PEOPLE URGED TO STEP UP FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 28 (ANTARA) - All Indonesians have been called on to 'wage a massive battle' against drugs after the arrest of 17 people on Sunday and the discovery of a new type of drug that has been in circulation across the country.          "The drug that has victimized people in all strata of the society, including politicians, artists and people from other professions, is the country's biggest enemy. Therefore, the people should wage a massive battle against it," House Speaker Marzuki Alie said here on Monday.          The National Narcotics Agency (BNN), at 4 am on Sunday, arrested 17 people, including artists Raffi Achmad and Wanda Hamidah at Raffi's home in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, for drugs abuse.       BNN deputy for prosecution Benny Mamoto said his agency had taken the 17 people into custody for questioning and examinations.  "Five of them have tested positive for drugs. We will continue to investigate the others," BNN spokesman Snr. Comr. Sumirat Dwiyanto said.          Meanwhile, Saleh Partaonan Daulay, the General Chairman of a youth wing organization of the country's second largest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah, also called on all citizens of Indonesia to cooperate in preventing the circulation of drugs across the nation.

DOMESTIC DEMAND FOR CEMENT EXPECTED TO INCREASE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 26 (ANTARA) - Cement companies in Indonesia are expanding their production in an effort to meet increased domestic demand for cement, particularly demand caused by the country's infrastructure development projects.          The government is now carrying out a number of infrastructure development projects as part of its Master Plan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia's Economic Development (MP3EI), which focuses on infrastructure.          Along with the infrastructure development, demand for cement at home is expected to increase by some 10 percent this year.          According to Tuti Rahayu, the Ministry of Industry's director for downstream chemical industry, cement consumption in Indonesia is expected to reach 62 million tonnes this year, up 10 percent from 55 million tonnes in 2012.          "Domestic consumption of cement increased by 14.5 percent last year, compared with 48 million tonnes in 2011. Even in Indonesia's eastern regions, the demand increased by about 54 percent, far higher than other regions of the country," Tuti Rahayu said on Friday.         Therefore, the government has set itself a target to produce 65 million tons of cement this year, up 7 percent over last year, which reached 60.56 million tonnes.         "We have projected cement production of 65 million tonnes in 2013, up 7 percent from last year's production at 60.56 million tonnes. We hope factories would increase their investment and production capacities in order to meet the production target,"  Director General for Manufacturing Industrial Base of the Ministry of Industry, Panggah Susanto, said.

GOVT DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR GAS CONVERSION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 24 (ANTARA) - The government is developing infrastructure facilities, such as gas refilling stations (SPBG) and gas pipeline distribution networks, in order to implement its fuel-to-gas conversion programme for vehicles this year.          For the construction of fuel-to-gas conversion infrastructure facilities, the government has set aside Rp470 billion from the 2013 state budget.  It is planning to build 4-5 SPBGs in Jakarta.          According to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources' acting director general for oil and gas affairs, Edy Hermantoro, the government had earlier allocated the Rp470 billion to the construction of SPBGs alone in 2013.          However, it was later decided that a part of the funds would be used to build gas-pipeline networks. "We are also inviting the private sector to take part in it so that the programme will get implemented faster," he stated.          Once the programme is successfully implemented, Jakarta would have robust network of gas pipelines that would distribute gas to refilling stations.  "Therefore, the government is focusing on this (gas distribution pipeline network) first to boost private sector participation. The pipelines will be laid close to gas users such as the Transjakarta busway station," Edy continued.

GOVT KICKS OFF CURRENCY REDENOMINATION CAMPAIGN

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 23 (ANTARA) - The government has kicked off a campaign to raise public awareness of its plan to redenominate the rupiah, the world's second highest denomination note after the Vietnamese dong.         "We have now achieved a good level of national economic development but it is not yet supported by an efficient currency. The rupiah must now be redenominated as it has become inefficient," Finance Minister Agus Marto Martowardojo said on the sidelines of the redenomination public campaign kick-off on Wednesday.          The government is planning to begin the process of redenominating the rupiah in 2014 and expects to complete the process by 2022.         However, the eight-year-long process can start next year only if the bill on the redenomination policy is passed into law by the House by the end of this year.          The draft of the rupiah currency redenomination bill has been forwarded to the House's legislative body and is scheduled to be discussed during the January-June period this year.

JAKARTA PLANS CONCRETE ACTIONS TO SOLVE PROBLEM OF FLOODS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 22 (ANTARA) - The central government and the Jakarta administration have come up with a number of concrete steps to solve the problem of floods.         There are several projects, including the construction of a spillway, to divert excess water from the Ciliwung River to a flood canal, which will reduce the impact of floods in the future. The projects will be completed by either 2017 or 2018. The total cost of the projects is Rp6.9 trillion.         Six steps will be undertaken by the government to solve the problem of floods.  One of the major projects is the construction of a waterway which will link the Ciliwung River to the East Flood Canal.         The Ciliwung River, which is one of the 13 rivers running through Jakarta, overflowed on Thursday, resulting in floods in Jakarta.          The West Flood Control and the East Flood Control canals were unable to stop the floods from inundating Jakarta.         "If the Ciliwung River overflows in the future, some of the water has to be diverted to the East Flood Control Canal," said the Public Works Minister, Djoko Kirmanto, on Monday.

JAKARTA CAN SAY GOODBYE TO FLOODS, SAYS EXPERT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 18 (ANTARA) - Jakarta was hit by a major flood on Thursday, which nearly crippled the capital city's life, causing the death of at least 14 people and halting hundreds of buses, trains and factories.          The capital city experiences floods each year, but Thursday's flooding was part of Jakarta's latest series in the five-year major flood cycle.          This week's flooding was described by Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo as being worse than flooding during the previous five-year flooding cycle in 2007, which claimed the lives of 80 residents.          This annual natural disaster has caused headaches to the Jakarta administration since time immemorial. The easiest scapegoat to blame are Jakarta residents who dispose of  refuse at will.          But can't the capital city be freed from annual floods? Jakarta can virtually say goodbye to floods if the administration is serious about solving the problem, according to an expert.          "To cut off the chain of the flood cycle, there are at least five steps the Jakarta government should take," Nirwono Yoga of Trisakti University said on Friday.          The five steps consisted of developing water catchment areas, improving the Jakarta master plan, revitalizing primary and secondary gutters, increasing the number of dams in upstream areas and normalizing the function of 13 rivers crisscrossing the city.

BUSINESSES CALL FOR GOVT PROTECTION FROM FLOODS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 18 (ANTARA) - Thursday's flooding in Jakarta, the second worst after the one in 2007 which killed 80 residents and caused a loss of Rp4.3 trillion, prompted business makers to call for government protection of businesses from floods.          "Jakarta as a capital city is the show window of Indonesia's business. The government must give a priority to the handling of floods and their impact so that Indonesia would not get bad image in the eyes of investors," Sofjan Wanandi, the chairman of the Indonesian businessmen Association (Apindo), said on Friday.          He said such a flood would become the focus of world attention. After all, the flooding reached the State Palace on Thursday when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono received Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Their meeting had to be rescheduled due to the flood.

JAKARTA ON 10-DAY FLOOD EMERGENCY ALERT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 17 (ANTARA) - Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Thursday declared a 10-day emergency alert, until January 27, following major floods that almost completely paralyzed daily life in the capital city.          The floods hit almost all parts of Jakarta, creating serious traffic jams, delaying important meetings, stopping the operations of commuter trains, closing busways and causing the evacuation of more than 60,000 residents.           "Based on information from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG), rain intensity will still be high until next week. Therefore, we issued a 10-day emergency alert as an anticipatory step," Jokowi told the press at the City Hall.           The flooding over the past three days was at its worst on Thursday when office and daily activities in Jakarta were almost completely paralyzed. Based on the data collected from the Jakarta Police's Traffic Management Centre (TMC), the areas inundated by floodwaters include roads in East Jakarta, Central Jakarta and West Jakarta.

JAKARTANS ASKED TO REMAIN ON THE ALERT AS FLOODS SPREAD

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 16 (ANTARA) - The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has urged Jakartans to remain on the alert, as the floods that hit Jakarta over the past two days and caused the evacuation of at least 9,374 residents in various parts of the capital city, have not yet receded.          "Heavy downpours in Puncak on Wednesday morning and noon drastically raised the water volume and level of the Ciliwung river upstream. At 11 am, the water level of the Katulampa sluice reached 70 cm (level III alert) but at 12 am, it increased to 170 cm, due to which the alert status  was raised to level II," the BNPB's Head of Data and Information, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said here on Wednesday.          He urged Jakarta residents to remain on the alert because the flood waters were unlikely to recede anytime soon. Besides, Nugroho added, the situation could get worse as there was heavy rainfall in the upstream areas of Bogor and Puncak and more flood waters could hit Jakarta on Wednesday night.

GOVT EXAMINING TWO OPTIONS TO MAINTAIN FUEL QUOTA

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 16 (ANTARA) - The government is examining two options that it can take if it sees the consumption of subsidized fuels will likely exceed the 2013 state budget quota of 46 million kilolitres.          It is studying whether it should restrict the use of subsidized fuel by private cars or it should raise fuel oil prices so that the quota of 46 million kilolitres, amounting to subsidies of Rp193.8 trillion, set in the state budget would not be exceeded.          "The government is studying how to restrict the consumption of subsidized fuel oil by private cars. It is also considering the option of raising fuel oil prices. The government will take one of the two options if we fail to control fuel oil consumption," Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik said here on Tuesday.          The Ministry of Finance asked the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to help control subsidized fuel oil consumption so it would not exceed the quota and further burden the state budget.          For 2013, the government has set a quota of 46 million kilolitres, but national consumption is predicted to exceed the quota and reach 48 million kilolitres unless steps are taken to control consumption.

JAKARTANS ON THE ALERT FOR FLOODS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 15 (ANTARA) - The Jakarta regional government has asked its residents to be ready for possible widespread flooding in various parts of the capital city, particularly for flash floods from the mountainous areas of Puncak and Bogor that saw incessant rainfall on Tuesday.          The Jakarta Natural Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD DKI) said it was ready to tackle flooding from the Katulampa sluice, the major sluice gate through which floodwaters from Bogor flow in to Jakarta.          "We have established integrated flood monitoring posts, such as the one in the Sports Hall in Jalan Otista, in East Jakarta," BPBD DKI head Iwan Samosir said here on Tuesday.          Other than Otista, the agency has also set up a number of emergency posts, such as the health service post in the Bidara Cina district and another one near Budi Aish Hospital.          BPBD DKI will also work together with the Public Order Security Agency (Satpol PP) to evacuate victims. Up to now, there are some 650 flood evacuees at the Jatinegara healthcare post in East Jakarta.          Deputy head of Jatinegara subdistrict, Manson, stated that two villages, Kampung Melayu and Kelurahan Bidara Cina, have been affected by floods in East Jakarta.

PUBLIC STILL QUESTIONS NEW SCHOOL CURRICULUM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 15 (ANTARA) - Education and Culture Minister Muhammad Nuh is conducting a program to introduce School Curriculum 2013 across the country before its implementation in the next academic year.          However, many legislators, academics and educators have stated that the plan to replace the current School Curriculum 2006 with a new one should not be implemented until a comprehensive study, involving research, analysis and evaluation, is carried out.          "The implementation of School Curriculum 2013 is important and urgent, so all sides should be well-informed of it," Nuh said while promoting the new curriculum in Semarang, Central Java, on Sunday.          The minister was introducing the curriculum to about 350 university rectors, education and cultural officials, school principals and teachers. He had earlier conducted similar activities in Jambi (Sumatra), Parung (West Java) and Tengerang (Banten).          Nuh noted that a new curriculum was necessary in light of the global challenges facing the country.

GOVT DESIGNS NEW EDUCATION PROGRAM TO REPLACE RSBIs

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 14 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is keen on replacing International-Standard Pilot Schools (RSBIs) with public schools after the Constitutional Court (MK) declared last week that RSBIs are unconstitutional.          "The idea of having international-standard schools in every district and city in the country should not be eliminated. So, we are designing a new academic programme to replace RSBIs with other schools of international standards," said the Minister for Education and Culture, Mohammad Nuh, on Sunday.          Last week, the MK highlighted the 2003 National Education Law, which requires all municipalities and districts in the country to have at least one such school, known as the RSBI.          Mahfud, the court's chief justice, said not only did the requirement go against the Constitution, but there was no sound legal basis for the existence of RSBIs. RSBI students are expected to pay more fees than their peers at regular public schools. The court concluded that the additional fees have "led to the commercialisation of the education sector".

RI'S OVERSEAS FORMAL WORKER ROADMAP TO START IN SINGAPORE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 13 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has planned to stop exporting domestic helpers abroad in 2017 and replace them with sending skilled workers for recruitment in the formal sectors.         Most of Indonesian migrant workers overseas are so far domestic helpers who work   with individual employers so that they are prone to abuses like what have frequently happened to Indonesian house maids in Malaysia and the Middle East.          Therefore, Indonesia, which receives an average annual remittance of Rp100 trillion from millions of migrant workers in 116 countries, is planning to send only skilled workers in the formal sectors abroad.          "The interest of migrant workers could be guaranteed if they work in the formal sectors in various companies or organizations under official work contracts," Moh Jumhur Hidayat, the head of the National Agency for Placement and Protection of Workers Abroad (BNP2TKI), said here on Wednesday.

RI'S WHEAT IMPORTS EXPECTED TO INCREASE THIS YEAR

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 12 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's wheat imports are expected to increase this year, even as it has imposed a 20 percent duty on wheat to protect the local industry from alleged dumping practices by Turkish exporters.          Indonesia's wheat imports have continued to increase, totaling 5.5 million tonnes in 2011 and increasing 9 percent to about 6 million tonnes in 2012.  The country's imports of wheat this year are expected to rise by about 6-7 percent.          "Our national wheat flour output must increase because of the wheat flour safeguard duty," Franciscus Welirang, chairman of the Indonesian Flour Mills Association (Aptindo), was quoted as saying by online media brecorder.com.          The Indonesian government has imposed an emergency safeguarding tax on wheat imports due to alleged dumping in its domestic market, as practiced by Turkish exporters.

PEOPLE WANT TRANSPARENT ELECTIONS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 9 (ANTARA) - Ahead of the legislative and presidential elections next year, the Indonesian people are pinning their hopes on the General Elections Commission (KPU) for organization of transparent elections.          Transparency is key to the success of elections. In previous elections, many problems and electoral disputes surfaced due to suspicions of fraud and data manipulation.          "I am confident that all problems surrounding the general elections can be properly resolved if the KPU organizes the elections more openly," General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) spokesperson Daniel Zuchron said.          Daniel pointed out that the KPU plays an administrative role during the elections. "It has laid out all the rules with regard to the administration process and the code of ethics. Therefore, everything should be reported to the KPU, and we will check in the field whether anything requires our confirmation," he stated.

GOVT TO BUILD MODERN SHOPS TO BOOST COOPERATIVES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 8 (ANTARA) - The government is determined to boost the development of cooperatives in the country, increase their  number to about 200,000 and build at least 260 modern retail cooperatives shops called "UKM Marts".         "We will develop 260 UKM Marts across the country in 2013," Neddy Rafinaldi Halim, a deputy for the development of business networks of the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small Businesses, said here on Monday.          This is in line with the program of the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small-and-Medium Businesses which will increase the number of cooperatives units from 194.295 in 2012 to 200,000 in 2013 and build UKM Marts at potential points across the country.          According to Cooperatives and Small Scale Enterprises (UKM) Minister Sjarifuddin Hasan, the increase in the number of cooperatives to about 200,000 this year is expected to raise the capacity of cooperatives in absorbing workers.         "It is a fact that the increase in the number of cooperatives also raised the number of workers they could absorb," the minister said.

RI TO REVITALISE TRADITIONAL MARKETS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 8 (ANTARA) - Amidst the expansion of modern markets in Indonesia, the government is planning to revitalise traditional markets across the country to increase their competitiveness.          According to Neddy Rafinaldi Halim, deputy for marketing of cooperatives and small enterprises network at the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Scale Businesses, the government will revitalise at least 175 traditional markets throughout the country.          "This year, the government will revitalise 175 traditional markets, consisting of 155 regular traditional markets, 15 regional mainstay product marketing facilities and 5 central traditional markets," said Neddy Rafinaldi Halim on Monday.          In the border areas, the government will revitalise at least 25 traditional markets, with funding from the ministry of cooperatives and medium and small scale enterprises.         "We are going to revitalise regional marketing facilities in 25 areas," said Neddy Rafinaldi Halim.