Migrant workers need bank services

JAKARTA: The Association of Labor Export Companies (Apjati) has suggested that migrant workers' salaries be disbursed through banks in a bid to protect them from extortion and illegal placement.

Apjati secretary-general Anton Sihombing said that such a payment system required the workers to submit authentic documents, including ID card and passport. This requirement will also prevent the use of fake documents, he added.

He said the system would help the agency check whether the workers received their salary based on the agreed working contract.

"The system will make it difficult for the agencies to cut the workers' salary and minimize the practice of extortion at the airport because the workers will not bring their money home in cash," Anton said.

Anton, however, said that the system did not gain the support of the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration, which claimed that the workers do not have sufficient knowledge about banking systems and services.

He expressed suspicion that errant officials and agencies were behind the existing policy so that they could exploit the workers. --Antara

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The Washington Post ready for TNI suit

JAKARTA: A lawyer for The Washington Post, Todung Mulya Lubis, said on Sunday that he was ready to represent his client in a lawsuit to be filed by the Indonesian Military (TNI) over a report it recently ran.

Todung said that his client had sought confirmation from the TNI before printing the article, which alleged that the TNI was involved in the ambush of buses carrying PT Freeport Indonesia employees in Timika, Papua, in August. Two Americans and one Indonesian were killed in the incident.

According to Todung, the denial of the report by TNI spokesman Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin was included in the article.

"That denial shows the intention of seeking the views of both sides," said Todung, adding that there was no reason for the TNI to reject the story written by Ellen Nakashima and Allan Sipress.

Todung said the legal action taken by the TNI chief against the newspaper was a positive thing.

TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said earlier that the TNI was suing The Washington Post for US$1 billion in damages for its article, which he said had discredited the TNI. -- Antara

No plan to evacuate Indons in Iraq yet

JAKARTA: The Indonesian government has no plan to evacuate its citizens from Iraq as the prospects for a peaceful solution between Washington and Baghdad remained wide open.

"With the acceptance of the UN resolution, the chances of a peaceful solution is wide open," foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said on Sunday.

Marty added that if violation by Iraq took place during the inspections, there would have to be consultation with the UN first before any action was taken.

Based on this, the Indonesian government considered that a peaceful solution was still possible, he said.

Marty disclosed that the government had prepared a contingency plan should the situation worsen in Baghdad.

According to Marty, about 40 Indonesian citizens would be evacuated to Saudi Arabia and Syria if the situation worsened. - Antara.

Foreign consultants to help conservation

DENPASAR: German and U.S. consultants will visit Bali to help local people construct artificial coral reefs in the waters of North Bali.

"Those consultants will be here for one-and-a-half months," said Agung Prana here on Sunday.

Agung has developed man-made coral reefs in the sea of Pemuteran village, Buleleng regency. He recently received an award from SKAL, a Spain-based conservation institute.

He acknowledged that the award had boosted his enthusiasm for conserving the flora and fauna of Bali.

He had collected a total of Rp 700 million for conserving the habitat of fish over the last two years.

The fund was used to finance the development of artificial coral reefs designed by Wolf Hilberz, a consultant from Germany. - Antara

Hamzah to open PMKRI congress in Kupang

KUPANG: Vice President Hamzah Haz is slated to open the congress of the Indonesian Catholic Students' Association (PMKRI) on Nov. 19 in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.

PMKRI provincial spokesman Johanis Bastian Kosapilawan said on Sunday that the Vice President would be accompanied by four ministers.

They were foreign affairs minister Hassan Wirajuda, research and technology minister Hatta Rajasa, energy and mineral resources minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, and people's welfare minister Jusuf Kalla.

The four ministers would speak at the congress, which would last until Nov. 25.

The Vice President and his entourage would fly to Jakarta on the evening of Nov. 19.

East Timorese Minister of Foreign Affairs Ramos Horta is also scheduled to speak at the congress. -- Antara

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Govt to expand paddy fields

JAKARTA: The Ministry of Agriculture is planning to expand the total area of paddy fields in the country to 12 million hectares next year in a bid to boost production of unhusked rice.

The ministry's director general of crop production Jafar Hafsah said that government would prioritize farm land in Sumatra and Kalimantan for the project.

Currently, there are 500,000 hectares of paddy fields across the country with rice production of 52 million tons per year.

Jafar said that through expansion of paddy fields and implementation of appropriate technology, the production of unhusked rice could reach 53 million tons next year. --Antara