RI HEMMED-IN BETWEEN BENEFITS AND HAZARDS OF TOBACCO

By Andi Abdusslam

Jakarta, Sept 27 (Antara) - The Indonesian government has not yet discussed whether it will ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), as it is still hemmed-in between economic benefits of tobacco and protecting the public's health.          In order to protect the people's health from the risks of tobacco, the government has launched a campaign banning smoking in public locations. It has also issued Regulation No. 109, 2012 which bans the sale of cigarettes to youths below 18 years old.         But all this has not had a significant impact, reduced the number of smokers or discouraged people from smoking in public. After all, the tobacco industry is a main source of the country's income. At least 6.1 million people work in cigarette industries or as tobacco farmers.          In 2012 and 2013, for example, the country received at least Rp84 trillion and Rp85 trillion, respectively, in tobacco taxes.          So, from an economic point of view, tobacco is a source of revenue for the state and income for millions of people, which is why the government has not yet ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco.

PT JM ASKED TO SOLVE CONFLICT, FINISH MONORAIL IN 2017

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 26 (Antara) - Last October, Jakarta commuters welcomed the start of construction of the Jakarta monorail project, marked by the groundbreaking inauguration by Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo.          "With thank God, today, that we will resume construction on the project. There will be no more pillars lying around idle and unused," Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, said while inaugurating the groundbreaking ceremony in the Kuningan area, South Jakarta, on October 16, 2013.          Before the groundbreaking, the Jakarta monorail project had previously begun work five years ago but was halted later, although pillars in some sections had been erected. Since then, the pillars have been left idle for about five years.          However, the construction has again been disrupted because of difference calculations about the cost invested in building the pillars.          State-owned PT Adhi Karya already erected pillars in a number of sections of the elevated monorail tracks, when it was involved earlier in the construction of the mass transport project.

AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATE ALLEGED ABUSE AT ORPHANAGE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 26 (Antara)- The police and Indonesian National Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) are jointly investigating the alleged abuse of orphans reportedly locked up and mistreated, which resulted in an infant death at an orphanage in Tangerang, Banten.          On Tuesday, the KPAI officials evacuated 32 orphans from The Samuel's Home run under the "Yayasan Kasih Sayang Bunda" foundation in Sector 6, Block GC, Gading Serpong, Tangerang, Banten.          On the previous day, the KPAI and officers from the Jakarta Regional Police also evacuated 12 other orphans following a tip-off from the public regarding the alleged lock up and abuse. The 12 children from The Samuel's Home were all 'Balita' or children below five years of age.          "We are evacuating them, including the two who are suffering from high fever. We are taking them to the hospital," KPAI Chairman Arist Merdeka Sirait stated on Monday.          Arist explained that he asked the owners of the foundation about the medical treatment being given to the two ailing orphans. The foundation owners admitted that they had taken the children to the hospital, but they were only given Febrifuge.

GOVT URGED TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM WIRETAPPING

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 24 (Antara) - Indonesia-Australia strained relations over wiretapping issue last November are still fresh in mind when on Monday at home the chief intelligence came up to deny allegations of involvement in an alleged eavesdropping at Jakarta governor's residence.          Antara report on Monday did not mention who had accused the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) of being involved in the wiretapping and the planting of bugging devices at the official residence of Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi.          Without mentioning names or institutions which he alleged to have accused BIN of involvement in the alleged bugging case, BIN Head Marciano Norman clearly denied if his institution was involved.          "I assure that BIN did not wiretap Jokowi (Joko Widodo), let alone she (former president Megawati Soekarnoputri)", BIN Chairman Marciano Norman stated after attending a coordinating meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission I on defense, information and foreign affairs on Monday.

RI, RUSSIA TO BOOST ECONOMIC, MILITARY COOPERATION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 24 (Antara) - After more than 63 years of bilateral relations, trade between Indonesia and Russia has yet to significantly increase as reflected in the 2013 value of trade between the two nations of only US$3.67 billion.          Indonesia and Russia are committed to boosting their bilateral trade. Their target is to achieve a bilateral trade volume of US$5 billion this year.          Chief Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa had told reporters in October 2011 that the government is optimistic about boosting the two nations' trade volume to US$5 billion by 2014.          "We have committed to improving the trade volume with Russia to US$5 billion by 2014. To achieve that, the working group must work hard," Hatta Rajasa had said at that time.          As the trade value between the two countries stood at US$3.37 billion in 2012 and rose to only US$3.67 billion in 2013, it appears that they still have to work hard to achieve the target of US$5 billion this year.

HOUSE TO CARRY ON DELIBERATING BILL ON CRIMINAL CODE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 24 (Antara) - The House of Representatives is likely to continue deliberating the Bill on Criminal Code (KUHP) and the Bill on the Criminal Code Procedures (KUHAP) despite calls to postpone it as its current term is almost ended.          Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Marzuki Alie has stated that it is urgent for the law-makers to finish the deliberations of the bills in their current term because they still have five months before the legislative election was held on April 9, 2014.          The House Speaker argued that there was nothing wrong to deliberate draft laws in the durrent term as long as the relevant parties such as legal experts and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) were involved.         "By involving the KPK and many other parties such as legal experts, articles in the bills which have the potential to weaken  the KPK, can be identified and can be scrapped," the DPR Speaker said here on Sunday.          There is a suspicion that the bills on the KUHP and the on KUHAP will weaken the KPK. Some quarters viewed that certain articles in the bills have the potential to weaken authority of the KPK and eliminate its rights to conduct examinations, investigations and prosecution of (corruption) crime suspects.          Thus, they called on the DPR to pospone deliberations of the bills as legislators in the House of Representatives are to end their current term. They argued that strategic issues should not be deliberated in a short deadline.

RI NEEDS TO REINFORCE ECONOMIC RESILIENCE IN BORDER AREAS

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Feb 23 (Antara) - As a window and gate for outsiders, border areas reflect a country's socio-economic, cultural and political resilience which is why the Indonesian government has to focus its development attention on its borders.          The problem existing in the Indonesian border areas concerns people's prosperity and economic backwardness as a result of the lack of transportation means, health facilities and low education.          "Border problem is not merely a problem of building a fence or a wall but also a problem of improving matters in the yard (namely the welfare condition of people inside the complex)," Anies Baswedan stated during a debate in a Democratic Party (PD) presidential candidate convention event in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Saturday.        Prosperity problem in the border areas is a crucial thing for the government to resolve. After all, many people who are crippled with poverty endured hardships with the absence of public facilities. Improving people's welfare will reduce infant and maternal mortality rates which are high during labor.        "One of the reasons is the lack of transportation facilities to the public healthcare centers," Anies, who is one of the 11 participants of the ruling Democratic Party (PD) presidential candidate convention, said.

CONVENTION CANDIDATES WANT TO END TOTAL OIL CONTRACT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 22 (Antara) - Contestants at the ruling Democratic Party presidential Candidate Convention have said they would end the contract of France-based Total E&P Indonesie, operator of East Kalimantan's Mahakam oil block, when it expires in 2017.          At least three of the 11 contestants at the convention, held in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, said on Saturday that if they are elected president they wanted to hand over the operating rights of the Mahakam Oil Block to state-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina.          Total E&P Indonesie is now focusing on oil fields it is exploiting in an effort to increase its oil and gas production.  It is working to produce 1.7 billion cubic feet of gas in 2014, or equal to its gas production from one year earlier.          Total's oil production is currently some 66,053 barrels per day, or an increase by five percent of its average daily production of 62,910 barrels per day.          Hayono Isaman, one of the 11 participants in the Democratic Party (PD) presidential candidate convention, said that Pertamina was capable of taking over operation from Total in the Mahakam Oil Block in East Kalimantan.          "If am elected president, I will surely entrust it to Pertamina to operate the Mahakam Oil Block," asserted Hayono during the debates held by PD Convention committee in Balipapan on Saturday.

RI TO BOOST FISHERIES PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 22 (Antara) - The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMFA), will continue to increase exports of fish products and boost commercial fishing in an effort to expand the fishery industries at home.          According to MMFA Secretary General Sjarief Widjaja, his ministry has this year set a production target of 20.95 million tons of fish, with an expected export of US$5.65 billion.          "The production target consists of 6.08 million tons of catch fish and 13.97 million tons of cultured fish," Widjaja said in a written statement early this month.          The secretary general stated that to develop the fishery industry, the MMFA initially based its efforts on economic, ecological and technological approaches. Yet now it has included social approaches to assist in reaching its production target.          He said that to meet its goals, the MMFA had set a number of top priorities in its fishery production programs that it needs to carry out in 2014. It is seeking fish consumption at 38 kg per capita per year, a fishery gross domestic production (GDP) increase by 7.25 percent and an export target of US$5.65 billion.

RI NEEDS TO PROTECT AND TAP FURTHER ITS MARINE POTENTIALS

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Feb 22 (Antara) - Indonesia needs to take advantage of its marine and fisheries potentials and protect them from theft, which has reached Rp30 trillion per year.          Since two-thirds of its area is water, including 104,000 kilometers of shoreline, Indonesia has enormous opportunities in its marine and fisheries industries, that have potential yearly revenues of US$1.2 trillion, exceeding the country¿s GNP of some US$1 trillion.          However, these potential revenues remain untapped, and significant amounts of industrial fishing is lost to poaching.          In the fishery sector, Indonesia's overall exports, through November 2013, only reached US$3.77 billion.          As part of its efforts to increase fishery production and exports, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) is seeking to expand its global market, including to Europe.

TONASA TO MEET 40 PCT CEMENT NEED IN EASTERN INDONESIA

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Feb 20 (Antara) - Infrastructure and economic development in Indonesian eastern regions can now get further boost after the operation of  a new unit of state-owned cement factory PT Semen Tonasa in South Sulawesi province.          With the completion of its Unit V cement factory, PT Semen Tonasa which was inaugurated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Pangkep District, South Sulawesi, on Wednesday, could now produce a total of 6.7 million tons of cement per annum and supply 40 percent of the need for cement in Indonesian eastern regions.          PT Semen Tonasa, a subsidiary of publicly listed state-owned PT Semen Indonesia is expected not only to serve as a machine of development growth in Indonesia's eastern regions but also as producer of commodity which is able to face competition in the ASEAN Economic Community next year.          State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan stated that cement commodity produced by Indonesia was ready to face free markets such as the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.          Dahlan claims that what President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had decided to merge Indonesia's major cement companies into PT Semen Indonesia, has laid an important strategy in the development of cement business in the country.          Major cement producers PT Semen Padang, PT Semen Gresik and PT Semen Tonasa were merged in 2013 into PT Semen Indonesia as their holding company.

GOVT TO SERVE FISHERMEN'S INTEREST CONSISTENTLY

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Feb 19 (Antara) - The government will consistently take side with fishermen and deal with the problem of fishing vessels of over 30 gross tons (GT) which are not allowed to use subsidized fuels.          "The government will consistently serve the interest of fishermen. We will hold a meeting to discuss the problem. The aim is to assist fishermen," Head of the Downstream Oil and Gas Regulator (BPH Migas), Andi Nur Saman Someng said on Tuesday.          In recent days, fishermen who owned fishing vessels of over 30 GT have became restless. The government's plan to lift diesel oil subsidy for ships of over 30 GT has created concerns among fishermen who considered that the government did not protect and take side with them.          A presidential regulation in 2012 stipulated that only vessels of less than 30 GT can use subsidized fuels. The presidential regulation was followed by a regulation by the minister of energy and mineral resources which stipulated that a vessel of less than 30 GT was only allowed to use a maximum of 25 kiloliters of subsidized fuel per month.          The People's Coalition of Fishery Justice (Kiara) therefore called on the government to not restrict the use of subsidized fuels by fishermen who needed the commodity to operate in Indonesian waters.          "The ban in the use of subsidized fuels is a form of violation against the basic right of fishermen," Kiara Secretary General Abdul Halim said when contacted by Antara recently.

FARMERS CAN CONTINUE TO ENJOY ORGANIC FERTILIZER SUBSIDIES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 18 (Antara) - The farmers and small-scale organic fertilizer producers welcomed a decision by the House of Representatives, in this case Commission IV on agriculture affairs, to withdraw its decision to lift the subsidy on organic fertilizers.          "I am convinced that 180 raw organic fertilizer producers (UPPO) will be very happy with the decision of the House to maintain the subsidy. They can continue their production again," State-owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan noted on Tuesday.          In an article sent to Antara several days ago, the minister wrote that a total of 180 small organic fertilizer producers had become restless.          The problem was that the Commission IV of the House had decided to lift the subsidy on organic fertilizer.          He noted that a senior official had sent a letter to the fertilizer company, PT Petrokimia Gresik, informing it about the House Commission's decision to lift the subsidy.          This means that PT Petrokimia Gresik, the only company so far purchasing the UPPO products, has to stop buying the UPPO's raw organic fertilizer.          State-owned PT Petrokimia Gresik, which further processes the raw organic fertilizer into a modern product, buys the raw materials from the UPPOs at Rp1.2 thousand per kg and re-sells it to the farmers at Rp500 per kg, which implies that the government provides a subsidy of Rp700 per kg.          So, if the subsidy on organic fertilizer is lifted, then it will stop PT Petrokimia Gresik from buying UPPOs. This means that the UPPOs will have to close their businesses," Dahlan pointed out.

JAMBI TO BUILD OCEAN-GOING SEAPORT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 17 (Antara) - Jambi this year plans to build an ocean-going seaport, which will connect the province with its neighbors to form a golden triangle of economic growth with Singapore and Malaysia.          The ocean-going seaport, which will be built in Ujung Jabung, East Tanjung Jabung District, is expected to be a part of the main sea corridor in Sumatra, as it will connect two other main seaports of Dumai in the Riau province and Tanjung Apiapi in South Sumatra.          "The regional government will commence construction work on the Ujung Jabung seaport. It is expected to boost economic development in Jambi," Haviz Husaini, an assistant to the regional government secretary for development, social and economic affairs stated in Jambi, on Sunday.          He noted that the regional government has begun carrying out land clearance for the construction of the Rp140 billion worth seaport. It will sit on a 4.2 thousand hectare plot of land.          Last month, the Ministry of Transportation assured the commencement of the development of the Ujung Jabung seaport in Jambi's East Tanjung Jabung district. Transportation Minister E.E. Mangindaan was quoted by Buisnis.com as saying that the construction of the Ujung Jabung seaport should have commenced last year.

MT KELUD ERUPTION AFFECTS INDONESIAN TOURISM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 14 (Antara) - Mount Kelud's eruption in East Java last Thursday night which claimed at least six lives, forced the evacuation of more than 76 thousand residents and the closure of seven airports, has affected Indonesian tourism.          Seven airports and one airstrip remain closed on Saturday, as of 10 am local time, due to volcanic ash from Mount Kelud in East Java.  Head of Data and Information Center of National Disaster Mitigation Agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement on Saturday that the closed airports were Juanda (Surabaya), Adi Sumarmo (Solo), Adi Sucipto (Yogyakarta) Abdulrahman Saleh (Malang), Ahmad Yani (Semarang), Husein Sastranegara (Bandung) besides the Tunggul Wulung airstrip in Cilacap.          "The runway at Iswahyudi Airport of Madiun also stands closed," Nugroho said.          Director General of Air Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation Herry Bakti meanwhile stated that the seven airports have been temporarily closed because Mount Kelud's eruption had scattered volcanic ash in the area, which drastically reduced the visibility.          The volcanic ash also endangers flights as it can damage the aircraft's jet engines, he noted.          He had also issued a "Notice to Airmen," which also resulted in the temporary closure of the airports.          On Friday, a total of 332 flights from Juanda were cancelled along with 28 from Adisumarmo, 110 from Adisucipto, 76 from Ahmad Yani, 16 from Abdurrahman Saleh, and 24 from Husein Sastranegara.

WHAT NEXT AFTER LANDSLIDES, FLOODS?

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Feb 4 (Antara) - Indonesia has been struck by 203 natural disasters in January 2014,  claiming 178 lives and forcing 1.2 million others to evacuate with an estimated loss of Rp2 trillion, revealed the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (PNPB).          The major natural disasters striking various parts of the country include the floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains, besides volcanic eruptions, particularly the MT Sinabung eruptions in North Sumatra.          While the rains are expected to abate and floodwaters will subside in some parts of the country by March, drought-related forest fires have begun taking their toll in other parts of the country such as the Riau and Central Kalimantan provinces.          The Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) of Kotawaringin Timor (Kotim) District, Central Kalimantan, has declared a forest fire alert status following the emergence of several hotspots in the province during the past one week.          "We have declared the alert status after discovering several hotspots, which we believe have emerged due to land and forest fires  in the Kotawaringin Timur District," Sanggol Lumban Gaol, acting chief of BPBD Kotim, stated on Monday.          He noted that the forest fire alert status in the Kotim district, Central Kalimantan, was set to increase awareness among all sides regarding the dangers of forest fires, so that they would stay on alert.

TRADE MINISTER RESIGNS LEAVING RICE IMPORT PROBLEM BEHIND

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 2 (Antara) - Gita Wirjawan's resignation as trade minister amid controversies over the importation of 16.900 tons of rice from Vietnam can create a different perception, though, he says, his resignation has no link with the rice import.          "Although Gita Wirjawan has explained that he resigns because he wants to concentrate on a presidential candidate convention, his resignation can create another perception because it happens amid controversies of rice imports," Siti Zuhro, senior political researcher of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said on Saturday.          She is of the view that Gita's decision to resign from his post as trade minister was not a correct step because it happened amid the controversies over rice imports whose permits were issued by his ministry (the Ministry of Trade).          "Gita's resignation is questionable whether his reason is really for concentrating on the presidential candidate convention. Why he resigns amid the rice import controversies issue," the LIPI researcher questioned.          She argued that as a leader he should be responsible and should have settled the rice problem before he resigned.          The rice import issue could serve as a test for Gita who is taking part in the Democratic Party's presidential candidate convention. A leader will never back down in the face of a problem, Zuhro said.