RI MUST PREPARE TEXTILE INDUSTRY TO FACE FREE MARKET

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 30 (Antara) - The Indonesian government must help textile and footwear industries prepare themselves so that their products will be able to compete in the global market and in the face of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.         Indonesia's textile and textile product as well footwear industries still face challenges in the face of free trade in the global market, including a challenge to renovate their production tools. Most of their production tools are dominated by old machines of up to 20 years old.         Currently, a relatively high amount of machinery and components that are used to produce textiles in Indonesia are imported. The ministry of Industry stated that of the 2,900 textile companies that are active in Indonesia, more than 500 are dependent on foreign materials.         The ministry wants to tackle this issue as it hurts the industry's competitiveness. For that reason, the government has provided a tax holiday for investments in the country's textile producing machinery and equipment industry, according to the indonesia-investments.com online media last month.

GOVT ASKED TO INTERFERE IN CHEVRON'S BIOREMEDIATION CASE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 29 (Antara) - A number of parties have expressed concern over PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia's controversial bioremediation case, asking government's interference so that it would not discourage oil and gas investment in the country.          According to the ReforMiner Institute, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono needs to interfere in Chevron's controversial bioremediation case to help straighten it out.          "This case has serious impact on oil and gas investment in the country in the future," Komaidi Notonegoro, the deputy director of ReforMiner, said after attending a discussion on Monday.        The alleged corruption case in the bioremediation project in the working area of PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia (CPI) in Riau province has led the Attorney General's Office to name seven suspects.          The same opinion was also voiced by Hilmi Rahman Ibrahim, the director of Indonesia for Public Trust. He said the government must handle CPI¿s bioremediation case seriously to provide legal certainty for foreign oil and gas investors.          The AGO has named seven suspects in the alleged CPI bioremediation corruption case which it said had caused a loss of US$23 million to the state.  But some parties questioned the AGO proper reasons to name the suspects.

RI MUST SPEED UP PREPARATIONS FOR ASEAN MARKET INTEGRATION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 26 (Antara) - Indonesia, which is a major player in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), must accelerate its preparations to face the region's market integration in 2015.         Described as having 40 percent of the region's economic resources or the Greater ASEAN, Indonesia must improve the competitive edge of its products and services, improve its human resources and prepare regulations.        When the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is implemented in 2015, not only commodities and services will move freely within the region but also other products, including manpower.          In this case, Indonesia must prepare itself to improve the quality  not only of its goods and services but also of its human skills, so that it would not serve as a mere market for other countries in the region. It should also become a big exporter of skilled workers. After all, Indonesia has  a population of about 240 million.

POLICE CRACKING DOWN ON THUGS OF MOTORIST GANGS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 20 (Antara) - The Indonesian Police are cracking down on motorist gangs who have recently committed thefts, robberies, attacks, and rapes and spread unrest among the public in a number of regions in the country.          The police have set up special teams to arrest thugs of motorist gangs where they often operate such as Jakarta, Riau   and South Sulawesi provinces.          "We have established a special team to take firm actions against motorist gang members who have caused security problems for the society," Deputy Director of Traffic Management of the Jakarta Regional Police, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Sambodo, said over the weekend.           Sambodo said that Jakarta Police Chief Inspector General Putut Eko Bayuseno had ordered his men to crack down on every motor gang member involved in illegal street racing or crimes.           So far, the police have only ticketed those involved in illegal street racing. "Now, we would confiscate their motorbikes and send suspected thugs to court," Sambodo said.

RI ECONOMY REMAINS STRONG DESPITE S&P'S RATING OUTLOOK DOWNGRADE

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 19 (Antara) - The international rating agency Standard and Poor's (S&P) has recently downgraded its ratings outlook on Indonesia's debt but Indonesian officials are convinced it will not significantly affect the country's economic performance.         "This is the S&P ratings outlook it issues based on its judgment. We also have our own judgment where Bank Indonesia (BI/the central bank) is of the view that Indonesia's economy remains secure," BI Deputy Governor Halim Alamsyah said.         Deputy Finance Minister Mahendra Siregar concurred Halim's, saying that Standard & Poor's downgrade of its ratings outlook on Indonesia's debt will not affect foreign investors' interest, particularly in the security sector.          "I think the S&P's downgrade of its outlook on Indonesia's debt will not significantly affect bonds market because businesses in world today are in liquidity surplus and they need instruments for investment," Mahendra said.           After all, Indonesia's economic fundamentals remain in good control, so that the country's economy will remain to grow although Standard and Poor's (S&P) has downgraded its ratings outlook on the country's debt from BB+ positive to BB+ stable, Halim Alamsyah said.          However, S&P said Indonesia was still able to balance its weak policies and external pressures with strong growth prospect, conservative fiscal policies and relatively good debt management.          It said that Indonesia still maintained relatively controlled debt and fiscal management with an estimated debt-to-gross domestic product ratio of 22 percent in 2013l.

GOVT DEVELOPING MONORAIL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 6 (Antara) - The government, after launching the construction of a mass rapid transit (MRT) on Thursday last week, will also begin to develop a monorail system to help solve traffic jams in the capital city of Jakarta.          Last week, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo (Jokowi) finally launched the construction of Jakarta's mass rapid transit system after its construction had been delayed for at least 24 years.          According to the governor, the construction of monorail mass transportation system would be carried out simultaneously with that of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT).          "After commencing the construction of MRT, we are now preparing for the construction of other mass transportation system, namely monorail. We will build the two systems simultaneously," Governor Joko Widodo (Jokowi), said in the City Hall here on Monday.          According to Jokowi, the development of the monorail project would be divided into two phases. The first phase covered a Green Line and a Blue Line sections. The second phase consisted of two lines in the eastern and western parts of the city.          "The two phases will be done by two different contractors. The green line and the blue line sections will be built by PT Jakarta Monorail, while the eastern and western parts will be constructed by PT Adhi Kary," the governor said.