UNICEF to help garbage management

UNICEF to help garbage management

AMBON, Maluku: A team from UNICEF will assist the Ambon
administration in managing garbage by providing relevant training
and technology to solve the city's waste disposal problem in
February.

According to Ambon mayor Jopi Papilaja, the garbage dump in
the city, originally located in Air Kuning, Sirimau district, had
not functioned since the development of settlements in the area
following three years of sectarian fighting n the Maluku islands.

He said Steven Allen, chief representative of the UN
Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Indonesia, had also agreed to help
overcome the educational quality gap in Ambon by developing
integrated programs in several parts of Nusaniwe district.

"Four elementary schools, a secondary school and a high school
in the district will receive students from communities in each
other's areas to bridge the gap," added the mayor. --Antara

Planting of 10m trees starts in Bima

MATARAM, Lombok: The planting of 10 million trees as part of an
environmental conservation movement started at Kamunti village in
Bima regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Monday.

The movement was sponsored by the Lombok Post daily newspaper,
based in the NTB capital, Mataram.

"No less than 1,714 teak seedlings contributed by local
communities and agencies are to be planted in Kamunti today
(Monday), with Bima Regent Zainul Arifin declaring the start of
this movement," committee chairman Haris Andi Baso Ence said in
Mataram.

The tree planting started from Bima regency in the eastern tip
of West Nusa Tenggara and would continue to several parts of
Lombok island in the west, for five years, to improve the
environment of at least 300,000 hectares of land.

So far, 10,623 teak seedlings worth Rp 159.3 million had been
collected for this purpose, he said.

However, the total was still too small compared with the 1.8
million hectares of dry land that needed replanting in West Nusa
Tenggara," Haris added. --Antara

Access road to support fishery

GORONTALO, Gorontalo: The regency of Boalemo, Gorontalo, will
soon build an access road worth Rp 7 billion in a joint
investment with the central government to support development of
the region's fisheries.

"The Ministry of Transportation will construct a port terminal
and the regency is undertaking the road project to provide access
to its fishery port as well as agricultural areas," Boalemo
Regent Iwan Bokings said on Monday.

The building of Dulupi port in Boalemo, according to him,
would follow the access road to bolster the function of Tabulo as
the regency's main port, which would facilitate the
transportation of fishery products.

Meanwhile, the regency administration would strive to boost
its economic growth by proposing the expansion of
telecommunications facilities in Boalemo to the government, in
view of the region's limited telephone connections. --Antara

Priest to face trial soon

PALU, Central Sulawesi: The Central Sulawesi prosecutor's office
said on Monday it would submit the dossier of Christian priest
Reinaldy Damanik to court later this month.

Damanik is being detained on a charge of illegally possessing
firearms and ammunitions near the troubled town of Poso, Central
Sulawesi, where some 2,000 people have been killed in sectarian
fighting since 2000.

Firdaus Yahya, spokesman for the province's prosecutor's
office, said the case would be taken to court before Damanik's
detention period ended on Jan. 28, 2003.

The suspect was arrested after security forces found him
carrying 11 firearms and 144 rounds of ammunition in his car
during a raid at Peleru village, Morowali district, adjacent to
Poso, on Aug. 17, 2002.

The car was one of four heading from Damanik's hometown of
Tentena, which was stopped during the raid.

However, Damanik denied all charges laid against him during
interrogation. --Antara