Riau-owned airline starts operating
PEKANBARU, Riau: An Airline owned by the Riau provincial administration -- PT Riau Air Line (RAL) -- has been serving flights to several cities in the province and abroad, a report said.
After its launching in December last year, RAL has been serving domestic routes to Tanjung Pinang, Batam and Natuna, all in Riau province, as well as an international flight to Malaka in Malaysia.
"We will also serve a new route to Rengat (in Riau) soon," said President Director Asparaini Rasyad on Saturday.
He also said that RAL had been serving chartered flights, such as taking the provincial administration officials from Riau to neighboring Jambi, as well as taking the local soccer team to Padang, West Sumatra. --Antara
;JP;SPS; ANPAa..r.. Focus-Medan-taxi Tourists complain about Medan's taxis JP/5/Acros7
Tourists complain about Medan's taxis
MEDAN, North Sumatra: Tourists, both domestic and international, have been complaining about the taxi service in Medan.
A number of Singaporean and Malaysian tourists said on Saturday that the conditions were very poor and uncomfortable for passengers.
Most taxis in Medan are old and decrepit and neither have prober meters nor air conditioners.
Even at Polonia Airport in Medan, tourists find great difficulty in finding a good taxi.
A businessman from Singapore, Chandra Liem, urged the city administration to pay more attention to taxis to make them at least satisfactory for tourists.
Several tourists from Malaysia said good taxis would be an important element for the city to develop its tourism sector. --Antara
;JP;SPS; ANPAa..r.. Belgium-investment-Makassar Belgian investor to build animal feed plant JP/5/acros7b
Belgian investor to build animal feed plant
MAKASSAR: A Belgian investor is planning to build a Rp 10 billion (US$1.2 million) animal feed plant this year in Barru and Enrekang districts, South Sulawesi.
The plan to invest in the business came after the Belgian company invested in corn plantations in the same districts last year, deputy chairman of the Parepare integrated economic zone, HM Yunus Mana, said on Saturday.
The Belgian investor whose identity is still being kept confidential has secured a permit for the plant from the provincial government, he said.
The investor also has built facilities and infrastructure for the plant, which will hopefully encourage the development of agriculture and animal husbandry in the districts, he said.
He said a number of Malaysian, South Korean and British investors have also shown interest in investing in the economic zone, which covers the districts of Barru, Pinrang, Sidrap, Enrekang, and Parepare.
He said his administration had also prepared several plots of land for foreign investors interested in building cacao processing plants in the districts. --Antara
;JP;SPS; ANPAa..r.. Focus-Kendari-Marines-dead Two missing marines found dead JP/5/acros7b
Two missing marines found dead
KENDARI: Two marines Second Sgt. Pungki and Chief Sgt. Joko Susilo were found dead, in the Tiworo straits, Muna district, Southeast Sulawesi on Saturday morning.
The two bodies were sent to Kendari, as reported by the chief of security officer Second Lt. Buas Dibyo Purwanto.
He also said that the two officers were on a routine patrol, using a motorboat.
The boat was navigated by Taslim, who survived the accident and is a key witness.
Dibyo could not give details of the incident, but said when both victims were in the Tiworo straits, they encountered the boat Sinar Mutiara carrying illegal logs. It is presumed that the boat collided with their motorboat.
The bodies will be flown to their respective hometowns in Yogyakarta and Lampung on Sunday. --Antara