HOLDING COMPANY MUST IMPROVE PEOPLE'S WELFARE

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 31 (Antara) - The government is planning to establish a number of holding companies for state-owned firms (BUMN) in certain business sectors, such as in the areas of toll road construction, finance, health and energy.          Companies operating in each of these sectors will respectively have their own holding companies. However, an economic law expert has warned that the holding companies should operate based on the 1945 Constitution as per which priority should be given to improving the welfare of the Indonesian people.          One such government-established holding company is state-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina which will serve as a holding company in the energy sector.          Economic law expert Juajir Sumardi advised that the establishment of Pertamina as a holding company in the energy sector, particularly oil and gas, should be based on the amended 1945 Constitution.          Moreover, oil and gas are a natural wealth and must be used in people's interest. These resources should be exploited to make the people more prosperous.          "Oil and gas are strategic natural resources and the state has the authority over them in Indonesia," Juajir, chairman of the Economic Law Study Center of the Makassar-based Hasanuddin University,  pointed out at a national seminar at the Pertamina building here on Tuesday.

INDONESIA POPULARIZES ITS CUISINE ON WORLD STAGE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 31 (Antara) - Indonesia, with its at least 300 ethnic groups and over 1,300 tribes, is surely rich in local delicacies and special dishes that could make the country popular in the world when it comes to culinary products.          Some popular Indonesian dishes such as nasi goreng (fried rice), gado-gado (vegetable salad), sate (small pieces of meat roasted on skewer/satay), and soto (soup) are ubiquitous in the country and considered Indonesia's national dishes.          Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said various Indonesian special culinary products had gone international and some were liked by world leaders such as United States President Barack Obama who liked 'bakso' (meat ball soup).          "The presence of many Indonesian restaurants in various countries is a testament to the fact that Indonesian delicacies are popular at the global level," the minister remarked in Jakarta on Monday.          Yahya noted that Indonesian culinary products were not inferior to those of China, Japan, South Korea, India, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia as the country has a varied range of cuisine. Indonesia needs to now package these dishes, so that these can have huge commercial and cultural value.

HOUSE EXPECTED TO WRAP UP DEBATES ON TAX AMNESTY BILL

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 31 (Antara) - The government has expressed hope that the House of Representatives (DPR) would have wrapped up deliberations on the tax amnesty bill at the end of May or early in July, 2016.          "We hope that the DPR would have reached an agreement on the draft law of the tax amnesty at the end of this month or early in July before the recess of the House ended," Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Thursday last week.          Deliberations on the tax amnesty bill are still undergoing at the Parliament and are focusing on technical matters such as the use of revenues obtained from the repatriation of the overseas assets.           The implementation of  a tax amnesty law  is expected to encourage disobedient tax-payers --who have so far stashed assets abroad-- to repatriate their funds into the country. The government hope to receive funds from redemption and declaration of the repatriated assets.          "Basically, the DPR in general will not object to it. There will be improvement in the draft law, so let us wait for it. Most of the deliberations in the Parliament focused on the tariff details, mechanism of its implementation and how to accommodate the funds if the money is coming in," the vice president explained.

GOVERNMENT PRIORITIZES REGIONS FOR RAILWAY PROJECTS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 27 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is focusing on developing railway projects outside Java in an effort to improve transportation and establish connectivity among regions across the country.          Regions outside Java are being accorded priority in railway development as part of the government's endeavor to ensure equitable development and boost national economy through increased connectivity among the regions.          "The railway projects being taken up on priority are not in Java. In fact, priority is being accorded to eastern regions. Therefore, we want to first complete the work on the Trans Sumatra and Trans Sulawesi projects as soon as possible," Director General of Railways Prasetyo Boeditjahjono stated at a function in Jakarta on Thursday.          In order to implement the Trans Sumatra and Trans Sulawesi railway projects, the government is expected to cooperate with China. This month, the Directorate General of Railways will submit documents containing details of the Trans Sumatra and Trans Sulawesi projects to China.

NEW GAS REGULATION EXPECTED TO BOOST GROWTH

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 26 (Antara) - The government has issued a new ruling in the form of Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 40/2016 on gas price adjustment to boost economic growth and increase the consumption of gas at home.          The new ruling is also expected to add to the national industry's competitive edge through effective and efficient gas supplies.          The Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKK Migas) welcomed the signing of Presidential Regulation No.40/2016 on Natural Gas Price.          SKK Migas Deputy Chairman Zikrullah said on Thursday (May 19) that the new regulation, facilitating price adjustments, is expected to increase downstream gas consumption.          "I have heard that the Presidential Regulation (Perpres) on gas pricing has been issued. This means that downstream gas consumption will increase as there will be a price adjustment," Zikrullah said.

INDONESIA LAUNCHES PROMOTIONS TO LURE THAI TOURISTS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 26 (Antara) - Indonesia is conducting tourism promotional activities both at home and in Thailand in a bid to attract some 200 thousand tourists from its neighboring country this year.          The activities carried out by Indonesia to attract Thai tourists include promoting its premier golfing destinations, organizing promotional activities in various strategic tourist destinations in Thailand, and holding a "Thailand Corner" event at home to popularize Thai culinary arts and culture in Indonesia.          Deputy for International Tourism Marketing Development of the Tourism Ministry I Gde Pitana stated in Jakarta on Wednesday that his ministry was conducting various promotional activities in Thailand to achieve its target to attract 200 thousand Thai tourists.          Some of the promotional activities will be held at the Platinum Fashion Mall in Bangkok on May 27-29, 2016, Pitana remarked.          Moreover, the Ministry of Tourism had also promoted Indonesia's premier golfing destinations at the Thailand Golf Expo held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, on May 12-15.          "Indonesia is a paradise for golfers as they can play all year round since the game is not affected by seasonal changes," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya noted in a press statement recently on May 13.

BULOG UPBEAT ABOUT FOOD STOCKS FOR FASTING MONTH

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, May 25 (Antara) - State-owned Logistics Board (Bulog) is optimistic that food commodities, such as rice, shallots, beef and other basic necessities, will continue to be available in the market during the month of Ramadan which begins June 6.          In order to keep prices at home stable, the government is likely to import certain commodities. Prices often tend to increase during the fasting month of Ramadan.         "We have assigned a state-owned company to import these commodities in order to keep the prices down, particularly in view of the fasting month and subsequent Eid el-Fitr or Lebaran festivities," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution said after chairing a coordination meeting on food prices in Jakarta on Tuesday.          Bulog, however, was upbeat about its ability to meet the need for foodstuffs during Ramadan and the post-fasting Eid ul-Fitr festivities.          Bulog Procurement Director Wahyu told a coordination meeting at the office of the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs that  the rice procured by the board till Monday (May 23) had reached 1.3 million tons.