MONAS SHOWS PROTOTYPE OF JAKARTA'S FUTURE MONORAIL

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 23 (Antara) - Monorail is one of the mess  transportation modes that can overcome traffic woes in big cities like Jakarta where traffic congestion has become a main cause of headache for commuters.          Jakarta residents and other commuters from the capital city's satellite towns of Bogor, Tangerang, Tangerang and Bekasi (Botakbek) have since time immemorial fought traffic woes every day to reach their offices or other destinations during the rush hours.          With a population of about 12 million, Jakarta also serves commuters with poor conditions of public transportation means, forcing residents to use their own cars or motorcycles that worsened further the traffic.          Jakarta Regional Police data showed that there are about 3.1 million private cars and 8.2 million motorcycles roaming in the city every day. The public transport condition is bad where about 72.34 percent of the 22,000 buses operating in the city are already old and no longer fit for operations.          Data at the Jakarta Transportation Service showed that in 2002 about 61 percent of Jakarta's commuters still used public transport but the figure dropped to 20 percent by 2010.          As an 'antidote' to the traffic headache, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, or popularly known as Jokowi, is planning to develop a monorail system as a traffic jam 'solver' as part of his on-going MRT project in the city.          Now, the prototype of the monorail is on display at Monas. The prototype is expected to explain to the people the future transportation means that could overcome traffic jams. The public can visit the exhibition at Monas for free from June 22 to July 14, 2013.

MALAYSIAN FIRMS SUSPECTED TO HAVE SENT HAZE HOME

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 23 (Antara) - Tens of companies have allegedly practiced slash-and-burns to open plantations in Sumatra's Riau, causing forest fires that send blankets of smoke not only to the province itself but also to neighboring countries, Singapore and Malaysia.          It was reported on Saturday that a joint team from the ministry of environment and other relevant ministries had found at least 20 domestic and foreign companies which were suspected to have caused land and forest fires.          Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya in Riau on Saturday made statements twice when he earlier announced that there were 14 companies (one believed to belong to Malaysian firm), allegedly involved in the burning of land and bushes.      He stated later, based on field checks, there were 8 Malaysian companies which were strongly believed to have contributed to the forest fires which caused Riau province, Singapore and Malaysia to be shrouded with haze. The eight Malaysian firms are not included in the 14 reported earlier.         "There are eight Malaysian oil palm companies which are strongly suspected to be behind the forest fires. We are still collecting data in the field to ascertain the suspicion," Balthasar told a press conference on Saturday.

POOR FAMILIES BEGIN RECEIVING CASH ASSISTANCE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 22 (Antara) - The government Saturday began distributing Rp9.3 trillion cash assistance to the poor and mobilized ministers to observe its handing out to 15,5 million target families in 15 cities across the country.          The Rp9.3 trillion temporary direct cash assistance (BLSM) will be distributed in two phases in June and in September 2013. It is being provided by the government to alleviate the burden of poor families who would be affected by the impact of the government's policy to increase subsidized fuel oil prices.          The government on Friday night raised the prices of subsidized premium gasoline from Rp4,500 to Rp6,500 per liter and subsidized diesel oil from Rp4,500 to Rp5,500 per liter. The new prices are effective as of 00.00 a.m on Saturday.          Each poor family will receive Rp150,000 in BLSM assistance per month for four months.          Based on the results of the Cabinet Ministers' plenary meeting chaired by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday (June 20), the government will in the first phase distribute the BLSM on June 22 and 24 to recipients amounting to Rp300,000 for each target family in 15 cities across the country.

PKS AWAITING WORDS FROM PRESIDENT OVER COALITION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 20 (Antara) - The fact that the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) was not invited in a meeting of parties in government coalition on Tuesday last week indicated that PKS had been sidelined from the coalition.          Yet, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in his capacity as the chairman of the Joint Secretariat of Parties in Coalition (Setgab) so far has not yet made any statement with regard to the membership status of PKS in the coalition.          PKS Deputy Secretary General Fahri Hamzah said his party was waiting for the President's decision with regard to the news that PKS had been excluded from the coalition.          "We leave the PKS status to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to decide," Fahri said during the launch of O.C. Kaligis autobiography book on Wednesday.          Secretary of the coalition's joint secretariat Syarif Hasan, who is also cooperatives and small enterprise minister, has earlier said that PKS had been excluded from the coalition.          On Wednesday last week, Fahri said the Palace had told one of PKS's ministers that PKS had been pulled out of the coalition. "Yes, we have been told that PKS has been excluded from the coalition," Fahri said.

RI URGED TO LOBBY SAUDI ARABIA OVER HAJJ QUOTA

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 19 (Antara) - Amid the Saudi government's policy to cut hajj pilgrims' numbers due to expansion work at Mecca's Grand Mosque, some quarters in Indonesia urged the government to lobby its Saudi counterpart to increase Indonesia's hajj quota.          Former chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) who is also a member of Commission VIII of the House of Representatives (DPR) Hidayat Nurwahid said the government needed to renegotiate Indonesia's hajj quota with the Saudi government.          "We hope that the religious affairs ministry will be able to voice at the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Indonesia's need for increased quota. The quota should no longer be based on the number of population of a country but on its capability and need," Hidayat said in a meeting between House Commission VIII, regional government and provincial religious affairs offices in Central Sulawesi, on Wednesday.          The current hajj quota of Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country with a population of about 240 million, is about 211,000 pilgrims.

FUEL PRICE HIKE STILL IN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 18 (Antara) - The previous discourse which had it that the government would have raised subsidized fuel oil price last May did not come true because the government was still waiting for approval from the House of Representatives.          The government needed the approval through the House's endorsement of its Draft Revised 2013 State Budget (APBN-P) in which it was preparing compensation for the poor who would be affected by the fuel price hike policy.          Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik reportedly said last week that fuel oil prices would be raised as soon as the House approved the draft revised state budget.          He said that the government has prepared a number of compensation programs for poor people who would be affected by the fuel oil price hike.      "If the plenary session of the House of Representatives (DPR) runs smoothly and endorses the revised draft budget on June 17, 2013, the government will directly announce subsidized fuel oil price hike," the minister said.          When House approved the draft revised state budget last Monday (June 17), however, the government still needed some time before announcing the price increase.

GOVT TO CONTROL PRICES IN LIGHT OF FUEL PRICE HIKES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 16 (Antara) - The government will coordinate with various agencies, including Bank Indonesia (BI) to control commodity prices in the face of subsidized fuel oil price hikes, the fasting month of Ramadhan and the post-fasting Idul Fitri festivities.          It will carry out close coordination because the span of June, July and August is a period when commodity prices usually increase and boost inflation. In addition, the government will raise the prices of subsidized fuels and the automatic rise of electricity tariff rate.          However, the government calls on the people to remain calm as it will do its best and assure price stability where up to now seven basic commodity prices remain stable.          "We call on the people to remain calm. There is no need to hoard fuels," Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik said over the weekend. He made the appeal ahead of the price increase of subsidized premium gasoline and diesel oil.          The House of Representatives (DPR) in its plenary session on Monday is expected to endorse the government proposed draft 2013 revised state budget, which includes a plan to increase subsidized fuel prices.          If the House approves the proposal on Monday, the government is likely to announce immediately the fuel price increase. The price of gasoline is likely to be raised from Rp4,500 per liter to Rp6,500 per liter and diesel fuel from Rp4,500 per liter to Rp5,500 per liter.

GOVT HOLDS REGIONAL CREATIVE PRODUCT WEEK AT MONAS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 15 (Antara) - The Jakarta Government is organizing a three-day Regional Creative Products Week (PPKD)at National Monument (Monas) Square, the former venue for years of the Jakarta Fair (PRJ) which has moved to former Kemayoran airport.      The Monas creative product week, which is held amid the on-going a month-long Jakarta Fair in the former Kemayoran airport, is to provide arena for small businesses which are not accommodated at the PRJ.          Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo (Jokowi) considered that the Jakarta Fair had developed into a promotion arena for large scale businesses, thus marginalizing small and medium enterprises (SME).          Therefore, the Jakarta regional government is considering bringing back the annual PRJ to Monas, or creating another venue which is suitable for bringing back the spirit of the folk culture and business festivity.          The PRJ, which was held for the first time in 1968, was moved to the former Kemayoran airport site in 1992. That's why the implementation of Regional Creative Products Week in Monas square from Friday to Sunday was trail, according to Jakarta Governor Jokowi.          "We will hold the regional creative products week at Monas Square as a potential site for the new Jakarta Fair that includes small and medium enterprises," the Jakarta governor said on Thursday.          The Jakarta Regional Creative Products Week (PPKD), which was opened by Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahja Purnama on Friday aims to promote handicraft products from various areas in the capital city.

GOVT LIKELY TO BEGIN CASH HANDOUT SOON FOR POOR FAMILIES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 15 (Antara) - The government is expected to begin soon distributing temporary direct cash assistance (BLSM) to 15.4 million target families  if the  House endorses the government's plan to raise subsidized fuel oil prices on Monday.          The direct cash handout still awaits subsidized fuel oil price hikes but it is expected to begin this month, a member of the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission VI Atte Sugandi said.          "Cards for BLSM recipients are still under printing process. They will be distributed to target families before they receive the assistance. The assistance itself will be distributed at the end of June or early in July 2013 after the government announces the fuel oil price increases," Atte Sugandi said in North Sumatra on Friday.          Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik said on Wednesday that the fuel oil prices would be raised as soon as the House approved the draft revised state budget during its plenary on Monday (June 17, 2013).          He said that the government has prepared a number of compensation programs for poor people who would be affected by the fuel oil price hikes. This is because price increase was expected to increase inflation by 1.7 percent.          "If the DPR plenary session runs smoothly and endorses the revised draft budget on June 17, 2013, the government will directly announce subsidized fuel oil price hikes," the minister said.

GOVT MUST NOT LOSE MOMENTUM FOR RAISING FUEL PRICE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 15 (Antara) - The government is urged to increase fuel price soon so that it will not lose momentum ahead of the Ramadhan fasting month and post-fasting festivities when commodity prices usually sky-rocket.           Many considered that the government should not be late in taking a decision on fuel oil price hikes, although it actually has assured that the price will be raised as soon as the House of Representatives (DPR)approves it.          "The government had better made a decision soon. It should assure whether it will raise it or not," Erwin Aksa, the deputy chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) for Small-scale Enterprises (SME) and Cooperative Affairs, said on Thursday.           He said that Kadin urged the government to take a definitive decision soon so that it would not lose momentum and would not affect too much national economic activities.           Kadin saw many SME business players now were facing difficulties in arranging their business plans as a result of uncertainties. They have faced uncertainties regarding the government's fuel oil plan for the past three months.           Business plans could not yet be decided and had the potential to face problems because there is no decision yet.  Fuel price is one of the cost components. "Even though the government has decided to raise it, we still want to know when and how much. Businesses need to know this soon," asserted Erwin.

JAKARTA FAIR WANTS TO COME BACK AS FOLK PROMOTION ARENA

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 14 (Antara) - The 46th Jakarta Fair which was opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the former Kemayoran airport location on Monday, has rapidly developed with large scale firms taking part in the annual business and cultural exposition.          Formally called Djakarta Fair (DF) and held for the first time in the 7 hectare National Monument Square (Monas) on June 5, 1968, the Jakarta Fair (PRJ) was later moved to the 44 hectare former Kemayoran airport in 1992 to facilitate its rapid development.         However, in its rapid development, the Jakarta Fair has become the arena of large companies to exhibit their products while small and medium enterprises (SME) began to be marginalized.          Therefore the regional government is considering returning the function of the PRJ as a place for the SMEs to exhibit their products.  The regional government wants that about 60-70 percent of space at the PRJ should be allocated for SMEs.     "We support the regional government's effort to encourage the SMEs to use 60-70 percent of the PRJ arena," Erwin Aksa, the deputy chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) said on Thursday.          He made the statement in response to the desire of the regional government of Jakarta that the PRJ should allocate 60-70 percent of its arena for small and medium-sized business.

GOVT TRYING TO PROVIDE 15 MILLION HOUSES FOR THE POOR

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 14 (Antara) - The government is doing its best to provide houses for   poor families which account for about 12 percent of the country's about 240 million population.          Indonesia now needs to provide some 15 millions of houses for poor families to meet their need for adequate shelters. But due to limited funds, the government is still planning to meet the need in stage.      Public Housing Minister Djan Faridz  said recently that his ministry was planning to build one million units of houses for low-income people until 2014.         "Last year we have a budget allocation for the construction of 250 thousand houses. This year we also get the same amount of allocation. If we have a budget for 500 thousand houses next year, we will have achieved one million houses by 2014," Djan Faridz said.       On Thursday, the public housing minister met the House of Representatives to propose a budget of Rp19.9 trillion for 2014 as there was a shortage of Rp15.6 trillion as compared to its 2014 work plan which was set at Rp4.2 trillion.          As housing is a basic need, some quarters have urged the government to interfere in solving the problem of shortage of housing for lower income people.         "The government should interfere in providing housing for the people like what is done by the Singapore government," Associate Director Ray White Indonesia Erwin Karya said on Tuesday this week.

OBSERVERS SAY PARTY CONVENTION AIMS TO BUILD IMAGE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 12 (Antara) - Amid public doubts over dedicated political party cadres, the ruling Democratic Party (PD) is planning to launch a national convention to net would-be presidential candidates.         This is one of the ways a political party can take to find a qualified presidential candidate from external figures.         However, of the 12 political parties eligible to contest in the legislative elections on April 9 next year, only the ruling Democratic Party (PD) has decided to launch a semi-convention.         The PD so far has yet to decide its presidential candidate in the face of the presidential election scheduled to take place on July 9, 2014.         Political parties winning 20 percent of the 560 parliamentary seats at stake or 25 percent of the valid votes in the next legislative elections are entitled to nominate their presidential hopefuls for the presidential elections.         Therefore, PD considers that holding a national convention is a factual need to seek for a presidential candidate for the presidential race.         "All presidential candidates of political parties are doubted (by the public). None of them are really favored. But I do not believe that this big nation has no dedicated leaders," Ahmad Mubarok, a member of PD's Board of Patrons, said last week.          He said that the Democratic Party had no internal or external figures who were favored because all of them were questioned (by the public). The longer a figure puts him or herself on ads the more questions the public would raise.

PEOPLE TO REMEMBER TAUFIQ KIEMAS GREAT SERVICE TO NATION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 9 (Antara) - The Indonesian people were unexpectedly saddened on Saturday when one of the nation's best sons, Taufiq Kiemas, who was the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker, died at Singapore General Hospital.          Taufiq Kiemas, who is also a senior politician of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) died in the hospital at around 7 p.m local time or 6.05 p.m Western Indonesia Time, after being treated for four days.           He has been treated at the hospital for fatigue after attending a state function in the commemoration of the birth of the country's state ideology Pancasila in Ende, East Nusa Tenggara, on June 1.          His body was flown from Singapore on Sunday morning and was buried at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in a funeral service with full military honors. At Halim Perdanakusuma airport, East Jakarta, the body of the MPR speaker arrived at 9.15 a.m and was welcomed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

BATAM EXPECTED TO SERVE AS AIRCRAFT REPAIR CENTER

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 7 (Antara) - Batam, a tiny island being developed into an industrial area near Singapore, is expected to serve as a wide-bodied aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) center for at least three groups of aircraft maintenance companies.          The three groups of airline maintenance firms which are to provide aircraft maintenance services in Batam are PT Garuda Maintenance Facilities (GMF) AeroAsia, the Lion Group and PT Indonesia Aero Maintenance (IAM).          "We hope that Batam will become a center of maintenance for wide-bodied airplanes,"  President Director of PT Garuda Maintenance Facilities AeroAsia Richard Budihardianto said when signing a memorandum of understanding with Head of the Batam Free Trade Zone Authority Mustofa Widjaya in Batam on Friday.          PT Garuda Maintenance Facility (GMF) AeroAsia will focus its wide-bodied aircraft maintenance in Batam. PT GMF has decided to choose Batam because of its strategic location as one of the country's gate near Singapore.          According to Head of Batam Free Trade Zone Authority Mustofa Widjaya, Batam will provide facilities for investors operating MRO business on the island.          "Batam is a free trade and free port zone. It is free from import duties. All goods are exempted from value added tax of luxury goods," he said.

RI PULLING OUT CHILD WORKERS, SENDING THEM TO SCHOOL

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 5 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is launching an intensive program to withdraw child workers from their workplaces and send them to school in an effort to free the country from child laborers in 2022.          The government carries out the child laborer withdrawal through its Child Labor Elimination Program (PPA) in support of its Family Empowerment Scheme (PKH).        "The government is launching a program to withdraw child workers from their workplaces and send them to schools so that they would not be trapped in any worst forms of child labor,"  Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said over the weekend.         He said the government was resolved to carry out the program intensively so that Indonesia would be freed from child workers in 2022.        "The government's commitment is reflected in its ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions No. 138 on Minimum Age for Admission to Employment and No. 182 On The Worst Forms of Child Labour," the minister said.         The government has already ratified the convention through Presidential Regulation No. 59/2002 on withdrawal of child laborers, which instructed provincial and regional administration to take an active part in the national program.

PETROCHINA'S OIL WELLS IN JAMBI REMAIN SEALED

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 4 (Antara) - The local government of Tanjung Jabung Timur District, Jambi province, still sealed  26 oil wells in 12 locations of the Jabung Oil Block because the operator, PT PetroChina International, failed to secure location permits.          Regional Government Secretary of Tanjung Jabung Timur (Tanjabtim) District Sudirman said on Sunday the local government would remain to seal the 26 oil and gas wells if PetroChina did not meet the requirements for obtaining location permits as set by the local government.          Sudirman said that the Tanjabtim regional government suffered Rp3.5 trillion in losses a year as PetroChina had operated the oil and gas wells since 2006 without location permits.          He said that the Tanjabtim government would not issue the permits if PetroChina did not meet the local government's requirements, such as the realization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and contribution to the local people in accordance with Tanjabtim Bylaw No. 55/2011.          "We are set to enforce the regulation. We have reminded them about the permit, but they refused to hear," Tanjabtim District Head Zumi Zola said last week.          The district administration sealed the wells as the company did not bother to seek the permit, he added.