FARMERS BEING ENCOURAGED TO BOOST SOYBEAN PRODUCTION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 30 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is encouraging farmers in various regions in the country to increase soybean production in an attempt to reduce import of the commodity, which could reach 1.8 million tonnes per annum.          For this purpose, the Ministry of Agriculture hopes that the country's soybean production centers such as Central Lombok and Bisma districts in West Nusa Tenggara Province will consistently maintain and increase their soybean production.          Minister for Agriculture expressed his hope when he attended a soybean grand harvest in Sukarara Village, Jonggat Subdistrict, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) on Sunday.          NTB is keen to maintain itself as one of the country's soybean production centers. If the province is able to produce up to one million tonnes of soybean every year, it would be helpful in reducing the import of the commodity.          "The Ministry of Agriculture challenged NTB to maintain its status as a national soybean production center, urging it to prove its production capacity of one million tonnes by 2014," said spokesperson for the NTB Regional Government Tri Budi Prayitno in NTB Provincial Capital Mataram on Sunday.          Agriculture Minister Suswono, accompanied by Food Crop Director General at the Ministry of Agriculture Undoro Kasih, NTB Governor TGH M Zainul Majidi and other relevant officials, attended the soybean grand harvest, which covered an area of 70 thousand hectares in the province.

RI TO FIGHT FOR INCLUSION OF CPO INTO APEC'S LIST

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 28 (Antara) - Indonesia will fight for the inclusion of crude palm oil (CPO) onto the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) List of Environmentally-Friendly Goods during next week's APEC summit in Bali.         Indonesian Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan said that Indonesia would take its rubber and crude palm oil products to the APEC forum for discussion so that they would be included among the list of goods which enjoy tariff reductions.         "We set a target, that by 2015 our agro-industry products would be included among environmentally-friendly goods and would enjoy a maximum tariff reduction," the trade minister said, during a discussion with journalists at the Ministry of Trade on Thursday.         In September 2012, leaders and representatives from 21 member economies of APEC approved a list of 54 environmentally -friendly goods at their summit in Vladivostok, Russia, which will receive tariff reductions of up to 5 percent by 2015.         However, CPO, one of Indonesia's mainstay products, was not included in the list.

RI MUST TAP ECONOMIC BENEFIT FROM APEC EVENTS

BY Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 28 (Antara) - Indonesia must exploit the potential of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), with its 21 economies controlling about 50 percent of world trade and contributes 56 percent of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).          "For Indonesia, APEC is an important economic grouping. It has to increase, or at least keep its exports to the region from decreasing," Trade Deputy Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi said on Friday.          The value of Indonesia's exports to countries grouped in APEC reached US$140 billion, accounting for about 69.8 percent of total Indonesian exports.  "Yet, we still suffer a deficit of US$7 billion in our trade with them. We should take this into account," noted Bayu.          Since the APEC region hosts 40 percent, or about 2.8 billion, of the world population, about 55-60 percent of the world trade volume is controlled by APEC economies.          Thus, Indonesia, which is hosting the APEC leaders' summit in Bali next week, should benefit from the regional economic cooperation and work to guarantee that its economic growth is maintained.          "We should assure that it will help us maintain our economic growth. We should continue to play an active role so that policies to be taken during the APEC talks will live up to our interests," Bayu Krisnamurthi said.

SECURITY TIGHTENED FOR APEC SUMMIT IN BALI

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 27 (Antara) - The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and National Police have begun deploying personnel and equipment to secure the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bali next week.          At least 15 warships have been deployed in the waters off Bali, while the TNI and the National Police are planning to field at least 11 thousand personnel, apart from 16 Sukhoi fighter planes, F-16 fighter jets and M-17 warplanes.          Meanwhile, the Bali Regional Police is also launching operations prior to the summit's opening  in an effort to prevent incidents in the run-up to the APEC Summit, which will last from October 1 to 8, 2013.          "We have been launching a precondition and a prevention operation, specifically carried out by the Bali Regional Police personnel," Bali Regional Police Chief Brig, Gen. Albertus Julius Benny Mokalu said in Jakarta on Friday.

SUGAR PRODUCTION EXPECTED TO DROP AGAIN

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 25 (Antara) - In contrast to the government's target to achieve self-sufficiency in sugar at the end of its five-year term in 2014, sugar production in the country has continued to drop over the last three years.          Director of the Indonesian Sugar Plantation Research Centre Aris Toharisman said on Tuesday that the national sugar production is expected to drop by 10-20 percent this year compared with the same period last year.          With only three months of the milling season remaining, national sugar production is not likely to exceed 2.3 million tonnes. "The national sugar production during last year's milling season had reached 2.6 million tonnes. This year, the production will fall below that," added Aris.          The government has set itself a target of achieving sugar self-sufficiency by 2014 to meet the country's annual need for sugar, amounting to about five million tonnes.          However, over the last three years, the country's sugar production has continued to decrease, forcing the government to revise and reduce its annual production target.          The government lowered its sugar production target from 2.7 million tonnes to 2.57 million tonnes in 2011. Yet, by the end of 2011, it managed to produce only 2.26 million tonnes of sugar. And last year, too, it sharply cut its production target from 4.4 million tonnes to 2.6 million tonnes.

IIMS SHOWCASES LATEST AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 24 (Antara) - The nine-day Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) 2013, being held at the JI-Expo Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, until September 29, 2013, is showcasing automotive products developed using the latest technology.           Johnny Darmawan, chief organiser of the IIMS 2013, who is also the co-chairman of the Indonesian Motor Vehicle Industries Association (Gaikindo), said this year's IIMS is an exhibition of the latest technological innovations in the automotive sector.           "We are showcasing the latest technological innovations in the automotive sector and intend to transform the IIMS into a platform for automotive experts to meet and exchange ideas," said Johnny. He expects this year's IIMS transaction to be higher than last year, when the value stood at Rp4 trillion.           Industry Minister MS Hidayat said the automotive exposition is expected to convey to the public that amid the economic slowdown, the real sector, particularly the automotive sector, is not adversely affected.           "I want to prove through this expo that the real sector, automotive in particular, is not disturbed," added MS Hidayat while receiving the organisers of IIMS 2013.           Darmawan pointed out that a total of 36 automotive agents and 276 supporting industries are taking part in the show, and there will be 300 exhibition stands.          Automotive companies taking part in the IIMS 2013 include Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, and Daihatsu.

RI'S LOW-COST CARS TO TARGET EXPORT MARKET

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Sept 21 (Antara) - The question of who will purchase Indonesia's new inexpensive automobiles became a focus of discussions following Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo's objection that cheaper cars will only worsen the capital city's traffic problems.          Indonesia is en enormous market for auto sales as it has 33 provinces with a population of about 240 million people.          So if Jakarta is already considered to be a city 'packed' with vehicles and terrible traffic jams, then new cars --which will be built based upon the government's low-cost and green car (LCGC) program-- could be sold to customers in regions other than Jakarta.          Yet, there is no guarantee that Jakartans will not purchase green cars, which are expected to be sold at Rp95 million per unit.       Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, popularly known as 'Jokowi', recently sent a letter to Vice President Boediono regarding the government's LCGC policy, which he fears would worsen traffic problems in the city.

BALI READY TO HOST APEC SUMMIT 2013

Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 16 (Antara) - The Indonesian tourist resort Island of Bali has nearly finished preparations to host delegates from the 21 member-countries at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit during the first week of October.         "We are almost finished making preparations. About 80 percent of the preparations have been completed," National Economic Committee (KEN) Chairman Chairul Tanjung, who is also the deputy chairman of the APEC steering committee, said when attending a coordination meeting for the APEC summit preparations in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Sunday.          President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono led the meeting and later inspected the preparations for the APEC summit on Sunday. The meeting was held at the Nusa Dua Hall of the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC), the venue of the October APEC event.         The President said he hoped that Indonesia would serve as the best-ever host for the APEC summit, which will be held October 1 to 9, 2013.         Gatot Dewa Broto, the head of the Public Relations and Information Center of the Ministry of Communications and Informatics, which is a member of the APEC organizing committee, said about 90 percent of the physical preparations have been completed.          He added that telecommunications infrastructure facilities were also ready for use during the summit, which expects delegates from 21 countries, along with 1,200 business leaders.

A POLICEMAN SHOT AGAIN

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 14 (Antara) - While police are still investigating a series of shootings of police officers in at least four Jakarta locations, yet another policeman was shot in Depok near Jakarta on Friday evening.          Attacks on policemen have been taking place in the past three months. The latest attacks included one on Friday evening on First Brigadir Ruslan Kusuma in Cimanggis, Depok, a Jakarta satellite town in the east.         This followed an earlier attack on Tuesday in Jalan Rasuna Said, Kuningan, South Jakarta, where Chief Brig Sukardi was shot dead.         The shooting of First Brigadier Ruslan Kusuma took place when the police were preparing a separate team to investigate the Kuningan attack. One team has been investigating shooting incidents at three locations in South Tangerang.

INDONESIAN TEMPE PRODUCERS SHUT DOWN TO PROTEST RISING PRICES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 9 (Antara) - Tempe and tofu (fermented soybean cake) makers in provinces across the country halted production on Monday to protest rising prices of imported soybean.          Following an appeal by the Indonesian Tempe-Tahu Cooperatives (KOPTI) and the Association of Tofu and Tempe Producers (Gakoptindo), they stopped manufacturing the popular side dishes.          The Gakoptindo announced earlier that its members would halt production from September 9 through 11 to protest sky-rocketing soybean prices.          "The increasing price of soybeans, as a result of the rupiah's depreciation against the US dollar, has forced many tofu and tempe producers to reduce their production or reduce the size of their workforce.  The aim of the protest is to warn the government and put pressure on it to address this matter immediately," Gakoptindo Chairman Aip Syarifudin said on Thursday.          Some traders at the Poncol Market in Kwitang, Central Jakarta, stopped selling tempe and tofu on Sunday because they ran out of stock before the date of their planned strike on Monday.

MISS WORLD PAGEANT BEAUTY CONTEST KICKS OFF IN BALI

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 8 (Antara) - The Miss World 2013 pageant beauty contest kicked off  in  the  Indonesian tourist resort island of Bali on Sunday evening amid controversies and opposition from the country's Islamic mass organizations.          The opening ceremony was highlighted by cultural arts shows such as dances and music performances which accentuated on the Indonesian colors. A total of 16 Miss World contestants performed a fan dance, giving an emphasis on the Indonesian culture.          Clad in a beige-blue color combination dresses with Balinese frangipani flower decoration on their ears, the beautiful contestants appeared agile and flexible in bringing the Indonesian dance, though they only had a brief, seven hour exercise under the direction of choreographer Eko Surpiyanto.           With bare foot on the stage, the beautiful contestants showed talent and beauty, mesmerizing the audience.           Camille Munro, a contestant from Canada, who was interviewed by the MC, Daniel Manata, claimed that she was now able to learn Indonesian dances even if she had been only several days in Indonesia.           "I am very pleased with this. The others are also delighted. This is a combination of Sumatran, Balinese, Javanese and Maluku culture," she said.           The opening of the Miss World 2013 beauty contest was also marked with singer Novita Dewi, a winner of the X-Factor talent-singer contest.

'TEMPE' TO DISAPPEAR FROM DINING TABLES AGAIN?

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 7 (Antara) - Will 'tempe' and tofu disappear from dining tables and cause millions of stomachs to growl once again, as suppliers of the popular side dishes stop production?     Tempe, which is fermented soybean cake, along with tofu, are popular side dishes, often served at served at 'warteg' (short for 'Warung Tegal' or food stalls) and other eateries in Indonesia, a country of over 240 million.          Over the past several years, tempe and tofu, which are main side dishes for lower-class consumers, have often become scarce when the price of soybean, raw material for the side dishes, skyrocketed.

WORKERS' WAGE DEMAND CONSIDERED UNREALISTIC

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 5 (Antara) - The decent standard of living of laborers has continued to increase in the current economic conditions but raising their wages too high will cause some of their companies to go bankrupt.          Thus, workers who staged rallies to demand a salary increase up to 50 percent are asked to understand the country's economic conditions because high wage hikes could cause firms' closures or workers' layoffs.          "The country is now being hit by economic crisis. The local currency rupiah continues to weaken against the US dollar which affects the economy. So, we hope workers would understand this condition. Employers and workers should support each other," Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said in the City Hall on Tuesday in response to labor rallies demanding salaries increase.          Millions of laborers, however returned to streets on Thursday and held a rally in front of the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, demanding wage increase and immediate implementation of the National Health Insurance (Jamkesmas).

INDONESIAN MISS WORLD CONTEST SPARKS CONTROVERSIES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 5 (Antara)  - The Miss World pageant beauty contest now being organized in Indonesia has sparked controversies among mass organizations in the country.          Hard-liners Islamic Defenders Front (FPI),  Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) and the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) have rejected the pageant beauty contest. A group of 11 Islamic social organizations has also rejected the plan to hold the Miss World contest in Bali saying it is against the national morals and culture.          The organizations grouped in the Friendship Institution of  Islamic Mass Organizations (LPOI) also rejected the event in a statement after a meeting of their leaders at the Nahdatul Ulama (NU) office on Wednesday. NU is the largest Islamic mass organization in Indonesia with members over 30 million.          In the meantime, a Hindu youth organization has also taken to streets in Bali in protest against parties rejecting the Miss World pageant contest which it says would bring benefit to the country's economy, particularly the tourism sector.          "We criticize parties who reject the organizing of the Miss World beauty contest in Indonesia. We support the Miss World event," said I Gede Mas Megantara, coordinator the rally on Monday.

RI, KAZAKHSTAN STEP UP ECONOMIC TIES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 2 (Antara) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono began a two-day working visit in Kazakhstan on Monday, in an effort to foster closer economic cooperation of both the nations.          Indonesia and Kazakhstan have been cooperating with each other ever since they established diplomatic relations in 1993. Their two-way trade volumes have increased from US$35 million in 2008 to US$64 million last year.          The current visit of the Indonesian President is also expected to boost bilateral trade and increase its volumes to US$100 million in 2017.          Intensive efforts to foster economic cooperation between the two countries have been made since the visit of Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Indonesia last year.          Last year, in the fifth Astana Economic Forum, both countries signed seven memorandums of understanding (MoUs).          "As already known, the state visit of Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbayev resulted in an agreement to increase the trade value between the two countries to US$100 million by 2017," said Chief Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa.          Hatta noted that the volume of trade between the two countries has doubled from US$35 million in 2008 to US$64 million last year.