Lampung's geothermal power plant to commence operations in 2015

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 07/13/2011

Lampung is expecting its first ever geothermal-fired power plant, which is currently under construction, to start operating by 2015.

Situated in South Lampung regency, the plant is projected to have a generating capacity of 220 megawatts, or double the current electricity supply for Lampung, which so far has been provided solely by a coal-fired power plant in Tarahan village in the same regency.

It is estimated that the construction project will cost a total of Rp 80 billion (US$9.36 million), South Lampung administration secretary Sutono said Wednesday in Kalianda, Lampung as quoted by Antara.

He said the company would drill in 12 locations to access geothermal energy.

Sutono also said the power plant would be operated by PT Supreme Energy Rajabasa and was expected to create thousands of new jobs, thus helping to improve the local economy.

Govt aims to produce 4,000 qualified sailors a year

Arghea Desafti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 05/25/2011

The Transportation Ministry has announced plans to produce 4,000 sailors annually to meet increasing demand.

“We are currently producing 1,500 [graduates] a year from our state-owned sailing academies [STIP]. Hopefully we can increase the number of graduates to 4,000 next year,” Transportation Ministry Education and Training chief Bobby Mamahit said Wednesday at a discussion on improving the quality of human resources in the transportation sector.

Ministry data reveals that Indonesia will require at least 43,800 new sailors over the next five years.

The ministry is currently operating sailing schools in Jakarta, Tangerang, Semarang, Makassar, Surabaya, Barombong and Serang.

“One of the challenges we face is that we are still seeing graduates preferring to work for companies overseas rather than here in [Indonesia]," Bobby said.

Related Articles:

University rectors invited to formulate fisheries curriculum

Overseas marine industries need 10,000 Indonesian workers per year

Govt To Offer 7,000 Jobs At Int`l Marine, Fisheries Fair

Antara News, Otniel Tamindael, Sat, May 14 2011

Jakarta,  (ANTARA News) - The government will offer at least 7,000 job opportunities in the marine and fishery sector to job seekers at an upcoming International Job Fair on Marine and Fisheries (I`JO F.M 2011).

As part part of the government`s effort to reduce unemployment and to improve the people`s welfare, the I`JO F.M 2011 will be held in Jakarta May 23-25, 2011 to net as many workers as possible.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad said here early this week that many countries had expressed their interest in recruiting Indonesian sailors in overseas marine and fishery related industries.

"Following increasing demand for Indonesian sailors from many countries, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) will make a new breakthrough to accommodate the request," Fadel said on Wednesday.

The maritime affairs and fisheries minister admitted that during his visits to Europe, many shipping companies had told him that they needed a lot of Indonesian manpower for their cruise ships.

Fadel said many countries in Europe needed more Indonesian sailors because their own people were no longer interested in seafaring jobs.

According to him, there were a lot of job opportunities abroad for Indonesian sailors and therefore his office would make a breakthrough by creating a cross-ministerial program in the form of International Job Fair on Marine and Fisheries (I`JO F.M 2011).

The minister explained that his office in cooperation with Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, National Education Ministry, and Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry would organize the I`JO F.M 2011.

Meanwhile, head of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry`s Department of Human Resources Development, Syarief Widjaya, said the I`JO F.M 2011 would be the biggest event this year.

Syarif said the event would be participated in by at least 50 leading national and international companies in maritime and fisheries fields, such as fishing companies, fish farming companies, marine and fisheries product processing companies, labor recruitment agencies and other companies.

The International Job Fair on Marine and Fisheries will be a perfect event for job seekers, marine and fisheries related education and training promotion, consultation, job applicants interview, direct recruitment for job applicants, and for opportunity to go abroad.

Syarif also explained that the national and international leading companies in the I`JO F.M 2011 would provide the Indonesian job seekers with around 7,000 job opportunities.

He said various job opportunities were among others in the fields of fishing, aquaculture, and fishery products processing and marketing would be offered to around 30,000 people who were expected visit the international job fair.

Other sectors to be offered to the job seekers in the fair are coastal regions and small islands management especially the area management and conservation of marine tourism, captains, the crews, vessel mechanics, and chefs, fish packing or canning officers, and fisheries shipping transportation services.

In a bid to arrange and manage the increasing overseas demand for marine and fisheries related manpower from Indonesia, Syarif said the government would soon build a marine manpower office.

"The joint marine manpower office is supported by Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, National Education Ministry, and Transportation Ministry," Syarief Widjaya said.

He said the joint marine manpower office, expected to permanently organize the International Job Fair on Marine and Fisheries every year, would be declared at the closure of the I`JO F.M 2011.

Besides, he added that the office of the cross-ministerial cooperation would also provide Indonesian job seekers in marine and fishery field with information about job opportunities.

He also said a lot of Indonesian sailors were working abroad at present in the fields of shipping sector, fishery management industries, and aquaculture.

Therefore Indonesian Seamen Association (KPI) Secretary Sonny Pattiselano said the government should consider the protection and safety of Indonesian sailors who were working abroad.

Sonny also highlighted the gap between domestic legislation and international policy, and said that there should be well integrated consolidation rules.

"The involvement of labor union in industrial relations in the maritime and fisheries sector should also be taken into account," Sonny said.

According to maritime affairs minister Fadel Muhammad, around 12,000 Indonesian men are currently working on board various ocean liners across international waters.

"There are around 12,000 Indonesian workers on board both domestic and foreign ships which sail across international waters at present," Fadel said in an economic-related dialog on April 12, 2011.

Fadel admitted that he obtained the data about the number after a hijacking incident of an Indonesian ship with 20 crews by Somali pirates in March.

The minister explained that thousands of Indonesian sailors spread in various regions in Asia and Europe.

According to the minister, there were around 2,000 Indonesian sailors in Spain, 600 in Taiwan, and 400 in Thailand, and 3,000 in Japan.

Therefore he said the sailors had been asked to form an association amongst Indonesian seamen.

"I have asked them to form the association and to remain getting in touch with with Indonesian embassies abroad," Fadel said.

Meanwhile, data from Transportation Ministry in 2010 indicated that the Indonesian sailors working abroad could generate foreign exchange to about one billion dollars per year. 

RI-US open energy investment roundtable

Antara News, Tue, May 10 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Darwin Zahedy Saleh and US Ambassador Scot Marciel opened the US-Indonesia Energy Investment Roundtable on May 9 in Jakarta.

According to a press release from the US Embassy to Indonesia received here, Tuesday, the Roundtable is a joint effort between the US and Indonesian governments that focuses on the private sector`s role in supporting Indonesia?s energy security and climate change goals as part of the bilateral Energy Policy Dialogue and US-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership.

Approximately 200 participants representing US and Indonesian businesses, government, and trade associations attended the one-day conference.

The Round-table explored ways in which US and other foreign companies can partner with Indonesia to develop and enhance the country`s renewable energy, oil and gas production, and human development.

The event also highlighted policy options to maximize the private sector`s contribution to Indonesia`s economy and energy security goals.

The Roundtable is an integral part of the US-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership, by which the two nations are working closely on clean and renewable energy as well as other key global challenges.

The Partnership advances cooperation on a wide range of issues such as environment, health, education, science and technology, human rights, and entrepreneurship.

The US and Indonesia have engaged in bilateral energy talks since 1990 and launched the Energy Policy Dialogue in 2005 to reaffirm our bilateral ties to support policy options that enhance energy security for both countries.

The most recent Energy Policy Dialogue was held in June 2010 in Washington, D.C.

Editor: Priyambodo RH

President to launch loan plan for migrant workers

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya | Sun, 12/12/2010

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to launch a loan program for migrant workers during his upcoming three-day visit to Surabaya.

Yudhoyono will be in Surabaya from Monday to Wednesday.

The loan plan for migrant workers aims at providing low interest credit for Indonesians before going overseas for work.

The loans would be provided by state-owned banks Bank Negara Indonesia, Bank Rakyat Indonesia and Bank Mandiri.

Each migrant worker could borrow around Rp 5 million (US$550).

RI admits lack of cooperation with Saudi over migrant workers

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 11/22/2010 9:54 AM

The Indonesian government has admitted it proposed but never signed a draft of a memorandum of understanding intended to improve protection for Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, a top official says.

Manpower and Transmigration Ministry Secretary-General Setyoko said Sunday that Indonesia had a long time ago proposed a legal basis to guarantee protection for Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia.

“We proposed the MoU a long time ago. But, the agreement requires the political will from both parties to sit together and cooperate,” Setyoko said as quoted by Tempointeraktif.com.

Setyoko declined to comment on why both Indonesian and Saudi Arabian had not signed the agreement.

“We keep trying to use our diplomatic channels to talk about the issue. We are still waiting for the outcome of the talks,” he said.

“We will also invite the Saudi Arabian manpower ministry to discuss the draft of the agreement as soon as possible,” he added.

More than 4,300 Indonesian migrant workers were currently facing hardship, ranging from illness to sexual abuse, the Indonesian government said earlier.

That number constitutes 0.1 percent of the total 3.27 million Indonesian migrant workers worldwide.

Related Articles:

Govt to restrict manpower export to Saudi Arabia

Indonesian Minister on Saudi Mercy Mission Is Still Awaiting Visa

Sending Migrant Workers to Countries without Legal Guarantees Must Stop

Govt to improve migrant workers` contracts in S Arabia

Muzadi calls to stop sending housemaids to Saudi

Migrant moratorium a good move: House deputy speaker

Indonesia maid 'killed in Saudi Arabia'

Indonesian Maid in Saudi Hospital in Latest Abuse Case

Saudi King Abdullah leaves for the U.S. for medical treatment

Saudi prince returns as king readies for US treatment

Panasonic Plans Hub in Indonesia

Jakarta Globe, Camelia Pasandaran | August 25, 2010

Jakarta. In a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta on Wednesday, the head of Japanese consumer electronics giant Panasonic confirmed that it planned to move its production base to Indonesia, senior Indonesian government officials said.

Panasonic plans to relocate factories in China to
Indonesia, citing drastically lower labor costs.
(EPA Photo)

Gita Wirjawan, chairman of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), said Panasonic president Fumio Ohtsubo told Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono in separate meetings that the company would move its factories from China and Vietnam to Indonesia to take advantage of lower wages and the booming economy, which is driven by consumer spending.

Gita first revealed that Panasonic was considering such a move in March.

Industry Minister MS Hidayat, who was present at Ohtsubo’s meeting with Boediono, said Panasonic was upbeat about the country’s economic prospects, and would close its factories in China and relocate them here. He did not offer a timeframe or investment value for the move.

“They are committed to making Indonesia the production base for exports as well as for the domestic market,” Hidayat said.

This week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the average wage for factory workers in China is about three times more expensive than in Indonesia — $413 versus $129 a month — while wages in Vietnam were $136.

The report cited research by JP Morgan, CEIC and the International Labor Association.

Rachmat Gobel, the chairman of Panasonic Gobel, the electronics firm’s local unit, also declined to cite an investment value for Panasonic’s factory relocations, saying only that the parent company had been continuously investing in Indonesia, and had already brought the total to $400 million.

Panasonic’s three factories in Indonesia — in Jakarta, Surabaya and Batam — make home appliances, personal electronics and batteries.

“Its current annual turnover [in Indonesia] is $850 million,” Gita said, adding that it is expected to surge to $3 billion by 2014, partly because of its recent acquisition of Sanyo.

Yopie Hidayat, a spokesman for Boediono, said Panasonic told the vice president the company may also develop solar panels domestically.

“It plans to turn houses into self-sufficient energy houses with zero emissions,” Yopie said. “They made the prototype in Japan but are considering whether to develop the industry there or in Indonesia considering the skilled-laborers here and the availability of abundant solar energy. The vice president supports the plan to make Indonesia as the production base, not only as the market.”

“They’re still considering the solar panel development here,” he added. “But the LED factories have been here and there’s also plans to extend the battery production factory.”

Boediono encouraged Panasonic to develop solar energy as it could supply remote regions of the country with electricity.

Gita and Hidayat both said Panasonic’s decision was expected to convince other companies to make Indonesia their production base.

Garuda Indonesia seeking foreign pilots

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 08/24/2010 9:00 PM

State-owned airline Garuda Indonesia is seeking 70 international pilots to develop its training program. The search will last until end of this year.

“The foreign pilots will be brought to Indonesia to help us train new pilot candidates. Hopefully the new pilots will be able operate our aircraft by next year,” operational director Ari Sapari said Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Indonesia’s aviation industry is faced with a shortage of pilots because of an increase in available aircraft.

The government has issued policies to help the industry grow, including allowing recruitment of foreign pilots and extending the pilot retirement age to 60.

Garuda had 670 pilots and co-pilots in 2009. This year the company is expecting 851 pilots and co-pilots to operate its 67 airplanes.

Letter from publisher: Change and continuity at ‘The Jakarta Post’

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 08/03/2010 9:00 AM

In an era where change seems to be the only constant, The Jakarta Post officially installed Meidyatama Suryodiningrat as its fifth Editor-in-Chief effective Aug. 1, 2010.

New boss: New The Jakarta Post chief editor
Meidyatama Suryodiningrat (right) poses with the
Post’s president director Jusuf Wanandi during the
handing over of a letter of appointment. Meidyatama
replaces Endy M. Bayuni as the Post’s editor-in-chief.
JP/Arief Suhardiman

He on Monday officially replaced Endy M. Bayuni, who served with distinction for six years after a career spanning back to the first months of the Post in 1983. Endy steps down with the appreciation of the Board of Directors and shareholders of PT Bina Media Tenggara, publishers of the newspaper.

Meidyatama graduated from Canada’s Carleton University and more recently completed his Fellowship at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

As someone who joined the post in 1993 — the Post’s second decade in existence — Meidyatama represents a generation of journalist bred in the whirlwind of “new media” change, while retaining journalistic qualities that have served this newspaper well.

The challenges that lie ahead for the Indonesian media are both novel and complex. More than just promoting a humane civil society, which has been this paper’s pronounced vision, Meidyatama takes over the helm in an era of transformation both for the nation and its media.

The immediate mission of this organization is to broaden its focus to serve its loyal community

in a multi-platform environment while maintaining the qualities of mature journalism by carrying out a daily conversation advocating for a nation built on values of pluralism, good governance, transparency and justice.

With your loyal support, Indonesia’s oldest and most trusted English-language daily, under the aegis of Meidyatama’s editorship, will evolve to become an agora of ideas, a pillar of the fourth estate and a reference as the journal of Indonesia today.

— The Publisher

ILO organizes hotel training to support Sail Banda

Antara News, Wednesday, July 28, 2010 16:51 WIB

Ambon, Maluku (ANTARA News) - Some 60 youths here are taking part in a three-month hotel training as part of the ongoing Sail Banda 2010.

The training is organized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) representative office in Maluku in its bid to support the international marine event of Sail Banda.

ILO organizes the hotel training in cooperation with six star hotels in Ambon, namely Aston, Swiss Bell, Amans, Manise, Amaris, and Mutiara which were officiated on Monday by local Manpower and Transmigration Office chief Jeri Uweubun.

ILO education and training program coordinator Lucky Lumingkewas said here on Wednesday there were as yet few trained horel workers in Maluku , and therefore the training was necessary.

Lumingkewas said the hotel training, organized by ILO in cooperation with the six star hotels here, was intended to create job opportunity and skilled workers for hotels.

"This three-month training in the form of theory and internships is expected to create skilled hotel workers because we use standard syllabus referring to Indonesian National Working Standard," Lumingkewas said.

Asked why such a training was carried out late while Sail Banda has already started hotel guests start trickling in, Lumingkewas said it was part of their contribution to make the international marine event a success.

"We know that hotel industry in Ambon has just grown following Sail Banda event, and therefore we will continue to contribute to make it a success," he added.

The 60 youngsters participating in the training are taking internship program at Aston Hotel, Swiss Bell Hotel, Amans Hotel, Manise Hotel, Amaris Hotel, and Mutiara Hotel.

Lumingkewas expressed hope that the training would yield skilled manpower in hotel affairs in Maluku, especially in the provincial city of Ambon.

RI chosen for EU study on free trade and jobs

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 07/13/2010 9:24 AM | National 

The ongoing project to assess the effects of trade on employment in Indonesia is expected to support new national trade and labor market policies, a labor official said Monday.

The Assessing and Addressing the Effects of Trade on Employment (ETE) program — a US$4.5 million European Union-funded project —  aims to analyze the effects of free trade on employment.

Indonesia was chosen as a research case because of its huge potential in the economically-active Southeast Asian region, said Ralf Peters, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) chief technical adviser on ETE. 

Bangladesh, Benin, and Guatemala were also chosen for the study The ILO hopes that ETE, which started in 2009 and will run until 2013, will help policy makers and researchers reduce the negative effects of free trade on employment, he said.

“We will start from a theoretical basis, and we will be very practical in implementation later,” Peters said.

The ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA), which went into effect on Jan. 1, will be included in the project assessment, he added.

Peters said the ACFTA would “no doubt” destroy jobs in Indonesia. However, the agreement will also reduce the price of intermediate goods imported from China and give Indonesian companies opportunities to increase exports of other products produced with existing competitive advantages, he said.

The experience of East Java under the ACFTA is not yet clear,  Manpower and Transmigration Ministry analyst Indro Warsito said.

The province recorded an overall trade deficit between March and May and its trade balance with China showed deficits of $39.93 million, $49.31 million, and $102.67 million in the same period.

“It’s premature to say that the agreement negatively affects employment in the province,” he said, adding that the ministry was investigating how many workers had been laid off or furloughed due to the trade agreement.

Warsito said the ACFTA could have a positive impact on employment and that import substitutions could reverse the trend of unemployment and encourage more workers to enter the labor market.

Chris Manning of the Australian National University said people had to look at the effect of trade development at a national level instead of focusing on regional effects.

“Indonesia has great capacity, as it is selling many commodities to the Chinese market,” he said.

Shinta Wijaya of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) said the government should amend labor law to create more business and employment opportunities. She said existing law did not accommodate the rights of workers and employers.

Indonesian laborers are not ready for free trade, as the government still ignores or overlooks fundamental labor problems such as basic workers rights, Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union chairman Rekson Silaban said. (tsy)

Japan needs 117 nurses from Indonesia

Antara News, Wednesday, June 9, 2010 13:31 WIB

Bandung, West Java (ANTARA News) - Japan needs 117 nurses from Indonesia in 2010 to work in various hospitals and nursing houses in the East Asia country, an envoy said.

Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Kajiro Shiojiri made the statement in an opening ceremony of training course for would-be nurses and caregivers, at the Indonesian Education University (UPI), in Bandung, according to an e-mailed press release from the National Agency of Indonesian Manpower Protection and Placement, here, Wednesday.

The governments of Indonesia and Japan have signed Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA), stating, among other things, that Japan needs one thousand nurses to work in the country`s hospitals and caregivers to work in nursing houses.

The Japanese ambassador said his country would need more caregivers for nursing houses than nurses for hospitals as Japan`s population of old ages is increasing in line with the improvement in the people`s live expectancy rate.

Ambassador Shiojiri said his nation would need nurses until five years to come, and the cooperation problem would be evaluated.

The government of Japan hoped that scholarship providers such as The Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS) of Japan, would help better prepare intellectual and skills of Indonesia`s would-be nurses.

Lion and Wings need 120 pilots annually

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 05/28/2010 4:42 PM

Privately run airline companies, Lion Air and Wings Air, need 120 additional pilots annually, an executive of the companies said Friday.

Redi Irawan, operation director of Wing Air, said that the need would be adjusted to the airplane procurement plan by the two companies, which belonged to Rusdi Kirana, over the next several years.

The two companies have thus far employed 550 pilots, including 25 foreign pilots, he said.

Redi explained that in the period between November 2009 and April 2010 his company got delivery of five new airplanes out of the 30 ATR 72-500 airplanes his company ordered until 2013.

Wings, he said, operated 12 airplanes at the moment, consisting of five ATR 72-500, five MD-82 and two Dash 8, while Lion operated 50 airplanes, comprising 34 Boeing 737-900ER, nine 737-400, two 737-300, two 747 series 2, and three MD-90. Until 2015, Lion will add 178 other Boeing 737-900ER.

By the year 2014 Lion and Wings have targeted to own 1,000 pilots to operate all their airplanes.

“As a number of institutions in Indonesia have not been able meet demand of 400 to 500 pilots per annum, we run our own school to help meet pilot demand for Lion and Wings. The rest will be taken from graduates of Curug pilot training school,” Redi said as quoted by kompas.com news portal.

Boediono Confirms Indonesia on Track for 12-Year Education by 2014

Jakarta Globe, Camelia Pasandaran & Made Arya Kencana, May 26, 2010

Vice President Boediono, in white, announced a new education plan at a Denpasar high school. The plan is hoped to prevent students from dropping out after graduating junior high school. (JG Photo/JP Christo)

Denpasar. The government is on track to introduce compulsory 12-year basic education for all Indonesian children by 2014, officials said on Wednesday, with pilot programs expected to begin this year in selected provinces.

Vice President Boediono discussed the ambitious plan during a visit to SMA 1 high school in Denpasar. “We’re committed to rolling out this program in stages, as part of our effort to boost the country’s academic standing,” he told students at the school, which notched the highest average scores in this year’s national exams.

National Education Minister Muhammad Nuh, who accompanied the vice president, said the program could not be implemented immediately because of the relatively high number of students dropping out after junior high school to enter the work force.

“While the 12-year plan would see all children graduate from senior high school, we also have a 17-year plan in mind that would ensure all young people get a college degree,” he said.

He said about 30 percent of students nationwide left school after junior high, although in Bali the rate was 10 percent. The 12-year program is set to be an extension of the current nine-year mandatory basic education program, under which all children are expected to complete junior high school.

Under the existing and proposed programs, tuition is free at state schools, although in practice most schools require parents to contribute to an annual “maintenance fund.”

“We plan to implement the 12-year program nationwide by 2014, but several provinces such as Bali, Jakarta and East Kalimantan will have pilot projects before then,” Nuh said.

Education officials in Bali, the province boasting the highest national exam pass rate, were more cautious about the ambitious deadline to get pilot programs in place by the start of the 2011 school year.

“It’s going to be a challenge to implement the 12-year mandatory basic education program,” provincial education head I Wayan Suasta said.

During Boediono’s visit to the school, the Bali education office received a Rp 3.2 billion ($342,400) fund from the ministries of education and religious affairs to help disadvantaged junior high school graduates continue their studies and to promote Hinduism and Buddhism lessons. Eligible students include the handicapped, religious school graduates and those from low-income families.

“This fund is part of our commitment to maintaining the education sector as the country’s top priority,” Boediono said.

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika said his administration was committed to allocating 20 percent of the provincial budget toward education. He said its 2010 education budget was Rp 369 billion, up from Rp 320 billion the previous year.

He also pledged to maintain the Education Operational Aid (BOP) scheme, under which the province subsidizes low-income junior high school students’ additional fees by Rp 800,000 a month, and Rp 1,000,000 for low-income vocational school students.

“In the future, all students should have at least a senior high diploma,” Pastika said.

Program raises Papuan women’s stature

Markus Makur, The Jakarta Post, Paniai, Papua | Wed, 05/26/2010 10:31 AM | The Archipelago

The move to involve women in community development has gained momentum in Painai regency, Papua, with a training program specifically targeting women.

The Raising Her Voice program is run by the People’s Welfare Development Foundation (Yapkema) in Paniai with Oxfam GB Papua.

It trains 30 women from Mee and Moni tribes from the regency’s three districts — Obano, Enarotali and Bibida — to encourage them to take part in development programs.

One of the women, Emiliana Songgonao, said the program focused on governance and sharing responsibilities between men and women within families, communities and the regency administration.

She said the program helped raise awareness among women in the past year, such as on their rights

to healthcare and education and allowed them to take part in development.

“I understand my rights through the training and I can voice my concern to the Paniai government,” she told The Jakarta Post in Bibida district.

The administration has also backed the program through the recent signing of an MoU with Oxfam and Yapkema on the empowerment of people’s welfare, gender equality in the implementation of public policies, and the improvement of human resources.

However, despite the signing of the MoU at the regency level, the agreed points have not been implemented by officials.

Local health agency secretary Usman Busa said his agency had worked with NGOs, including Oxfam and Yapkema, to improve health services.

In Paniai, he said, his office trained villagers to become volunteers at integrated health centers. The agency runs 136 centers in 10 districts and 70 hamlets across the regency.

The administration, Usman added, also aimed to empower people and improve access to healthcare by setting up community health centers and by assigning midwives to hamlets.

He acknowledged that many of the midwives did not stay long, leaving 80 percent of the posts vacant.

“The problem lies in the high costs, which differ from hamlet to hamlet. Transportation is only possible by renting a plane or helicopter so it’s hard to serve remote villages,” Usman said.

The head of Obano hamlet in Obano district, Hendrik Keya, said poor health services were an issue in the district, with many children suffering from malnutrition and many people dying of diarrhea.

Women in the district, he said, helped deal with the problem by getting actively involved in improving health services, including promoting better nutrition for children and pregnant women, due to a lack of doctors and medical workers.

Raising Her Voice program coordinator from Yapkema in Paniai, Nathan Pigome, told the Post that the program worked by making women aware of their rights in the government and of their equal rights with men in development programs.

The program also empowers people economically. Most area residents earn their living from agriculture.

He said the activities in the three districts were Oxfam and Yapkema’s pilot projects.

“The voices of women from Paniai’s farming communities are heard by the Paniai regency administration. These women also take part in development planning meetings at the village level and higher,” he said.

Police advise residents to be watchful of housemaids

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 05/24/2010 9:37 PM

City Police warn residents to keep an eye on newly recruited housemaids to avoid falling victim of crimes committed by alleged theft syndicates.

City Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said Monday hiring housemaids from licensed agencies or those recommended by their relatives are safer.

“It is also important for employers to make sure their maids have relatives or close acquaintance they can reach or contact anytime,” Boy said.

On Sunday, a resident of Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, lost Rp 30 million (US$3,300), a set of diamond earrings and two cellular phones from her home, all allegedly stolen by her maid, who had only been employed that day.

Jakarta city to set up fire-fighting academy

Antara News, Tuesday, February 2, 2010 20:11 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Jakarta city administration plans to set up a fire-fighting academy to improve the quality of the national capital`s anti-fire human resources, a spokesman said.

The academy would admit students from anywhere in the country and educate them up to Diploma III level.

"In the future, this academy will hopefully become a model other regions in the country can emulate to obtain competent and skilled fire fighters," Paimin Napitupulu, head of Jakarta cirty`s fire-fighting office, said here Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters after receiving a delegation from the Malaysian fire-fighting agency at his office, he said the Jakarta city administration would cooperate with the Malaysian fire-fighting agency and three Jakarta universities to compose the curricula and find the teaching staff for the planned academy.

It would be located in Ciracas, a suburb on Jakarta`s southern outskirts in an area that was formerly used for basic military training.

Paimin said the academy was needed to solve Jakarta`s chronic shortage of trained fire-fighters which now stood at about 4,000 men.

At present the city`s fire-fighting department had a force of 2, 847 men whereas the ideal number to serve Jakarta`s population of 10 million was about 7,521 men, he said.

The shortage of fire-fighters was evident in the field where a fire truck that normally should be manned by six men was in reality operated by only three men, Densely-populated Jakarta is rather prone to fires mostly caused by short circuits in inadequate or sub-standard power line installations.

In January 2010 alone, a total of 47 fires broke out in the Indonesian capital. As many as 30 of the fires were caused by electricity short circuits and total material damage was estimated to total Rp11.31 billion.

The January fires made 437 people or 35 families homeless, killed one person and injured seven others.

RI, Japan eye economic corridor development

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 01/12/2010 8:42 AM

Indonesia is ready to offer two economic corridors to Japan, which will connect hubs and industries between regions to accelerate infrastructure development, foster foreign investment and spur Indonesia’s economic growth.

Indonesia has identified six economic corridors — Eastern Sumatra-North West Java, Northern Java, Kalimantan, Western Sulawesi, East Java-Bali-East Nusa Tenggara and Papua — which will be prioritized for economic development, Deddy S. Priyatna, deputy to the state minister for national development planning, in charge of infrastructure, said Monday after a meeting with Japanese officials.

“North Java and Sumatra are our priorities,” he said, although he did indicate that priorities could shift following a planned meeting in Japan between Indonesian and Japanese businesses in March.

Each of these corridors has their own focus industries.

The Eastern Sumatra-North West Java corridor, for example, has palm oil, rubber and coal as its focus industries.

The North Java corridor will focus on textiles, food products and transport equipment industries.

“The investment mechanism will be in the form of public-private partnerships,” said Deddy.

Deputy Transportation Minister Bambang Susantono said areas in the economic corridors might eventually be similar to special economic zones, offering incentives for businesses operating there.

Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa told a press conference the planned development of the six economic corridors throughout the country would go ahead under the Indonesian Economic Development Corridor (IEDC) project through public-private partnerships.

“Both the Indonesian and Japanese governments have recognized the importance of the IEDC project, which aims for the comprehensive development of industries and infrastructure,” Hatta said.

Indonesia needs almost Rp 2,000 trillion (US$220 billion) in investment between 2010 and 2014 for infrastructure development, with most of those funds expected to come from private investment, according to the National Development Planning Agency.

In 2008, Japan was the third-largest foreign investor in Indonesia, investing $1.37 billion in total for 130 projects, according to the Investment Coordinating Board.

After meeting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the State Palace Masayuki Naoshima, Japan’s Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry, said Japan would continue to invest in Indonesia.

He said the talks did not discuss specific investment figures.

Businessman Rachmat Gobel said Japan’s support would help bolster Indonesia’s competitiveness amid the current tight competition.

“Now we’re facing the ASEAN-China free trade deal we should map our industries.

“Japan has technology and human resources to strengthen our industries so we can compete with China,” he said.

Potential industries to be improved include the technology, automotive, manufacture and energy industries.

More Training Needed by Indonesia's Tourism Industry

Tourism Ministry Official Calls for Greater Involvement in Training by Indonesia's Tourism Associations.

Bali Discovery Tours

(1/11/2010) The Head of the Manpower Development department at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Putu Laksaguna, thinks Indonesia's tourism associations are not doing everything that they can to enhance the competency of tourism workers, still depending on the government to provide training and education.

Quoted by bisnis.com. Laksaguna said: "For the hotel and restaurant sectors, for example, 2% of the money collected from service charge should be used for training. But, in reality, the association entrusted to provide training from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is limited to doing programs such as 'training for the trainers' courses for 30 people at a time in a single tourism destination."

He continued, saying that if the tourism associations do not become more proactive in enhancing the quality of training programs the workers in the provincial areas of Indonesia will suffer the consequences. Eventually, Putu contends, the facilities of the hotels will outstrip the quality of the workers. Because of this, training for hotel and restaurant front liners is critical.

In 2008 the Ministry of Culture and Tourism commenced "Service Excellence Training" in order to increase understanding and performance and equip trainers with a strong work ethic.

The most recent "training of the trainers" programs were undertaken at tourism schools (STPs) in Bandung, Bali and the Academy of Tourism in Medan, each course followed by 20 teachers. Those conducting this training are experts drawn from tourism practitioners, academics and officials from the National Education Department.

The material covered in the training include opening service, basics of quality, managing perception, communication arts, service standards, service breakdown and recovery, high impact presentation skills, role playing and creating an action plan.

Putu warned that the training provided by the government cannot instantly create perfect employees. Because of this, additional training commitment is needed from tourism associations and provincial governments, particularly in key tourism destinations.

The national tourism official charged with manpower development said another factor impeding the development of labor resources are policies tied to the new-found regional autonomy. In many regions the appointment of the head of the local tourism service are individuals without any basic understanding of tourism.

Throughout the course of 2010 the Department of Culture and Tourism will seek to prepare candidates for tourism positions abroad.

Indonesia, Malaysia Still Working on Maid Agreement

Jakarta Globe

Malaysian employers are complaining about the lack of domestic helpers from Indonesia as the two countries work on wrapping up a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) designed to protect workers.

“The next meeting between Malaysia and Indonesia on the issue will hopefully be held here soon, and we are hoping that we can conclude all the discussions and sign the new MoU then,” Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam, Secretary-General of Malaysia's Home Ministry, told the Malaysia Star newspaper.

The Star said there had been numerous public complaints recently over the delay.

Indonesia stopped sending maids to Malaysia in June following public outrage over the case of an Indonesian maid who had been tortured for three years by her Malaysian employer. The countries have been discussing minimum wages and protections for workers.

JG