5,000 fail to enroll at high schools

5,000 fail to enroll at high schools

PURWAKARTA, West Java: About 5,000 elementary school graduates
in Purwakarta, West Java, failed to pursue higher education in
2002 due to the limited capacity of junior high schools to
accommodate students, Purwakarta legislature Commission E
chairman Juhara said Thursday.

He said a large number of graduates coming from low-income
families had also been forced to work to help their parents earn
a living.

"The limited capacity at all junior high schools and the poor
state of the economy had played major parts in preventing
elementary student graduates from continuing their education," he
said.

According to the Purwakarta education office, only 9,000 of
14,000 elementary school graduates in 2002 went to junior high
schools.

The education office is constructing two high school buildings
in Purwakarta to address the shortage. --Antara

Attorney to probe ADB consultants

KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: At least six consultants of
school projects funded by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank
(ADB) are currently under investigation by local prosecutors for
alleged corruption.

Assistant district attorney Antonius Sudiarto said on Thursday
that the investigation of the consultants would help solve
alleged corruption by La Wilis, now detained in a Kendari jail.

Wilis is accused of misusing Rp 17 billion (US$1.9 million) of
ADB funds in 2001, causing losses to the state of Rp 300 million.

The six consultants are Mujiman, Nurul Yusuf, Nugraha, Agung
Hariyanto, Saeful and Maskur.

The consultants had told investigators that their contracts
ended in December 2001, when the projects were only 70 percent
completed.

"Even if their contracts have expired, they must finish
constructing the school buildings," Antinius said.

It was not immediately clear about the number of school
buildings or value of school projects the consultants were
involved in. --Antara

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ANPAa..r..
Sumut Fair-Relocation
Sumut Fair to have new site
JP/5/5ACROSS1

Sumut Fair to be relocated

MEDAN, North Sumatra: The 32nd annual North Sumatra Fair, more
commonly known as the Sumut Fair, will be relocated to the former
entertainment resort of Tapian Daya, Medan.

The fair, which will start on May 9, 2003, is designed to
promote local and international products.

Preparations at the new site are expected to be completed by
the end of April.

Rizal Nurdin, Governor of North Sumatra, had urged the Sumut
Fair Foundation to prepare this year's fair professionally.

He hoped that during the fair all regencies and municipalities
would be able to market their regional products.

The new site covers an area of about five square hectares.
--Antara

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ANPAa..r..
Regional Budget-Lampung
High court plans to probe corruption case in Lampung
JP/5/5ACROSS2
This story makes no sense. What does follow mean and it can't be
investigate because courts don't investigate, they only hear
cases. It must be resent to check desk once reedited.
Court to probe Lampung corruption case

BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung: The Lampung District Court plans to
follow corruption involving billions of rupiah from the
province's 2001 budget.

Lampung District Court head I Putu Kusa said on Thursday that
his office would follow any corruption allegations reported by
the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP).

"There is no reason for the court to refuse investigating the
cases if the audit by BPKP is valid," he said.

In its report, BPKP discovered several irregularities
totaling Rp 9.5 billion (US$1.06 million) in the Lampung regional
budget.--Antara

Registration form shortage in Riau

PEKANBARU, Riau: The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported
on Thursday that the oil-rich Riau province was short of 300,000
voter registration forms.

"We have asked the General Elections Commission (KPU) to send
us some more forms, which they had failed to do," said Abdul
Rahman, head of BPS for Riau.

He said it had been duplicating the remaining forms itself in
a bid to speed up the registration process, which will end on
April 30.

Rahman said about 51 percent of the total population in Riau
had been registered. --Antara

Prabumulih's mayoralty race date set

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: According to a city official, the
elections for mayor and deputy mayor of Prabumulih will be held
next week on April 22.

Official Adil Haitami said on Thursday that three pairs would
compete for the positions. They are Noviarman Kailani and Sondi
Sananduro, Rachman Djalili and Yuri Gagarin, and Sujiadi and
Ahmad Azidin.

Adil said all candidates had passed a strenuous process
before being nominated.

He also assured the public that the election process would
conducted properly.--Antara