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Jakarta Darurat Banjir Kiriman dari Bogor Lumpuhkan Sejumlah Kawasan

BEASISWA S1, S2, S3 Dari Pemerintah Amerika, Jepang, Jerman, Belanda, Inggris & Swiss

BEASISWA S1, S2, S3 DARI PEMERINTAH AMERIKA, JEPANG, JERMAN, BELANDA, INGGRIS, DAN SWISS

First Children Made Dual Citizens

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

DUTA BESAR RI MARTY NATALEGAWA MINTA INDO-IRISH SAMPAIKAN PERUBAHAN PADA MASYARAKAT IRLANDIA

London 4/11 (ANTARA) - Duta besar RI untuk Kerajaan Inggris Raya dan Republik Irlandia Marty Natalegawa minta masyarakat Indonesia yang berada di Irlandia untuk menyampaikan perubahan yang terjadi di tanah air kepada masyarakat Irlandia.

Permintaan itu disampaikan Dubes saat mengadakan acara tatap muka dan sekaligus acara halal bi halal dengan masyarakat Indonesia yang berada di Dublin, Irlandia, Jumat. demikian keterangan diterima ANTARA di London dari perkumpulan masyaraka...............[Read More]

ECONOMIC CAPACITY TO ABSORB LABOUR AT LOWEST EBB DESPITE GROWTH

Indonesia’s capacity to provide employment in 2006 is at its lowest level compared to the past 10 years as labour-intensive industries are declining, reports Kompas daily.

Quoting Deputy Minister for National Development, Bambang Widianto, the article mentions that today, the capacity of the real sector to absorb new employees is at a low 42,000 people with every one percent economic growth. In 2001, this figure was 253,000 and in 2003 it was 248,000 persons per percentage g...............[Read More]

Bali now a Destination for Malaysian Studying Medicine

Bali has unexpectedly drawn a new market segment. Malaysia’s Bernama reports that Bali’s Udayana has become a choice university for Malaysians to further their tertiary studies. Already there are 123 Malaysian students at the Udayana University including 50 who arrived just a few days ago to start their first lecture Monday (11 September) , reported Bernama. Except one student studying Hindu theology in this Hindu-dominated island, all are studying medicine.

A Malaysian...............[Read More]

Supreme Court passes Death Sentence to Six of “Bali Nine”

Four of the Bali Nine ­­­– journalistic shorthand for the nine young Australians convicted for trying to smuggle 8.2 kilograms of heroin through Bali's airport last year, suffered a massive set back before Indonesia's Supreme Court in early September when the number amongst the nine facing death before a firing squad increased from two to six.

Appeals filed by both defense lawyers and prosecutors in the case, achieved the following results, reports balidiscovery.com:

The dea...............[Read More]

12 CRITERIA TO QUALIFY AS SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE

With the islands of Batam, Bintan and Karimun now designated Special Economic Zones, many more governors are urging that the national government appoint similar areas in their respective provinces.

In response, the national government, in a preliminary move, has stipulated nine requirements that must be met by Regions as qualification before SEZ can be designated in their province, these are:

1. Proposal for SEZ must originate from the Regional Government itself, ...............[Read More]

First Half 2006 Tourist Arrivals down 7.54%, Flights to Bali Increasing

The National Bureau for Statistics informed that total international tourist arrivals through Indonesia’s 13 main gateways from January to June 2006 was down (-)7.54% compared to the same period last year. Arrivals to Bali dropped by (-) 19.1%, direct arrivals to Lombok declined by (-) 13.58%; To Tanjung Pinang down by (-) 12.31%, and to Batam down by (-) 9.07%.

On the other hand, arrivals to Jakarta improved by 6.31%, to Padang’s Minangkabau Airport by 60.65%; arrivals ...............[Read More]

Arab Nationals arrested and deported for committing “instant marriages”

Several weeks ago, in an off-the-cuff remark widely publicized in the international media, Vice President Jusuf Kalla joked that Indonesia should not be disturbed if many Middle East tourists go into “instant marriages” in Indonesia, if that shoud improve genes. Women activist groups, especially, were appalled, and the next day, VP Jusuf Kalla publicly apologized if his joke had offended some people.

In a more serious follow-up, however, on 31 July, the West Java Police r...............[Read More]

Indonesia’s Per Capita today is US$ 1,500, up from US$ 600 post Asian Crisis

Indonesia’s per capita income has topped $1,500, said the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) on 2 August, thus technically lifting the country to lower-middle income status, reports Indonesia’s Trade and Investment News.

Agency Head Rusman Heriawan told reporters that the figure marked a considerable improvement ( or two and a half times increase) over the depth of the financial crisis, when per capita income fell as low as $600 at one stage. The stronger Rupiah, which now...............[Read More]

Indonesia calls for Permanent Ceasefire in Middle East

On Friday, 11 August, the UN Security Council finally succeeded to unanimously agree on, and issue Resolution No. 1701 on a permanent Cease fire between Israel and Lebanon. Accepted by all 15 members of the Security Council, the Resolution was proposed by France and the United States.

In the original text of Resolution 1701 as published in the Jerusalem Post, the UN considers that the situation in Lebanon constitutes a threat to international peace and security, and therefor...............[Read More]

ACCELERATING INDONESIA’S EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI PREPAREDNESS

“Earthquakes are part of God’s creation to maintain the balance in the universe” said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a sermon on Saturday at Jakarta’s largest Istiqlal mosque. The Indonesian archipelago sits astride the Eurasia, Indo-Australia and the Pacific plates that are unstable and continue to collide against one another. Indonesia is also part of the Ring of Fire of volcanoes that stretch from the Indian Ocean north to the Pacific Ocean. God has given this archipelago to us, I...............[Read More]

Indonesia’s New Law on Citizenship hailed as “Revolutionary”

On Tuesday 11 July, Parliament passed the new Bill on Citizenship, thus enacting it into law. And, most rarely, this time it was amidst applause from the gallery. Especially Women’s groups representing Mixed Marriages and ethnic Chinese hailed the new Law as “revolutionary”, since this Law now no longer discriminates Indonesia’s citizens based on ethnicity, race, religion, nor gender.

Kompas daily of 12 July explained that according to Article 2 of the new Law, this stipulat...............[Read More]

REBUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND INDONESIA

After five months of diplomatic standoff between Australia and Indonesia, relations finally thawed when on Monday, 26 June Australian Prime Minister John Howard met Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on the island of Batam. Later to the press, PM Howard underlined Australia’s recognition of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, which includes the province of Papua, and that Australia will not become a staging point for Indonesian separatist movements.

Indones...............[Read More]

Central Java attractions largely undamaged but affected by quake perception

Much has been written on damages incurred to the province of Yogyakarta by the 27 May earthquake, but little has been published about damages to the adjoining province of Central Java. For, next to the district of Bantul in Yogyakarta, the other worst damaged district affected is Klaten, which lies within the province of Central Java. One thing is certain, though, that evacuees in Klaten were not as well cared for by overseas volunteer groups compared to those in Yogya as most aid went fir...............[Read More]

Ground Breaking for Kuala Namu International Airport, Medan, North Sumatra

Last week VP Jusuf Kalla officiated the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of Medan’s new Rp. 4 trillion Kuala Namu international Airport in North Sumatra. Expected to replace Medan’s Polonia Airport in 2009, Kuala Namu is located some 40 km. from Medan in the district of Deli Serdang, and is strategically located to be the region’s hub airport, said Jusuf Kalla, as reported in Bisnis Indonesia.

With a limited capacity of only 900,000 passengers per year, Medan’s prese...............[Read More]

VP Jusuf Kalla apologizes for Bad Joke on How to attract Middle East Tourists

It was a simple, technical seminar on “Devising a Marketing Strategy to attract Tourists from the Middle East”. Keynote speaker was Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, who had been active in establishing economic relations between Indonesia and the Middle East. But, in his off-the-cuff speech, Kalla unintentionally dropped a bombshell.

Speaking about the fact that Jakarta’s hill resort of Puncak is now popular with Arab businessmen, not so much for its scenic beauty as for its female att...............[Read More]

Out-of-Season Rains to continue into August: Floods and Draught

During the past weeks, Indonesia saw extreme weather, both extreme rains as extreme drought. Floods with raging rivers spilling over banks, causing erosion and carrying homes and belongings as well as waist-deep floods in cities, are reported in South Sulawesi, Gorontalo and Bolaang Mongondow, all on the island of Sulawesi; also in the provinces of East and South Kalimantan, in the Moluccas and lately also on the island of Lombok.

On the other hand, rice paddies in Central Java a...............[Read More]

YET AGAIN BALI ROCKED BY DEADLY BLASTS

Within 24 hours of the Bali explosions - that yet again happened on a crowded Saturday evening the first of October, - the Bali Police, under Inspector General Mangku Pastika succeeded to pinpoint the source of the blasts and the alleged perpetrators.

Without any attempt at refining his descriptions of the gruesome details, Insp. General Mangku Pastika explained to the packed press conference that the Police had found proof that the three blasts – two at the Jimbaran bay and...............[Read More]

THE SATURDAY MORNING QUAKE THAT KILLED MORE THAN 4,000

For weeks now inhabitants in the ancient city of Yogyakarta, in the densely populated heart of Java, had been looking north with fear, for Mt. Merapi had threatened to erupt any moment now. Emergency preparedness efforts had been meticulously set in place along threatened slopes, from emergency bunkers to evacuation sites, tents, clinics, foodstuff distribution, trucks, inspections, even to locations where to evacuate cattle to: all was ready for the eruption of Mount Merapi. But, man prop...............[Read More]

THE SATURDAY MORNING QUAKE THAT KILLED MORE THAN 4,000

For weeks now inhabitants in the ancient city of Yogyakarta, in the densely populated heart of Java, had been looking north with fear, for Mt. Merapi had threatened to erupt any moment now. Emergency preparedness efforts had been meticulously set in place along threatened slopes, from emergency bunkers to evacuation sites, tents, clinics, foodstuff distribution, trucks, inspections, even to locations where to evacuate cattle to: all was ready for the eruption of Mount Merapi. But, man prop...............[Read More]

ECONOMIC MACRO INDICATORS UP, SO WHY ARE PEOPLE’S INCOMES DOWN?

Indonesia’s macro economy has grown impressively. The Rupiah has strengthened from over Rp. 9,500 to the US Dollar and - defiying the odds - the Rupiah today stands at Rp. 8,735 to the US Dollar. Meantime, the Jakarta Stock Exchange Index has broken two psychological barriers, first the 1,400 index, and today it has passed the second barrier of 1,500 to reach 1,532.62, proving that foreign investors have restored confidence in Indonesia as they invest in Jakarta stocks. Several days ago B...............[Read More]

Yogyakarta to attract Middle East tourists flying via Malaysia

The Special Region of Yogyakarta on Java is confident that it can attract tourists from the Middle East, having recently attended two travel exhibitions there, namely the Indonesia Tourism Exhibition in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 26-29 April, and the Arabian Travel Mart at the Dubai World Trade Centre last month.

Attractions Yogyakarta can ofer to the Middle East Market are, among others, the Amanjiwo overlooking the ancient monument of Borobudur, the Cangkringan Resort, the Rum...............[Read More]

Misinformation to cost Asia tourism billions, says PATA-Visa Study

Tourism in Asia may lose billions this year due to misconceptions on travelers’ safety, a report released by Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and VISA International has revealed, says E-TurboNews. The PATA report claims that despite visitors willing to visit Asia, Asia stands to lose billions in tourism revenue because of wrong information on travelers’ safety.

The report, named the Asia Travel Intentions Survey 2006, is based on a survey on the attitudes of potential travel...............[Read More]

INACA calls to Limit Foreign Shares in Domestic Airline companies

Allowing foreign companies to own 49% shares in Indonesia’s domestic airline companies as specified in Indonesia’s Foreign Investment Law, makes Indonesia more liberal than even America, says Tengku Burhanuddin, Secretary General of INACA (the Indonesia National Air Carriers Association) recently to Bisnis Indonesia. The USA limits foreign ownership on airlines to 10% only.

There are also no foreign shares in China’s airlines, while Singapore’s low cost airlines, Tiger Air and Si...............[Read More]

Indonesia awaits pledged funds to fight Avian Flu

Indonesia is still waiting for funds that were pledged by international donors to support the country to combat Avian Flu, said Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare in Jakarta recently. $1.9 billion was promised by donors at a conference in Beijing last January. To date nothing has been received by the government.

Since the death of the first victims in Jakarta in 2003, Avian flu has killed 25 people in Indonesia. The Indonesian government, in particular the Health Department...............[Read More]

Bill on Regional Taxes limits levies raised for Regional Revenue

The Bill on Regional Taxes and Dues that will replace the previous Law no. 34 dated year 2000 on the subject will specify 14 tax items authorized to be raised by Regional Governments, - meaning Districts and Towns, - as well as their maximum allowable rates. Additional taxes to become regional revenues include the new environment tax and an enrivonment excise. Taxes on motor vehicles, including on vehicles owned by national and local government agencies, will also become revenues for the Re...............[Read More]

INDONESIA DEFORESTS AT RATE OF SIX FOOTBALL FIELDS PER MINUTE

Like the rest of the world, Indonesia commemorated World Earth Day on 22 April. In the morning, President Yudhoyono and cabinet members planted rare trees in Jakarta’s dense urban area, instructing all governors and district heads to activate the campaign of tree planting throughout the archipelago. The president also reminded provinces to “no longer export haze from Indonesia’s forest fires to our neighbours”.

Indonesia’s deforestation moves at a rate of six football fields a ...............[Read More]

Makassar hosts Pasar Wisata – TIME 2006

This year’s 13th Pasar Wisata, otherwise known as TIME 2006, Indonesia’s prime contract show, will be staged from 18-21 September in Makassar, South Sulawesi with venue the Convention hall of the Clarion Hotel.

This is the first time that TIME is held outside Java. Centrally located between West and East Indonesia, Makassar is earmarked to soon become Indonesia’s next busy airline and trade hub. Makassar will again host Pasar Wisata 2007. Organized by the Indonesia Tourism Promo...............[Read More]

Central Kalimantan stages Isen Mulang Dayak Festival, May 19 – 23

Indonesia’s new destinations are now also vying for attention. From 19-23 May 2006, Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan will stage the “Isen Mulang Dayak Festival”, offering a variety of traditional Dayak Cultural dances, games and competitions such as fireball matches, canoe racing and decoration, the Putra Putri Kalteng pageant and competition, and more.

In tandem with the Festival, the Kalimantan Meeting Centre (KMC) is offering tours exploring the Kahayan River in special bo...............[Read More]

“Sail Indonesia 2006” yachts race between Darwin and Kupang

Meanwhile, also in the Eastern part of Indonesia, in July 2006 an international marine tourism event will be underway between the Australian and Indonesian seas.

The Cinta Bahari Indonesia Foundation supported by the Indonesian Department of Culture and Tourism will again organize “Sail Indonesia 2006”, which it has staged since 2001, involving international participants with well-built yachts. Participants will sail from Darwin in Australia to Kupang on the East Nusatenggara isl...............[Read More]

Indonesia Third fastest growth in Asia Pacific Air Transportation

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has ranked Indonesia as the country with the third highest growth in air transportation in the Asia-Pacific region, after China and India, informed Minister for Communications, Hatta Rajasa. Indeed, growth in air passenger traffic during the past years has consistently shown double digits rate, as a result of Indonesia’s deregulation policy which allowed the surge in the number of budget airlines serving the Indonesian airspace. In addition...............[Read More]

Indonesia’s Youth win Gold medals in Physics

Indonesia is not only among the top countries in Badminton, but also in Physics, so it seems. The Jakarta Post editorial calls these champions in science: “the real Indonesian Idols”. Two Indonesian high school students have succeeded to win gold medals in the Seventh Asian Physics Olympics recently held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. One won a silver medal and three bronze. With these results, Indonesia came second as overall champion, after China. The six idols are high school students Pangus ...............[Read More]

Entertainment Tax now a hefty maximum 75% of Sales

The Indonesian government has raised the maximum allowable tax on 7 types of amusement and entertainment, up from the former 35% to a maximum 75%. This measure is to allow Regions to receive additional incomes, or to limit excessive growth in these entertainments in their areas, said Director General on Administration of Regions in the Department of Home Affairs, Daeng M. Nazier on Thursday, 4 May, as reported in the Kompas daily. The seven that may be slapped these high tax rates are: game...............[Read More]

MT. MERAPI LIKELY TO ERUPT IN ONE TO TWO WEEKS”, SAYS YOGYA’S SULTAN

All preparations are on standby for an eventual evacuation of an expected 30,000 rural population living around the crater of Mt. Merapi, as the volcano increases increased its seismic activity day by day since 12 April. President Yudhoyono has instructed Coordinated Emergency relief measures to be prepared for any eventuality should the volcano erupt.

Situated on the border between the densely populated provinces of Central Java and Yogyakarta, the perfect cone-shaped Merapi...............[Read More]

Bali Recovery Funds Disbursed slowly

Rp. 2.5 billion towards the recovery program of Bali’s tourism has finally been disbursed. Director General for Tourism Marketing, Thamrin B. Bachri told the press that this is the first installment of total funds to be channeled through the Department of Culture and Tourism towards tourism recovery of Bali. Of the allocated Rp, 92.9 billion (approx. US$ 10 million) for the total program, Rp. 67.3 billion (72.4%) is allocated for tourism marketing, whereas the remainder 27.6% is channeled...............[Read More]

Indonesian Carriers urge Government’s Protection before “Open Sky”

Chairman of the Indonesian Air Carriers Association (INACA), Rusdi Kirana, said that the Association’s Annual General Meeting in one of its decision has urged the government that Indonesian carriers be given protection in anticipation of the prospective ASEAN Air Liberalization to start in 2008. At the opening of the General Meeting, Communication Minister, Hatta Rajasa, had challenged the Indonesian carriers to be ready to compete with foreign airlines that will be allowed to fly freely ...............[Read More]

Developing and Marketing Local Handicrafts

Opening the Inacraft 2006 exhibition on Wednesday, 19 April, President Yudhoyono mentioned that export value of Indonesian handicraft last year grew by 4.06% to US$ 465.1 million compared to US$447 million in 2004. Although a positive improvement, yet, compared to the rich potentials of arts and crafts in Indonesia, the industry still has to grow to its optimum capability.

According to data at the Department of Trade, 3,500 handicraft small and medium scaled businesses ar...............[Read More]

Government to develop Ten Economic Zones

A government team coordinated by Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Boediono and M. Lutfi, Head of the National Investment Board, BKPM, as executive team leader, is at present formulating criteria, conditions and preconditions to determine which areas will in fact be determined as economic zones, and what fiscal and non-fiscal facilities to be offered, so that these will become zones able to compete in the international world.

Trade Minister, Mari Elka Pangestu further ...............[Read More]

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD TO THE OPERATION OF CEPU OIL BLOCK

After five years of unrelenting tough negotiations and three Pertamina CEOs later, finally on 15 March 2006, Pertamina (subsidiary) EP Cepu Director, Hestu Bagyo and President and General Manager of ExxonMobil Indonesia, Peter J. Coleman signed the Joint Operation Agreement to explore and exploit the Cepu Block. Straddling the provinces of East Java and Central Java, operation of the Cepu Block will have to wait 31 months of preparations before first production, expected towards the end o...............[Read More]

80 Cruise ships to call on Indonesia in 2006

Eighty cruise ships have been confirmed to call on Indonesian port this year, said Secretary General of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Sapta Nirwandar, after attending the Sea Trade Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami, USA, recently. The ships are from the United States, Europe and Australia. This is a significant increase from 2005, when 61 cruise ships called on islands in the Archipelago. With an estimate expenditure of US$100 per person per day, and a handling fee of US$10,000...............[Read More]

Tsunami Detectors Installed in Straits across Java and Bali

An automatic weather system monitor (AWS) has recently been installed in the channel connecting the islands of Bali and Java at Ketapang Harbor, near Banyuwangi, in East Java, reports balidiscovery.com

Able to instantly detect changes in wind, water and air temperature, current and wave height - the data recorded by the AWS is immediately accessible to ships and shipping companies. Maintained by the Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, the AWS forms part of a growing n...............[Read More]

Ten Percent of Indonesia’s Rural Population now use Mobile Phones

Nielsen Indonesia recently reported that the use of mobile phones has now spread to rural areas, and that more than 10% of Indonesia’s rural population now own and use mobile cell phones. Whilst, 37% of population in the country’s main cities of Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya and Medan already use cell phones – better known here as hp’s (hand phones), reports Bisnis Indonesia

The cell phone market has grown impressively from the last Nielsen survey in 1999, when only 6% ...............[Read More]

National Committee for Tighter Coordination in the fight against Bird Flu

A National Committee for the Mitigation and Preparedness in the fight against Avian Influenza (FBPI) was established through Presidential Regulation No. 7 of 2006, dated 3 March, announced Coordinating Minister for Public Welfare, Aburizal Bakrie. Meant to make more effective and tighten coordination among government agencies at national and regional levels, the Committee aims to strengthen the national network to fight and mitigate a possible pandemic of the H5N1 virus. Thus the Commi...............[Read More]

PACKAGE POLICY TO IMPROVE INVESTMENT CLIMATE, ANNOUNCED

Finally, the long awaited Investment Policy package, that was promised to boost investments was announced on 2 March. Presidential Instruction No. 3 of the year 2006 aims to strengthen services provided by investment institutions; synchronize laws and bylaws between the national government and local governments; improve rules and regulations pertaining to tax, customs, manpower, and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives; as well as ascertain rules and regulations on the...............[Read More]

The Sumatra Orang Utan “Seriously Threatened” as Habitat disappears

The Orangutan great apes, that in the whole world are found in the wild only on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, are in danger of extinction. Their habitat is fast disappearing through uncontrolled and illegal logging, their forest homes converted to plantations and settlements, or are themselves hunted down and caged, said Dr. Sri Suci Utami Atmoko, expert in biology and orangutan conservation. The total population of the Sumatra orangutan (pongo abelii) and the Kalimantan orangutan...............[Read More]

Ten Small Islands developed by Foreign Investors as Dive Resorts

Not known to the general public, ten small Indonesian islands are already developed by foreign investors since three years, particularly in the marine tourism sector, confirmed Director for Small Islands in the Department for the Seas and Fishery, Alex Retraubun during his recent visit to Kupang, on the island of Flores.

The investors come from Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, France and Germany. They all possess legal documents and appropriate licenses issued by th...............[Read More]

1ST LONDON INDONESIAN FILM SCREENING 2006 WITH TOUR

1. SINOPSIS FILM GIE
2. BERCERMIN DENGAN SOSOK GIE DALAM KESEHARIAN KITA
3. SCHEDULE

1.SINOPSIS GIE

A film by Riri Riza

Film yang diinspirasikan dari catatan harian Soe Hok Gie, seorang anak Indonesia dari gang sempit dibilangan kebon jeru...............[Read More]

Police reveal: Bombings in Indonesia financed by Al Qaeda

For the first time, Indonesian Police disclosed that bomb blasts that occurred in Indonesia between 2002 and 2005 were financed by Al Qaeda through their contacts in Jamaah Islamiyah. Head of the Police Cyber Crime Unit, Petrus Reinhard Golose, told Kompas daily journalist on the sidelines of the Seminar in Jakarta at end February on the subject of International Cooperation against Terrorism, - that the Police now possess reliable information that the bomb blasts in Jakarta and Bali between...............[Read More]

New Military Commander is Air Marshall Djoko Suyanto

For the first time since the 1970’s Indonesia has an Armed Forces Commander from the Air Force. Taking over from outgoing Army General Endriartono Sutarto, Air Marshall Djoko Suyanto informed the press that he has three priority agenda items aimed to build a professional and dedicated Indonesian Armed Forces. These are, improved welfare of soldiers, improved military equipment according to available budgets, and implement the commitment of the Military to no longer become engaged in politic...............[Read More]

Bali remains officially free from Avian Flu

Just as this edition of Indonesia Digest was ready to be mailed, we received the latest issue of Bali Update from balidiscovery.com on the latest information on Bali’s efforts to ward off entry of the dreaded Bird Flu to this prime resort island, as follows:

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Bali remains officially free of H5N1 or Bird Flu. All Cases to date in Indonesia have been limited to the island of Java, with the majority of infections occurring in West...............[Read More]

January Tourist arrivals down 15.3%

The National Statistics Board informed that visitor arrivals to Indonesia in January reached a mere 295,165 visitors, or a hefty drop of 15.34% compared to the same month in 2005.Compared to the month before, this is decline of 5.45%. One possible cause for this decline, surmises the Board, is the fear of avian flu infection that prevents tourists from visiting the country.

Highest drop for January compared to December 2005 was felt in Makassar (-82%), West Sumatra (-25.7%), ...............[Read More]

INDONESIA’S ARCHIPELAGIC SOVEREIGNTY and FOREIGN OWNERSHIP OF ISLANDS

Indonesians were rudely awakened from their complacency when in December 2002 the Court of Justice in the Hague ruled that ownership of the Indonesian claimed border islands of Sipadan and Ligitan in the North Celebes Sea was granted to Malaysia, thus ending a long-standing dispute of the islands between the two ASEAN neighbours. The reason given by the Court was that the islands had been “utilized” by Malaysia, since Malaysia had built diving resorts on the islands, whereas, Indonesia had...............[Read More]

Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport to remain south Asia-Pacific regional hub

Indonesia will strive to keep Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport as the regional hub south of the Equator for air travel to Australia and the South Asia-Pacific, said Director General for Air Transport, Mohammad Iksan Tatang to Bisnis Indonesia recently. This policy is adhered to since Singapore’s Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur Airport in Malaysia are already developed as hubs for flights to Europe, the USA and the North Asia-Pacific region.

For this purpose the ...............[Read More]

More Pilots abandoning Garuda Indonesia

More pilots are abandoning Garuda Indonesia for better pay in other airlines where they can receive salaries of up to six or seven times that in Garuda, said Chairman of Garuda Pilot Association, Stefanus Geraldus to Kompas daily. A pilot’s pay at other airlines can go as high as US$ 9,000 – US$ 12,000 per month.

Between 2000-2003 a maximum of 10 pilots left the ailing airline. In 2004 the number increased to 25, but in 2005 alone,124 pilots have moved to other international ...............[Read More]

Garuda to Re- operate Seoul - Bali Flights

Garuda Indonesia's Manager for Bali, Uun Setiawan, told the Indonesian–language Bisnis Bali on January 18, 2006, that his airline will recommence service between Bali and Seoul, Korea starting in April 2006 after a lapse in service of 3 years. According to the Garuda official, growing passenger numbers from Korea have emboldened the Indonesian national carrier to restart the long-stalled service, reported balidiscovery.com

Service between Bali and Incheon Airport, the airport for ...............[Read More]

72 corporations on Blacklist Polluting the Environment

Seventy two large companies are on the black list of the Ministry of the Environment for untrammeled pollution of the environment, said Environment Minister, Rachmat Witoelar to Media Indonesia. These include factories in the textile industry, petrochemicals, metal processing, sawmills, paper mills and agro-businesses, with most located in West Java, Central Java, East Java and the Riau province.

Companies blacklisted in the province of Riau are PT Torganda and PT Perdana Int...............[Read More]

Singapore Trade figures reveal huge Re-exports to Indonesia

At very long last, Singapore has begun to reveal detailed breakdowns on the trade balance between Singapore and Indonesia. Repeated requests made by the Indonesian government for detailed breakdown since 1974 had not been forthcoming. This is since available published data from Singapore have constantly shown wide discrepancies compared to those from Indonesia.

Finally, in a meeting between President Bambang Yudhoyono and PM Lee Hsien Loong on the sideline of the APEC Conf...............[Read More]

Bali’s Regencies want larger Share of Shrinking Tourism Revenue

Since most of Bali’s large hotels are located in the island’s southern regency of Badung, the 10% tax collected on hotel and restaurant bills collected by this regency have traditionally been shared with the island’s 5 other regencies. The justification for this "sharing of the tax wealth" is based on the fact that, while many visitors spend their days touring Bali's attractive rural regencies far removed from the Island’s main hotel areas, nonetheless, tourist spend little in these areas a...............[Read More]

RECORD HIGH AT STOCK EXCHANGE, RUPIAH STRENGTHENS

The first week of the new year has brought a lot of gloom to Indonesia, but fortunately, here and there appeared a number of bright areas. So this week we bring you plenty of bad news, but also some good news.

First the good news: the Jakarta Stock Exchange has been very bullish and has reached the highest index of 1,222.249 on Friday, 6 January, boosted by the strengthening of the Rupiah, that opened trading at Rp. 9,600 per US Dollar, and closed at Rp. 9,570. This is the str...............[Read More]

Scandal over Formalin used to preserve Fresh Food stuffs

One fine day at the end of December, Head of the Food and Drug Agency, or Badan POM, Sampoerno, dropped a bombshell. Casually he announced that over 50 percent of food samples taken at random in the country have been found preserved with formalin. These include fresh (?) fish, salted fish, fresh (?) noodles, meatballs and tofu. However, Sampoerno neglected to mention the markets where the samples were taken, brands and declined to give any other particulars.

As expected, this ...............[Read More]

Safety at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport strengthened

Balidiscovery.com reports that on 23 December 2005, U.S. Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) announced that security standards at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport have been assessed to fall below minimum standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Responding urgently to the report, Bali’s Airport Authorities have been working closely with TSA representatives to remedy the situation while extra security personnel have been deployed during the remedial...............[Read More]

Government plans to bail out Garuda

In the latest development, Sinar Harapan afternoon paper reports that the Government has agreed to provide additional capital and bridging finances to tide over Garuda’s financial quandary. Transportation Minister, Hatta Rajasa said on 5 January, that Garuda’s CEO has presented the airline’s grand strategy to his Department, requesting for bridging loans from the government to pay the airline’s short term debts to a total of US$56 million, and an additional input of the same amount to shore...............[Read More]

Foreign tourist arrivals in Bali down 22%, target 2006 downscaled

As a direct result of the suicide bombings in Bali on 1 October, foreign tourist arrivals to the island has dropped 22% in November to 67,700 from a month earlier, official Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said on Tuesday 3 January. However, direct tourist arrivals to Bali during the first 11 months of 2005 dropped only by 1.5% to 1,310,572 visitors compared to the same period a year earlier.

Indeed, in a most recent interview with the Kompas daily, Badung Regency Head (Bupat...............[Read More]

HUNT FOR MALAYSIAN TERRORIST NOORDIN M. TOP INTENSIFIED

In spite of insistence expressed by some members of the public and a number of media that the Police apply DNA tests to ascertain that the body shot dead at Batu, Malang, was, indeed that of top terrorist Dr. Azahari, Police Chief, General Sutanto, in his usual soft spoken manner, averred that all necessary tests will be done to obtain irrefutable proof, but the Police was absolutely certain that the body was indeed that of Dr. Azahari, the hunted terrorist leader. Azahari was personally in...............[Read More]

Requirements of Production Sector vs. Workforce Qualifications, Mismatched

Although Indonesia’s economy has been growing positively in the past years and investments have increased, yet, these have not been able to absorb much of the pool of unemployed in the country, said Guntur Sugyarto of the Asian Development Bank in Jakarta recently during a workshop on “improving Employment Conditions in Indonesia”, as reported by Bisnis Indonesia. This is because Indonesia’s economic growth has been driven by consumption rather than by production, and the kind of investment...............[Read More]

Fight against Avian Flu Government’s 2006 Top Priority

Before leaving for the APEC Conference in Busan, South Korea, President Yudhoyono affirmed that the fight against Avian Flu will be one of government’s top agenda item for 2006. There must be a concerted national effort by all, from national government down to the village level. This campaign was also on the agenda of the ensuing meeting of all governors. Measures must be made to protect poultry and birds, on the one hand, as well as actions taken to prevent the spread of the virus to infec...............[Read More]

Garuda flies Jakarta-Lombok direct

Indonesia Steps up Tourist Information in Australia?

News received from Australia dated 4 November mentions that Integra Travel Marketing has been appointed by Yogyakarta-based Stupa Marketing on behalf of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism to promote Indonesia through a series of projects and events. However, since the Indonesian fiscal year ends at the end of December, this appointment is valid until the end of the year only.

Over the next six weeks Integra is expected to build a website, create a media kit, host a gala dinne...............[Read More]

FUEL RATES UP MUCH HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED

The government’s fuel hike announced to start 1 October was widely feared to create disturbances among the population. However, the bombs that exploded on Saturday, killing 24 Indonesians and tourists, had moved the story down to second place in the mass media. Huge demonstrations and protests that were planned for the following days also fell flat and fizzled out naturally, as the general public was still mourning over the victims of the Bali bombs.

Despite this, Indonesian...............[Read More]

Interview - Apa and Siapa

Interview - "Beratnya Merantau di Negeri Orang" (Tony, Mira, Tari)

Kita sering mendengar pepatah melayu yang mengatakan "Hujan emas di negeri orang, lebih baik hujan batu di negeri sendiri". Sebuah ungkapan yang pas sekali bagi kita yang pernah merasakan bahwa betapa beratnya hidup merantau di negeri orang, jauh dari kampung halaman, sanak keluarga, dan teman-teman. Hidup rasanya tidak ada habis-habisnya hanya untuk bekerja, bekerja dan bekerja.

Members News

Living & Working in Ireland

Living & Working in Indonesia

Happy Idul Adha 1427 H - Hopefully our pray and qurban we do can be good for ourself, family, friend, work environment, and altogether and also become better in the next dayawaits, Amen.

Selamat Hari Raya GALUNGAN & KUNINGAN bagi Umat Hindu

Atas nama perkumpulan Indonesia di Irlandia yang tergabung dalam Indo Irish mengucapkan:

Selamat Hari Raya GALUNGAN & KUNINGAN

<...............[Read More]

Other News

Just a Short Note from Edy Muttaqin - President of Indo Irish Period 2006 - 2007 (nov'06-dec'06)

Tahun 2007 sudah di depan mata. Tentu, banyak perubahan yang kita inginkan, dari kesehatan, pekerjaan, berteman, berhenti merokok atau mungkin mencari pacar baru. Apapun tujuan anda, saya yakin itu demi kesejahteraan dan kesuksesan yang anda cita-citakan dan idam-idamkan.

Begitu juga dengan Indo-Irish, kegiatan 2006 telah kita selenggarakan dengan sukses. Sebagai ketua, tentu saya merasa bangga bahwa disela-sela...............[Read More]

JUST A SHORT NOTE FROM EDY MUTTAQIN - THE PRESIDENT OF INDO-IRISH PERIODE 2006 - 2007 (sept'06-oct'06)

Assalammualaikum wr wb,

Tak Terasa sebentar lagi kita akan memasuki bulan suci Ramadhan untuk itu pertama-tama atas nama Organisasi INDO-IRISH di Dublin, izinkanlah saya mengucapkan “SELAMAT MENUNAIKAN IBADAH PUASA” bagi yang menjalankannya semoga amal ibadah kita semua dapat diterima disisi Allah swt. Amin.

Bersama ini, saya ingin menyampaikan laporan kegiatan-kegiatan yang diselenggarakan oleh para anggota organisasi INDO-IRISH yang baru terpilih dibulan ...............[Read More]

Event Reports

Report-Flora Women's Mini Marathon 02JUNE08

• Irene Murphy = 72.00 Eur
• Erna O'Connell = 320.00 Eur
• Wayan Tari
• Sari Redican = 80.00 Eur
• Adelyn Landy = 140.00 Eur
• Ayu Purwati = 40.00 Eur
• Emiel Gosal = 175.00 Eur
...............[Read More]

REPORT - TEMU MASYARAKAT INDONESIA 17JUNE08

ACARA PERKENALAN RAMAH TAMAH INDO IRISH DENGAN DUBES RI
BPK. YURI OCTAVIAN THAMRIN

Report Indonesian Nite 5/10/07

Read More]

For attention of all who contributed to our Indonesian Earthquake Appeal

Thank You for Your Donation

The Indonesian & Irish Association on behalf of the Indonesian community in Ireland & Northern Ireland would like to say THANK YOU for your donations for the victims of the earthquake recently in Indonesia.

We received a total of € 1703.08 euro from all the donations.

We would like to especially THANK the following:

1. Management & Staff ULSTER BANK IRELAND LTD, IFSC, Dublin.
2. People of JAMAA...............[Read More]

REPORT – Festival of World Cultures 2006

Event : Festival of World Cultures

Held at : Dun Laoghaire

Time : 11.00am – finish

Date : 26 August 2006

At this event, Ireland’s largest multicultural celebration, the Indo Irish Society took part as follows:

Traditional Indonesian Bali Dancing

Performed by Sha’qira Murphy & Elisa Desy Sutarji Name of Dance: TARI PUSPANJALI

We are happy to i...............[Read More]

Indonesian Independece Day Celebration Report - 17Agustus (Aug 20th Phoenix Park)

Subject : Indonesian Independence Day Celebration 17Agustus

Held at : Phoenix Park – Opposite Dublin Zoo.

Time : 11.00am – 5.00pm

Date : 20 August 2006

Organized By : Indo-Irish

Attended by : Approximately 100 people

Programs:

1. Opened with speech by Bpk Edy Muttaqin, The President of Indo-Irish
2. ‘Mengheningkan Cipta’ by Bpk Edy Muttaqin.
3. Pembacaan PANCASILA by Faisal.
4. ...............[Read More]

Pertemuan Masyarakat Indonesia Dengan Duta Besar RI Bpk RM Marty Natalegawa Untuk Kerajaan Inggris Raya & Republik Irlandia

Iveagh Room, Conrad Hotel, Dublin, Ireland - 02NOV06

Bapak Duta Besar RI untuk Kerajaan Inggris Raya dan Republik Irlandia, Bpk Marty Natalegawa beserta para staff KBRI menyambut hangat antusias masyarakat Indonesia yang hadir di acara “Temu Masyarakat Indonesia” yang telah diadakan di Iveagh Room - Conrad Hotel, Dublin, Irlandia pada tanggal 2 November 2006. Malam “Temu Masyarakat Indonesia” yang diselenggarakan oleh KBRI London tersebut di hadiri oleh kurang lebih s...............[Read More]