Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 7 February 2005

82 articles found

Total banking assets in C. Sulawesi increase

Total banking assets in C. Sulawesi increaseRuslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, PaluCustomers' savings at state and private banks in Central Sulawesi increased by 21.1 percent to Rp 295 billion (US$32 million) in 2004, but fixed deposits dropped by 19 percent to Rp 124 billion, Bank Indonesia's...

Development plan short on details

Development plan short on detailsZakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThe newly unveiled government five-year development plan raises more questions than answers, notably in the manufacturing sector, as not only does it contain targets that are ambitious, it is also lacking in steps to move...

Australian prime minister urges Indonesia to crack down on money

Australian prime minister urges Indonesia to crack down on money laundering Indonesia should open up its financial institutions to scrutiny as a way of cracking down on money laundering and earning the trust of foreign investors, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Sunday.

Environmental agency suggests closure of laundry plants

Environmental agency suggests closure of laundry plantsBambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, JakartaResidents of Sukabumi Selatan subdistrict in West Jakarta will likely win the battle against 51 illegal denim processing plants, which have been blamed for polluting the area.

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.

1. DISCOURSE: 1 X 42

1. DISCOURSE: 1 X 42 'Women don't want to get pregnant at time like this' 2. KOMINFO: 1 X 28 Expert applauds new info ministry 3. ECONOMY: 1 X 28 Development plan short on details 4. TURKY: 1 X 27 Turkish leader visits Aceh 5. COMMENT: 1 X 50 Ballot in hand, remember the perils over the horizon

Weatherman tells which way wind blows

Weatherman tells which way wind blowsID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, SurabayaThe Surabaya Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) warned people against unnecessary travel by air or sea due to the predicted rough weather in February.

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.

'Disturbed' man kills niece

'Disturbed' man kills niece BEKASI: Asmat Sani Boim, 50, allegedly stabbed to death his own niece Sopyan, 39, on Friday morning over a trivial matter.In his statement to the West Bekasi police, Asmat said that Sopyan, who lived next door in Bintara subdistrict, had awakened him up at about 6:30 a.m.

Residents fight illegal logging

Residents fight illegal logging JAMBI: Pancakarya residents in Limun district have their own way of fighting illegal loggers, by declaring 400 hectares of forest area as the village's restricted forest.

Millennium celebrates 'Imlek' with 'Yu Shang'

Millennium celebrates 'Imlek' with 'Yu Shang'Jim Read, The Jakarta Post, JakartaHave you ever experienced the thrill of tossing a pancake on Shrove Tuesday, wondering whether it will turn over exactly as planned, break in mid-air, or land back in the frying pan in a crumpled heap?Something akin to...

Teens open up to peer counselors

Teens open up to peer counselorsThe Jakarta Post, JakartaUnie, a senior at SMK 3 vocational high school in East Jakarta, carries out her task as a counselor on HIV/AIDS, reproduction health and sexually transmitted diseases, by involving her school mates in "girl talk".

Graft cases mean Rp 267b losses

Graft cases mean Rp 267b losses SAMARINDA: The state has suffered at least Rp 267.4 billion (US$29.6 million) in losses from 15 graft cases in East Kalimantan in recent months, in which 21 people have been named suspects by local prosecutors.

Semarang's Chinese set to celebrate 'Imlek'

Semarang's Chinese set to celebrate 'Imlek'Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, SemarangBeads of sweat trickle down Hui Liam's face while he dusts the small statues in front of him with a brush."I've been assigned to clean these gods statues this year," said Hui at the Tay Kak Sie Temple on Gang Lombok,...

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.

Dengue attacks 178 in N. Sulawesi

Dengue attacks 178 in N. Sulawesi MANADO: The North Sulawesi Health Office reported that the number of people known to have contracted dengue fever in North Sulawesi reached 178 in January alone. Five of them, children under the age of five, died.

Storm forecast spooks Yogya residents

Storm forecast spooks Yogya residentsSlamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, YogyakartaThe provincial government and residents along the southern coastal of Yogyakarta are preparing for the worst following an announcement by officials that a storm is heading for the area.

BHP's Indonesian mine may be sold

BHP's Indonesian mine may be soldMUMBAI: Steel Authority of India Ltd., the nation's biggest steelmaker, may acquire a stake in an Indonesian coal mine operated by BHP Billiton Ltd. to ease shortage of the fuel that forced it to cut production in April.

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.

Residents eagerly await barongsai show

Residents eagerly await barongsai showThe Jakarta Post, JakartaA six-year-old boy stands on a partition trying to get a clear view of the performance of a Chinese traditional dance performed by women dancers at Pluit Mega mall, North Jakarta.

Kadin warned against colluding with state officials

Kadin warned against colluding with state officialsRendi A. Witular and Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post, JakartaWhile the business community is still facing chronic government red tape in running their businesses here, Vice President Jusuf Kalla is urging them not to use is as an excuse to collude...

Floods swamp 200 houses

Floods swamp 200 houses MANADO: Heavy rains and flooding over the last two weeks has affected approximately 200 houses in Manado, but no casualties were reported, according to the police on Saturday.First Insp.

TV Program: Monday, January 7, 2005

TV Program: Monday, January 7, 2005TVRI .TB.30" .90" 5:00 a.m. Religious Teachings6:00 News: Berita Pagi7:00 Cartoon: Maya the Bee7:30 Children Show8:30 Music: Asyik Asyik10:00 Talk Show11:00 Singing Contest: Konteswara 1:00 p.m.

What really went wrong in Indonesia-Australia relations?

What really went wrong in Indonesia-Australia relations?S.P. SETH, Sidney The tsunami disaster has brought Indonesia closer to the world, particularly with rich developed countries able to help with their human and material resources.

'Women don't want to get pregnant at a time like this'

'Women don't want to get pregnant at a time like this'In the aftermath of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami, problems such as the safe delivery of babies and women's concerns over the possibility of becoming pregnant continue to arise.

PKS boycotts interpellation motion

PKS boycotts interpellation motionKurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThe Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has dealt an interpellation motion against the government a major blow following the withdrawal of its support for the move that was being spearheaded by House of Representatives lawmakers...

RSCM morgue runs out of cooling unit

RSCM morgue runs out of cooling unit The Jakarta Post JakartaWith a turnover of 400 bodies monthly, the fact that only three out of seven body refrigerators in Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital's morgue in Central Jakarta, are working, could be problematic.

ITB scientist wins award

ITB scientist wins award JAKARTA: Bambang Riyanto Trilaksono, a lecturer and researcher at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), has won the 2004 Science and Technology Award from the Indonesian Toray Science Foundation (ITSF) for his research on robust signal procession.

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.

Expert applauds new info ministry

Expert applauds new info ministryFabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, JakartaA communication expert has applauded the government's move to set up a ministry of communications and information, saying it would help simplify the chain the bureaucracy in establishing new electronic media.

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...

Australia to play Indonesia in tsunami relief match

Australia to play Indonesia in tsunami relief match Agence France-Presse, Sydney, Australia Australia will play Indonesia in a soccer friendly in March with the proceeds going to the victims of the Asian tsunami disaster, the Football Federation Australia said.

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...

Dump operator vows better management

Dump operator vows better management BEKASI: The new operator of Jakarta's main waste treatment facility in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi, PT Patriot Bekasi Bangkit (PBB) told the Bekasi Council's Commission B on oversees economic affairs that it would gradually reform the waste treatment system.

Act on money laundering: Howard

Act on money laundering: HowardIndonesia should open up its financial institutions to scrutiny as a way of cracking down on money laundering and earning the trust of foreign investors, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Sunday.

KL to build tsunami warning system

KL to build tsunami warning systemMALAYSIA: Malaysia will set up a tsunami warning system costing US$5 million by the end of this year, the government said on Sunday.American and Japanese maritime experts will help install the system around the coast of the northern peninsular, as well as Sabah and...

Road accident kills six

Road accident kills six DEMAK, Central Java: A truck crashed into a Colt pick up truck early on Sunday morning here, killing six and seriously injuring nine others.All the dead and injured were the passengers of the Colt pick up truck.

Interfaith dialog vital for religious harmony

Interfaith dialog vital for religious harmonyM. Ali, Manchester, UKI recently received from a friend a gift of a video tape of a meeting between Muslim and Christian religious experts in Indonesia. It was described as a "debate between two religions", with the subtitle, "Islam versus Christianity"...

Affordable apartment market needs boost

Affordable apartment market needs boostThe Jakarta Post, JakartaStanding in front of a booth at a property exhibition, businessman Lucas was speaking with a marketing officer from an upmarket condominium group about adding a luxury apartment to his list of property assets.

1. TKI: 1 LINE, 25 COUNTS

1. TKI: 1 LINE, 25 COUNTS SBY stands by unpaid workers 3. HOWARD: 4 LINES, 10 COUNTS PM Howard advises RI on financial transparency 4. STORM: 3 LINES, 14 COUNTS Storm forecast spooks Yogya residents 5. PRAM: 1 LINE, 28 COUNTS Pram still going strong at 80

Indonesia to sue Malaysian employers

Indonesia to sue Malaysian employersRidwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, JakartaMinister of Manpower and Transmigration Fahmi Idris said over the weekend that the government has hired Malaysian lawyers to sue Malaysian companies that are allegedly withholding the salaries of Indonesian workers.

Acehnese youngsters take shelter in 'pesantren'

Acehnese youngsters take shelter in 'pesantren'Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Aceh BesarWeeks after the tsunami struck, 16-year-old Nazarullah still could not forget the sight of his mother being swept away by the tidal wave right before his eyes.

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.

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.

Susilo to attend 'Imlek' celebration

Susilo to attend 'Imlek' celebration JAKARTA: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is slated to attend the National Celebration of the Chinese New Year (Imlek), which will be held on Feb. 13 at the Sudirman Hall, South Jakarta.

* Storm forecast spooks Yogyakarta residents Page 2

* Storm forecast spooks Yogyakarta residents Page 2 * Govt 'undermining' Aceh, Papua autonomy Page 4 * Semarang's ethnic Chinese set to celebrate 'Imlek' Page 5 * Japan can bridge gap between Islam, West Page 7 * Police probe gunfire between officers at gambling den Page 8 * Carter leads Nets over...

Capital is a coward, it will not go where it is not welcomed: OPIC

Capital is a coward, it will not go where it is not welcomed: OPICThe United States government owned Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) works in over 150 developing countries, providing political risk insurance and financing to U.S. corporation overseas.

Turkish leader makes first tsunami zone stop

Turkish leader makes first tsunami zone stopIrwan Firdaus Associated Press/Banda Aceh, IndonesiaTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (photo, right) speaks with an Acehnese child at a clinic run by the Turkish Red Crescent near the tsunami-hit city of Banda Aceh.

Faqih allowed to move to Medan

Faqih allowed to move to Medan JAKARTA: Farid Faqih, a relief worker now in police custody for allegedly stealing an aid shipment in tsunami-stricken Aceh province, has been transferred to a hospital in Medan, North Sumatra, to get better medical treatment for injuries sustained in an assault by...

'Smokers are not criminals'

'Smokers are not criminals' The Jakarta City Council has endorsed a new bylaw that bans smokers from lighting up in most public offices and requires building managers to provide smoking areas. The Jakarta Post asked a few people to comment on the new ruling.

Wary residents prepare offerings to Mount Merapi

Wary residents prepare offerings to Mount MerapiTarko 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 still...

Japan can bridge gap between Islam and West

Japan can bridge gap between Islam and 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 bridging the gap...

Lita looks at life from both sides now

Lita looks at life from both sides nowBruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta When memory fails her about her days on the international tennis circuit, Lita Liem Sugiarto finds the answers she needs in two small notebooks.

Ali ready to lead PBB

Ali ready to lead PBB JAKARTA: Politician Ali Muchtar said on Saturday that he was ready to take up the chairmanship of the Muslim-based party Crescent Star Party (PBB). The party needed young blood in order to spur change within party, said Ali Muchtar, who is also a PBB House legislator, during...

U.S. hopes to boost ties with SE Asia despite Myanmar thorn

U.S. hopes to boost ties with SE Asia despite Myanmar thornP. Parameswaran, Agence France-Presse/WashingtonThe United States is determined to strengthen political and trade ties with Southeast Asia even as it takes a tougher line on Myanmar under new Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, officials...

Turkish leader visit Aceh

Turkish leader visit AcehIrwan Firdaus, Associated Press/Banda Aceh, IndonesiaTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged his country's help on Sunday in rebuilding schools, orphanages and hospitals as he toured Indonesia's tsunami-ravaged Aceh province.

Businesses brace for smoking ban

Businesses brace for smoking banAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, JakartaHotels, malls and restaurants in Jakarta said on Sunday they were ready to comply with a bylaw banning smoking in all enclosed public places.

Maya, reporter turns volunteer

Maya, reporter turns volunteerAndi Hajramurni, Contributor, Banda AcehThere was not the slightest trace of fear or repugnance on the face of Mismayal Khaerat, 31, a reporter and a member of one of the Search-and-Rescue (SAR) teams from South Sulawesi, when she pulled out corpses from the ruins left...

Sutiyoso dreams of a garden city

Sutiyoso dreams of a garden cityDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThe names of several areas of Jakarta evoke a pretty picture of the city -- Kebon Jeruk (orange garden) in West Jakarta, Kebon Kacang (peanut garden) in Central Jakarta and Kebon Nanas (pineapple garden) in East Jakarta --...

AWAir cancels flights to S'pore from Jakarta

AWAir cancels flights to S'pore from JakartaSoraya Permatasari, Bloomberg/JakartaAirAsia Bhd., Southeast Asia's largest discount airline, said its PT AWAir International venture canceled all flights to Singapore from Jakarta because Singapore regulators held up permission for it to land there.

Pramoedya still going strong at 80

Pramoedya still going strong at 80Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta"I don't know what to say," novelist Pramoedya Ananta Toer, overwhelmed by the moment, finally uttered at his 80th birthday party with family and friends on Sunday afternoon.

New Criminal Code could still threaten free press

New Criminal Code could still threaten free pressHera Diani, The Jakarta Post, JakartaIn what looks like a return to the New Order bullying of the press, the government's draft of the new Criminal Code contains numerous articles that could threaten press freedom.

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.

SBY stands by unpaid workers

SBY stands by unpaid workersThe Jakarta Post, JakartaPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called for equal treatment before the law for Malaysian employers who failed to pay the salaries of their Indonesian workers.

Police probe shooting between officers

Police probe shooting between officersAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, JakartaAuthorities are currently probing an alleged shooting incident between officers from the National Police headquarters and National Police internal affairs during a raid at a gambling house in Taman Palem, West Jakarta last...

UK-RI team studies quake epicenter

UK-RI team studies quake epicenterThe Jakarta Post, JakartaA joint British and Indonesian team is studying the seabed near the epicenter of the Dec. 26 earthquake off the western coast of northern Sumatra that triggered the deadly tsunami.

Traders protest against new mall

Traders protest against new mall PADANG: Some 7,000 members of the Padang Market Traders Association (KPP) held a protest against the Padang municipality's plan to build a shopping mall on the site of the Goan Hoat bus terminal, located near Pasar Raya market.

RI, Spore talk on extradition treaty

RI, Spore talk on extradition treaty JAKARTA: Indonesia and Singapore's governments are in talks on an extradition agreement between the two countries, Dino Djalal, an Indonesian presidential spokesman, told reporters in Jakarta on Friday.

Tsunami amputees

Tsunami amputees In reference to an article on Jan. 18, as a one-legged man myself I can confirm that limb amputation is the most traumatic experience a person can have, but I would like to reassure those unfortunate victims of the tsunami that new life and hope is possible with artificial limbs.

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.

Netherlands to offer 200 full scholarships

Netherlands to offer 200 full scholarshipsThe Jakarta Post, JakartaThe Dutch government will grant up to 200 full scholarships this year to Indonesian professionals to take post-graduate studies at various universities in the Netherlands, according to an official.

China refuses to set time-table on forex

China refuses to set time-table on forexReuters, LondonChinese authorities on Saturday again declined to set out a time- table to make their currency more flexible on the world's money markets and said they had not come under international pressure to revalue the yuan.

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,...

Govt 'undermining' Aceh, Papua autonomy

Govt 'undermining' Aceh, Papua autonomyMuninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThe government is altering the rules on how regional elections should be carried out in the resource-rich provinces of Aceh and Papua, a move which some say undermines the special autonomy status of the two...

Lockheed Martin withdraws bid

Lockheed Martin withdraws bidTAIWAN: U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin has withdrawn its bid to supply Taiwan with an early-warning radar system as the island was reconsidering the controversial arms deal, leading defense journal Jane's Defense Weekly said.

Export skilled workers, minister says

Export skilled workers, minister saysRidwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, JakartaMinister of Manpower and Transmigration Fahmi Idris has called on labor exporters to follow in the footsteps of the Binawan Group, which has begun exporting trained professionals.

Online plan needs substance to keep it from sinking

Online plan needs substance to keep it from sinking Fei Li China Daily/Asia News Network Beijing When the Government Online Initiative was launched in 1999 with great fanfare, hopes were high that the project would lead to a more efficient information flow and interaction between the government and...

Japan's army shows its human face

Japan's army shows its human faceUrip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Banda AcehLt. Kimura and his fellow field doctors braced for another busy day, with some 50 patients already forming a queue in front of the medical center that the Japanese Self Defense Force (JSDF) has set up in an open field in...

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.

1. BOOM -- 2 x 27

1. BOOM -- 2 x 27 New tsunami concern: A baby boom in refugee campsChris Brummitt Associated Press/Banda Aceh With the birth of her first child just one month away, Wadiana Wahab worries about the world her baby will enter.

JP/17/DUCKS

JP/17/DUCKSLocals turn Soge Sanden, Muneng into '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,...

1. MILLEN -- 2 x 21

1. MILLEN -- 2 x 21 Millennium celebrates 'Imlek' with 'Yu Shang' 2. LUNAR -- 1 x 15 Gong Xi Fa Cai! 3. CHICK -- 2 x 21 Vietnamese divided on 'Tet' chicken tradition