Across the Archipelago

Across the Archipelago

C. Java plans
new road

SEMARANG, Central Java: A 170-km toll road costing 1.7
trillion rupiah will be started in 1995 to connect Central Java's
three major cities, Semarang, Solo and Yogyakarta.

This announcement was made by Gunawan, an official from the
provincial legislative assembly.

Antara, quoting Gunawan, reported that the planned highway is
expected to beef up economic and trade activities in the
province.

So far, these activities have been hampered by lack of land
transportation facilities according to Gunawan.

He said the roads, linking the provincial capital of Semarang
with Solo and Yogyakarta, are no longer able to accommodate the
traffic flows in the area and this leads to traffic congestion.

He also said that the province will also expand its main
airports, Adi Sumarno in Semarang, Adi Sucipto in Yogyakarta and
Adi Sumarmo in Solo, so they can accommodate wide-bodied planes
such as Boeing 747's and 737's.

The three airports currently handle an increasing volume of
air passengers and air cargo, he said. (prs)

S. Kalimantan
builds new roads

BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan: The 1994-1995 state budget has
earmarked Rp 3 billion for the construction of rural roads to
make remote villages more accessible.

Ukar Wikarya, the Head of the Road Construction Service of the
provincial Public Works Office, was quoted by Antara on Saturday
as saying that priority in the construction of rural roads will
be given to underdeveloped villages. This, he said, is in line
with government's policy to help alleviate poverty in the least
developed rural areas.

"Rural roads will provide easy access to remote villages and
are crucial in bringing villages' agricultural output to market,"
he said.

Last year the provincial administration obtained Rp 2 billion
from the state's budget for road construction.

Currently 568 villages in South Kalimantan are categorized as
being 'least developed'. (prs)

Indonesia owns
7,200 dispensaries

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Indonesia has at least 7,200
dispensaries in towns spread all over the country according to
the Secretary General of the Association of the Indonesian
Pharmacists, Endang Kusnadi.

He made this announcement at the opening of the Association's
meeting here on Saturday.

"The ratio between the number of the available dispensaries
and the number of population is 1: 30,000," Endang said as quoted
by Antara. It means, he added, one dispensary must serve 30,000
people.

"But there are significant differences in the distribution of
the dispensaries," Endang said, while hinting that the ratio in
Medan is 1:10,000.

"There are 378 dispensaries in North Sumatra, 220 of which are
available in Medan, a city with 1.2 million population.

Endang also welcomed the current trend among consumers to
bargain on the price of medicine that they buy.

"Dispensaries will then try to serve public better by lowering
the price to one that is affordable for everyone," he said.

The meeting was designed to evaluate the Associations programs
and to elect a new board of executives. (prs)

Batam to grow as
international city

BATAM, Riau: Chairman of Commission X of the House of
Representatives (DPR) Markus Wauran suggested that working
discipline and law enforcement in Batam should be stepped up.

Batam is a duty-free industrial zone which is being jointly
developed by Indonesia and Singapore into an international city.

"Officials should pay serious attention to discipline and law
enforcement. This is indispensable for maintaining efficiency and
productivity," Markus said over the weekend, as quoted by Antara.

"It is the basic requirement for the success of the program,"
he added.

Members of the House's commission, in charge of the
environment, population, research and technology, were on a
three-day visit to Batam island at the invitation of the head of
the Batam authority B.J. Habibie. Habibie is concurrently the
minister of research and technology.

The MPs were briefed by local officials on the prospects and
problems faced by Batam Island.

Markus said is should not be difficult to uphold law and order
on the island, as its population is relatively small.

The population, which stood 146,000 at the end of last year,
has been projected to reach 700,000 by the year 2006.

Another important task for the local authorities, according to
Markus, is to overcome the growing number of squatters on the
island.

Markus said that squatters may pose a serious problem to the
development of the island. He added that authorities must
anticipate this problem by immediately building low-cost housing
complexes. He also urged strict controls on the mushrooming
number of discos, massage parlors and karaoke bars on the island,
which he felt could become volatile social problems. (prs)