Riau-owned airline starts operating

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

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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

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Belgium-investment-Makassar
Belgian investor to build animal feed plant
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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

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Focus-Kendari-Marines-dead
Two missing marines found dead
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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