By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, April 3 (ANTARA) - Many quarters have expressed concern about the government's policy of allowing private businesses to export rice, saying it would be difficult for the government to control the trade or call the exporters to account if a food scarcity happens.
"Private firms should not be involved in rice exports because they will surely deny any responsibility if a food scarcity occurs," public policy observer Ichsanuddin Noorsy said.
Earlier, Bayu Krisnamurthi, deputy to the chief economic minister for agriculture and maritime affairs, said that the government had given the opportunity to private businesses to export rice.
"So, limited rice exports are no longer the monopoly of the National Logistics Agency (Bulog). This is a new policy decided after a coordination meeting among the relevant parties," Krisnamurthi said.
He said that by allowing private companies to export rice it would create a competition with Bulog to meet the maximum export limit which the government had set at 100,000 tons.
Noorsy said private businesses are inclined to seek the greatest possible profits. "So, they will use every chance that comes their way to reap as much profit as possible," he said.
Therefore, the government's intervention in rice exports is badly needed while at the same time the government could also protect trading in the commodity.
The trade ministry plans to issue a permit for the export of 266,000 tons of best quality rice in the April-September 2009 period. The export of 100,000 tons of rice will be entrusted to Bulog, while the rest will be handled by private businesses.
According to Bulog President Director Mustafa Abubakar, Bulog has invited private companies to conduct joint exports to raise bargaining power in the international market.
"What Bulog is doing now is cooperating with private companies because the private companies do not have the courage to conduct rice exports by themselves. They think their companies are small while the amount of rice to be exported is also small. Therefore it would be better if they conduct exports jointly," he said.
Bulog has had meetings five times with 10 companies that were ready to conduct rice exports. "They are ready to be verified in the field by a technical team from a surveyor company and the ministries of agriculture and trade," he said.
Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono also suggested that the exports should be carried out by the private sector in order to increase the profit margin for the farmers.
However some quarters expressed fear that it would be difficult for the government to carry out control if rice exports are carried out by private businesses.
The Indonesian Farmers' Association (HKTI), economic observers and Association of Logistics Businesses (Aplindo) all say that rice is a strategic commodity that should not be left to the market mechanism and free market.
"Rice exports must be carried out through one gate or by a single exporter so that it would be easy to control," HKTI advisory board chairman Siswono Yudhohusodo said.
Professor of economics, agricultural industry and social sciences of the University of Gajah Mada, Mohammad Maksum even questioned whether the government had deeply thought of the advantage and disadvantage of involving the private sector in the rice exports.
"Has the government already prepared a monitoring and control mechanism to arrange the volume of exports by private companies?" he questioned.
He said that it would be difficult for the government to differentiate whether the rice bought by the private companies from farmers were for exports or for piling stocks. It should not happen that the private companies bought unhulled rice from farmers with a high price but later rice stocks in the country all of a sudden ran short.
"If rice stocks fall short leading to a food crisis and sky-rocketing of prices, who will be responsible?," Mohammad Maksum asked.
If the rice price sky-rocket, it would be possible for the private company to release their rice stocks in order to reap as big profit as possible.
Secretary General of Aplindo Nellys Soekidi concurred the idea saying that the government should not involve private companies in the country's rice exports.
"Besides it is ineffective to involve private companies, it would also pose a food crisis threat to the people. So, rice export should be carried out by Bulog, an agency owned by the government," she said.
Nellys Soekidi reminded the government that it should not trivialize matters relating to food, particularly rice, let alone allowing the private sector to export rice itself.
"No one can guarantee that there is one party which would be responsible for deciding whether rice production is enough for export or not,"Nellys said adding that rice export should be carried out through one gate, namely Bulog. ***2*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/A/E002) (T.A014/A/A014/A/E002) 03-04-2009 20:57:31
Rabu, 15 April 2009
LAKE GINTUNG VICTIMS FACING AID DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS
By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, March 29 (ANTARA) - Various humanitarian assistance has been flowing to the victims of the Gintung dam tragedy which killed at least 97 people and caused 102 others gone missing in Cireundeu village, in Jakarta's southern outskirts, and until Saturday night, rescue workers were still facing problems of distributing the aid due to difficult access to the makeshift and other emergency tents.
Packages of assistance continue to come in but some are still placed at the command post of the Muhammadiyah University's School of Economics (STIE UMJ). "We could not yet decide when all of the assistance will be channeled," Uus Rustandi of the STIE UNI post command, said.
Several roads to various emergency tents are difficult to access due to damaged conditions. Access roads are narrow so that vehicles transporting the aid could not pass by.
Vehicles faced difficulties on Saturday to pass through the access road because they were also packed with various kinds of vehicles and people who come to seek for missing family members or who visited the area to witness the disaster locations.
Various visitors from the surrounding areas and towns in the Jakarta vicinity such as Serpong, Bekasi and Depok came to the locations to witness themselves the ruins left by the tragedy.
Until Sunday afternoon, 97 bodies had been found and 102 others were still missing. Besides, a total of 180 have been taken to hospitals to get immediate medical treatment, while over 360 are still staying at evacuation centers or emergency tents.
The tragedy occurred on Friday when the sluice gate of the 21-hectare lake in Cireundeu village, Ciputat, Tangerang district, Banten, broke down early on Friday.
Built in the 1930s and held an estimated water volume of 21 million cubic meters, the aging Gintung reservoir collapsed because it was unable to accommodate more water on account of heavy rains which poured down in some districts in Banten and West Java provinces all night long on Thursday.
At least 300 houses in two housing complexes in downstream area were affected by the dam's flash floods which swept through a two-km stretch of area in the Cireundeu village that borders with the southern part of Jakarta.
In the meantime assistance continued to flow from different bodies, agencies and individuals. The Japanese Red Cross in cooperation with Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has sent "Family Kits" to the victims.
"The Family Kits from PMI and Japanese Red Cross contain various household utensils," Uus Rustandi.
He said the assistance in around 100 bags consisted of plastic containers, washbasins, plastic dishes, plastic glasses, water dippers, spoons, towels, tooth brushes and tooth pastes, bathing soaps, instant noodles, and mineral water.
"The assistance has arrived," Rustandi said, adding that a post command at UMJ campus was open 24 hours to receive humanitarian assistance from various parties.
The Health Ministry has also sent two tons of baby food and medication. "We have dispatched two tons of baby food and two packages of medicines," Dr Rustam S Pakaya, head of the Health Ministry's Crisis Control Center, said.
The medication packages included anti-tetanus serum (ATS), standing air-conditioners, tents, body bags, snake bite antidote and operational fund amounting to Rp50 million.
Previously, STIE UMJ post command field coordinator Berlianingsih said that the victims needed baby food badly. She said that she had received requests from volunteer workers and evacuees that the victims badly in need for baby food.
"Rescue workers always asked about whether stocks of baby food were enough or not. But we are facing difficulties to meet the needed stuff," she said.
Berlianingsih said that floods carried away the victims' dresses and household utensils. Besides baby food stuff, the victims also needed other items such as blankets, towels, T-shorts, slippers and mat.
Since the tragedy took place on Friday, rescue workers at the Ahmad Dahlan High School for Economics have been channeling assistance from the public in the form of food, blankets, children dresses and mineral water.
In the meantime, General Chairman of Golkar Party M Jusuf Kalla has also provided assistance worth Rp1 billion for the victims of the Gintung dam disaster.
The assistance was symbolically handed over to Banten Governor Ratu Atut when the Golkar organized a campaign at the Senayan Sports Stadium on Saturday.
"Let us convey our prayers to the dead victims of the Gintung reservoir tragedy. May they rest in peace," Kalla, who is also the vice president, said after he asked cadres and sympathizes of Golkar to extend their prayers for the victims.
In its part, the government will also continue to carry out emergency response to the Gintung disaster. "The emergency response will be continued with rehabilitation and reconstruction ," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after campaigning for the Democrat Party in Medan, North Sumatra, over the weekend.
The Gintung dam collapse occurred only two weeks before a legislative election is to be held on April 9, 2009. Both the president and the vice president have visited the victims and pledged reconstruction.
However the funds for the reconstruction of residents? damaged houses will be disbursed after field checks and verifications have been made.
"At the current stage, we are still mobilizing heavy equipment to help find dead victims not yet discovered," Coordinating Minister for People'ss Welfare Aburizal Bakrie said.
Rescue workers are now doing their best to find the the rest of victims and reconstruct the damaged dam. "We are now basically ready for the reconstruction because the fund is is already made available," Bakrie said.***3*** (T.A014/H-NG/A/E002)
(T.A014/A/A014/A/E002) 29-03-2009 22:38:42
Jakarta, March 29 (ANTARA) - Various humanitarian assistance has been flowing to the victims of the Gintung dam tragedy which killed at least 97 people and caused 102 others gone missing in Cireundeu village, in Jakarta's southern outskirts, and until Saturday night, rescue workers were still facing problems of distributing the aid due to difficult access to the makeshift and other emergency tents.
Packages of assistance continue to come in but some are still placed at the command post of the Muhammadiyah University's School of Economics (STIE UMJ). "We could not yet decide when all of the assistance will be channeled," Uus Rustandi of the STIE UNI post command, said.
Several roads to various emergency tents are difficult to access due to damaged conditions. Access roads are narrow so that vehicles transporting the aid could not pass by.
Vehicles faced difficulties on Saturday to pass through the access road because they were also packed with various kinds of vehicles and people who come to seek for missing family members or who visited the area to witness the disaster locations.
Various visitors from the surrounding areas and towns in the Jakarta vicinity such as Serpong, Bekasi and Depok came to the locations to witness themselves the ruins left by the tragedy.
Until Sunday afternoon, 97 bodies had been found and 102 others were still missing. Besides, a total of 180 have been taken to hospitals to get immediate medical treatment, while over 360 are still staying at evacuation centers or emergency tents.
The tragedy occurred on Friday when the sluice gate of the 21-hectare lake in Cireundeu village, Ciputat, Tangerang district, Banten, broke down early on Friday.
Built in the 1930s and held an estimated water volume of 21 million cubic meters, the aging Gintung reservoir collapsed because it was unable to accommodate more water on account of heavy rains which poured down in some districts in Banten and West Java provinces all night long on Thursday.
At least 300 houses in two housing complexes in downstream area were affected by the dam's flash floods which swept through a two-km stretch of area in the Cireundeu village that borders with the southern part of Jakarta.
In the meantime assistance continued to flow from different bodies, agencies and individuals. The Japanese Red Cross in cooperation with Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has sent "Family Kits" to the victims.
"The Family Kits from PMI and Japanese Red Cross contain various household utensils," Uus Rustandi.
He said the assistance in around 100 bags consisted of plastic containers, washbasins, plastic dishes, plastic glasses, water dippers, spoons, towels, tooth brushes and tooth pastes, bathing soaps, instant noodles, and mineral water.
"The assistance has arrived," Rustandi said, adding that a post command at UMJ campus was open 24 hours to receive humanitarian assistance from various parties.
The Health Ministry has also sent two tons of baby food and medication. "We have dispatched two tons of baby food and two packages of medicines," Dr Rustam S Pakaya, head of the Health Ministry's Crisis Control Center, said.
The medication packages included anti-tetanus serum (ATS), standing air-conditioners, tents, body bags, snake bite antidote and operational fund amounting to Rp50 million.
Previously, STIE UMJ post command field coordinator Berlianingsih said that the victims needed baby food badly. She said that she had received requests from volunteer workers and evacuees that the victims badly in need for baby food.
"Rescue workers always asked about whether stocks of baby food were enough or not. But we are facing difficulties to meet the needed stuff," she said.
Berlianingsih said that floods carried away the victims' dresses and household utensils. Besides baby food stuff, the victims also needed other items such as blankets, towels, T-shorts, slippers and mat.
Since the tragedy took place on Friday, rescue workers at the Ahmad Dahlan High School for Economics have been channeling assistance from the public in the form of food, blankets, children dresses and mineral water.
In the meantime, General Chairman of Golkar Party M Jusuf Kalla has also provided assistance worth Rp1 billion for the victims of the Gintung dam disaster.
The assistance was symbolically handed over to Banten Governor Ratu Atut when the Golkar organized a campaign at the Senayan Sports Stadium on Saturday.
"Let us convey our prayers to the dead victims of the Gintung reservoir tragedy. May they rest in peace," Kalla, who is also the vice president, said after he asked cadres and sympathizes of Golkar to extend their prayers for the victims.
In its part, the government will also continue to carry out emergency response to the Gintung disaster. "The emergency response will be continued with rehabilitation and reconstruction ," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said after campaigning for the Democrat Party in Medan, North Sumatra, over the weekend.
The Gintung dam collapse occurred only two weeks before a legislative election is to be held on April 9, 2009. Both the president and the vice president have visited the victims and pledged reconstruction.
However the funds for the reconstruction of residents? damaged houses will be disbursed after field checks and verifications have been made.
"At the current stage, we are still mobilizing heavy equipment to help find dead victims not yet discovered," Coordinating Minister for People'ss Welfare Aburizal Bakrie said.
Rescue workers are now doing their best to find the the rest of victims and reconstruct the damaged dam. "We are now basically ready for the reconstruction because the fund is is already made available," Bakrie said.***3*** (T.A014/H-NG/A/E002)
(T.A014/A/A014/A/E002) 29-03-2009 22:38:42
OVER 200 DAMS AROUND JAKARTA NEED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, March 28 (ANTARA) - The collapse of the Gintung reservoir which killed at least 50 people on Jakarta's outskirts on Friday has prompted many quarters to urge the authorities to pay greater attention to over 200 dams in the capital city and its satellite towns of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabodetabek).
"The government should revitalize about 200 lakes in the Jabodetabek area so that they can continue to hold back water when heavy rain falls in upstream regions. It should also install early warning systems immediately," Erwin Rustam, campaigner for food and water availability of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) said here on Saturday.
More than 50 people were killed on Friday when the sluice gate of the dam of the 21-hectare Situ Gintung lake in Cireundeu village, Ciputat, Tangerang district, Banten, broke down. Built in the 1930s, the aging Gintung Dam collapsed because it was unable to accommodate more water on account of heavy rains which poured down in some districts in Banten and West Java provinces all night long on Thursday.
In order to anticipate other dam disasters, Walhi called on the government to install early warning systems for people living around the lakes in the Jabodetabek region. "The government should provide people with early warning systems immediately. The devices should be installed within the next 24 hours at the latest in disaster prone areas," Walhi campaigner Erwin Rustam said.
Following the Situ Ginting disaster, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo ordered the Jakarta Public Works Agency to immediately inspect all flood prevention systems and infrastructures throughout the capital city. "I have ordered the relevant authorities to check and recheck all the flood prevention infrastructures," he said at his City Hall office on Friday. However, he said, in Jakarta there was no embankment as big as that of Lake Gintung.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has instructed the relevant authorities to reconstruct the Situ Gintung."The burst dam must be rebuilt. We will also design the new structure in a proper way so that it will not cause any further public concern," the President said.
In the disaster, a 250-meter-long section of the dam broke down allowing huge volumes of dam water to sweep over residential areas. Besides instructing the rebuilding of a dam of better quality, the president also said the government would help residents whose homes were damaged rebuild their dwellings.
"The government, as it used to be, will help residents reconstruct their damaged houses," Yudhoyono said. The head of state hoped that the central and local governments would properly coordinate their efforts in the reconstruction of the Situ Gintung Dam so that the emergency response given by both sides would proceed smoothly.
In the meantime, a public work ministry official said the government would maintain the Lake Gintung whose embankment had burst early on Friday for water conservation. "The lake is needed for water conservation and so it has to be rebuilt," the head of the Ciliwung-Cisadane river area service of the Ministry of Public Works, Pitoyo Subandrio, said.
He said that although the area around the dam had changed into a crowded residential area the dam would not be closed. He said the government was now securing some areas around the site to prevent them from being overflowed again by setting up concrete fences.
The Lake Gintung disaster has caused great worry of the Jakarta and its satellite town residents that a similar disaster may hit other areas, particularly those around reservoirs.
According to Walhi, the government has to revitalize at least 200 dams in the Jabodetak areas in order to contain waters when there is heavy rains in the upstream areas, he said. "This revitalization program needs to be coordinated immediately between the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) and the Ministry of Public Works as well as with the regional governments of Jabodetabek," Erwin Rustam said.
He said that the program should be carried out immediately, particularly for dams whose down stream areas were residential areas. The other solution that could be taken in order to over come possible natural disaster is to stop the change in the function of river basin (DAS) and water catchments areas.
The change in the function and water catchments has caused the decline in the number of reservoirs in the Jabodetabek areas. According to Walhi, at least 56 lakes had disappeared due to lack of conservations.
"The number of dams in the Jabodetak area has declined from 240 in 2004 to 184 in 2009 while the government always claimed that there are over 200 lakes at present," Erwin Rustam said.
Of the 184 dams, 19 are still in good condition while the remaining ones are now experiencing serious sedimentation and damage. In term of width, the 240 reservoirs in the Jabodetabek areas have also decreased from 2,337.10 hectares to 1,462 hectares (184 dams).
The average depth of the reservoirs also has dropped from the previous 5 to seven meters to less than 2.5 - 3 meters, including the Gintung dam in Jakarta outskirts in Cireundeu village, Ciputat sub-district, Tangerang. Three main factors have caused the disappearance of the lakes, namely the change in the function of land, the lakes being used as garbage dump sites and sedimentation.
The change in the function of land has caused the dam to be converted into resettlement, restaurant and business centers. "There are lakes in Jakarta and Depok which have become garbage dumping sites," Rustam said.
After all, efforts made so far to restore the lake function were partially in nature. According to Rustam efforts made so far have not yet been in line with the River Basin Areas (DAS) restoration program of the Forestry Ministry.***3*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/12:45/A/O001)
Jakarta, March 28 (ANTARA) - The collapse of the Gintung reservoir which killed at least 50 people on Jakarta's outskirts on Friday has prompted many quarters to urge the authorities to pay greater attention to over 200 dams in the capital city and its satellite towns of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabodetabek).
"The government should revitalize about 200 lakes in the Jabodetabek area so that they can continue to hold back water when heavy rain falls in upstream regions. It should also install early warning systems immediately," Erwin Rustam, campaigner for food and water availability of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) said here on Saturday.
More than 50 people were killed on Friday when the sluice gate of the dam of the 21-hectare Situ Gintung lake in Cireundeu village, Ciputat, Tangerang district, Banten, broke down. Built in the 1930s, the aging Gintung Dam collapsed because it was unable to accommodate more water on account of heavy rains which poured down in some districts in Banten and West Java provinces all night long on Thursday.
In order to anticipate other dam disasters, Walhi called on the government to install early warning systems for people living around the lakes in the Jabodetabek region. "The government should provide people with early warning systems immediately. The devices should be installed within the next 24 hours at the latest in disaster prone areas," Walhi campaigner Erwin Rustam said.
Following the Situ Ginting disaster, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo ordered the Jakarta Public Works Agency to immediately inspect all flood prevention systems and infrastructures throughout the capital city. "I have ordered the relevant authorities to check and recheck all the flood prevention infrastructures," he said at his City Hall office on Friday. However, he said, in Jakarta there was no embankment as big as that of Lake Gintung.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has instructed the relevant authorities to reconstruct the Situ Gintung."The burst dam must be rebuilt. We will also design the new structure in a proper way so that it will not cause any further public concern," the President said.
In the disaster, a 250-meter-long section of the dam broke down allowing huge volumes of dam water to sweep over residential areas. Besides instructing the rebuilding of a dam of better quality, the president also said the government would help residents whose homes were damaged rebuild their dwellings.
"The government, as it used to be, will help residents reconstruct their damaged houses," Yudhoyono said. The head of state hoped that the central and local governments would properly coordinate their efforts in the reconstruction of the Situ Gintung Dam so that the emergency response given by both sides would proceed smoothly.
In the meantime, a public work ministry official said the government would maintain the Lake Gintung whose embankment had burst early on Friday for water conservation. "The lake is needed for water conservation and so it has to be rebuilt," the head of the Ciliwung-Cisadane river area service of the Ministry of Public Works, Pitoyo Subandrio, said.
He said that although the area around the dam had changed into a crowded residential area the dam would not be closed. He said the government was now securing some areas around the site to prevent them from being overflowed again by setting up concrete fences.
The Lake Gintung disaster has caused great worry of the Jakarta and its satellite town residents that a similar disaster may hit other areas, particularly those around reservoirs.
According to Walhi, the government has to revitalize at least 200 dams in the Jabodetak areas in order to contain waters when there is heavy rains in the upstream areas, he said. "This revitalization program needs to be coordinated immediately between the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) and the Ministry of Public Works as well as with the regional governments of Jabodetabek," Erwin Rustam said.
He said that the program should be carried out immediately, particularly for dams whose down stream areas were residential areas. The other solution that could be taken in order to over come possible natural disaster is to stop the change in the function of river basin (DAS) and water catchments areas.
The change in the function and water catchments has caused the decline in the number of reservoirs in the Jabodetabek areas. According to Walhi, at least 56 lakes had disappeared due to lack of conservations.
"The number of dams in the Jabodetak area has declined from 240 in 2004 to 184 in 2009 while the government always claimed that there are over 200 lakes at present," Erwin Rustam said.
Of the 184 dams, 19 are still in good condition while the remaining ones are now experiencing serious sedimentation and damage. In term of width, the 240 reservoirs in the Jabodetabek areas have also decreased from 2,337.10 hectares to 1,462 hectares (184 dams).
The average depth of the reservoirs also has dropped from the previous 5 to seven meters to less than 2.5 - 3 meters, including the Gintung dam in Jakarta outskirts in Cireundeu village, Ciputat sub-district, Tangerang. Three main factors have caused the disappearance of the lakes, namely the change in the function of land, the lakes being used as garbage dump sites and sedimentation.
The change in the function of land has caused the dam to be converted into resettlement, restaurant and business centers. "There are lakes in Jakarta and Depok which have become garbage dumping sites," Rustam said.
After all, efforts made so far to restore the lake function were partially in nature. According to Rustam efforts made so far have not yet been in line with the River Basin Areas (DAS) restoration program of the Forestry Ministry.***3*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/12:45/A/O001)
GOVT, KPU URGED TO IMPROVE VOTERS' LIST SOON
By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, March 25 (ANTARA) - The General Elections Commission (KPU) and the government are urged to take steps immediately to improve or correct data allegedly marked up on the lists of fixed voters so that the legislative election which is scheduled on April 9, 2009 would proceed smoothly.
"The government, the election organizers and all related parties should sit together soon to make the necessary corrections and announce the results," chairman of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), Wiranto, said in response to alleged marked up of voters' data for the upcoming elections.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) recently disclosed alleged mark-up of data on the fixed voters' lists in East Java.
The KPU had also received a report on the alleged manipulation of the fixed voters' lists in East Java's electoral districts of Pacitan, Ngawi, Ponorogo, Trenggalek and Magetan.
According to PDIP, it has raised the issue in an effort to help improve the quality of democracy in the country. "PDIP has revealed the voters' list issue in an effort to improve the quality of democracy so that the people could in real term carry out their sovereignty," Hasto Kristianto, deputy secretary of PDIP's elections success team, said.
Pros and cons on the alleged manipulation are now developing unhealthily while a concrete solution has not yet been made to ensure the holding of a genuine and democratic election. Thus, it would be better for the government and the KPU to field a team to check the matter.
"PDIP is willing to give strength to KPU owing to the fact that it works to update data at a time of financial difficulties while the government has the responsibility in providing data on the potential voters (DP4)," Kristianto said.
The PDIP success team officer said that the PDIP finding was accountable. The mark-up was suspected to be done systematically beginning from the compilation of the DP4 data as a form of government intervention.
He said that PDIP was of the view that the voters' list manipulation was a systematic effort to discourage voters from exercising their voting rights so that it would give a chance to election manipulation for the victory of those having access to the government.
But an activist said it was impossible for the government to manipulate data for its own benefit. The alleged mark-up found in the fixed voters lists is not an election fraud but a mistake in the calculation of voters due to weaknesses in the administration system.
"In fact, mistakes found in the implementation of both general elections and regional head elections are not deliberately made for the victory of the incumbent government but they happen due to weaknesses in the population administration system," Andi Arief, secretary general of non-governmental organization, (JARNAS), said here on Tuesday.
He said that almost all regions in the country already had the experience to organize this year provincial and district head elections using fixed voters' lists (DPT) issued by the General Election Commission (KPU) and its branches in the regions (KPUD).
"Most of the elections proceeded smoothly and most of the victories were won by PDIP. This means there is actually no problem in all provinces. I would not say that the PDIP victories were due to mark-up of the list or due to a 'deal' with the organizers," he said.
He said that with that fact he believed it was impossible that the mistakes found in the lists were deliberately made because candidates from the Democrat Party and Golkar became only the minor winners in regional head elections. Thus, if there is allegation that DPTs in East Java had been marked up, it should be proven first whether or not it was deliberately made, he said.
In the meantime, Jimhur Saros, another activist from Lempar non-governmental organization of Madura, East Java, said the KPU should correct immediately mistakes in alleged marked up voters' lists before the election was held on April 9, 2009.
"KPU still has time to improve data in the fixed voters' list (DPT) as long as it wants to work fast," Jimhur Saros. Saros said that if data in the DPT were not corrected it was feared it would create chaos during the election process.
The same call was also made by leader of the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) Mutia Hatta, saying that the elections organizers should be helped so that the legislative elections would proceed smoothly, fairly and justly based on the schedule.
Mutia Hatta said that the shortcomings found with the voters lists still could be improved. After all the government has the means and technology to do so.
"Now we have the technology so that any shortcoming or mistake could be solved well," she said.
In order to cope with the DPT issues before the election is held, the government and KPU should cooperate. According to Hanura chairman Wiranto, the government and the elections organizers should not abdicate their respective responsibilities.
"The people now need clarifications and certainties with regard to the complicated DPT issue. Facts have been made public. The problem will remain unresolved if the government and the election organizers abdicate their respective responsibilities," Wiranto said.
He said that solution to the problem was actually simple. The government, the election organizers and all related parties should sit together, make the necessary corrections and announce the results to the public at large.
"So, there is no need to accuse with each other on who must be responsible for the mistakes. Just take a firm attitude and give certainty to the people, that's all," Wiranto said.***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/13:35/a/f001)
Jakarta, March 25 (ANTARA) - The General Elections Commission (KPU) and the government are urged to take steps immediately to improve or correct data allegedly marked up on the lists of fixed voters so that the legislative election which is scheduled on April 9, 2009 would proceed smoothly.
"The government, the election organizers and all related parties should sit together soon to make the necessary corrections and announce the results," chairman of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), Wiranto, said in response to alleged marked up of voters' data for the upcoming elections.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) recently disclosed alleged mark-up of data on the fixed voters' lists in East Java.
The KPU had also received a report on the alleged manipulation of the fixed voters' lists in East Java's electoral districts of Pacitan, Ngawi, Ponorogo, Trenggalek and Magetan.
According to PDIP, it has raised the issue in an effort to help improve the quality of democracy in the country. "PDIP has revealed the voters' list issue in an effort to improve the quality of democracy so that the people could in real term carry out their sovereignty," Hasto Kristianto, deputy secretary of PDIP's elections success team, said.
Pros and cons on the alleged manipulation are now developing unhealthily while a concrete solution has not yet been made to ensure the holding of a genuine and democratic election. Thus, it would be better for the government and the KPU to field a team to check the matter.
"PDIP is willing to give strength to KPU owing to the fact that it works to update data at a time of financial difficulties while the government has the responsibility in providing data on the potential voters (DP4)," Kristianto said.
The PDIP success team officer said that the PDIP finding was accountable. The mark-up was suspected to be done systematically beginning from the compilation of the DP4 data as a form of government intervention.
He said that PDIP was of the view that the voters' list manipulation was a systematic effort to discourage voters from exercising their voting rights so that it would give a chance to election manipulation for the victory of those having access to the government.
But an activist said it was impossible for the government to manipulate data for its own benefit. The alleged mark-up found in the fixed voters lists is not an election fraud but a mistake in the calculation of voters due to weaknesses in the administration system.
"In fact, mistakes found in the implementation of both general elections and regional head elections are not deliberately made for the victory of the incumbent government but they happen due to weaknesses in the population administration system," Andi Arief, secretary general of non-governmental organization, (JARNAS), said here on Tuesday.
He said that almost all regions in the country already had the experience to organize this year provincial and district head elections using fixed voters' lists (DPT) issued by the General Election Commission (KPU) and its branches in the regions (KPUD).
"Most of the elections proceeded smoothly and most of the victories were won by PDIP. This means there is actually no problem in all provinces. I would not say that the PDIP victories were due to mark-up of the list or due to a 'deal' with the organizers," he said.
He said that with that fact he believed it was impossible that the mistakes found in the lists were deliberately made because candidates from the Democrat Party and Golkar became only the minor winners in regional head elections. Thus, if there is allegation that DPTs in East Java had been marked up, it should be proven first whether or not it was deliberately made, he said.
In the meantime, Jimhur Saros, another activist from Lempar non-governmental organization of Madura, East Java, said the KPU should correct immediately mistakes in alleged marked up voters' lists before the election was held on April 9, 2009.
"KPU still has time to improve data in the fixed voters' list (DPT) as long as it wants to work fast," Jimhur Saros. Saros said that if data in the DPT were not corrected it was feared it would create chaos during the election process.
The same call was also made by leader of the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) Mutia Hatta, saying that the elections organizers should be helped so that the legislative elections would proceed smoothly, fairly and justly based on the schedule.
Mutia Hatta said that the shortcomings found with the voters lists still could be improved. After all the government has the means and technology to do so.
"Now we have the technology so that any shortcoming or mistake could be solved well," she said.
In order to cope with the DPT issues before the election is held, the government and KPU should cooperate. According to Hanura chairman Wiranto, the government and the elections organizers should not abdicate their respective responsibilities.
"The people now need clarifications and certainties with regard to the complicated DPT issue. Facts have been made public. The problem will remain unresolved if the government and the election organizers abdicate their respective responsibilities," Wiranto said.
He said that solution to the problem was actually simple. The government, the election organizers and all related parties should sit together, make the necessary corrections and announce the results to the public at large.
"So, there is no need to accuse with each other on who must be responsible for the mistakes. Just take a firm attitude and give certainty to the people, that's all," Wiranto said.***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/13:35/a/f001)
POLITICAL PARTIES MANEUVERING TO FORM COALITIONS
By Andi Abdusslam
Jakarta, March 24 (ANTARA) - Though political parties will form official coalitions only after the announcement of the results of the upcoming April 9 legislative elections, party leaders have since recently begun maneuvering by announcing tentative alliances.
For their part, three major political parties have evolved the idea of forming an alliance called 'golden triangle' coalition. They are the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and the United Development Party (PPP).
Meanwhile, at least 11 small parties decided to pool their political strength in a grouping called the 'Bloc for Change' coalition.
Besides, the two 'coalitions' between the major parties and the small ones, the Democrat Party (PD), whose advisory board chairman Susilo Bamgang Yudhoyono is the incumbent and 'out-going' president, has also expressed its intention to form another electoral bloc called 'the golden bridge' coalition. But so far, PD has not mentioned with whom it would form the coalition.
Associate Chairman of the Democrat Party Anas Urbanighrum only said his party would select parties based on an assessment of their visions, ideologies and viewpoints on Indonesia's future interests, particularly in relation with President Yudhoyono's reelection.
"We are optimistic we will be able to sit together with some parties we have already met to talk on a more concrete political cooperation," he said on the sidelines of a campaign rally by PD at the Bung Karno Sports Stadium last Friday.
There are 38 political parties which will take part in the legislative elections on April 9, 2009 to vie for 560 House seats.
Recently, Golkar Party Vice Chairman Agung Laksono said his party was seeking to develop a possible coalition with big parties for the presidential election in July. He likened the effort to courting. "It is like courting while a decision on who will be chosen still has to be taken later after the implementation of the legislative election," he said after speaking at an election rally for Golkar in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, recently.
Golkar, he said, would intensify efforts to develop cooperation with all parties, particularly with big ones such as PDIP, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Democrat Party and PPP.
In a meeting with PPP chairman Suryadharma Ali in South Sumatra over the weekend, Golkar Party Chairman Jusuf Kalla discussed the idea of forming the "golden triangle" coalition among their two parties and the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP).
In the meeting, Suryadharma Ali said, the power of the golden triangle coalition among Golkar, PPP and PDIP would become a magnetic field in the upcoming elections.
"It is expected that after the golden triangle, there will be other parties that can strengthen the next government," Suryadharma said.
Suryadharma Ali even expressed optimism that the golden triangle coalition could be expanded to include parties other than Golkar, PPP and PDIP.
The PPP chairman said that the idea to form a golden triangle coalition began to surface in the meetings between PPP and Golkar, PDIP and Golkar and PPP and PDIP.
The meetings among the leaders of the three political parties produced a number of commitments. "Based on the commitments we reached together, I then I proposed the establishment of the golden triangle coalition as an initial foundation for a political cooperation," Ali said.
PDIP leader Megawati Soekarnoputri in a meeting with Kalla and Ali recently agreed to cooperate to set up a strong House of Representatives (DPR) and government.
However, all commitments reached by the three political parties are still provisional in nature as the real coalitions will be those established after the April 9, 2009 legislative elections.
According to Kalla, no a single political party has so far discussed forming a coalition with other parties. What they have done until now is limited to political communication.
"I say there has yet to be a coalition among political parties so far. What we have at present is only political communication," Jusuf Kalla said over the weekend.
If major parties still wait for the result of the legislative elections, at least 11 small parties have formed an alliance which they called the 'Bloc for Change' coalition. The coalition was formed in order to enable them to win the number of votes needed to nominate a presidential hopeful.
Based the presidential election law, a political party or a coalition of political parties should win at least 25 percent of the votes in the legislative elections or 20 percent of the seats in the House, before it could nominate its presidential and vice presidential hopefuls.
The Bloc for Change coalition groups 11 small parties, namely the Reforms Star Party (PBR), Prosperous Peace Party (PDS), National Democratic Party (PDK), The National Ulema Awakening Party (PKNU), National Sun Party (PMB), Indonesian Employers and Workers Party (PPPI), Pioneers' Party (PP), Care for the People National Party (PPRN), Indonesian Democracy Upholders' Party ( PPDI) and Sovereignty Party (PK).
The Bloc for Change coalition supports Rizal Ramli, a former chief economic minister in Abdurrahman Wahid's administration, as its presidential hopeful.
On the occasion of the coalition's declaration in the tourist resort province of Bali on Sunday, Ramli said his coalition was not the same as the golden triangle of the Golkar, PDIP and PPP or the golden bridge of the Democrat Party.
"We, the Bloc for Change coalition, is not the same as their coalitions which only seek power," Rizal Ramli said. ***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/A/E002) (T.A014/A/A014/A/E002) 24-03-2009 19:56:41
Jakarta, March 24 (ANTARA) - Though political parties will form official coalitions only after the announcement of the results of the upcoming April 9 legislative elections, party leaders have since recently begun maneuvering by announcing tentative alliances.
For their part, three major political parties have evolved the idea of forming an alliance called 'golden triangle' coalition. They are the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and the United Development Party (PPP).
Meanwhile, at least 11 small parties decided to pool their political strength in a grouping called the 'Bloc for Change' coalition.
Besides, the two 'coalitions' between the major parties and the small ones, the Democrat Party (PD), whose advisory board chairman Susilo Bamgang Yudhoyono is the incumbent and 'out-going' president, has also expressed its intention to form another electoral bloc called 'the golden bridge' coalition. But so far, PD has not mentioned with whom it would form the coalition.
Associate Chairman of the Democrat Party Anas Urbanighrum only said his party would select parties based on an assessment of their visions, ideologies and viewpoints on Indonesia's future interests, particularly in relation with President Yudhoyono's reelection.
"We are optimistic we will be able to sit together with some parties we have already met to talk on a more concrete political cooperation," he said on the sidelines of a campaign rally by PD at the Bung Karno Sports Stadium last Friday.
There are 38 political parties which will take part in the legislative elections on April 9, 2009 to vie for 560 House seats.
Recently, Golkar Party Vice Chairman Agung Laksono said his party was seeking to develop a possible coalition with big parties for the presidential election in July. He likened the effort to courting. "It is like courting while a decision on who will be chosen still has to be taken later after the implementation of the legislative election," he said after speaking at an election rally for Golkar in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, recently.
Golkar, he said, would intensify efforts to develop cooperation with all parties, particularly with big ones such as PDIP, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Democrat Party and PPP.
In a meeting with PPP chairman Suryadharma Ali in South Sumatra over the weekend, Golkar Party Chairman Jusuf Kalla discussed the idea of forming the "golden triangle" coalition among their two parties and the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP).
In the meeting, Suryadharma Ali said, the power of the golden triangle coalition among Golkar, PPP and PDIP would become a magnetic field in the upcoming elections.
"It is expected that after the golden triangle, there will be other parties that can strengthen the next government," Suryadharma said.
Suryadharma Ali even expressed optimism that the golden triangle coalition could be expanded to include parties other than Golkar, PPP and PDIP.
The PPP chairman said that the idea to form a golden triangle coalition began to surface in the meetings between PPP and Golkar, PDIP and Golkar and PPP and PDIP.
The meetings among the leaders of the three political parties produced a number of commitments. "Based on the commitments we reached together, I then I proposed the establishment of the golden triangle coalition as an initial foundation for a political cooperation," Ali said.
PDIP leader Megawati Soekarnoputri in a meeting with Kalla and Ali recently agreed to cooperate to set up a strong House of Representatives (DPR) and government.
However, all commitments reached by the three political parties are still provisional in nature as the real coalitions will be those established after the April 9, 2009 legislative elections.
According to Kalla, no a single political party has so far discussed forming a coalition with other parties. What they have done until now is limited to political communication.
"I say there has yet to be a coalition among political parties so far. What we have at present is only political communication," Jusuf Kalla said over the weekend.
If major parties still wait for the result of the legislative elections, at least 11 small parties have formed an alliance which they called the 'Bloc for Change' coalition. The coalition was formed in order to enable them to win the number of votes needed to nominate a presidential hopeful.
Based the presidential election law, a political party or a coalition of political parties should win at least 25 percent of the votes in the legislative elections or 20 percent of the seats in the House, before it could nominate its presidential and vice presidential hopefuls.
The Bloc for Change coalition groups 11 small parties, namely the Reforms Star Party (PBR), Prosperous Peace Party (PDS), National Democratic Party (PDK), The National Ulema Awakening Party (PKNU), National Sun Party (PMB), Indonesian Employers and Workers Party (PPPI), Pioneers' Party (PP), Care for the People National Party (PPRN), Indonesian Democracy Upholders' Party ( PPDI) and Sovereignty Party (PK).
The Bloc for Change coalition supports Rizal Ramli, a former chief economic minister in Abdurrahman Wahid's administration, as its presidential hopeful.
On the occasion of the coalition's declaration in the tourist resort province of Bali on Sunday, Ramli said his coalition was not the same as the golden triangle of the Golkar, PDIP and PPP or the golden bridge of the Democrat Party.
"We, the Bloc for Change coalition, is not the same as their coalitions which only seek power," Rizal Ramli said. ***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/A/E002) (T.A014/A/A014/A/E002) 24-03-2009 19:56:41
INDONESIAN ELECTION BODY NOT T0 POSTPONE POLLS
By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, March 24 (ANTARA) - Amid calls by certain quarters for postponement of the legislative elections planned for next April 9 in the wake of alleged marked-up fixed voters' list in East Java, the Indonesian General Elections Commission (KPU) declared on Monday it would not delay the polls.
KPU Chairman Abdul Hafiz Anshary said the commission had no reason to postpone the election only because of an allegation that the fixed voters' lists (DPT) in a number of East Java's districts had been manipulated.
"Our DPTs are valid and accurate," Abdul Hafiz Anshary told reporters.
Previously, the KPU had received a report on alleged manipulation of the fixed voters' lists in East Java's electoral districts of Pacitan, Ngawi, Ponorogo, Trenggalek and Magetan. However, the KPU offices for East Java and the five districts, in their investigation did not find any manipulation of voter numberd in the lists.
In connection with the alleged mark-ups in the voters' lists, the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP) had asked the KPU to be proactive in responding to the party's finding of a marked-up voters' list.
"PDIP appeals to the KPU and the government not to be defensive but proactive in responding to the finding to ensure the democratic implementation of the elections," deputy secretary of the party's success team, Hasto Kristiyanto, said.
He said the party had disclosed the case based on authentic facts and field checks. The PDIP had discovered convincing facts showing a violation of Law No 10/2008 on general elections, he said. He therefore suggested that the KPU immediately issue an official list of voters so that all political parties could check it.
"Rather than claiming that there has not been a problem it would be better if KPU conducts a cross-check in the field," he said.
The same call was also made by Rizal Ramli, a former chief economic minister during the Abdurrahman Wahid administration. Ramli, who has also declared his intention to nominate himself as a presidential hopeful in the upcoming presidential race, said the government should check the allegation of marked-up voters' lists.
"It should be investigated so that the alleged marked-up would not repeat itself in the coming elections. We, who are grouped in the 'Block for Change' coalition called for immediate checking of the allegation so that election fraud could be prevented," Ramli said.
The Block for Change is a coalition of small parties which supports Rizal Ramli to be a presidential hopeful in the upcoming presidential race.
According to Ramli, parties grouped in the Block have found many irregularities in the DPT for the upcoming elections, for example, a voter's name is included several times in the list of voters in one or several polling stations.
In the meantime, the National Mandate Party (PAN) asked all quarters not to turn the DPT issue into a political commodity in the run-up to the legislative elections.
"It is something normal if shortcomings are found in the DPT but it should not be used as a political commodity in the upcoming legislative elections," PAN Chairman Soetrisno Bachir said.
He said that if the DPT issue continued to be debated it was feared that it would confuse and pose a burden to the people of East Java.
"The case should not be used as a means of attaining a political goal while it is actually a matter of the past," Soetrisno Bachir said. He was referring to the fact that the marked-up voters' list was actually a list of voters for the recent East Java Gubernatorial elections.
KPU said it did not find any manipulation in its investigation into the alleged manipulation of the voters numbers. According to the election body, a list of voters should bear the official signatures of the election organizers.
Abdul Haviz Anshary said that if there were DPTs which did not bear the signatures of the organizers they must be illegal voters' lists. The official voters' lists for national and regional legislative elections have been stored in discs and distributed also to each political parties or electoral contestants.
The legislative elections will be held on April 9, 2009 with about 12,000 candidates from 38 political parties vying for 560 House seats. The presidential election meanwhile will be held on July 8 and the newly elected president will be installed in October 2009.
Anshary said KPU was open to inputs with regard to data contained in the DPT. If questionable data are found in the lists, KPU is open for clarifications, he said.
Meanwhile, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also called on the election body to provide explanations with regard to the alleged marked-up voters' lists. He said the government also wished to encourage the General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) and the General Elections Monitoring Committee (Panwaslu) and all parties directly concerned with the preparation of the DPT to give explanations about it to the public.
"Tell the people what the problem really is. Do not let restlessness to occur before the election takes place. Yesterday I asked the coordinating minister for legal, security and political affairs and his staff to discuss steps we have to take to improve the DPT," the president, who held a cabinet meeting to discuss the issue on Monday, said.
"I am monitoring the developments in the community including statements from several political figures impressing that something in the DPT had been wrong. I wish the government will be proactive. It must do what it could to KPU so that what must not happen will not happen to assure a smooth, fair and just election," the president said.***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/13:50/A/O001)
Jakarta, March 24 (ANTARA) - Amid calls by certain quarters for postponement of the legislative elections planned for next April 9 in the wake of alleged marked-up fixed voters' list in East Java, the Indonesian General Elections Commission (KPU) declared on Monday it would not delay the polls.
KPU Chairman Abdul Hafiz Anshary said the commission had no reason to postpone the election only because of an allegation that the fixed voters' lists (DPT) in a number of East Java's districts had been manipulated.
"Our DPTs are valid and accurate," Abdul Hafiz Anshary told reporters.
Previously, the KPU had received a report on alleged manipulation of the fixed voters' lists in East Java's electoral districts of Pacitan, Ngawi, Ponorogo, Trenggalek and Magetan. However, the KPU offices for East Java and the five districts, in their investigation did not find any manipulation of voter numberd in the lists.
In connection with the alleged mark-ups in the voters' lists, the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP) had asked the KPU to be proactive in responding to the party's finding of a marked-up voters' list.
"PDIP appeals to the KPU and the government not to be defensive but proactive in responding to the finding to ensure the democratic implementation of the elections," deputy secretary of the party's success team, Hasto Kristiyanto, said.
He said the party had disclosed the case based on authentic facts and field checks. The PDIP had discovered convincing facts showing a violation of Law No 10/2008 on general elections, he said. He therefore suggested that the KPU immediately issue an official list of voters so that all political parties could check it.
"Rather than claiming that there has not been a problem it would be better if KPU conducts a cross-check in the field," he said.
The same call was also made by Rizal Ramli, a former chief economic minister during the Abdurrahman Wahid administration. Ramli, who has also declared his intention to nominate himself as a presidential hopeful in the upcoming presidential race, said the government should check the allegation of marked-up voters' lists.
"It should be investigated so that the alleged marked-up would not repeat itself in the coming elections. We, who are grouped in the 'Block for Change' coalition called for immediate checking of the allegation so that election fraud could be prevented," Ramli said.
The Block for Change is a coalition of small parties which supports Rizal Ramli to be a presidential hopeful in the upcoming presidential race.
According to Ramli, parties grouped in the Block have found many irregularities in the DPT for the upcoming elections, for example, a voter's name is included several times in the list of voters in one or several polling stations.
In the meantime, the National Mandate Party (PAN) asked all quarters not to turn the DPT issue into a political commodity in the run-up to the legislative elections.
"It is something normal if shortcomings are found in the DPT but it should not be used as a political commodity in the upcoming legislative elections," PAN Chairman Soetrisno Bachir said.
He said that if the DPT issue continued to be debated it was feared that it would confuse and pose a burden to the people of East Java.
"The case should not be used as a means of attaining a political goal while it is actually a matter of the past," Soetrisno Bachir said. He was referring to the fact that the marked-up voters' list was actually a list of voters for the recent East Java Gubernatorial elections.
KPU said it did not find any manipulation in its investigation into the alleged manipulation of the voters numbers. According to the election body, a list of voters should bear the official signatures of the election organizers.
Abdul Haviz Anshary said that if there were DPTs which did not bear the signatures of the organizers they must be illegal voters' lists. The official voters' lists for national and regional legislative elections have been stored in discs and distributed also to each political parties or electoral contestants.
The legislative elections will be held on April 9, 2009 with about 12,000 candidates from 38 political parties vying for 560 House seats. The presidential election meanwhile will be held on July 8 and the newly elected president will be installed in October 2009.
Anshary said KPU was open to inputs with regard to data contained in the DPT. If questionable data are found in the lists, KPU is open for clarifications, he said.
Meanwhile, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also called on the election body to provide explanations with regard to the alleged marked-up voters' lists. He said the government also wished to encourage the General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) and the General Elections Monitoring Committee (Panwaslu) and all parties directly concerned with the preparation of the DPT to give explanations about it to the public.
"Tell the people what the problem really is. Do not let restlessness to occur before the election takes place. Yesterday I asked the coordinating minister for legal, security and political affairs and his staff to discuss steps we have to take to improve the DPT," the president, who held a cabinet meeting to discuss the issue on Monday, said.
"I am monitoring the developments in the community including statements from several political figures impressing that something in the DPT had been wrong. I wish the government will be proactive. It must do what it could to KPU so that what must not happen will not happen to assure a smooth, fair and just election," the president said.***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/13:50/A/O001)
INDONESIA'S EXPORTS TO EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE GROWTH
By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, March 21 (ANTARA) - Based on predictions made by various institutions, Indonesia's exports will experience negative growth this year due to the global economic crisis that has cut people's purchasing power and drives down export volumes.
"Indonesia's exports in 2009 are expected to experience a negative growth of 4.6 percent due to the world economic downturn and decline in commodity prices," Bank Indonesia (BI) Deputy Governor Hartadi A Sarwono said.
Under present circumstances, the prices of most of the export products which are primary commodities have been declining since mid-2008.
Since July 2008, export of plantation products have actually shown signs of crisis as marked by a decline in the prices of agricultural and plantation products like crude palm oil.
Virtually, prices of all commodities are declining. "Exports would experience negative growth because there would be two factors which would continue to fall, namely the volume and the prices all commodities, including oil and gas as well as goods and services," Bambang Prijambodo, macro development planning of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), said.
The Bappenas itself has set higher negative growth in the country's exports. It projected national exports in 2009 would grow by minus six percent.
Bambang Prijambodo said in the non-oil and gas sector the potential decline in export receipts would reach about 20 percent, or about US$21.6 billion, as compared with that of the previous year which stood at US$108 billion.
Actually, exports last year still enjoyed an increase. The country recorded a total export of US$136.76 billion in 2008, almost 20 percent higher than the US$114.1 billion in the previous year, according to a media report.
A high negative growth will force the country to revise its economic growth target. Finance minister Sri Mulyani said her office had noted that exports would decline this year.
So, she said, if the export contraction reached five to 10 percent until the end of the year, target of economic growth would be revised.
"Our scenario is if export contraction until the end of the year reaches minus five or 10 percent, revision on growth will happen," she said.
In the meantime, the Econit Advisory Group predicts that national export growth this year would stand at minus five percent, suggesting that a new breakthrough should be sought amid the ongoing global crisis.
"This year, it is not necessary to expect more from export activity, because growth in this sector will only stand at minus five percent," director of the Econit Hendri Saparini said during the launch of a book on 'Economic Constitution' on Wednesday.
Therefore, the country had to optimize export of each group of specific products and not to export of raw materials.
"Considering that our export is much depending on the exploitation of natural resources, we have to stress on the export of high value-added products," he said.
Sadly, efforts to improve value added products through boosting industry are also hampered by the economic crisis.
Due to the economic crisis, according to secretary general of the Ministry of Industry Agus Tjahajana, Indonesia's industrial sector is expected to grow only between 2.5 and 3 percent.
"We have projected industrial growth at 2.5 to 3.5 percent only, down from about 5 - 7.5 percent in previous years. This is due to the impact of the global financial crisis," Tjahajana.
He said the sub-sector to be affected most was the export-based one. He said about 70 percent of textiles was usually exported while the remaining 30 percent was for domestic demand.
About 50-60 percent of shoes was exported and the rest sold in the domestic market. However, not all of export-based products would collapse because of the big potentials of market at home that could serve as an alternative market.
In order to boost domestic market, the Indonesian government will soon make it obligatory for civil servants, military and police personnel to use domestic products in an effort to improve the performance of national industries.
The industry ministry has already established 21 groups of goods and services that have been able to be produced at home for domestic market covering around 470 kinds of goods and services.
The 21 groups of goods and services that are already produced at home include materials for supporting agricultural products, agricultural machineries, mining supporting equipment, oil and gas supporting equipment, electricity, electronic and telecommunication devices, construction and building materials, factory equipment machineries and construction heavy equipment.
The director general of small and medium-sized industries, Fauzi Aziz, said Administrative Reform Minister Taufik Effendi would soon issue a circular for distribution to all government offices on the requirement to use domestic products.
"Two days ago Industry Minister Fahmi Idris came to the office of the state minister for administrative reform to discuss preparations for the implementation of the circular," he said.
The need to empower domestic market in the face declining exports is also voiced by Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu. To anticipate export decline, she said Indonesia was now seeking new markets and new products for marketing at home.
"With regard to exports the prospect will be gloomy like now. So we must safeguard the domestic market," she said.***2*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/11:55/A/O001)
Jakarta, March 21 (ANTARA) - Based on predictions made by various institutions, Indonesia's exports will experience negative growth this year due to the global economic crisis that has cut people's purchasing power and drives down export volumes.
"Indonesia's exports in 2009 are expected to experience a negative growth of 4.6 percent due to the world economic downturn and decline in commodity prices," Bank Indonesia (BI) Deputy Governor Hartadi A Sarwono said.
Under present circumstances, the prices of most of the export products which are primary commodities have been declining since mid-2008.
Since July 2008, export of plantation products have actually shown signs of crisis as marked by a decline in the prices of agricultural and plantation products like crude palm oil.
Virtually, prices of all commodities are declining. "Exports would experience negative growth because there would be two factors which would continue to fall, namely the volume and the prices all commodities, including oil and gas as well as goods and services," Bambang Prijambodo, macro development planning of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), said.
The Bappenas itself has set higher negative growth in the country's exports. It projected national exports in 2009 would grow by minus six percent.
Bambang Prijambodo said in the non-oil and gas sector the potential decline in export receipts would reach about 20 percent, or about US$21.6 billion, as compared with that of the previous year which stood at US$108 billion.
Actually, exports last year still enjoyed an increase. The country recorded a total export of US$136.76 billion in 2008, almost 20 percent higher than the US$114.1 billion in the previous year, according to a media report.
A high negative growth will force the country to revise its economic growth target. Finance minister Sri Mulyani said her office had noted that exports would decline this year.
So, she said, if the export contraction reached five to 10 percent until the end of the year, target of economic growth would be revised.
"Our scenario is if export contraction until the end of the year reaches minus five or 10 percent, revision on growth will happen," she said.
In the meantime, the Econit Advisory Group predicts that national export growth this year would stand at minus five percent, suggesting that a new breakthrough should be sought amid the ongoing global crisis.
"This year, it is not necessary to expect more from export activity, because growth in this sector will only stand at minus five percent," director of the Econit Hendri Saparini said during the launch of a book on 'Economic Constitution' on Wednesday.
Therefore, the country had to optimize export of each group of specific products and not to export of raw materials.
"Considering that our export is much depending on the exploitation of natural resources, we have to stress on the export of high value-added products," he said.
Sadly, efforts to improve value added products through boosting industry are also hampered by the economic crisis.
Due to the economic crisis, according to secretary general of the Ministry of Industry Agus Tjahajana, Indonesia's industrial sector is expected to grow only between 2.5 and 3 percent.
"We have projected industrial growth at 2.5 to 3.5 percent only, down from about 5 - 7.5 percent in previous years. This is due to the impact of the global financial crisis," Tjahajana.
He said the sub-sector to be affected most was the export-based one. He said about 70 percent of textiles was usually exported while the remaining 30 percent was for domestic demand.
About 50-60 percent of shoes was exported and the rest sold in the domestic market. However, not all of export-based products would collapse because of the big potentials of market at home that could serve as an alternative market.
In order to boost domestic market, the Indonesian government will soon make it obligatory for civil servants, military and police personnel to use domestic products in an effort to improve the performance of national industries.
The industry ministry has already established 21 groups of goods and services that have been able to be produced at home for domestic market covering around 470 kinds of goods and services.
The 21 groups of goods and services that are already produced at home include materials for supporting agricultural products, agricultural machineries, mining supporting equipment, oil and gas supporting equipment, electricity, electronic and telecommunication devices, construction and building materials, factory equipment machineries and construction heavy equipment.
The director general of small and medium-sized industries, Fauzi Aziz, said Administrative Reform Minister Taufik Effendi would soon issue a circular for distribution to all government offices on the requirement to use domestic products.
"Two days ago Industry Minister Fahmi Idris came to the office of the state minister for administrative reform to discuss preparations for the implementation of the circular," he said.
The need to empower domestic market in the face declining exports is also voiced by Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu. To anticipate export decline, she said Indonesia was now seeking new markets and new products for marketing at home.
"With regard to exports the prospect will be gloomy like now. So we must safeguard the domestic market," she said.***2*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/11:55/A/O001)
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