebrates birthday JAKARTA: Friends and members of the literary community have arranged two events to celebrate the 80th birthday of Indonesia's most prominent author, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, on Sunday.In the first event at 11:30 a.m.

Aceh tsunami refugees in desperate need of jobs

Aceh tsunami refugees in desperate need of jobsUrip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh Sitting on a bench in the shade of a tree, Rosdiana, 50, was having a lengthy conversation about the latest travails of her husband, Malik.

Motorcycle sales to grow 20 percent, less than last year

Motorcycle sales to grow 20 percent, less than last yearThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta After enjoying a 38.14 percent increase in sales last year, the country's motorcycle market is likely to grow by "only" 20 percent this year due to, among other things, the government's plan to increase fuel prices in...

Yellow virus disease on chili peppers

Yellow virus disease on chili peppersFrom Republika In response to reports in several publications about a virus decimating chili peppers, known as Bule Amerika (American Albino) among local chili pepper growers, we would like to give the following information and corrections: * Scientifically,...

Aid fund control crucial

Aid fund control crucialFrom Koran TempoThe distrust in some circles over the utilization of aid funds for the reconstruction of post-tsunami Aceh and North Sumatra is inseparable from the short-term orientation of most Indonesian officials and the lack of supervision.

Kebumen farmers sell their soil for cash

Kebumen farmers sell their soil for cashSinggir Kartana, Contributor/Kebumen, Central Java It was afternoon in Kebagoran village, Pejagoan subdistrict, Kebumen, and six men were digging up a rice field with hoes and shovels and loading the soil into a truck parked nearby.

Children require early environmental education

Children require early environmental educationWuryadi, Yogyakarta Ahmad Bukhori's article in The Jakarta Post, on Jan. 22, Raising Environmental Awareness in Children, provides the fundamentals of environmental education in general.