Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 12 July 2005

78 articles found

Budiarto air base fits bill as air cargo hub

Budiarto air base fits bill as air cargo hubMulta Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, TangerangIt seems that Tangerang regental administration may have to let go its dream of having its own commercial airport in Curug district, as the central government prefers to transform the existing Budiarto air base...

Official arrested for illegal logging

Official arrested for illegal loggingDONGGALA, Central Sulawesi: Ibrahim Drakel, a top official in the Donggala forestry agency, has been detained since Saturday by Donggala Police for allegedly issuing logging licenses in contravention of the prevailing national forestry legislation.

Haste makes waste

Haste makes waste Leaders should lead by example. And the thriftiness of a government plays an exemplary role in setting the pace of a nation's consumptive habits.Ideally we wish to see an efficient, responsive, thrifty government that provides all the services needed -- not necessarily demanded --...

Higher diesel prices will raise costs, hurt profit: Bumi

Higher diesel prices will raise costs, hurt profit: BumiClaire Leow, Bloomberg/JakartaPT Bumi Resources, Indonesia's largest coal exporter, said higher fuel costs after government subsidy cuts will reduce profit by as much as 10 percent and increase mining costs.

Susilo cites fuel crisis for postponed trips

Susilo cites fuel crisis for postponed tripsMuninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, JakartaPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked for understanding from the governments of China, Thailand and Brunei over the postponement of his planned state visits due to the lingering fuel shortages at home.

KPI warns govt over transmission cuts

KPI warns govt over transmission cutsThe Jakarta Post, JakartaThe Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) has criticized the government for ordering all broadcasting stations to cut their on-air time in relation to its campaign to conserve energy, although they say they understand the government's...

'I have no other choice but to take a taxi'

'I have no other choice but to take a taxi'A taxi passenger reported to the police last week she had been robbed by a group of three men inside a taxi owned by a reputable taxi company. The news has renewed concerns over the safety of taxi passengers.

Muhammadiyah's new chairman and the future of its liberalism

Muhammadiyah's new chairman and the future of its liberalismAhmad Najib Burhani, Jakarta No surprise! These were the words spoken by observers after the naming of Din Syamsuddin, Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) secretary-general, as the new chairman of Muhammadiyah for the 2005-2010 period,...

Jamsostek seeks help from labor union

Jamsostek seeks help from labor union JAKARTA: State-owned insurance company PT Jamsostek signed an agreement with the National Labor Union (SPN), a unit of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions, to register more workers with the company's social security programs.

Aceh will remain a part of Indonesia: GAM

Aceh will remain a part of Indonesia: GAM Tiarma Siboro The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have agreed to a demand by the Indonesian government that the tsunami-hit province should remain a part of Indonesia, but they spelled out conditions that the Acehnese must be...

Sutanto orders crackdown on gambling dens

Sutanto orders crackdown on gambling densEva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Newly installed National Police Chief Gen. Sutanto has given a one-week deadline for regional police chiefs to eradicate gambling activities in their respective areas during a meeting held on his first day at work...

President to inaugurate Cipularang toll road

President to inaugurate Cipularang toll roadYuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, BandungStarting today, car owners will no longer be able to travel for free on the Cikampek-Purwakarta-Padalarang (Cipularang) Toll Road between Jakarta and Bandung.

Indonesia will use bio-fuel as alternative energy

Indonesia will use bio-fuel as alternative energyThe Jakarta Post, JakartaAs the fuel shortage has hit the country and global oil prices have reached US$61 per barrel, the government plans to use crude palm oil (CPO) and other bio-mass fuel as an alternative energy source.

DONE SEE BOLDS

DONE SEE BOLDSJababeka Golf & Country Club The World's Toughest Golf Course You cannot consider yourself a true golfer unless you have visited Jababeka Golf & Country Club in Cikarang. Easily accessible from central Jakarta at a distance of only 31 k.m.

Legislator bemoans appalling conditions in country's prisons

Legislator bemoans appalling conditions in country's prisonsWahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, DenpasarA senior legislator revealed on Monday that 80 percent of the penitentiaries in the country, including those in Bali, were currently way over capacity.

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Is ethanol the answer to fuel shortages? Harold Koh Jakarta2. Pro -- Neo-liberalism meets neo-confucianism 2 x 30 When neoliberalism meets neo-Confucianism in the economy Kenneth Murphy Project Syndicate3.

Newmont verdict in Manado delayed

Newmont verdict in Manado delayedMANADO, North Sulawesi: Manado District Court delayed delivering its verdict against an environmental activist accused of having defamed mining company PT Newmont Minahasa Raya.

Fuel subsidies -- legalized daylight robbery

Fuel subsidies -- legalized daylight robberyEndy M. Bayuni, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Anyone looking for an explanation as to why we as a nation are so corrupt while still professing to be a very religious people -- a question that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono posed when opening the...

Tuban to get new refinery to save fuel shortages

Tuban to get new refinery to save fuel shortagesThe Jakarta Post, JakartaTo prevent future fuel shortages, the government will build the country's 10th refinery in Tuban, a northern coast town of East Java province.

Experts warn N. Sumatra lies on shaky ground

Experts warn N. Sumatra lies on shaky groundApriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, MedanLocated in a geologically active area, North Sumatra is at risk of major earthquakes, according to several experts.The experts were speaking at a national seminar in Medan on earthquakes and tsunami, in the context...

The misappropriation of the haj pilgrimage fund in the Ministry

The misappropriation of the haj pilgrimage fund in the Ministry of Religious Affairs is a disgrace to religious values that are supposed to be upheld by this institution and also a betrayal of Muslims' trust.The management of the haj pilgrimage involves over Rp 5.

Digital Printing: From Households to Industries

Digital Printing: From Households to IndustriesB. Gunawan, Contributor, Jakarta Digitalization is an electronic revolution that has brought about fantastic changes, not only to information technology, telecommunications, audio-visual products and home appliances, but also to printing technology.

Fitch cuts RP credit rating outlook

Fitch cuts RP credit rating outlook MANILA: Fitch Ratings cut on Monday its credit rating outlook on the Philippines to negative from stable, citing heightened political uncertainty and a court decision to freeze the implementation of a crucial tax measure.

Hundreds of people beleaved to have dead in ferry disaster

Hundreds of people beleaved to have dead in ferry disasterAgence France Presse/JakartaHopes faded on Monday of finding any more survivors from a ferry that sank off the eastern Indonesian province of Papua last week, with as many as 200 people believed trapped inside, a rescue official said.

S. African province seeks cooperation with Jakarta

S. African province seeks cooperation with JakartaVeeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThere's something in Jakarta that has very much impressed the visiting Premier of KwaZulu-Natal province Sibusiso Ndebele.

Book review critique

Book review critique Anyone who wonders why the book publishing industry in Indonesia remains behind that of the rest of the region need only look to the shallow, poorly written review of Lontar's new volume Indonesia in the Soeharto Years in the Sunday (June 3) edition of The Jakarta Post.

1. Jamsos (1x36)

1. Jamsos (1x36) Ex-president of Jamsostek in detention 2. Witness (1x32) Witness protection law 'crucial' 3. Police (3x14) Sutanto orders crackdown on gambling dens 4. KPI (1x36) KPI warns govt over transmission cuts

In the claws of disaster

In the claws of disaster"It has never happened before," said Saman Sitorus when asked if he has recollection of a similar incident in his lifetime about Sumatran tigers attacking defenseless villagers.Saman is the geucik (head) of the upland village Tumban Tua in Aceh Tenggara, which is the site of...

RI remains

RI remains anti-foreigner This is a reply to your article Investors or retired people? published in The Jakarta Post on June 9. After reading the indignant reaction to a suggestion that Indonesia let elderly foreigners retire in Indonesia, I think there may be some short-sightedness when looking at...

Rp 5b earmarked for toilet program

Rp 5b earmarked for toilet program TANGERANG: In a bid to familiarize its residents with proper hygiene, the Tangerang municipality is allocating Rp 5 billion to build public toilets in four districts along the northern coast.

Aceh will remain a part of Indonesia: GAM

Aceh will remain a part of Indonesia: GAM Tiarma Siboro The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have agreed to a demand by the Indonesian government that the tsunami-hit province should remain a part of Indonesia, but they spelled out conditions that the Acehnese must be...

NTT villages to get central govt funds

NTT villages to get central govt fundsKUPANG: The central government plans to allocate more than Rp 200 billion (US$21.05 million) to finance development programs in some 800 poor villages in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), according to a minister.

*Jakartans urged to reduce power consumption Page 2

*Jakartans urged to reduce power consumption Page 2 *Ex-president of Jamsostek in detention Page 4 *Experts warn that N. Sumatra at risk of major quakes Page 5 *Is the ulema-intellectual dichotomy a valid issue? Page 6 *Residents around canal project face eviction Page 8 *Times change in a year for...

1. Pepres -- 1 x 38

1. Pepres -- 1 x 38 People living on E. Canal site face eviction 2. Crash -- 1 x 28 Driver ignored signal in train crash 3. Library -- 2 x 16 Mobile libraries reach out to people 4. Airport -- 1 x 40 Budiarto air base fits bill as air cargo hub 5.

RI files charges against Newmont

RI files charges against NewmontReuters, JakartaIndonesian prosecutors filed pollution charges against a local unit of U.S.-based Newmont Mining Corp. and its American chief executive on Monday, in a case that has raised concern among foreign investors.

Firman pledges to curb gambling

Firman pledges to curb gambling JAKARTA: City police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said on Sunday he was prepared to sign a pledge to new National Police chief Gen. Sutanto on curbing gambling."I will stop big and small gambling operations, including illegal lotteries (togel)," he said.

Clans dominate Palu politics

Clans dominate Palu politicsRuslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, PaluThe direct election in Palu municipality is a month away and the mayoral hopefuls are busily preparing for the contest, meeting with eligible voters in informal meetings.

Driver ignored signal in train crash

Driver ignored signal in train crashBambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, JakartaA signal malfunction was the main cause of a train crash that killed five people and injured over 100 others in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta on June 30, the National Commission for Transportation Safety (KNKT) said on...

Bloating caused by starvation

Bloating caused by starvationFrom Tempo It is really saddening to learn from the print and electronic media how many skinny children in many places in Indonesia are lying helplessly with bloated bellies, in a severely malnourished condition.

U.S. boosting Asian counterterrorism cooperation: Rice

U.S. boosting Asian counterterrorism cooperation: RiceAssociated Press, Phuket, ThailandUnited States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday the United States is stepping up cooperation to fight terrorism in Southeast Asia, warning that terror attacks remain a major threat across the...

JP/18/BRIEFS

JP/18/BRIEFSMaya Resort & Spa, a favorite for Aussie couplesMaya Ubud Resort & Spa grabbed the Gold Category Award in the Best Resort Spa Overseas and Silver Category Award in Best Hotel/Resort in Southeast Asia based on Holidays for Couples Magazine Readers' Choice Awards 2005.

Departure tax

Departure taxFrom Kompas The government has stipulated that every Indonesian wishing to go abroad is subject to Rp 1 million departure tax.When Megawati was president, she planned to scrap this departure tax.

1. ENERGY: 3 x 10

1. ENERGY: 3 x 10 Powerholders sweat in out in energy cut 2. GAM: 2 x 24] GAM agrees to Aceh staying Indonesian

S'pore Q2 growth erases fears

S'pore Q2 growth erases fears SINGAPORE: Singapore's economy grew a sharper-than-expected 3.9 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, the government said on Monday, erasing fears of a recession.The Southeast Asian city-state's economy grew 12.

Power-holders sweat it out in energy cuts

Power-holders sweat it out in energy cutsThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Medan/SemarangThere was something missing in the presidential office on Monday: the sight of people wearing dark suits.From presidential guards, press officers, presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal, Minister of Mines and Energy...

GAM agrees to Aceh remaining Indonesia

GAM agrees to Aceh remaining IndonesiaTiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Leaders of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have agreed to a demand by the Indonesian government that the tsunami-hit province should remain a part of Indonesia, but they spelled out conditions that the Acehnese must be...

Arroyo takes breather as opponents plan huge protest

Arroyo takes breather as opponents plan huge protestBill Tarrant, Manila/ReutersPresident Gloria Macapagal Arroyo won a reprieve after powerful Philippine bishops stopped short of demanding she quit, but the opposition vowed no let-up on Monday in a campaign to drive her from office.

Bright sparks at City Hall order power plug pulled

Bright sparks at City Hall order power plug pulledDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, JakartaIn response to the recent presidential instruction on energy conservation, Governor Sutiyoso issued an instruction on Monday requiring all Jakartans, especially building managements across the capital, to...

Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on July 11, 2005

Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on July 11, 2005 ____________________________________________________________________________ Shares Close Change Trading Volume _____________________________________________________________________________ Abdi Bangsa Tbk 275 0 0 Ades Alfindo...

Councillors arrested for drug possession

Councillors arrested for drug possessionBANDARLAMPUNG, Lampung: Lampung Police arrested Lamijono, 37, the speaker of Tulangbawang regency council, and Jarwo Hadi, a senior councillor on the regency council, for allegedly being in possession of ecstasy pills.The pair were arrested on Sunday morning.

Pertamina ups diesel fuel price for miners

Pertamina ups diesel fuel price for minersLeony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, JakartaState oil and gas firm PT Pertamina quietly raised the price of diesel fuel for mining and oil companies on July 1 to meet market prices, although there has been no changes in the presidential regulation on domestic...

Rupiah Rates July 11

Rupiah Rates July 11 Banknote rates TT rates Selling Buying Selling Buying Australian dollar 1 7,608.32 6,862.55 7,273.23 7,197.51 Brunei dollar 1 6,033.47 5,441.06 5,767.74 5,706.63 Canadian dollar 1 8,402.40 7,578.74 8,032.33 7,948.65 Swiss franc 1 7,889.67 7,118.10 7,542.18 7,465.

People living on E. Canal site face eviction

People living on E. Canal site face evictionDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThe fate of people whose land and homes are affected by the long- delayed East Canal Project now appears sealed as Jakarta's governor, Sutiyoso, has signed regulations allowing their forcible eviction if they...

Stocks advance, paced by Telkom, Astra on rupiah

Stocks advance, paced by Telkom, Astra on rupiahBloomberg/JakartaIndonesian stocks rose, paced by PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia and PT Astra International, after the rupiah gained for the first day in three, easing concern the cost of imports and servicing dollar-denominated debt will escalate.

Is ethanol the answer to fuel shortage?

Is ethanol the answer to fuel shortage?Harold Koh, Jakarta If last week's nationwide fuel shortage is anything to go by, Indonesian motorists may have a lot more queuing up to do at petrol kiosks in the future.

Witness protection law 'crucial'

Witness protection law 'crucial'Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, JakartaAs lawmakers gear up to deliberate the long-awaited law on the protection of witnesses and victims of violence, experts have said that it must be comprehensively discussed and detailed in order to push forward judicial reform.

Another tragedy in Aceh: Illegal logging

Another tragedy in Aceh: Illegal loggingContributor to The Jakarta Post Riedo Panaligan is a recipient of the 2005 Journalism Fellowship Program of the Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance. From Banda Aceh he has filed a special report on illegal logging in Aceh province, plus related...

Malaysia keeps 5-6% GDP forecast

Malaysia keeps 5-6% GDP forecast KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's central bank will not revise its 2005 GDP growth forecast of between 5 percent and 6 percent, despite surging oil prices in the global market, its governor said on Sunday.

Rice urges ASEAN to push Myanmar for democratic reform

Rice urges ASEAN to push Myanmar for democratic reformP. Parameswaran, Agence France-Presse/Phuket, ThailandU.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Southeast Asian nations on Monday to press Myanmar's military rulers to reform, as she toured the reconstruction in tsunami-hit southern...

U.S. gives $120m for governance development

U.S. gives $120m for governance developmentThe Jakarta Post, JakartaThe U.S. government has committed an additional US$120 million in technical assistance grants to support Indonesia to strengthen its democracy and build more effective local governance.

Mandiri upbeat on improving performance

Mandiri upbeat on improving performanceUrip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, JakartaLearning from a disappointing first quarter result of rising bad loans and falling profits, management at state-owned Bank Mandiri has launched an "internal consolidation program" to put the country's largest lender back...

1. Insight --- 1x38

1. Insight --- 1x38 Fuel subsidies -- legalized daylight robbery 2. Tenis --- 4x10Indonesia pummels Puerto Rico in Fed Cup 3. Arroyo -- 2x24 Arroyo takes breather as opponents plan huge protest 4. Bosnia -- 3x16 Bosnian grief, Western regret at Srebrenica

Osama and Bush equally wrong

Osama and Bush equally wrong A recent article in The Jakarta Post about fears that extremist Israeli settlers will try to assassinate Ariel Sharon caught my eye. Alongside it was an article acknowledging deaths of 17 Afghan civilians, including an undisclosed number of children, after a U.S.

Firman pledges

Firman pledges to curb gambling JAKARTA: City police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said on Sunday he was prepared to sign a pledge to new National Police chief Gen. Sutanto on curbing gambling."I will stop big and small gambling operations, including illegal lotteries (togel)," he said.

Hawkers protests eviction plan

Hawkers protests eviction plan JAKARTA: At least 50 street vendors protested in front of Plaza Atrium in Senen on Monday, in opposition to the Central Jakarta municipality's plan to evict them from the streets in the area.The administration plans to carry out the eviction on Tuesday.

Legalized abortion, no!

Legalized abortion, no!From RepublikaThe Indonesian Reproduction Health Profile 2003, issued by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the World Health Organization, shows an increase in abortion rates with a majority of young people (15 years to 24 years) being involved in this practice.

TV Program: Tuesday, July 12, 2005

TV Program: Tuesday, July 12, 2005TVRI .TB.30" .90" 5:00 a.m. Religious Teachings6:00 News: Berita Pagi7:00 Cartoon: Hello Kitty World8:30 Music: Asik-asik10:00 Talk Show: Agribiz11:00 News: Berita Nusantara12:00 p.m.

Four dead in bus accident

Four dead in bus accidentSURABAYA: Two buses collided head-on on Monday in Baron subdistrict, Nganjuk regency, East Java, leaving four people dead, including one of the bus drivers, and eight others seriously injured.The chief of the Nganjuk Police's traffic section, Adj. Comr.

Mobile libraries reach out to people

Mobile libraries reach out to peopleThe Jakarta Post, JakartaMonday mornings have been Firman's favorite time of the week for the last five months, ever since a purple minivan started making regular visits to his neighborhood.

Timor oil

Timor oil East Timor has finally secured its pot of liquid gold. After protracted, sometimes bitter, negotiations with Australia over oil and gas in the Timor Sea, agreement on the disputed Greater Sunrise gas deposit confirms a resource-led future for East Timor.

Haste makes waste

Haste makes waste Leaders should lead by example. And the thriftiness of a government plays an exemplary role in setting the pace of a nation's consumptive habits.Ideally we wish to see an efficient, responsive, thrifty government that provides all the services needed -- not necessarily demanded --...

Timber becomes a prime commodity after tsunami

Timber becomes a prime commodity after tsunami Six months after the tsunami, only a few survivors of Lampuuk could rebuild their houses, while the majority still live in cramped tents around the village mosque, the only structure that withstood the tsunami.

JP/4/Scene

JP/4/SceneNTT villages to get central govt fundsKUPANG: The central government plans to allocate more than Rp 200 billion (US$21.05 million) to finance development programs in some 800 poor villages in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), according to a minister.

Thailand ask RI to lift rice ban

Thailand ask RI to lift rice banBloomberg/Bangkok Thailand will ask the Indonesian government to lift its ban on rice imports, noting the policy will have a strongly negative impact on Thailand's rice export target for this year, Thai Commerce Minister Thanong Bidaya said on Monday.

Howard writes to convicted drug trafficker

Howard writes to convicted drug traffickerAgencies, CanberraPrime Minister John Howard has written to an Australian woman convicted of drug smuggling in Indonesia promising to do all he can to help her appeal.

Ex-president of Jamsostek in detention

Ex-president of Jamsostek in detentionRidwan Max Sijabat and Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThe Interdepartmental Anticorruption Team has decided to extend the detention of Ahmad Djunaidi, a key suspect in an alleged graft case at state insurance company PT Jamsostek, a senior official...

Is the ulema-intellectual dichotomy a valid issue?

Is the ulema-intellectual dichotomy a valid issue?Mochtar Buchori, Jakarta I am writing this article after it was officially announced that Din Syamsudin was unanimously elected as the new chairman of Muhammadiyah for the next five years (2005-2010).

Indonesia pummels Puerto Rico in Fed Cup

Indonesia pummels Puerto Rico in Fed CupBruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Indonesia's Fed Cup squad triumphed over higher ranked Puerto Rico in an away tie on Sunday, completing a quartet of Asian winners in the World Group II playoffs.