Papua to supply cows from Pinrang

PINRANG, South Sulawesi: Two Papuan businessmen are seeking to supply cows from Pinrang for consumption in Indonesia's far eastern province of Irian Jaya.

"We decided to supply cows from Pinrang after receiving information that this regency produces not only rice, but also cattle as well," Syamsuddin, a Papuan businessman in Nabire, said here on Saturday.

Syamsuddin and Immanuel, another Papuan businessman, said that their visit was motivated by an increasing demand for cow meat.

The demand for cow meat in Papua, he said, has increased threefold, especially in light of the approaching Nabire traditional festival.

The demand for cows in Nabire increased to 200 since the beginning of the month, up from 70 between November and December of 2001. --Antara

NTB not serious in handling land dispute

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) legislative council has said that the provincial administration has offered no serious attention to land disputes in the province.

Local officials "have settled not one of 16 land disputes raised before the legislature," HL Serinata, chairman of the legislative council, said here on Saturday.

A bigger part of the land in the Sire tourist resort in Central Lombok and a small part in Sumbawa, he added, have been occupied by their previous owners, who argued that they are still entitled to the land, as it has yet to be put to use.

All plots of land were appropriated by the local government with a fair compensation for tourist development programs in the province. --Antara

Mamuju allocates Rp 8b for human resources

MAMUJU, South Sulawesi: Mamuju Regency has allocated Rp 8 billion in its 2002 budget to finance education and training programs to improve the quality of human resources in the regency.

Mamuju Regent Almanik Pababari said here on Saturday that his administration has given priority to employment development and training programs this fiscal year.

Part of the funds, he added, would be used to upgrade the skills of civil servants and research staff at the local development and planning center.

"One group of civil servants will be sent to the Hasanuddin University in Makassar, while another will be sent to universities in Java," he said. --Antara