MEDIA ASKED TO HELP PREVENT CONFLICTS IN ELECTION

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, June 28 (Antara) -  Amid biased press reports about next month's presidential elections, the media is being asked to help create a conducive climate to prevent the outbreak of conflicts among supporters of the two presidential candidates.          "We hope that all electronic and print media will help build democracy through holding general elections without violence. Differences of choices should not lead to the outbreak of violence among the people," House of Representatives' (DPR's) Deputy Speaker Pramono Anung said.          The House deputy speaker made the appeal during a dialog among press organizations, media editors, University of Indonesia's (UI's) academicians and House leaders to discuss efforts of creating a conducive climate for a fair and peaceful election.          Although the media in the country seems to be divided and biased with regard to reports and news about the two presidential candidates who oppose each other in the upcoming July 9, 2014 presidential race, yet its role in guiding the democratic development in the country is badly needed.

SOME 170,000 SLAUGHTER COWS PREPARED FOR RAMADAN NEEDS

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, June 28 (Antara) - The government is preparing some 170 thousand heads of cattle, to meet the demand for meat during the fasting month of Ramadan and the post-fasting Idul Fitri or Lebaran festivities.          Besides, the government is also planning to increase the beef reference price from the current Rp76,000 per kg to Rp85,000 per kg, in an effort to help cattle farmers obtain incentives, so that they can raise pedigree and feedlot cows.          However, in anticipation of the fasting month of Ramadan, the price of meat has been increasing and is expected to reach between Rp100 thousand and Rp130 thousands per kg in a number of provinces. Though, in several other regions, the price of beef is reportedly still stable.          Therefore, the government is preparing about 170 thousands of cattle to meet the need for beef during the fasting month which begins on Sunday, June 29, 2014 (the country's second largest Muslim organization has started fasting on Saturday, June 28).          Agriculture Minister Suswono, during a visit to West Java on Wednesday, expressed his confidence that the need for meat during the fasting month would be met. With a stock of 170,000 heads of cows, supplies of meat during the fasting month and the Lebaran festivities will be adequate.

INDONESIA'S FISHERIES SECTOR GEARING UP TO FACE AEC

By Andi Abdussalam

By Andi Abdussalam     Jakarta, June 26 (Antara) - Indonesia is preparing its fisheries sector to face the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), when trade, service, and other business sectors, including fisheries, will be liberalized in the region.          The government, in this case the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), is drafting work plans for implementation during the next five years. These work schemes are expected to be implemented by the new government, which will begin its term of office this October.         The two presidential candidates who will compete in the coming elections have promised to focus their attention on fisheries sector. According to the Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ), the marine and fisheries sector has received serious attention for the first time from the current presidential and vice presidential candidates.

FISH STOCKS TO SUFFICE FOR FASTING MONTH

by Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, June 19 (Antara) - Fish stocks are adequate to meet domestic needs in the face of the upcoming Muslim fasting month and the post-fasting Idul Fitri or Lebaran festivities.      It is estimated that there will be an increase in the demand and consumption of fish by 20 percent in the run up to the fasting month of Ramadhan, 15 percent during fasting, and 30 percent during Lebaran.          With the increase, total volume of fish required in June, July, and August reaches 2.6 million tons. This is still below the current stock of 3.2 million tons.          "We have estimated that the domestic need for fish will increase by 20 percent in June, 15 percent in July (fasting month), and 30 percent during the Lebaran festivities. This will need a total stock of 2.6 million tons. But, our current stock is 3.2 million tons. So, stocks are sufficient for the fasting month," Director General for Fish Processing and Marketing of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Saut Hutagalung stated on Wednesday.

GOVERNMENT TO CURB BASIC NECESSITIES' PRICE HIKES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 15 (Antara) - The government has assured it will curb price hikes of basic necessities within a range of five to 10 percent in facing the fasting month of Ramadan which will begin at the end of June.         "We will prevent price hikes from exceeding a five to 10 percent increase before we enter the fasting month and the Idul Fitri post-fasting Lebaran holidays," Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi said at the office of the chief economic minister this week.          The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) earlier warned that the government should make preparations for the public's food needs in the fasting month to ensure price hikes would not boost inflation.          "Prices can hike and inflation can increase by about one percent during the Lebaran holidays. So, the price of chicken and eggs, for example, should be maintained from now," Sasmito Hadi Wibowo, a deputy for service and goods statistics affairs of the BPS, said.          All Indonesian Traditional Market Traders Association (APPSI) has also assured that the prices of essential commodities will be increased in stages so that consumers will not be affected too seriously. The rate of the increases will be maintained at a tolerated range.          APPSI Secretary General Ngadiran said on Tuesday that traders in the market had raised prices by about two to five percent due to the increase in the logistics burden suffered by companies who had to spend extra money to support their employees facing the fasting month.

GOVT ENSURES FOOD STOCKS, DISTRIBUTION FOR FASTING MONTH

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, June 14 (Antara) - The government has checked food stocks and preparations for food distribution prior to Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, which will begin at the end of June.          "The rice stock available with traders is about 20 thousand tons and that in the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) warehouses remain at 10 thousand tons. So, the stock remains secure," Chief Economic Minister Chairul Tanjung said, while checking rice stocks at the Cipinang wholesale rice market in East Jakarta on Friday.          Earlier on Wednesday, Deputy Trade Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi also conducted an inspection in a food distribution and retail center in Balaraja, Banten province, to ensure distribution of goods in the coming fasting month of Ramadan.          "We conducted the inspection to assure the availability of stocks. In yesterday's coordination meeting, we learned that food stocks and distribution were secure for the fasting month and the post-fasting Lebaran festivities. With these conditions, the public could solemnly conduct their fasting," Bayu Krisnamurthi said in a press statement on Wednesday.

PRABOWO'S ELECTABILITY RISING FURTHER

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 13 (Antara) - The Prabowo-Hatta pair's electability this month surpassed that of the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla (Jokowi-JK) duo, which was earlier the favorite to win the election during various surveys, the National Survey Institute (LSN) claimed on Thursday.      Earlier, according to survey results furnished by the Indonesian Polling and Survey Institute (SPIN), the electability of the Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa duo outshined that of the Jokowi-JK pair.           The LSN conducted the survey on June 1-8, 2014, while the SPIN carried out the opinion poll on June 1-4, 2014. The survey result of LSN shows Prabowo's electability rating at 46.3 percent over that of Jokowi-JK at 38.8 percent. The SPIN's survey shows the electability statistics of Prabowo's team at 44.9 percent over the Jokowi's pair at 40.1 percent.           However, the People's Synergy for Indonesian Democracy (Sigma) Institute still views the results of the surveys as a balanced support for both the presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs.

MEDIA SHOULD FACILITATE VOTERS TO MAKE BEST CHOICE

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, June 12 (Antara) - Many electronic, print, and online media publications are biased and even help publicize black or negative campaigns in the current presidential race between Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa and Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla pairs.          Observers criticized the media for not maximally facilitating the public to make the best choice. The media do not provide adequate information with regard to candidates' capacities, vision, mission and their plan of action to tackle the nation's problems.          "The basic function of the media is to assist the public and provide them with substantial information on the presidential and vice presidential candidates. But, some media outlets did not play this role maximally," Erwan Agus Purwanto of the Yoyakarta-based Gajah Mada University stated on Wednesday.          Erwan emphasized that the public needs to learn and explore the capabilities of the candidates. The media should reflect this information objectively and comprehensively in their publications. Regrettably, many publications failed to do this job. They are even inclined to showcase black and negative campaigns by supporters of the two presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs.          The public, therefore, should be able to hold various media publications to task regarding the information they provide on presidential and vice presidential candidates.          "The public must cleverly filter the information provided by the media in the current election campaigns. They should be selective in taking media reference, let alone if the media concerned have indications they are biased to certain candidates," Erwan remarked in Yogyakarta on Wednesday.

NEXT PRESIDENT EXPECTED TO DEVELOP MARINE RESOURCES

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, June 10 (Antara) - The next president who will be elected in the upcoming July 9 presidential elections is expected to further develop the country's marine resources so that this sector will contribute to improving public welfare.          So far, Indonesia has not yet tapped the maximum potential and is still weak in protecting its marine sector, which has a revenue potential of US$1.2 trillion a year.          Weak control over the marine wealth has enabled foreign poachers to steal the country's fish, which according to FAO amount to Rp300 trillion per annum.      Illegal fishing in Indonesian waters increases each year. Between 2011 and 2013, there were 6,215 cases of illegal fishing. Of that amount, 60 percent or 3,782 cases occurred since November 2012.          Inappropriate exploitation of the marine resources also caused damage to fish habitat and weakened the life of fish species and other marine biota.          "Many people are not aware of the fact that the country's fish habitat for various species and marine resources is no longer functioning well. Threat to fish habitat in the sea will in the end become a threat to the survival of human life," Secretary General of the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sjarief Widjaja said on Monday.          Sjarif said the habitat for fish species and other marine biota needed concrete actions to protect it.

RI'S ECONOMY PREDICTED TO IMPROVE AFTER ELECTIONS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 7 (Antara) - Indonesia's economic growth which was recorded at 5.21 percent in the first quarter of this year, is expected to improve beginning the second quarter and reach 5.5 percent by the end of the year.          In the second quarter, economic growth is predicted at about 5.3 percent, which is only a slight increase, and does not live up to the expectations of high growth in the face of this year's general elections, where people would spend a lot of money on election logistics.          The legislative elections were held last April 9, while the presidential race will be held July 9, 2014.          Actually, the 5.5 percent target is a revised figure.          Earlier, Finance Minister Chatib Basri said the government would reduce the assumed economic growth rate in the draft revision of the 2014 state budget to 5.5 percent, from 6.0 percent mentioned previously.          "The government would revise growth targets because the economy grew relatively slowly in the first quarter. The forecast is being revised from 6.0 per cent to 5.5 percent for 2014, because the first-quarter growth was 5.21 percent," he said.          The country's economy would grow 5.3 percent in the second quarter, higher than the growth of 5.21 percent in the first quarter, as there is now a slight increase in the growth, Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia (BI/the central bank) Perry Warjiyo predicted here on Friday.          The economic growth in the second quarter of this year will be driven by household consumption and investment, Perry Warjiyo claimed.         "The household consumption and investment growth is still consistent with the economic growth in 2014," Perry added.          He attributed the increase in the second quarter to seasonal factors like the Islamic fasting month of Idul Fitri.

SURVEYS SHOW RISING ELECTABILITY OF PRABOWO-HATTA DUO

By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, June 5 (Antara) - Surveys show that the electability statistics of the Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa presidential and vice presidential candidate pair have risen since the registration with the General Elections Commission (KPU).          The results of a survey conducted by the Katapedia Indonesia survey institute showed that the electability of the Prabowo-Hatta duo at the social media networks was experiencing an upward trend as compared to the electability of the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla (Jokowi-JK) pair.          "In the first week after the registration with the KPU, the electability statistic of the Jokowi-JK pair was 61.31 percent, far higher than that of the Prabowo-Hatta duo, which was only 38.69 percent. Yet, in the second week after registration, the electability of Prabowo-Hatta increased to 48.24 percent, while that of Jokowi-Hatta dropped to 51.76 percent," Andhika Dwi P, director of Katapedia Indonesia, said on Thursday.          Meanwhile, the Indonesian Polling and Survey Institute (SPIN) had also released the results of its survey showing that the electability statistics of Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa pair had steadily increased since early this month.          "Based on the results of a telephone survey conducted between June 1 and June 4, 2014, the electability of the Prabowo-Hatta duo is increasing," executive director of SPIN Igor Dirgantara said in a press release.          Igor stated that about 44.9 percent of the respondents supported the Prabowo-Hatta pair, while 40.1 percent supported the Jokowi Widodo-Jusuf Kalla duo. About 15 percent of the respondents declined to give an opinion.