AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS DEEMED SUCCESSFUL IN 2016

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 31 (Antara) - One of the aims of the government's programs in 2016 was to advance the agricultural sector, in order to regain the country's self-sufficiency in rice, as in the past.         Due to its efforts to introduce mechanized agricultural technology, repair damaged agricultural infrastructure, and open new rice fields, the government has been able to change the country's rice planting season from one to two, and even three times, per year.         With its success in carrying out these programs in 2016, the government increased unhusked rice production to 79 million tons, exceeding its target of 76 million tons of unhusked rice, and stop importing rice in 2016.          "Indonesia will not need to import rice, and it could even export the commodity to other countries, " Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said on Thursday in the village of Bhakti Rasa, Sragi subdistrict, South Lampung, on Thursday (Dec 29).           National production of unhulled rice rose to 79 million tons in 2016, from 74 million tons of unhulled rice  in 2015 and 70 million tons in 2014.

RI SHOULD CUT UNNECESSARY ELECTRICITY COSTS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 30 (Antara) - The price of electricity in Indonesia is relatively high due to high investment and production costs, reducing the global competitiveness of the country's electricity board.         The investment and production costs are high because of the many unnecessary expenses involved. Electricity development projects are plagued with the problems of inadequate infrastructure, unstable land prices, bureaucratic procedures, and brokers or middlemen.         To improve competitiveness and efficiency in electricity production, these unnecessary expenses must be cut.          President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) confirmed on Tuesday (Dec 27) that the price of electricity in Indonesia was higher than that of other countries because power companies were saddled with unnecessary costs.          "Our electricity is expensive because players are burdened by too many unnecessary costs," the president said when inaugurating a geothermal power plant (PLTP) in Tomposo, Minahasa, North Sulawesi.

INDONESIA NEEDS MORE EXPATRIATE WORKERS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 30 (Antara) - Rumors about the influx of Chinese workers in Indonesia proved untrue, as the Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) data shows only 3,718 Chinese expatriates were employed in the January - September 2016 period.          Moreover, in 2016, the total number of expatriates in Indonesia is recorded at only 74,000 people, or about 0.062 percent of the total workforce of 120 million workers.          Rumors circulating that there are 10 million to 20 million Chinese workers that sideline local workers in Indonesia are untrue.          According to Law and Human Right Minister Yasonna Laoly, the reports that 10 million Chinese workers have taken jobs away from Indonesians is a hoax.          Even with a ratio of 0.062 percent expatriates, Indonesia still needs foreign workers who can help in offering their knowledge, skills and technology.          "The point is, that with a ratio below 0.1 percent Indonesia actually needs more foreign workers, in order to spread the transfer of skills and knowledge," BKPM Head Thomas Lembong (Tom) said, in a press statement in Jakarta on Thursday (Dec 29).

GOVT COLLECTS RP105 TRILLION TAX REVENUE WITH TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 29 (Antara) - The government, through its nine-month tax amnesty program ending on March 31, 2017, has as of December 2016 collected Rp105 trillion in tax revenue, or 63.6 percent of its Rp165 trillion target.          In July 2016, the government launched the tax amnesty program to encourage taxpayers to repatriate all assets they had stashed abroad, estimated to amount to Rp4 quadrillion.          The government divided the program into three phases, with the first running from July 18 to September 30, followed by the second from October 1 to December 31, 2016, and the last from January 1 to March 31, 2017.       Under the program, Rp1 quadrillion is expected to flow into the country as repatriated funds, of which the g

GOVT NEEDS TO CLARIFY RUMORS ON ILLEGAL CHINESE WORKERS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 27 (Antara) - The government needs to clarify and provide comprehensive data on Chinese expatriates in Indonesia to scotch rumors on the influx of millions of illegal Chinese workers into the country.          The public can just believe in those rumors because a broadcast on national television recently showed the arrest of illegal workers, mainly Chinese. The directorate general for work safety and manpower supervision, for example, recently arrested 41 illegal Chinese expatriates.          Hopefully, the police will be successful in tracing an account on the Internet that is suspected to have uploaded a hoax message saying that about 10-20 million illegal Chinese workers have flooded Indonesia.          President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) himself has, at least, two times denied these rumors: first during his address to the 'declaration of national apprenticeship movement¿ in the Karawang International Industrial Estate in West Java on Friday (Dec 23), and later when he inaugurated a geothermal power plant (PLTP) in Minahasa, North Sulawesi on Tuesday (Dec 27).

STOCKS AND PRICES OF BASIC NECESSITIES STABLE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta Dec 26 (Antara) - As the nation gears up for Christmas and New Year holidays, the government has assured people that there are ample stocks of all basic necessities, including rice.     The stocks of rice, the country's staple food and its most important food commodity, are adequate to meet demand until May 2017. The state logistics board (Bulog) has a stock of 1.75 million tons of rice, and traders have another 15-18 million tons. Sugar stocks are also enough to meet demand for the next four months.         "We learn from our observation in the field that stocks and supplies of basic necessities from distributors are stable and smooth. It runs well as the process at ports is smooth," Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said in Jakarta on Friday (Dec 23).         According to the minister, price turmoil usually takes place as a result of three factors, namely transportation problems, speculation by traders, and bad weather.         Distribution is hampered if transportation is not smooth due to measures like imposition of close-open road policy during long holidays such as Christmas and New Year. Such disruptions in transportation cause supply imbalances.

YEAR-END MONEY SUPPLIES ESTIMATED AT RP630 TRILLION

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 26 (Antara) - Public spending during the Christmas and New Year Holidays is high, with the central bank, or Bank Indonesia (BI), estimating money in circulation during the period amounts to Rp630 trillion.          The value of cash supply at the end of this year rose by 6-7.5 percent compared to 2015, which was valued at Rp586.7 trillion.          According to BI Deputy Director for Money Management Yudi Harymukti in Jakarta on December 21, the money in circulation during Christmas and New Year holidays is relatively lower than during the Muslim-Ied Fitr post-fasting month, or Lebaran, festivities.          BI's estimate suggests the amount of money in circulation during the year-end period is some 2 to 3 percent lower than during Muslim Lebaran festivities.          During Lebaran holidays last July, the amount of money in circulation was recorded at Rp642 trillion, up 6.4 percent from figures recorded during Lebaran in 2015, which stood at Rp603.5 trillion.          The estimate on the increase in cash requirements is based on the BI's assessment of the country's good economic condition and strong growth.

GOVT EXPEDITING PLAN TO BUILD HIGH-SPEED TRAIN

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 24 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is increasing its lobbying with Japan to expedite its plans to build  a semi-high speed train that will cover a distance of some 700 kilometers from Jakarta to Surabaya in East Java.           As the government has decided to complete the plan soon and move quickly on construction of the Jakarta-Surabaya semi-high speed train, ministers held a coordination meeting last month.          Those at the coordination meeting, which was attended by Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs; Bambang Brodjonegoro, National Development Planning Minister/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Head; and Sri Mulyani, Finance Minister,  decided to speed up construction of the project.          For this purpose, Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan visited Japan on December 20-21 this week to discuss the medium fast train project with the Japanese.          The project has long been discussed, and since the beginning Japan has been offered to build the system. Nevertheless, if there is a better opportunity, the government would consider it.

2016 OIL PRODUCTION EXCEEDS TARGET

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 24 (Antara) - Indonesia's oil and gas production this year exceeded the target set in the 2016 revised state budget (APBNP 2016) at 820,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) and 6,438 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (MMSCFD).         The Upstream Oil and Gas Regulator (SKK Migas) recorded that Indonesia's oil production, as of November 2016, reached 822,000 bpd, while its gas production during the same period stood at 6,643 MMSCFD.          Further, state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina set a 2017 net profit target of US$3.04 billion, or Rp40.95 trillion, up six percent from US$2.88 billion in 2016.           Pertamina's net profit growth next year will be supported by a planned income of US$42.59 billion, up 15.01 percent from an estimated US$37.03 billion in 2016.          According to SKK Migas Public Relations Head Taslim Z Yunus,  the oil and oil production target in 2016 could be exceeded, thanks to full operations since January 2016 of Cepu Block's Train B in the Banyu Urip oil field along the border areas of Central and East Java, which has produced 185,000 bpd since January this year.

INDONESIAN MEME "OM TELOLET OM" GOES VIRAL

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 23 (Antara) - The Indonesian meme "Om Telolet Om" has unexpectedly gone viral on social media, becoming a trending topic on Twitter, as youth trying to get bus drivers to blow their horn, tweeted it recently.          At first glance, even Indonesians might be confused by the meaning of "Om Telolet Om," let alone foreigners.          As of Wednesday afternoon, Om Telolet Om was the top worldwide trending topic on Twitter, having received 715,000 tweets.          As the meme goes international, it continues to confound its foreign audience. International dance-music artists, such as Zedd, Martin Garrix, and DJ Snake, on Tuesday night (Dec 20) tweeted their confusion over the meme.          US DJ Chainsmoker asked on Twitter: "What does 'om telolet om' mean?"     Musician and retired German footballer Michael Ballack also tweeted about the meme: "I keep seeing #omteloletom comments. Can someone explain the #telolet trend? That's all I find on reviews of simple websites in #indonesia."     Dutch DJ Oliver Heldens also commented on the meme, suggesting it may be about omelets.          "What is 'Om Telolet Om'? When I read it, I think of omelets/eggs," @OlivierHeldens tweeted.

POLICE TO CONTINUE CRACKING DOWN ON TERRORIST CELLS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 22 (Antara) - Indonesian police have been successful in thwarting terrorists' plans to bomb a number of targets during Christmas and New Year festivities.         Since December 10, the National Police's anti-terrorist squad Densus 88 has uncovered various plans to launch bomb attacks. Police shot dead three terror suspects, arresting at least 17 others in a number of regions.         "Densus 88 members thwarted plans hatched by three different groups to carry out planned acts of terror. I praise them because terror poses a threat to us all," Indonesian Police chief General Tito Karnavian said in Bandung, West Java, on Thursday.          Anti-terror police arrested one terror suspect identified as Adam in and killed three others in South Tangerang (Tangsel) District, Banten Province, on Wednesday morning.          The police attempted to arrest Adam's friends at Curug Village in Tangsel, but they resisted and were shot dead in the ensuing struggle.          The deceased suspects were identified as Omen, Helmi and Irwan. During the initial interrogation, Adam admitted they had planned a suicide bomb attack at a police station near the BSD Eka Hospital in Tangsel.

LOCAL FARMERS CAN NOW CULTIVATE FORESTS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 21 (Antara) - Indonesia's forests, which served as wealth engines for conglomerates and forest tycoons in the past, are being cultivated to improve farmers' prosperity and regain the glory of its timber industry.          Forests are now cultivated differently from the forest management concept in the past when concessions were given to large companies or corporations.          The concept of forest is now based on a social forestry scheme where the people, the locals and the farmers become the main subject, and they are given the concessions to cultivate forests so that they can improve their welfare and support timber industries, which are oriented to exports.          According to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), the management of forests in the social forestry scheme is different from the previous management system.          "In the past, concessions were given to large companies, foreign firms and corporations but now they are given to the people, the farmers, and the associations of farmers," the president said in his address when handing over permits of social forestry concessions to farmers in Pulau Pisang District, Central Kalimantan, on Tuesday (Dec. 20).

GOVT TO OPERATE SIX NEW TOLL ROADS IN 2017

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 20 (Antara) - To smooth traffic flows in Java and Sumatra, state-owned toll road construction company PT Jasa Marga is developing toll roads that will connect trans-Java and trans Sumatra highways.          PT Jasa Marga aims to finish all toll road projects that have secured concessions by 2019. Some sections, particularly those in Java, are already operational. In 2017, the company plans to operate six new toll roads, with a total length of 235 kilometers (km), in Java and Sumatra.          "The toll roads are developed to reduce traffic gridlocks on the main roads. Moreover, the number of private vehicles virtually exceed the limits," AVP Corporate Communications of PT Jasa Marga Dwimawan Heru said in Bekasi, West Java, on Sunday (Dec 18).          Road users are increasingly facing congestion but their coverage time is expected to be reduced with the construction of the turnpikes.     For this purpose, PT Jasa Marga will open six new toll road sections in 2017. Five in Java and one in Sumatra.

2016 MARKED CRACK-DOWN ON ILLEGAL LEVIES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 19 (Antara) - Corruption and illegal levies committed to stealing state money that could be used for funding national development have been a common practice in Indonesia since time immemorial.          Corruption is rampant among officials in the upper levels, while illegal levies are mostly issued at lower levels, or even in the grass roots, particularly in the public service sector.          In response to corruption, the government of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri set up the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in 2002 to fight corruption throughout the country.           Since then, the KPK has sent many corrupt high ranking officials, politicians, law enforcement officials, and others to jails.           However, while corruption still continues to take place, illegal levies, which are imposed upon those in the public service sector, remain rampant across the country.           Therefore, the government last October began staging a war against illegal fees and formed what is call 'Satgas Saber Pungli' or illegal levies eradication task force.           President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) set up the Stagas Saber Pungli on October 28, 2016 to fight illegal levies at the lower levels, in tandem with the fight against corruption by the KPK at the upper levels.

INDONESIA'S AGRICULTURE HAS BETTER PROSPECTS IN 2017

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 17 (Antara) - The El Nino weather phenomenon that struck Indonesia in 2015, bringing droughts and wide-spread forest and land fires, caused a reduction in the country's agriculture production.          Yet, the other weather phenomenon, the La Nina, took its turn in 2016 by bringing fortunes, as Indonesian agricultural production increased again, compared to 2015. This upward trend in agricultural products is expected to continue, and increase further, in 2017.          "In 2017, the agricultural subsystem and agribusiness will be better than in 2016, regardless of questions on who will be enjoying the benefits," said Bungaran Saragih, a former minister of agriculture during the administration of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, speaking during a seminar on the outlook for agribusiness in 2017 in Jakarta on Thursday.         Over the past several months, there have been signs of a global economic revival.         According to many experts, who are also supported by Bungaran, world economic growth will increase again in 2017, though the rise has yet to reach its peak. In 2017, the world economy is expected to begin escaping the worsening economic conditions.

INDONESIA NEEDS TO BRACE FOR GLOBAL CHALLENGES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 15 (Antara) - Indonesia is expected to have a relatively improved economic performance in 2017, while still needing to prepare itself in the face of global and domestic challenges.          Global economic uncertainties will continue to be felt next year and affect the Indonesian economy. The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has predicted that global challenges and internal conditions could affect Indonesia's national economic performance in 2017.          The global economic dynamism in 2017 could have an impact on Indonesian economic conditions. There will be uncertainties in Europe after the Brexit, and uncertainties in the direction of United States polices after the election of Donald Trump as US president.          Trump's protectionist policies, if implemented, would have a negative impact on market confidence, not only among business people and investors in the United States, but throughout the world.

RI CONCERNED OVER ISIS PLAN FOR BASE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 14 (Antara) - Indonesian lawmakers, intelligence analysts and government have expressed concern over the alleged plan of ISIS to develop a base in Southeast Asia by creating a new caliphate in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.          The bomb blasts that killed eight people, including two terrorists, at Sarinah, Jalan Thamrin, Central Jakarta, last January, are linked to the ISIS movement. The latest ISIS-linked incident is the arrests on Saturday and Sunday of suspected terrorists who planned to detonate explosives at the State Palace.          The incidents are indications of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria's (ISIS') plan to build a base and create a caliphate in the region, according to Lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo.         Even Indonesian security authorities and the people should be alert about the infiltration by ISIS of mass organizations in the country, according to legislator Charles Honoris.         "I would not name the organization, but they have openly expressed support for the ISIS," Charles Honoris, a member of the Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR) said here Friday.

INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT TO REFORM ITS COOPERATIVES

By Andi Abdussalam

          Jakarta, Dec 9 (Antara) - Cooperatives are not yet able to benefit people in an equitable manner, prompting the government to consider bringing in reforms and empowering them so that members benefit and the poverty rate comes down.
        Indonesia's Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, Anak Agung Gede Ngurah (AAGN) Puspayoga, has announced plans to totally reform the cooperatives to ensure equitable economic benefits and cut down unemployment and poverty rates.
        The move will have a positive impact on the regional and national economic growth.
        The cooperatives reform program will be carried out through rehabilitation and database update. The government is also drafting a new cooperatives law which will serve as an effective legal basis for the development of cooperatives in the future.
        The draft law of cooperatives will replace Law No. 17 of 2012 which was scrapped by the Constitutional Court.    
   Law No. 17/ 2012 was issued to replace Law No.25 of 1992 which was seen as incapable of accommodating the interests of developing cooperatives.
         Deputy for Institutional Development of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Meliadi Sembiring, added that the draft law on cooperatives will accommodate all inputs from various quarters, including cooperatives stakeholders.

GOVT SETS GRADUAL INCREASES TO ATTRACT 20 MILLION TOURISTS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 9 (Antara) - President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi's) administration has set a target of attracting 20 million foreign tourist arrivals in the country by 2019, that is, by the end of his term in office.          To meet this target, since the beginning of his administration in October 2014, he has established policies that led to a progressive increase in foreign tourist arrivals while continuing to promote the country's tourism attractions both at home and abroad.          The government aggressively develops the country's tourism by promoting different activities such as Sail Indonesia, sports tourism, and cultural events, and by developing 10 major tourist destinations in addition to the already popular tourist resorts such as Bali and the Buddhist Temple of Borobudur in Java.          Based on the success of its efforts to intensively develop Indonesia's tourism potential, the government is convinced it will achieve its target of 20 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2019.          Starting its tourism program in 2015, Jokowi's government set a tourist arrival target of 10 million in 2015, up from the 9.4 million arrivals of foreign tourists recorded in 2014.

ASSISTANCE FLOWING TO QUAKE-HIT ACEH

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 7 (Antara) - Aid is flowing into Aceh Province, particularly Pidie Jaya District, which was hit by a 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday that killed 92 people and injured more than 200.          The key agencies involved in relief work are the Ministry of Social Affairs, the PMI Bogor Hospital, the Air Force, the House of Representatives and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Bazarnas).          President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) will also visit the quake-rocked region of Pidie Jaya but his schedule will be determined later as he does not want his visit to impede relief and evacuation work; the priority is to allow rescue workers to carry out their jobs.          According to the chief of the Iskandar Muda Military Command, Major General Tatang Suherman, who quoted sources from military and police personnel in the field, at least 92 people have lost their lives and 213 have been injured.          The earthquake, which destroyed several houses and places of worship, occurred at 5:03 am local time on Wednesday, with its epicenter at 5.19 degrees northern latitude and 96.36 degrees eastern longitude, at a depth of 10 kilometers, some 18 km northeast of Pidie Jaya.

RI'S ECONOMY STRONG IN FACE OF UNCERTAINTIES IN 2017

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 8 (Antara) - This year's global economic uncertainties are expected to continue in 2017 and to affect the Indonesian economy, yet analysts have said Indonesia's economy is relatively strong in facing global challenges next year.         According to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati on Wednesday, global conditions greatly affected Indonesia's economy this year, and the trend will continue in 2017. Therefore, in setting its economic assumptions for 2017, the government has adopted moderate steps.        In assuming its economic growth next year, the government has set itself a target of 5.1 percent, relatively lower than the rates estimated by many other institutions. However, Minister Mulyani argues that the 5.1 percent figure does not reflect any pessimism but optimism combined with prudence.         Several institutions have predicted higher growth. The World Bank, for example, has predicted Indonesia's economic growth at 5.3 percent for next year. Other institutions such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Bloomberg Consensus Forecast, S&P, Fitch, and Moody's have set their predictions at 5.1 percent, 5.3 percent, 5.2 percent, 5.5 percent, and 5.2 percent, respectively.