JAMBI PROMOTES TOURISM THROUGH FESTIVAL AT TEMPLE SITE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 31 (Antara) - Indonesia's Sumatran Province of Jambi is holding a festival at its Buddhist temple in Muarajambi District to promote tourism and the temple compound, believed to be one of the ancient Malay Kingdom's heritage sites.          "There are several aspects that can help to effectively popularize the Muarojambi temples, one of which is designing attractive tourism packages," Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sapta Nirwandar said when opening the Muarojambi Temple Festival in Jambi on Thursday.          To be held until June 1, 2014, the four-day festival presented various local cultures, traditional arts and creative economic products.  "The ancient temples in Muarajambi keep alive very important cultural values that need to be preserved. We are now trying to get recognition from UNESCO," Sapta Nirwandar said.          He added that the Muarajambi temple site is the most unique historic site in Sumatra, although not all of the temples there have been explored. The government is developing the site and preserving it as an ancient heritage location, while tapping its economic potential.          "It offers two benefits. One, is a direct impact on the local people, and the other is indirect on business players outside the city of Jambi, such as airline operators," Sapta said.

GOVERNMENT URGED TO RECOGNIZE ROLE OF FISHERWOMEN

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 27 (Antara) - The government needs to recognize the important role of fisherwomen in the family and take them into account when it is working on the budget for the fishery sector.          Data released by the People's Coalition for Fishery Justice (Kiara) indicated that about 48 percent of fishermen's family income was contributed by fisherwomen. Most fisherwomen spent some 17 hours a day to contribute 48 percent of the family income.          "Therefore, the government should recognize fisherwomen's important roles and take them into account when it is drafting a funding budget in the fishery sector," Kiara Secretary General Abdul Halim said on Monday.          He said Kiara and the Indonesian Fisherwomen's Solidarity (PPNI) were fighting for the recognition of fisherwomen's roles by the government. He said the government's allocation in the marine affairs and fisheries sectors continued to increase over the past five years from Rp2 trillion to Rp7 trillion.

INDONESIA NEEDS TO GLOBALLY PROMOTE ITS PEARL INDUSTRY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 27 (Antara) - Indonesia, one of the largest pearl producers, needs to further promote its pearl potential throughout the world, so that it can gain maximum benefits from the commodity.          "Indonesia has become the biggest South Sea pearl producer since 2005. It has controlled 50 percent of the world's pearl production. Its export value has reached US$29 million," stated Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sharif C. Sutardjo.          Even though Indonesia is the world's biggest producer, its pearl industry has not yet been able to dominate the world's pearl market. Sutardjo noted that the Indonesian South Sea Pearl (ISSP) was yet to become popular in the world market, even though it has a very high economic potential.          The Indonesian pearl has an incredible economical potential, and Indonesia is already the world's largest producer of South Sea Pearl (SSP), but the fact remains that the commodity is not extensively known in the international pearl market.          Therefore, the government will hold an Indonesian Pearl Festival (IPF) to showcase its pearl potential to businesses.

GOVERNOR YET TO SIGN JAKARTA MONORAIL CONTRACT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 26 (Antara) - Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo is still waiting for PT Jakarta Monorail (JM) to complete the requirements before the contract to continue the Jakarta monorail project, which has been delayed for years, can be signed.         "To date, PT JM has only met some of the requirements. The regional government of Jakarta still has to check these requirements. So, the requirements that it has met so far should not be summarily approved. We have to check them first. We do not want the project to be delayed again," Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, said here on Monday.          PT JM is attempting to resume construction of the Jakarta monorail project, which has been delayed and become idle for years.          Initially, the Jakarta monorail project began in 2004, when state-owned PT Adhi Karya, the contractor, erected supporting pillars in some sections and PT JM acted as the executor of the project. However, the project was later halted because of the absence of contractors.         While it has erected about 90 pillars, claiming to have invested some Rp192 billion, PT Adhi Karya quit the project and PT JM agreed to take over and repay the costs spent by Adhi Karya in building the pillars in a number of sections along the elevated monorail tracks.          Jakarta Governor Jokowi wanted the project to be resumed to solve the problem of traffic woes in the capital city.

SDA CASE TO AFFECT PRABOWO-HATTA DUO'S ELECTABILITY?

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 23 (Antara) - Amid preparations to contest the July 9 presidential race, the Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa presidential and vice presidential pair has seen the chairman of one of its supporting parties being named a corruption suspect.           Suryadharma Ali (SDA), the general chairman of the United Development Party (PPP), which is one of the six political parties that supports the Prabowo-Hatta duo, was named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Thursday in an alleged corruption case related to the management of 2012-2013 hajj pilgrimage.           Questions are being raised on whether this case will affect the electability of the Prabowo-Hatta pair compared with their rival pairing, Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla, in the upcoming presidential election.          Political observer Teguh Yuwono of Semarang's Diponegoro University said that the naming of SDA as a suspect could affect the electability of Prabowo and Hatta as presidential and vice presidential candidates.          "It will, in general, have an impact because it will create a negative public perception. The people will view it as a problem among political parties supporting the Prabowo-Hatta pair," he stated.

GOVERNMENT TO BEGIN REVITALIZATION OF 60 TRADITIONAL MARKETS

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, May 19 (Antara) - Indonesia, which has about 13 thousand traditional markets across the country, will begin revitalizing 60 traditional markets next month in an effort to prevent them from being sidelined by modern markets.          "We set a target to begin revitalizing 60 traditional markets in June and to finish the revitalization in 2014," Nyak Ubin, a deputy for infrastructure and facility marketing of the Cooperatives and Small Scale Enterprises (UKM) Ministry, said here on Monday.          The government had operated the traditional market revitalization program since 2005 and until last year, and the Cooperatives and Small-and Medium-Sized Business Ministry (UKM) had rebuilt 461 traditional markets, 53 of these were pilot projects.          The Cooperatives and the UKM Ministry revitalized a total of 207 traditional markets in 2013.          In 2014, another phase of the revitalization program will begin, with 60 traditional markets as part of the government's efforts to increase the competitiveness of traditional markets amid the mushrooming of modern markets, including mini markets such the Alfa Mart, Indo Maret and others.          Nyak Ubin said the budget for financing the renovation of the 60 cooperatives-based traditional markets will be disbursed after the government's Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) reviewed the plan.          "The work can be carried out after the funding plans are reviewed. It can be done directly," he said, adding that his office had selected traditional markets that will be renovated.

GOVERNMENT WORKING OUT ROADMAP FOR SEAWEED DEVELOPMENT

By Andi Abdussalam			]
Jakarta, May 18 (Antara) - Indonesia, the world's third largest seaweed supplier, is working out a roadmap for integrated development of up-and-downstream seaweed industries to increase the economic value of the commodity at home.          "The government, in this case the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), will compile and finish the roadmap soon to provide a guideline for development of upstream and downstream seaweed industries," Director General of Fish Processing and Marketing of the KKP ministry Saut Hutagalung said on Thursday.          The roadmap needs to be developed as Indonesia, whose seaweed production increases about two million tons per year, is host to about 555 seaweed species of which 55 species has high economic values.          The roadmap is also important to answer the need of seaweed farmers and producers for zoning of seaweed culture areas.          Of the 55 seaweed species, two varieties, namely Eucheuma cottnii and Gracillaria spp, have been popular and developed so far to produce processed carrageenan and geltin.          The director general said that besides the two types, there are other species which had promising business prospect, namely brown algae (alginate) and green algae (ulva) seaweeds. This is particularly for cosmetic industry.

THREE ALLIANCES LIKELY TO COMPETE IN 2014 PRESIDENTIAL RACE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 17 (Antara) - The Golkar Party and ruling Democratic Party (PD) are discussing the possibility of forming an alliance in a bid to field candidates for the upcoming July 9, 2014 presidential elections.          The two parties' leaders are expected to decide whether to form a joint coalition during their national leadership meetings on Sunday, May 18. If the Golkar Party and the PD agreed to coalesce, there will then be three political alliances which will take part in the upcoming presidential elections.          Now two political alliances are there. One is the coalition which will be led by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (DPIP) with Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, as its presidential candidate, and the other one is the alliance under the Greater Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) with Prabowo Subianto as its presidential hopeful.

COALITION OPTIONS NARROWING FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 17 (Antara) - The ruling Democratic Party (PD) has not taken any decision yet, whether to form a coalition, join existing alliances or become an opposition party, but it has assured that it will decide soon.          "The Democratic Party is still working hard. It will make everything clear in its national working meeting on May 18," PD General Chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told the press while announcing the winner of PD's presidential candidate convention on Friday evening.          The Democratic Party has been conducting a presidential candidate convention since September 2013 to select its presidential candidate for the upcoming July 9 presidential race.         Convention Committee Chairman Maftuh Basyuni announced on Friday that Dahlan Iskan, current state enterprises minister, has been selected from 11 shortlisted candidates.          The PD leadership meeting will now decide its official political steps and the presidential candidate.

INDONESIAN FISHERMEN CONCERNED ABOUT DAMAGED CORAL REEFS

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, May 16 (Antara) - Indonesia, one of the six Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) countries, has to preserve its coral reefs as millions of fishermen living in the coastal areas depend on resources garnered from the reefs for their livelihoods.          However, fishermen have to face the fact that about 30 percent of Indonesia's coral reefs, which are more than 25 thousand square kilometers or about 25 percent of the world's, are reportedly damaged.          The CTI countries are host to the world's largest coral reef resources, which sustain the lives of over 120 million coastal people in Indonesia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands.          In Indonesia alone, according to Vice President Boediono on Friday, about 60 million people of Indonesia live alongside the coastline and entirely depend on the coral reefs for their livelihoods.          "With such a condition, it is understood that Indonesia is vulnerable to the degradation of the coral reefs on which it is highly dependent," the vice president said.          Therefore, he said that as part of Indonesia's commitment to the coral triangle initiative, the country in 2010 declared a part of its territorial waters as marine resources conservation areas.

INDONESIA DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE TUNA PROGRAMS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 15 (Antara) - Indonesia is launching sustainable tuna development and quality improvement programs to increase the competitiveness of its tuna fish products amid increasingly tighter competition in the global market.         "In support of the sustainability of the fishery sector, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) has initiated cooperation between the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) and processing companies or exporters in Indonesia. They are expected to  carry out the program, among others  in Benoa, Bali," Fishery Marketing and Processing Director General at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry Saut Hutagalung said on Thursday.          According to Saud,  in the implementation of the program, the SFP supported the use of researchers to assure the quantity of fish catch and accurate data entry in the log book of the exporters or ship owners.          He reminded that the tuna fishery industry had a good development prospect as long as it was developed based on tuna sustainable processing principles. After all, the international market, particularly Europe, has required fish imports to put  ecolabeling.

PILGRIMS SHOULD NOT BE TOO CONCERNED OVER MERS VIRUS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 15 (Antara) - Indonesian minor hajj (umrah) pilgrims to Saudi Arabia should not be overly worried about the outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus (MERS-CoV) in the Holy Land, yet they have to remain alert.          The government should also handle the MERS issue properly and wisely so that it will not cause concern or unrest among the people. Calls for umrah pilgrims to postpone departure to Saudi Arabia are appreciated, but the government should not issue a travel ban.          After all, Indonesia is still considered free from the virus and the World Health Organization has not yet issued such a recommendation.          What is important is that the government is active in raising the awareness of the people so that they will remain careful and alert.          "There is no need to worry and pilgrims need not be overly afraid of the MERS issue. What they need to do is remain alert and assume healthy ways of life," Baluki Ahmad, chairman of the Indonesian Umrah Hajj Pilgrimage Organizations Association (Himpuh) said on Wednesday.          Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi said previously Indonesia is still free from the MERS virus until now, which had spread in Saudi Arabia from Jidda to Mecca, Medina. The virus has also reportedly been detected in 15 countries.

RI NEEDS TO EXPLORE NEW OIL FIELDS TO INCREASE PRODUCTION

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 14 (Antara) - Indonesia needs to boost oil exploration activities to find new oil fields and increase domestic production, so that it can reduce its increasing oil imports.          So far, state-owned oil firm Pertamina has to import some 350 thousand barrels of oil per day (bpd) to meet the country's need for the commodity.          Indonesia needs about 1.6 million barrels of oil for its consumption per day, while its domestic production is only about 820 thousand barrels per day.          It is predicted that Indonesia could import up to 1.8 million barrels per day in 2020.       "If we fail to explore and find new oil fields, we can become the biggest oil importer in Southeast Asia," the senior operation manager of the Joint Operation Board of PT Bumi Siak Pusako (BSP) and state-owned oil firm Pertamina Hulu, Novi Sugiyanto, was quoted by Liputan6.com as saying on Sunday.

WHO WILL BE JOKOWI'S RUNNING MATE, KALLA OR SAMAD?

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 12 (Antara) - The Indonesian people are now waiting for PDIP's decision to name the running mate of its presidential candidate Joko Widodo for the upcoming July 9 presidential elections.          Jakarta governor Joko Widodo --popularly known as Jokowi who is believed to have the biggest chance to win the next presidential elections-- is expected to announce the name of his running mate this week.          Many names have been mentioned so far but now the names to be selected by the Indonesian Democratic Part of Struggle (PDIP), have narrowed to two: former vice president Jusuf Kalla and Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chief Abraham Samad.          "Jokowi's running mate will be announced between May 10 and May 18. He is among those often mentioned by the media," PDIP Deputy Secretary General Hasto Kristianto said in Denpasar, Bali, on Friday.

MINISTRY ASKS FOR PROGRESSIVE MINERAL ORE EXPORT DUTY CUTS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 10 (Antara) - The ministry of industry is proposing that progressive cuts in taxes on mineral ore exports be put in place based upon the ongoing development of mining companies' smelters.          The ministry of industry, in a statement on Friday, said it had proposed that the greater the progress a mining firm had made in developing its smelters, the smaller the duties it should pay for its semi-finished mineral exports.          At the same time, the company would be allowed to export larger volumes of mineral ores based on the progress of its smelter's development.          If a company has developed 35 percent of its smelters or it has completed feasibility studies and groundbreaking for smelters, a company could receive an export duty cut of 20 percent, with concentrate exports limited to 30 percent of its production capacity.          If the construction of the smelter has reached 85 percent, or has entered the commissioning phase, the tax export the company will pay for its mineral exports will be lowered to 15 percent, and the limit of its export volumes can be raised to 50 percent of its production capacity.          Further, a mining company can receive a reduction of up to 10 percent on its mineral export tax and export volumes of up to 60 percent if the development of its smelters has been 90 percent completed.          Based on the proposal, the mining company will pay a zero rate on its exports, if the development of its smelter has been completed and it will no longer be allowed to export semi-finished minerals, because the company is able able to purify its raw minerals with its own smelter.

INDONESIA YET TO DETECT MERS VIRUS AT HOME

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, May 9 (Antara) - Indonesian health officials have not detected any MERS virus infection cases in the country but have advised the elderly and other risky people to delay trips to Saudi Arabia, where the virus has broken out.          "The samples that we had tested in the laboratories until Thursday (May 8) were negative for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, though we are still waiting for the results of other samples," Health Deputy Minister Ali Ghufron Mukti reported here on Friday.          Several patients in Medan, North Sumatra, and Pekanbaru, Riau, were suspected to have contracted the MERS virus. They suffered from MERS infection-like symptoms, such as high fever, cold, cough, and difficulty in breathing.          They were admitted to the hospital after their return from a minor hajj pilgrimage (umroh) to Saudi Arabia. One of these, a 54-year-old patient, KS, died at a general hospital in Medan on Tuesday.

CAN INDONESIA ESCAPE A MIDDLE INCOME TRAP THIS YEAR?

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 9 (Antara) - After a slow economic growth of 5.78 percent in 2013 and showing a favorable trend in 2014, early this year, the government was optimistic of achieving its growth target of 6.0 percent.          The government hopes that the positive economic trend will continue and the 6.0 percent growth target set in the state budget will be achieved to help the country get rid of the middle income trap.          A country can escape the middle income trap only if it has an economic growth of about 6-8 percent. Indonesia's 5.78 percent growth in 2013 was far below its 6.5 percent and 6.33 percent achieved in 2011 and 2012, respectively.          Therefore, it hopes that the country's economic growth in 2014 will begin to rebound.          Last February, Finance Minister Chatib Basri expressed optimism that Indonesia's economic growth this year will reach the target of six percent set in the state budget, particularly due to an increase in domestic consumption.          "I am optimistic that the 5.8-6.0 percent range of economic growth will be achieved because with the low inflation, the people's purchasing power will increase and boost growth," the finance minister claimed on February 5.

INDONESIAN ECONOMY'S WORKER ABSORPTION CAPACITY IS DECLINING

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 8 (Antara) - The capacity of the economy to provide new employment for job seekers in the country is declining as the recent one percent economic growth could only absorb 180 thousand workers.          This is only about 45 percent of the target, in which one percent of economic growth is expected to absorb 400 thousand workers. Therefore, the unemployment rate early this year dropped only marginally.          The unemployment rate dropped marginally to 5.7 percent or 7.15 million people in February 2014, from 5.82 percent or 7.2 million people in February 2013, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS).          "Of course, we are not satisfied with this slight drop. We failed to achieve the target in creating jobs because Indonesia's economy was weakened as a result of the global economic crisis," Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said on Monday.          This raises concerns amid the upward trend in the population growth. It is feared that it will lead to an unemployment disaster. Currently, the total number of Indonesian workers has risen to 125.3 million, or an additional 1.7 million from that in 2013 when it was 123.64 million.

INDONESIANS WARNED ABOUT MERS VIRUS INFECTION

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, May 7 (Antara) - Indonesian minor Hajj pilgrims and the migrant workers in the Middle East countries have been warned about the deadly MERS-CoV virus that has infected over 400 people and killed 100 of them in Saudi Arabia.          Eighteen more people in Saudi Arabia have contracted the potentially deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), bringing the total number of cases in the kingdom to 414, more than a quarter of whom have died,  Saudi Arabia Health Ministry was quoted as saying by Reuters on Monday.          Several patients in Sumatra who had returned from the minor Hajj (Umroh) pilgrimage are showing symptoms similar to those of MERS Corona Virus (MERS-CoV) and one of them died on Tuesday.          Medan City Acting Mayor Dzulmi Eldin on Wednesday called on the people to remain alert about the spread of MERS-CoV. He appealed to the travel agencies organizing Hajj pilgrimage to check the health of their pilgrims at least two weeks before their departure.          He added that the travel bureaus needed to conduct health check-ups to prevent the spread of MERS-CoV, which was firstly reported in Saudi Arabia and has spread to Medan, the provincial capital of North Sumatra.

SUKABUMI PEDOPHILIA CASE 'TOP OF AN ICEBERG'

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 6 (Antara) - After the reports of sexual abuse of a 6-year-old pupil, AK, last month at the Jakarta International School (JIS) shocked the public, a similar case has been revealed in Sukabumi, West Java.          In the JIS case, kindergarten pupil AK and another boy, whose name has not yet been revealed, were victims of sexual assaults by five suspects.      Since the investigation of Sukabumi case started four days ago, the number of victims reporting to the police has increased and has reached 95. Police have arrested one suspect, 24-year-old Emon alias AS, and are hunting another suspect, whose name or initial is yet to be made public.          On Saturday (May 3), Indonesians were shocked at the news of Emon or AS, a citizen of Citamiang Subdistrict, West Java province, who had allegedly sexually abused 51 little boys in his neighborhood.

PARTICIPATORY APPROACH NEEDED TO OVERCOME HAZE

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 6 (Antara) - Indonesia needs to take a participatory approach where the central government, local administrations, non-governmental organizations, research institutions and the local people work together to resolve the annual haze problem, which often disturbed neighboring countries.          "In addition to a participatory approach, there should also be a political approach and scientific research on how to handle it," Asmin Amin, a member of Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR) on environment Affairs, said recently.           Moreover, Indonesia has not yet ratified the ASEAN agreement on Trans-boundary Haze Pollution, which will allow neighboring countries to provide assistance in resolving the haze problem in Indonesia.          According to Indonesian Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, Singapore and Malaysia are ready to assist if they are needed. "They said they are ready to assist if they are needed," the minister added after a meeting with Singapore's Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday.          However, he asserted that the House of Representatives (DPR) had not ratified the ASEAN Agreement on Trans-boundary Haze Pollution because the House was now in a transitional period.

INDONESIA NEEDS SKILLED WORKERS TO FACE AEC

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 2 (Antara) - Indonesia is facing crucial manpower problems and need to improve the competitiveness of its human resources to enable them to compete in the labor market at home and in the ASEAN integrated region.         "Indonesia needs to find solutions and breakthroughs so that its manpower, as a national asset, will not become a burden for economic development," chairman of the Manpower Empowerment Affairs of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Frans Go said on Wednesday.          In addition to facing the threat of expatriate influx when the ASEAN Economic Community or the ASEAN free market integration comes into effect in 2015, Indonesia is also facing low workers' quality, limited job opportunities and a high unemployment rate.          With rich natural resources, Indonesia should have been able to use its manpower to develop its natural resources for the prosperity of its people. In national development, there are two important elements apart from technology and innovation, namely natural wealth and human resources.

INDONESIAN WORKERS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT EXPATRIATES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 1 (Antara) - Thursday's May Day has served as a momentum to call for not only workers' welfare improvement but also to express concerns about expatriate, agrarian, environment and electricity tariff hike issues.          They expressed concern about the government's plan to raise electricity tariffs for industries, which they said will increase production costs, as well as their concern on the possible influx of expatriates into Indonesia when the ASEAN Economic Community comes into effect in 2015.          Environment activists, meanwhile, hoped that the May Day will serve as a momentum to call for reforms in the agrarian sector as a part of the industrialization process.          "After all, this year is a political year for Indonesia. Workers should be able to express their real aspirations on the agrarian reform as a precondition for the national industrialization process," Irhash Ahmady, an executive director of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), said here on Thursday.          The executive director said workers should avoid being involved in the discourse developed by political elites. However, the May Day 2014 is a perfect momentum for the people's movement to urge the government to stop 'exploitation' of laborers' wage, land and natural resources.