ADB covers school fee of tribes
KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided funds to pay the school fees of 1,415 children from poor families and the local Bajo tribe, one of the isolated tribes that live along the province's coastline.
The program, Retrifal, has lasted a year and cost ADB Rp 1.4 billion (US$157,300), the bank's consultant for the project, Saefudin, said on Saturday.
He said each of the children, 13 to 18 years old, received Rp 1 million for a year to pay their school fees, internal school activity fees, transportation costs and to buy school uniforms and stationery.
The program has been carried out in 59 tribal areas and poor subdistricts scattered in the regencies of Kendari, Kolaka, Muna and Buton.
Head of the Bajo tribe Abdul Gafur said the program had helped children who had dropped out of school to resume their education. Most of the children had quit school to help their parents support their families. -- Antara
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Cracks found in regent's house
TULANG BAWANG, Lampung: Cracks have been found in the official residence of the regent here, even though it was renovated only six months ago.
Regent Abdurahman Sarbini said on Saturday he would consider moving from his residence on Jl. Cemara, for fear that the building would collapse.
Antara reported a scaffolding up the rear part of the house had fallen by around 5 centimeters and cracks had appeared in most parts of the regent's bedroom. Abdurahman also complained of leaks in the front part of the house when it rained.
Renovation of the house cost the local administration Rp 450 million (US$50,560). The project was carried out to coincide with succession in the regent's post.
The administration's official in charge of protocol affairs, Suryadi Zaini, said he suspected misuse of the renovation funds. He did not elaborate, however.
He said the local administration would move the regent to a temporary house during the renovation period.
The building has been renovated several times since 1997, sparking criticism among the public, who complained the projects were a waste of public money. -- Antara
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Islamic boarding school for disabled
SEMARANG: A pesantren (Islamic boarding school) for the disabled has been founded in Gunungpati district here to provide students with both religious knowledge and vocational skills.
Manager of the boarding school Rochimin said on Saturday the school activities formally began in mid-2001 and had so far educated 200 people with a variety of disabilities.
Founded by the Bhakti Nurani (Bhani) Foundation, the boarding school teaches its students health care, farming and entrepreneurship, Rochimin said.
Law No. 4/1997 on disabled people stipulates that physical disabilities should not deprive people of their rights to, among other things, education and jobs.
In the long run, Rochimin said, the boarding school would be open to neglected children.
He added the foundation needed support from local people and the provincial government to survive, as it no longer received financial aid from the Ministry of Social Affairs due to the implementation of regional autonomy in 2001. -- Antara
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Boatmakers face bankruptcy
INDRAMAYU, West Java: No less than 150 boatmakers here will have to stop production due to a lack of teak supply.
A number of craftsmen said they had not been supplied with teak for the last four months.
"If the situation does not change, many of us will go bankrupt," Moch. Surdja, coordinator of the craftsmen, said over the weekend.
The boat industry is concentrated in the villages of Pagirikan and Pasekan, Sindang district.
Surdja said certain suppliers from the neighboring town of Cirebon offered teak at Rp 1 million per cubic meter, Rp 300,000 above the normal price.
"Even if the stock is there, we have to go through a complicated procedure that may take 15 days before we can obtain the wood," Surdja said.
It remains a mystery why teak has been disappearing in Indramayu, Surdja said.
Orders for wooden boats used to come from fishermen in the West Java town of Subang, the Banten towns of Pontang and Lontar, and Muara Angke, Jakarta.
Boatmakers in Cirebon and the Central Java town of Batang have filled the gap in the market left vacant by counterparts in Indramayu, Surdja said. -- JP
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Navy ship foils illegal fishing
MANOKWARI, Papua: An Indonesian warship from the naval base in the Papuan town of Merauke intercepted a ship bearing the Chinese flag for illegal fishing during an operation in the waters south of the province.
Commander of the Navy base Lt. Col. Budhiyanto told Antara on Saturday the ship was intercepted while poaching fish in the waters off Merauke.
Budhiyanto said the fishing boat did not have the proper documentation on board. All the fishermen were handed to the Merauke police for further legal processing.
He said the Navy fleet in Merauke had only two patrol boats, despite the fact that illegal fishing was rampant in the waters off the town.
The patrol boats, of KAL 12 type, only manage to sail up to three nautical miles along the coastline due to their small size, which cannot withstand large waves. -- Antara