Govt to build 4,600 houses
SEMARANG: The government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has set a target of building 4,600 houses within its first 100 days in office, a minister says.
Minister of Public Housing Muhammad Yusuf Asy'ari said the program was a continuation of the previous government's plan to construct one million houses. Only 70,000 modest houses had been built when the transfer of power took place on Oct. 20.
"We will try to meet the target of 200,000 houses in 2005, with the full support of stakeholders," Yusuf said during his visit to a housing complex for civil servants and military and police personnel here.
He said his office would facilitate bank credits and building licenses for developers, which would help the government provide housing for middle- and low-income groups. The government will also ask banks to extend terms of credit. -- JP
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Credit for farmers, SMEs unpaid
SURAKARTA, Central Java: Bad debts among farmers and small- and medium-scale enterprises (SME) have reached Rp 8.7 trillion (US$966 million), State Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Suryadharma Ali said.
Suryadharma said the government could not just write off the debts as there were many debtors who had consistently paid their monthly installments.
"I have learned that some people are regularly paying their loans in credit, some can no longer afford to pay and the rest deliberately evade their responsibilities," he said.
He said he would find a solution to the bad debts within his first 100 days in office. -- Antara
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Rights groups want reshuffle in Poso
JAKARTA: In response to the continuing violence in Poso, Central Sulawesi, rights groups called on the government to replace the military commander and police chief in the province, on the grounds that they had failed to ease the tension there.
The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) and human rights watch Imparsial also demanded the withdrawal of 3,900 security personnel deployed in the restive area to prevent them from being mired in the protracted conflict.
Two people have been killed in mysterious circumstances in the past week.
The rights groups also demanded the thorough investigation of anyone implicated in the violence. -- JP
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Marine corps gets new commander
JAKARTA: Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Bernard Kent Sondakh installed on Tuesday Maj. Gen. Safzen Noerdin as the new Marine corps commander, replacing Maj. Gen. Achmad Rifai.
Safzen, a 1975 graduate of the Navy Academy, served as the deputy commander of military operations in Aceh during martial law in the province, between May 2003 and May 2004.
Meanwhile, Achmad, a 1972 graduate of the Navy Academy, has been appointed as the Navy's inspector general. -- JP.
;JP;TSO; ANPAa..r.. Scene-Golkar-Akbar Akbar set to contest leadership election JP/4/GOLKAR
Akbar ready to contest election
JAKARTA: In response to the recent challenge posed by his deputy, Golkar Party leader Akbar Tandjung said on Tuesday he was ready to contest the party's leadership election next month.
"I leave the matter to the party, but if the majority want me to run, I'm ready," Akbar said.
Akbar won his first five-year term at the party's helm in 1999, beating former military commander Gen. (ret) Eddie Sudrajat.
On Monday, Golkar deputy leader Marwah Daud Ibrahim said she would challenge Akbar in the election and insisted that Vice President Jusuf Kalla -- who is a Golkar patron -- be allowed to join the race. -- JP.