POLICE TO LAUNCH OPERATIONS IN WAKE OF MYSTERIOUS SHOOTINGS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 14 (Antara) - The National Police will soon crack down on illegal possession of firearms, following the recent shooting attacks on police personnel and other targets, seen by security agencies as attempts to spread terror.          "While conducting raids, our focus will be fire arms," National Police Deputy Chief Com. Gen Oegroseno said on Tuesday.          He said the main objective of the raids would be to identify and arrest the perpetrators of the series of mysterious shooting attacks on police officers over the past weeks.          The police will crack down on illegal arms possession as part of efforts to prevent shooting incidents involving unidentified gunmen from happening in the future.          The latest in the series of such attacks was the one on a police officer's residence in Banjar Wijaya, a housing complex in Tangerang, Banten province, by an unidentified person on Tuesday morning.

LEBARAN TRAVELERS URGED NOT TO BRING FRIENDS BACK TO CITIES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 10 (Antara) - To avoid worsening the crowding in the nation's cities, government officials have urged Idul Fitri travelers who return to their hometowns not to bring relatives or friends back to the cities.          Idul Fitri or Lebaran is a seasonal holiday that often increases problems in cities when homebound travelers return from their villages with friends who are lured to the cities to try their luck finding better paying jobs in urban areas.          The transport ministry has estimated that total travelers this year might reach 18.1 million, an increase of 4.46 percent over last year.         Further, the National Family Planning and Population Board (BKKBN) earlier predicted that some one million migrants from villages move to larger cities after the Idul Fitr holiday.          Last year, for example, former BKKBN head Sugiri Syarief predicted some one million newcomers would migrate to cities after the Lebaran festivity.          "This year's post-fasting urbanization is expected to be fueled by the advent of around one million new migrants in cities," he said.          According to Wendy Hartanto, a deputy for population control from the BKKBN, migration of people from villages to big cities is difficult to prevent, because cities have a particular attraction for people who want a new life.

JAKARTA RESIDENTS FLOCK TO TOURIST SPOTS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 9 (Antara) - Hundreds of thousands of Idul Fitri holidaymakers thronged tourist spots in Jakarta on Friday, the second day of the post-Ramadan, or Lebaran, festivities.          After fasting for a month, Muslims celebrate the Idul Fitri, or Lebaran, holiday by engaging in recreational activities in open places, such as zoos, beaches, and other tourist spots.        Among the places that Jakarta residents love to visit during this period are Ragunan zoo, Indonesia in Minature Park (TNII), Ancol Dreamland beach, and the National Monument Square (Monas).          By 1 pm on Friday, the Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta had recorded the entry of 51,000 holidaymakers into its premises. This figure, of course, would continue to rise because, as of 1 pm, visitors were seen thronging the ticket counters and standing in snake-like queues.          It is expected that the number of visitors to the zoo on Friday would be similar to that of the second day of Lebaran holidays last year, which had exceeded 100,000.          "The number of visitors today is high but we predict it will peak on Saturday (August 10) or on Sunday. Most of the visitors came to the zoo by motorcycles," Ragunan Zoo spokesman Wahyudi Bambang said.

BUS OPERATORS KEEN TO JOIN FREE 'MUDIK' PROGRAM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 7 (Antara) - The free 'mudik' (hometown trip) programs organized by private companies and government agencies for their employees have led to a drop in passengers for commercial bus companies during the Idul Fitri holidays.          The free ride - known as 'mudik gratis' - for revelers to their hometowns in order for them to celebrate the post-fasting Idul Fitri holidays has become increasingly popular over the past several years.          Therefore, privately owned public transportation companies have been crying foul that the trend has caused a decline in the number of their passengers and hit their revenues hard.          Moreover, organizers of the free mudik programs prefer to hire tourist buses.       The Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) has stressed that the 'mudik gratis' program harms the interests of public transportation companies.           "The program disturbs regular transportation services, because buses used for free services ply the same routes as regular buses. The government should not allow them to do so," Eka Sari Lorena, the chairperson of Organda, had said earlier.

ZAKAT CAN HELP EMPOWER PEOPLE AND ERADICATE POVERTY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 6 (Antara) - The end of the fasting month of Ramadan is a joyous time for the poor because they get 'zakat' from other Muslims.          Muslims are required to give alms, also known as zakat fitrah, to the poor at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. At other times of the year, Muslims are required to give 'zakat mal' from their income.          Since 90 percent of Indonesia's population, which is approximately 240 million, are Muslims, alms have the potential to eradicate poverty. In fact, Indonesia can collect close to 217 trillion alms every year. Sadly, only one percent of this amount is collected on a yearly basis. Despite such low figures, the National Islamic Charity Board (Baznas) has been able to increase its zakat collection every year.          "Last year, Baznas managed to collect Rp2.7 trillion, an increase by 27 percent compared to 2011," said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, after a meeting with the executives of Baznas recently.          Based on research conducted by Baznas, the Bogor-based Institute of Agriculture (IPB), and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Indonesia should be able to collect Rp217 trillion in the form of zakat this year.          According to Didin Hafidhuddin, Chairman of Baznas, his charity board was only able to collect Rp2.73 trillion last year. This year, it has increased its target to Rp3 trillion.          President Yudhoyono expressed hope that the alms programme of Baznas would help eradicate poverty and empower poor people.

GOVT URGED TO CURB INFLATION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 4 (Antara) - The government must intervene to control rising commodity prices that have caused sky-rocketing inflation and weakened the purchasing power of people in middle and lower income brackets, according to officials of local advocacy groups.          "We call  on the government to help overcome increasing basic necessity prices that have boosted inflation to reach eight percent, exceeding the government's target at 7.2  percent," Said Iqbal, secretary general of the Social Security Action Committee (KAJS),  recently said.          The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) has reported that Indonesia's inflation rate rose by more than expected in July to 3.29 percent, bringing year-on-year (yoy) inflation to 8.61 percent.          According to the Bank Indonesia (BI/the central bank), the higher-than-expected inflation rate was chiefly caused by disruptions in the supplies of commodities such as onions, red chili, chicken meat and beef, amidst rising demand during the fasting month of Ramadan.

THOUSANDS OF IDUL FITRI TRAVELERS RETURN HOME ON FREE BUSES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 3 (Antara) - At least 10,000 home-bound Idul Fitri travelers left Jakarta on free buses on Saturday, heading for destinations in Java where they will celebrate the post-fasting holiday of Lebaran on Thursday next week.          The departures on Saturday by the Idul Fitri revelers was part of the many free home-bound (mudik) programs offered by government institutions and private agencies amid this year's annual Idul Fitri exodus.          Like last year, some 15 million Idul Fitri holiday makers across the country traveled to their hometowns for family reunions during the Lebaran celebrations, and the free 'mudik' programs this year have also been very helpful for revelers.          Chief of the Central Java community's advisory board Wiranto said the free Idul Fitri travel would help alleviate the financial burden for home-bound travelers. "As chief of the Central Java community's advisory board, I express my gratitude to all parties that organized free trips for them," he said.          More than 10,000 Idul Fitri travelers rode on 190 free buses that left Jakarta for destinations in Central Java on Saturday.