Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 22 August 2005

81 articles found

Differences over monorail widens

Differences over monorail widensBambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThe prolonged dispute between the shareholders of PT Jakarta Monorail (JM) over who will supply the monorail trains and support technology threatens to further delay the US$650 million project.

page 8

page 81. Play 1 x 32 Play brings history to the public 2. Service 1 x 42 Little change seen in public service program 3. Sentul 2 x 25 Drug rehabilitation center offers comprehensive care 4. Speak 1 x 32 'Haven't we suffered enough?' Page 91. Thug 2 x 18 Thugs apprehended in crime-prone areas 2.

Dengue kills four in Jambi

Dengue kills four in JambiJAMBI, Jambi: At least four people in Jambi city have died of dengue fever since May, raising concern among the public.The four died because they did not receive medical attention in time, said an official at the Jambi Health Office.

Get license in hours: Police

Get license in hours: Police JAKARTA: Residents of Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi can now get expect to get a driver's license within hours thanks to police efforts to obtain certification for better services to the public (ISO 9001).

IRCo to discuss volatile rubber prices

IRCo to discuss volatile rubber pricesNitsara Srihanam, Dow Jones/BangkokThe International Rubber Consortium Ltd. (IRCo) will meet this week in Bali to discuss ways to stabilize volatile rubber prices, IRCo's chief of secretariat, Yium Tavarolit, said late Friday.

RI to have world-class physics, math training center

RI to have world-class physics, math training centerAbdul Khalik The Jakarta Post/JakartaTo accommodate the growing number of students interested in science, Indonesia will soon have an internationally recognized training center for physics and mathematics.

JP/4/graft

JP/4/graftCautiousness slows police probe into graft casesEva C. Komandjaja The Jakarta Post/JakartaThe police say they are cautiously moving on a number of graft cases in state-owned enterprises, asserting that some of the relevant documents and evidence submitted to the police would be...

JP/4/graft

JP/4/graftCautiousness slows police probe into graft casesEva C. Komandjaja The Jakarta Post/JakartaThe police say they are cautiously moving on a number of graft cases in state-owned enterprises, asserting that some of the relevant documents and evidence submitted to the police would be...

Police to curb rights violations

Police to curb rights violations MEDAN: National Police chief Gen. Sutanto said that eight provincial police forces were suspected of committing serious human rights violations during criminal investigations.

'Wild cancer' takes toll on forests, minister says

'Wild cancer' takes toll on forests, minister saysTheresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Karawang, West JavaIf Indonesian forests were hospital patients, they would be late- stage cancer patients with their days numbered, the Minister of Forestry says.

Other key points in the draft:

Other key points in the draft:* Foreign visitors can seek a refund from value-added tax (VAT) paid for any item purchased for not less than Rp 5 million when leaving the country.* The tax directorate has the right to access data owned by the banking sector, associations, government institutions and...

No school uniforms?

No school uniforms?From KompasThe decision by the minister of national education to abolish the obligation for school students to wear uniforms in order to eliminate the monopoly in uniform procurements was inappropriate.

Can Susilo be taken at his world on Papua?

Can Susilo be taken at his world on Papua?Carmel Budiardjo, London The historic agreement concluded this week between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has been widely welcomed, both in Indonesia and abroad.

Apologizing to Malaysians

Apologizing to Malaysians I, as an Indonesian citizen, would like to apologize to those Malaysians who have suffered physically and economically because of the choking haze coming from Indonesia. I apologize for my government's unsuccessful efforts to prevent the recurrent wildfires.

Fuel price hikes & smuggling

Fuel price hikes & smugglingFrom Koran TempoThe fuel price increase on March 1, with their adverse impact on ordinary people and the uneven distribution of fuel subsidy compensation funds to appropriate recipients, will likely be followed by more increases given that crude oil prices have risen to...

Free education an illusion

Free education an illusionFrom KompasThe government's statement that free education will be available for all this year remains nothing but an illusion, because in our experience, the residents of Cimanggis, Depok, West Java, are not getting any cost relief for our school-age children.

RI to have top physics, math training center

RI to have top physics, math training centerAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, JakartaTo accommodate the growing number of students interested in science, Indonesia will soon have an internationally recognized training center for physics and mathematics.

Police admit to slow graft probe at SOEs

Police admit to slow graft probe at SOEsEva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThe police say they are cautiously moving on a number of graft cases in state-owned enterprises, asserting that some of the relevant documents and evidence submitted to the police would be inadmissible in court.

Infrastructure development needed to boost economic growth

Infrastructure development needed to boost economic growthThe West Java administration held a two-day summit last week to offer 57 infrastructure projects worth Rp 35 trillion (US$3.53 billion) to investors as part of the province's efforts to boost economic growth from the current 5 percent to 8...

British invention in Indonesia

British invention in IndonesiaDaisaku Ikeda, The Straits Times, Asia News Network/Singapore Sixty years have passed since the end of World War II, which came to a close with Japan's surrender on Aug. 15, 1945.

Mother nabbed for torturing daughter

Mother nabbed for torturing daughterMulta Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, TangerangThe Tangerang police over the weekend arrested a woman, 35, a resident of Binong Permai housing complex, Tangerang, for allegedly torturing her five-year-old daughter using pliers, a bamboo stick, a belt and an iron bar.

More troops pulled from Maluku

More troops pulled from MalukuAMBON, Maluku: More troops were withdrawn from Maluku in response to the prevailing peace in the formerly riot-torn province.As of Thursday, two battalions of Army soldiers from Jakarta and East Kalimantan, and a company from the Brawijaya Military Command in Surabaya,...

RI's Olympic champ Taufik advances to world semis

RI's Olympic champ Taufik advances to world semis Agencies, Anaheim, California Reigning Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat staged a stirring comeback to defeat second-seed Kenneth Jonassen in a men's singles quarterfinal at the world badminton championships on Friday.

Property rights for research institutions

Property rights for research institutionsZain Adnan, Jakarta Global sales of pharmaceutical products in 2004 reached US$550 billion, of which the share of developing countries was just $4 billion.This is not surprising since major pharmaceutical companies from developed countries spend large sums...

Dirty air regular killer in Asia: WHO

Dirty air regular killer in Asia: WHOThe haze that has shrouded parts of Southeast Asia this month is just one visible element of a much larger problem that kills hundreds of thousands of people in the region every year, the World Health Organization said.

B-1: Peace Concert draws thousands in Ambon Page 5

B-1: Peace Concert draws thousands in Ambon Page 5B-2: Play shows bit of history to residents Page 8B-3: Formula One fans undergo security checks Page 23

Alwi seeking peace with rival camp in own congress

Alwi seeking peace with rival camp in own congressWahyoe Boediwardhana and Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar/JakartaAfter losing a civil lawsuit against the National Awakening Party (PKB) central board, which dismissed him last year, chief welfare minister Alwi Shihab is offering...

Govt to speed up Java's south line

Govt to speed up Java's south lineLeony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThe government will speed up the construction of Java's south extra-high voltage transmission line by working with local administrations to settle land acquisition problems, targeting to complete the line by October.

Microsoft may set up SME center

Microsoft may set up SME centerThe Jakarta Post, JakartaPT Microsoft Indonesia, the Indonesian subsidiary of U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp., plans to set up a center this year to promote the use of information technology (IT) among the country's small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Drug rehabilitation center offers comprehensive care

Drug rehabilitation center offers comprehensive careThe Jakarta Post, JakartaThere is nothing about the blue, orange and yellow building standing on 7,000 square meters of land in a plush housing estate in Sentul, Bogor, about 40 kilometers from the capital, that marks it as a drug rehabilitation...

Jakarta needs more trees

Jakarta needs more trees Your correspondent Robert Kelly makes some pertinent points in his article entitled Rolling back Jakarta's unhealthy urban desert(The Jakarta Post, Aug. 6). The green areas that still exist in greater Jakarta really need to be maintained whether they are part of existing...

Peace concert confirms return of normalcy to Ambon

Peace concert confirms return of normalcy to AmbonM. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, AmbonEnthusiasm was high as many thousands of Ambon people attended a concert on Friday to mark Independence Day, which fell two days earlier.

S.Korea to help

S.Korea to help N.Korea in farming SEOUL: South Korea has agreed to work on joint farming ventures with food-starved North Korea and to provide these farms with fertilizer and other items to boost productivity, officials said on Saturday.

Twilite Orchestra to play for DPD

Twilite Orchestra to play for DPD JAKARTA: Indonesia's top classical music group, the Twilite Orchestra, will perform at the opening of the inaugural annual plenary meeting of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD).DPD deputy speaker Irman Gusman said the group, which is led by Addie M.S.

Free education an illusion

Free education an illusionFrom KompasThe government's statement that free education will be available for all this year remains nothing but an illusion, because in our experience, the residents of Cimanggis, Depok, West Java, are not getting any cost relief for our school-age children.

City admits poor PR in waste case

City admits poor PR in waste caseDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThe Jakarta administration acknowledged last week it has kept quiet its plans for four more waste treatment plants in the capital after strong opposition from locals in areas where plants have already been established.

Jakartans participate in clean-air campaign through SMS

Jakartans participate in clean-air campaign through SMSAbdul Khalik The Jakarta Post/JakartaPublic transportation operators in Jakarta might have to pay more attention to their vehicles' emissions as Jakartans now have a chance to complain about the fumes they are spewing out.

ASEAN Social Charter would set a decent social safety net

ASEAN Social Charter would set a decent social safety netPravit Rojanaphruk The Nation Asia News Network/Bangkok Nearly four decades after ASEAN was founded, labor activists say it's time to push for an ASEAN Social Charter that would guarantee a certain level of labor rights across the region.

PLN in the dark

PLN in the dark The massive power failure in Java and Bali on Thursday is emblematic of the crumbling infrastructure in Indonesia and the state electricity company (PLN)'s poor peak load management, inadequate maintenance system, and overloaded transmission and distribution lines.

Govt completes draft tax laws

Govt completes draft tax lawsRendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, JakartaRealizing that the country's tax regime has long discouraged investors, the government is moving to improve the country's tax laws by addressing taxpayers' concerns over uncertainties in collection and rebates.

JP/4/graft

JP/4/graftCautiousness slows police probe into graft casesEva C. Komandjaja The Jakarta Post/JakartaThe police say they are cautiously moving on a number of graft cases in state-owned enterprises, asserting that some of the relevant documents and evidence submitted to the police would be...

Thugs apprehended in crime-prone areas

Thugs apprehended in crime-prone areasAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, JakartaFor years the Cocacola intersection, between Central and East Jakarta has been a feared area due to the presence of a gang known as Kapak Merah (red axe) that robbed motorists, even in broad daylight, smashing car windows...

Where to go in Jakarta: Monday, August 22, 2005

Where to go in Jakarta: Monday, August 22, 2005Exhibitions* Photo Understanding Independence by Keke Tumbuan and Jacqueline Gilbert at Gallery Lontar Jl. Utan Kayu 68H, East Jakarta (Tel. 8573388), until Aug. 30 * Painting by Ipe Ma'roef and Ipung Gozali, at Galeri Cipta II, Taman Ismail Marzuki Jl.

Power race in the multimedia projector market

Power race in the multimedia projector marketB. Gunawan Contributor/Jakarta The multimedia industry is among those most enjoying the advances in digital technology, besides the computer industry, of course.

Govt to release GAM prisoners soon

Govt to release GAM prisoners soonMuninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, JakartaThe government is pressing ahead with the immediate release of some 2,000 Free Aceh Movement (GAM) prisoners under an amnesty scheme agreed in the peace deal that was recently signed.

Little change seen in city's public service program

Little change seen in city's public service programBambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, JakartaIsmail, 53, was not aware that his subdistrict was one of the 50 that had received Rp 1 billion (US$101,010) early this year from the city administration in a pilot project to improve public services in...

Service, not just prestige, sought from diplomats

Service, not just prestige, sought from diplomatsMeidyatama Suryodiningrat, The Jakarta Post, JakartaImagine a traveler's worst nightmare: Being robbed of money, passport and tickets. Faced with such a predicament, most Indonesians traveling abroad only have one recourse -- to seek assistance from...

1. TAX: 1 X 28

1. TAX: 1 X 28 Govt completes draft tax laws 2. HAZE: 2 X 15 Dirty air regular killer in Asia: WHO 3. AMNESTY: 1 X 35 Govt to release GAM prisoners soon 4. BADMINTON: 1 X 32 Taufik, Lin Dan ready for worlds final

Play introduces history to the public

Play introduces history to the publicThe Jakarta Post, JakartaIn the middle of the Fatahillah courtyard in Jakarta Old Town, a man in a bright red traditional Chinese costume hands a bird he has just bought from a vendor to a woman in the crowd that surrounds him.

House to summon govt on Aceh accord

House to summon govt on Aceh accordThe Jakarta Post, JakartaA number of factions in the House of Representatives have demanded the government explain the contents of the peace accord it signed with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), expressing concern some of the items in the agreement may violate the...

Badminton

Badminton World Championships Results from the badminton world championships in Anaheim, California, on Friday (x denotes seed): Men's singles Quarterfinals Lin Dan (Chn x1) bt Lee Hyun Ii Lee (Kor x13) 5-15, 15-7, 15-8 Taufik Hidayat (Ina x6) bt Kenneth Jonassen (Den x2) 3-15, 15-10, 15-7 Peter...

~Tutor Time International Preschool and Kindergarten

~Tutor Time International Preschool and Kindergarten Nurturing children's unique potential All children come into this world with multiple intelligences and unique potential. However, without an environment conducive to learning, those gifts could not be properly recognized and nurtured.

Taxi drivers plight

Taxi drivers plight I am commenting on a Sunday piece written by Krabbe K. Piting titled Rude, ignorant taxi drivers who never have change.While I have my share of conflicts with taxi drivers, I understand why they sometimes act unscrupulously and Piting may have some sympathy for them if only she...

Bringing classical music to the young

Bringing classical music to the youngM. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Sanur, BaliFor many centuries philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Hegel ruminated on the value of art in our lives.Many of their disciples still ponder the same question.

Govt kicks out campaign to boost tourism

Govt kicks out campaign to boost tourismMuninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, JakartaIn a bid to boost tourism revenues in the country, the government announced 2005-2006 as the Year of Indonesian Arts and Culture on Sunday, with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono kicking off a cultural parade...

Brunei's sultan weds Malaysian: Report

Brunei's sultan weds Malaysian: Report Brunei's fabulously wealthy ruler Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has married a 26-year-old former Malaysian television journalist, making her his second wife, reports said on Sunday.

Burhanuddin Abe

Burhanuddin Abe Contributor/Jakarta The establishment of more business today has meant a rapidly increasing growth in the need for office equipment. These companies need office equipment for their daily operations. "A workplace or an office must combine fun and entertainment.

Building a dream world

Building a dream world The article Building a pluralist nation published in The Jakarta Post on Aug. 16, was indeed a stimulating article, and I wish to express my genuine appreciation to the writer, Endy M.

Ships on lookout for Malaysian tug

Ships on lookout for Malaysian tug MALAYSIA: Ships plying the Malacca Strait have been enlisted to help search for the missing Malaysian-registered tugboat believed to have been hijacked by armed Indonesian pirates, news reports said on Sunday.

Govt told to focus on Papua problems

Govt told to focus on Papua problemsNethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, JayapuraAfter the Helsinki peace deal that brought peace to Aceh, the central government has been urged to focus more on resolving the problems in Papua.

Pertamina develops biodiesel fuel

Pertamina develops biodiesel fuel JAKARTA: State-run oil and gas company Pertamina is developing biodiesel as an alternative fuel from jarak pagar (Jatropha curcas) tree oil, which is expected to be able to reduce fuel consumption at home by up to 100,000 barrel a day.

On car sales

On car sales We, PT Krama Yudha Tiga Berlian Motors (PT KTB), as sole distributor of Mitsubishi vehicles in Indonesia, would like to revise the article published on the Business page of The Jakarta Post, Aug. 15 edition, page 13, titled Car sales rise 30.

JP/4/graft

JP/4/graftCautiousness slows police probe into graft casesEva C. Komandjaja The Jakarta Post/JakartaThe police say they are cautiously moving on a number of graft cases in state-owned enterprises, asserting that some of the relevant documents and evidence submitted to the police would be...

Kemayoran-Ancol train line reopens

Kemayoran-Ancol train line reopens JAKARTA: Starting next month, Jakartans wanting a day out in Ancol Dreamland in North Jakarta will be able to take a train instead of driving there since state railway PT KAI, in cooperation with Dreamland management, will reopen the railway line from Kemayoran in...

Leaving Indonesia is painful, says Sudanese ambassador

Leaving Indonesia is painful, says Sudanese ambassadorVeeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, JakartaIn 2001, when he was posted to Indonesia, Siddig Yousif Abu-Agla was hesitant about coming to Indonesia because it was a new place and he never served in Southeast Asia before.

Civil war victims 'deserve justice': Dawood

Civil war victims 'deserve justice': DawoodFebry Orida, Associated Press/Banda AcehCivilians who lost family and friends during a three-decade separatist war in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province deserve justice, rebels said on Sunday, days after an agreement was signed to end fighting that claimed...

Bali at risk of trashing tourism

Bali at risk of trashing tourismPeter A. Bailey, Sanur, Bali The population of Bali and its surrounding islands are running a very real risk of doing what the Bali bombers and Indonesia's ridiculous visa regulations have so far failed to achieve, and that is putting an end to tourism.

'Haven't we suffered enough?'

'Haven't we suffered enough?'As global fuel prices continue to rise, the government plans to cut the fuel subsidy to ease the burden on the state budget. The Jakarta Post asked residents what they thought of the possibility of further fuel price increases. Francisco H.

RI, Dutch museums revive past glories

RI, Dutch museums revive past gloriesEvi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, JakartaIndonesian and Dutch museums have called the exhibition Shared Cultural Heritage, although the artifacts on display all hailed originally from the archipelago's ancient kingdoms: Singosari, Majapahit, Gayo and Karangasem, to...

60 years on, many Sumatrans still lack access to information

60 years on, many Sumatrans still lack access to informationApriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, MedanIt has been 60 years since Indonesia proclaimed its independence, but there are still many people in outlying areas of North Sumatra who are yet to fully benefit from public information services.

Civil-society and the building of an ASEAN community

Civil-society and the building of an ASEAN communityAlexander C. Chandra Jakarta The recent Roundtable Discussion on the Prospects and Challenges in the Building of an ASEAN Community, which was organized by the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Strategic and International...

JP/4/graft

JP/4/graft Police defend 'slow progress' in probing graft casesEva C. Komandjaja The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The police have denied accusations that they are moving too slowly on graft cases in state-owned enterprises, saying that they need more time to work on the cases as some of the relevant...

PLN to compensate 5.5% of customers for blackout

PLN to compensate 5.5% of customers for blackoutLeony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, JakartaState power firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) has decided to compensate approximately 5.5 percent of customers that were affected on Thursday by a massive blackout in Jakarta, West Java and Banten.

PM Lee to visit China, says ties back on track

PM Lee to visit China, says ties back on trackSingapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday relations with China are "back on track" and announced a visit there later this year to further strengthen ties.

Thailand doubles tourism budget

Thailand doubles tourism budgetBeth Jinks, Bloomberg/BangkokThailand will spend a further 1.5 billion baht (US$36.4 million) marketing tourism to revive the nation's tsunami-ravaged southwest resorts, newly appointed Tourism and Sports Minister Pracha Maleenont said.

Balinese youth step up to bat for cricket

Balinese youth step up to bat for cricketWahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, BaliSoni Hawoe never dreamed of becoming a sports coach, let alone one in cricket, whose terminology and rules were alien to him.

Fate of veterans' widows

Fate of veterans' widowsFrom KompasMy mother is the widow of an independence war veteran who receives a government pension in Yogyakarta. For three years now, she has not been receiving what she is entitled to.

On ban on Ahmadiyah

On ban on Ahmadiyah I read the article Govt mulls ban on Ahmadiyah due to 'permit violation' in your online edition of July 22. Reading the statement of Attorney General Abdul Rachman Saleh took me back centuries to the age of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

Jababeka Education Park: Where tomorrow's leaders come together

Jababeka Education Park: Where tomorrow's leaders come together Only a few technology-based cities are still concerned with education, and Jababeka, a new city about 35 km east of Jakarta, is one of these few.

1. DPR -- 48 pts 5 cols 1 line (1x32)

1. DPR -- 48 pts 5 cols 1 line (1x32) House to summon govt on Aceh accord 2. Olympiad -- 36 pts 2 cols 3lines (3x16)RI to have top physics, math training center3. Art -- 36 pts 5 cols 1line (1x40)Govt kicks off campaign to boost tourism 4.

Taufik, Lin sready for final

Taufik, Lin sready for finalAgencies, Anaheim, California Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia and top-seeded Lin Dan of China advanced to the men's singles final on Saturday at the World Badminton Championship.No. 6 Taufik swept No.