Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 8 October 2004

78 articles found

House to have more commissions

House to have more commissions JAKARTA: The House of Representatives will likely establish at least one more commission due to the increasing number of lawmakers from 500 to 550.House speaker Agung Laksono said on Thursday the legislative body was still discussing the jobs of the new commission.

True leader from 2004 elections?

True leader from 2004 elections?From Suara Karya In times of trouble or a succession of national leadership, part of the Javanese community will talk about the imminent appearance of a satrio piningit (knight in seclusion), meaning a true leader who will emerge to bring about improvements in...

RI grabs second win at U-185 VB Championship

RI grabs second win at U-185 VB ChampionshipEva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Indonesian men's volleyball team grabbed its second victory after defeating Russia 3-2 at the U-185 World Volleyball Championship match held here at the Senayan Indoor Stadium on Thursday.

Mega criticized for awarding aides highest military rank

Mega criticized for awarding aides highest military rankTiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta President Megawati Soekarnoputri may have tarnished her relationship with the Indonesian Military (TNI) as she is preparing to end her term by awarding two of her faithful aides the rank of four-star...

Man struggles for justice over wife's death

Man struggles for justice over wife's deathEvi Mariani, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Indra Safri Yakub has refused to back down from his struggle to see justice done after the untimely death of his wife, even though the courts turned down his civil lawsuit against 11 doctors of three hospitals last...

Police question Adrian's lawyer

Police question Adrian's lawyerAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Police investigators questioned on Thursday the lawyer of Adrian Waworuntu, a key suspect in the Rp 1.7 trillion (US$185 million) scandal involving state bank BNI 46, for allegedly giving false information to police and helping...

Book procurement corruption

Book procurement corruptionFrom Bisnis Indonesia Though a survey has shown that Indonesia is one of the most corrupt nations in Southeast Asia, we really are plumbing new depths by allowing rampant corruption and collusion in a book procurement project financed by World Bank aid.

Threat to Megawati's legacy

Threat to Megawati's legacy Regardless of the recent election outcome, Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri was bound to go down in the history books as the leader who did more than any other to consolidate democracy in the country.

Pertamina officials named suspects

Pertamina officials named suspects The Jakarta Police named two officials at state oil and gas company PT Pertamina's Plumpang fuel depot in North Jakarta as suspects in a scheme to steal an estimated of 100,000 liters fuel every day from the depot to some illegal fuel depots.

1. POLLUSI: 48 pt, 5 cols, 1 x 30

1. POLLUSI: 48 pt, 5 cols, 1 x 30 Oil spill covers Kepulauan Seribu waters 2. ART: 28 pt, 1 cols, 3 x 9 Kim Itoh: Last act in Art Summit 3. HAKIM: 36 pt, 2 cols, 3 x 14 Antigraft court officially begins operation 4. TKI: 32 pt, 4 cols, 1 x 32 Hubby's photo saves life of hostages

Foreign teams hope to race Tour d'Indonesia again

Foreign teams hope to race Tour d'Indonesia againMusthofid, The Jakarta Post/Denpasar, Bali "We are coming back next year," Qiu Jijin, team manager of Taiwan-based Giant Asia Racing Team, said.Giant managed to take three stages thanks to their top riders Iranian Ghader Mizbani and Australian Edmund...

Six people taken hostage in Aceh

Six people taken hostage in Aceh EAST ACEH, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam: At least six people were reported to have been taken hostage by the armed wing of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels group at dawn on Thursday.

ASEM calls for more regional trade

ASEM calls for more regional tradeJoseph Coleman, Associated Press, Hanoi Asian and European business leaders at a joint forum pushed for greater trade between their regions on Thursday, with Asians calling for more transfer of technology to their countries and Europeans demanding greater Asian...

Authoritarian principles 'may lead to graft'

Authoritarian principles 'may lead to graft' The recent reports of alleged corruption cases in several state schools shocked Jakartans, particularly the parents of school children. As the current state budget for education is far less than 20 percent of the total budget, as mandated in the...

Rupiah Rates

Rupiah Rates Oct. 7 Banknote rates TT rates Selling Buying Selling Buying Australian dollar 1 6,947.74 6,219.34 6,618.27 6,548.58 Brunei dollar 1 5,674.16 5,079.79 5,405.09 5,348.70 Canadian dollar 1 7,610.25 6,813.32 7,249.37 7,174.00 Swiss franc 1 7,586.18 6,792.86 7,226.44 7,152.

Healing time in Jakarta

Healing time in Jakarta INDONESIAN president-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been busy taking soundings on choices for his Cabinet, which can have a more decisive impact on the nation's recovery program than was the case with previous administrations.

Stock index has biggest drop on oil price

Stock index has biggest drop on oil priceBloomberg, Jakarta Indonesian stocks fell, dragging the Jakarta Composite Index to its biggest loss in a month, on concern that record high oil prices may slow economic growth. PT HM Sampoerna and PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia led declines.The index dropped 6.

Polish delegation to visit Indonesia

Polish delegation to visit Indonesia INDONESIA: A high ranking Polish delegation will visit Jakarta from Oct. 11 to Oct. 12 to hold bilateral consultations with Indonesian officials, the Embassy of Poland in Jakarta announced on Thursday.

Stora Sells Borneo Plantation to Raise Cash, Boost Earnings

Stora Sells Borneo Plantation to Raise Cash, Boost Earnings Ville Heiskanen BloombergStora Enso Oyj, the world's biggest papermaker, said it sold a plantation on the island of Borneo to raise cash for its main business.

Court confirms Susilo's victory

Court confirms Susilo's victoryThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Constitutional Court confirmed Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's election victory on Thursday as incumbent Megawati Soekarnoputri left the public guessing whether she would accept the result.

WB urged to drop commitment fee

WB urged to drop commitment fee JAKARTA: Indebted developing countries have demanded that the World Bank scrap the commitment fees for unused loans committed in 2004, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Finance on Thursday.

Indonesia halves child mortality rate: Unicef

Indonesia halves child mortality rate: UnicefSari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta While Indonesia has successfully cut its child mortality rates by half in the last 10 years, Indonesia remains on the list of countries with high mortality rate, a report says.

JP/1/ITOH

JP/1/ITOHKim Itoh: Last dance at Art Summit 2004Kim Itoh & The Glorious Future will be the last dance performance at Art Summit Indonesia 2004. The company can be seen at 8 p.m. on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, Central Jakarta.

TNI sets up in Strait of Mallaca

TNI sets up in Strait of MallacaApriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Medan The Bukit Barisan military command, overseeing security in North Sumatra, Riau and West Sumatra, plans to establish three new district military commands (Koramil) in areas considered hot spots of smuggling activities.

;AP;

;AP; ANPAf..r.. ASEM-Trade Asian and European business leaders call for more trade, investment JP/14/ASEMAsian and European business leaders call for more trade, investment Associated Press Hanoi Asian and European business leaders at a joint forum pushed for greater trade between their regions on...

Masnunah guards oral verse

Masnunah guards oral verseOyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post/Bandarlampung Amid an influx of modern art forms, Masnunah (72) is one of Lampung's few surviving traditional artists.Despite her meager income and her limping walk, this old woman continues to recite dadi, Lampung's traditional oral...

Australia's legal fight against terrorism

Australia's legal fight against terrorismIndra Rosandry, Bogor On Sept. 9 this year, Indonesia was shocked yet again by a suicide bomb blast, the target of which was the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. This attack is another episode of the terrorism phenomenon that has threatened Indonesian society...

* Counterfeit drugs in Indonesia alarming Page 3

* Counterfeit drugs in Indonesia alarming Page 3 * Susilo told to scrap environmentally damaging laws Page 4 * Two bombs explode at church in Ambon Page 5 * Why peace education is urgent for Indonesia Page 6 * Old Japanese buses proposed for busway feeder Page 8 * Formula One monitoring typhoon...

Aa Gym to launch mass campaign

Aa Gym to launch mass campaign JAKARTA: The Nation Building Inner-Self Movement, which has attracted 1.1 million volunteers from across the archipelago since August, will be launched in Jakarta on Sunday at Medan Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta.

International companies declare war on fake drugs

International companies declare war on fake drugsZakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta A man who had high blood pressure died of a heart attack. His insurance company suspected him of committing suicide because a post mortem showed had not taken his prescribed medicine.

Oil prices hit $53, shake global market

Oil prices hit $53, shake global marketThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta World oil prices shot to new record summits beyond US$52 on Thursday, with markets nervous about tight global supplies with winter looming in the northern hemisphere.

'TNI just guards border areas'

'TNI just guards border areas' Lawmakers recently passed a new military bill that reintroduces the physical presence of soldiers in the regions under a territorial command system, despite the desire by some observers to see the military's territorial role ended.

Susilo could yield thaw in ties for Australian poll winner

Susilo could yield thaw in ties for Australian poll winnerChris McCall, Agence France-Presse/Sydney, Australia Australia's oft-troubled relations with Indonesia will pose an early foreign policy challenge for whatever government emerges from Saturday's election, which coincides with a change of...

Five killed, two seriously hurt in Riau road accident

Five killed, two seriously hurt in Riau road accidentPuji Santoso, The Jakarta Post/Pekanbaru At least five people died and two others were injured when a passenger van collided with a dump truck in Siak regency, Riau province, on Thursday, police said.Siak Police traffic division head Adj. Comr. L.

JI-trained bomber nabbed in RP

JI-trained bomber nabbed in RP PHILIPPINES: A militant believed to have been trained by the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) and suspected of being involved in deadly bombings in the southern Philippines has been arrested in Manila, police said on Thursday.

Antigraft court officially begins operation

Antigraft court officially begins operationMuninggar Sri Saraswati and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta President Megawati Soekarnoputri swore in a team of nine non- career judges on Thursday, which will try high-profile corruption cases involving state officials.

Tigers on the brink of extinction: WWF

Tigers on the brink of extinction: WWF PEKANBARU, Riau: Poaching, illegal logging and land clearing in Riau forests meant there would soon be no more Sumatran tigers in the area, a World Wildlife Fund worker says.

* 1st Ranking (out of 22 banks)

* 1st Ranking (out of 22 banks) Excellent performance award under the Joint Venture Bank category * 2nd Ranking (out of 77 banks) Excellent performance award under the Foreign Exchange Bank category * 3rd Ranking (out of 26 banks) Excellent performance award under the Paid-in Capital of IDR 100...

Why peace education is urgent for Indonesia

Why peace education is urgent for IndonesiaAnton Sudarisman, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan As the impacts of bomb attacks and sectarian conflicts linger, more and more Indonesians are aware of a culture of violence in our society.

Thai fishermen to be deported for murder

Thai fishermen to be deported for murder AMBON, Maluku: Indonesia will soon deport 26 Thai fishermen who are wanted in Thailand for murder.The 26 are accused of murdering seven other fishermen on September 5 aboard a ship in the Aru Sea in Maluku provincial waters.

Members of 29 legislatures quizzed over alleged graft

Members of 29 legislatures quizzed over alleged graftAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Corruption appears to be widespread in regional legislatures here, with hundreds of councillors of 29 provincial, regental and municipal councils being investigated, and some already found guilty, a senior...

MPR's code of conduct

MPR's code of conductFrom Koran Tempo The end of the 2004 session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) completed the duties of the members picked during the 1999 election.It must be said that the members did manage to produce some far-reaching changes, including various amendments of the...

Terrorists vs. Aceh rebels

Terrorists vs. Aceh rebels What is the difference between terrorists and the Aceh rebels? I sometimes get the impression that Americans are more or less egoistic in their policies -- domestic as well as foreign -- and their desire to dictate other countries what to do or not to do.

Two bombs explode at church in Ambon

Two bombs explode at church in AmbonM. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post/Ambon Peace in the Maluku capital of Ambon, once plagued by three years of sectarian fighting, was put to the test again when two homemade bombs exploded in the eastern city on Thursday.

Garudafood boss wins E&Y business award

Garudafood boss wins E&Y business award Sudhamek AWS, president of food product giant Garudafood Group, has been named Indonesian Entrepreneur of 2004 by international consultancy Ernst & Young.Sudhamek was selected from among 15 successful businessmen by a panel of independent judges, Ernst &...

Oil prices soar to fresh record highs: $53 in New York

Oil prices soar to fresh record highs: $53 in New YorkDadan Wijaksana The Jakarta Post Jakarta World oil prices bolted to new record summits Thursday, reaching US$53 in New York on markets nervous about tight global supplies with winter looming in the northern hemisphere.

Absent legislators face punishment

Absent legislators face punishment JAKARTA: The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) central board is discussing punishment for two of its lawmakers whose absence cost its secretary-general Sutjipto the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speakership post on Wednesday.

Oil spill covers waters in Jakarta Bay

Oil spill covers waters in Jakarta BayThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta While residents of islets in Kepulauan Seribu waters worked to clear dead fish from beaches and remove oil coating the sand on Thursday, the source of a huge oil spill earlier in the week remains unclear.

Susilo told to revoke mining rule

Susilo told to revoke mining ruleM. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Environmental activists have called on the next government under president-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to annul legislation enacted by the outgoing administration that were deemed harmful to the environment.

IDB plans $30m loan for local SMEs

IDB plans $30m loan for local SMEsZakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is to extend a US$30 million loan to Indonesia's small and medium-sized enterprises through three national banks next year, a senior official with the international institution said.

Hubby's photo saves life of hostages

Hubby's photo saves life of hostagesThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta A tearful encounter with family members here on Thursday ended the extraordinary journey of Istiqomah binti Misnad and Casingkem binti Kaspin, two Indonesian maids freed after being taken hostage in Iraq last week.

Tangerang to combat illegal sand mining

Tangerang to combat illegal sand mining TANGERANG: Responding to public calls, Tangerang administration has established a team to handle the rampant illegal sand mining along the regency's northern coast.

Airport to tighten food, health control

Airport to tighten food, health controlMulta Fidrus, The Jakarta Post/Tangerang Facing an increase in the incidents of contagious diseases spreading across borders, the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport plans to tighten its health controls.

Two die in toll road accident

Two die in toll road accident JAKARTA: Two people died in the wee hours of Thursday after their Isuzu Panther flipped over while speeding along Cikampek toll road near the 31A km marker in Cikarang, witnesses said.The fatalities were identified as Tobri and Mursid.

Old Japanese buses proposed for busway feeder

Old Japanese buses proposed for busway feederDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Jakarta bus operators proposed on Thursday that the city administration use imported secondhand buses from Japan to help improve existing busway feeder services.

Govt, developer firm on new port

Govt, developer firm on new portDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The Jakarta administration has vowed to go ahead with the construction of the new Jakarta port in spite of a legal dispute with state port operator Pelindo II about the project's legal status."We cannot wait ...

Democrats need to stay clean

Democrats need to stay cleanFrom RepublikaThe vote gained by the Democratic Party (PD) in the 2004 general election was quite phenomenal, but regrettably this remarkable achievement has been tarnished by some representatives of the Democrats on the Jakarta City Council.

Antigraft court officially begins operation

Antigraft court officially begins operationMuninggar Sri Saraswati Fabiola Desy Unidjaja The Jakarta Post/JakartaPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri swore in a team of nine non- career judges on Thursday, which will try high-profile corruption cases involving state officials.

Kim Itoh: Last at Art Summit

Kim Itoh: Last at Art Summit Kim Itoh & The Glorious Future will be the last dance performance at Art Summit Indonesia 2004.The company can be seen at 8 p.m. on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, Central Jakarta.

Tax chief urges next govt to speed up tax bill deliberation

Tax chief urges next govt to speed up tax bill deliberationRendi A. Witular, Jakarta In order to expedite reform in the country's taxation system and administration, the next government and new member of the House of Representatives should quickly finalize and deliberate the draft revision of tax...

1. OIL: 2 LINES, 20 COUNTS

1. OIL: 2 LINES, 20 COUNTS Oil prices hit $53, shake global market 2. MEGA: 2 LINES, 16 COUNTS Court confirms Susilo's victory 3. SBY: 1 LINE, 26 COUTS SBY's Cabinet coming soon 4. NOBEL: 1 LINE, 32 COUNTS Austrian woman wins literature Nobel

SBY's Cabinet coming soon

SBY's Cabinet coming soonTiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is preparing himself for a busy time forming his administration after the Constitutional Court declared him the undisputed winner of the presidential election on Thursday.

Exports to continue rising trend: Survey

Exports to continue rising trend: SurveyThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta The country's exports are expected to continue to grow this year despite the rising cost of raw materials and loans, a joint survey by consulting firm CastleAsia and logistics firm DHL revealed on Thursday.

Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah), on Oct. 7, 2004:

Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah), on Oct. 7, 2004: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shares Close Change Trading Volume ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abdi Bangsa Tbk 225 0 0 Ades...

Residents demand land compensation

Residents demand land compensation BANDARLAMPUNG, Lampung: Hundreds of residents from Seputih Banyak staged a protest outside the Lampung regional council on Thursday, demanding land compensation money due to them.

Conflict should be part of poverty reduction strategy

Conflict should be part of poverty reduction strategy Mohammad Zulfan Tadjoeddin, The Hague, Netherlands Indonesia will soon have a new government led by the first directly elected president in its history. Many problems of the country are waiting to be resolved.

Bali tops holiday destination list

Bali tops holiday destination list JAKARTA: Indonesia's resort island of Bali has been chosen as the most favorite holiday destination in Asia for four consecutive years, a survey by international magazine TIME has disclosed.

Stora Sells Borneo Plantation to Raise Cash, Boost Earnings

Stora Sells Borneo Plantation to Raise Cash, Boost Earnings Ville Heiskanen, Bloomberg Stora Enso Oyj, the world's biggest papermaker, said it sold a plantation on the island of Borneo to raise cash for its main business.

RI teen wins Grade B at Indonesia Open Bowling Championship

RI teen wins Grade B at Indonesia Open Bowling ChampionshipMoch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Indonesian teenager Raniia AN won on Thursday the Women's Grade B Masters final of the second Indonesia Open Bowling Tenpin Championship, changing the lot of local bowlers, from possible failure...

EU vows more pressure on Yangon

EU vows more pressure on YangonAssociated Press, Hanoi The European Union (EU) is determined to press ahead with additional sanctions against Myanmar if the military junta refuses to release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the Dutch foreign minister said on Thursday.

'Businessmen' rob two cars

'Businessmen' rob two cars JAKARTA: Posing as businessmen, five members of a robbery gang made off on Tuesday with two cars belonging to their new business partners.Jakarta Police said on Wednesday the two victims, Ferdinand Nababan, 49, and Sa'ud Bangun Tambun, 43, met with the five for a business...

The ASEAN urea plant

The ASEAN urea plant "A mouse dying in a rice barn" is perhaps the most suitable adage to describe the dire condition of PT Asean Aceh Fertilizer (AAF), after the decision early this week by the outgoing administration of President Megawati Soekarnoputri to close down the 570,000-ton capacity urea...

TV Today: Friday, October 8, 2004

TV Today: Friday, October 8, 2004 .TB.30" .90"TVRI .tb .30" .90" 6:00 a.m. News: Berita Pagi7:30 Health8:30 Music: Asik-Asik 10:30 Religious Teachings1:00 p.m. News: Berita Siang2:00 Music3:00 English News Service4:30 Documentary5:00 Children Drama5:30 Sports6:00 TV Drama6:30 Documentary7:00 News:...

Blair salutes Susilo, election

Blair salutes Susilo, election INDONESIA: British Prime Minister Tony Blair sent a salutatory message to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for his victory in the first direct presidential election and praised Indonesia for holding a peaceful election year.

Overview of Indonesia - Taiwan Relations

Overview of Indonesia - Taiwan RelationsI. Trade Taiwan exports to Indonesia (2003):US$1.52 billion Taiwan Imports from Indonesia (2003):US$2.92 billion Total Trade volume (2003):US$4.44 billion (up 9.5%) Trade Surplus for Indonesia (2003):US$1.14 billion (up 25.

Lawyer opens legal aid institute

Lawyer opens legal aid institute JAKARTA: A lawyer whose wife fell victim to alleged medical has established a legal aid institute for victims of malpractice.The institute offers free legal advocacy to poor people who believe they have been victims of malpractice, the lawyer, Hotman Paris Hutapea...

PLN vows not to raise rates next year

PLN vows not to raise rates next yearDadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Despite increases in oil prices this year and possibly next year, state-owned power firm PT PLN vowed on Thursday not to raise its electricity rates next year to avoid burdening the country's people and businesses.

Antigraft court officially begins operation

Antigraft court officially begins operationMuninggar Sri Saraswati Fabiola Desy Unidjaja The Jakarta Post/JakartaPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri swore in a team of nine non- career judges on Thursday, which will try high-profile corruption cases involving state officials.