Bringing the Internet within reach of 100 million Indonesians from 20 kms above Earth

Google Blog, Thursday, October 29, 2015  

In Indonesia today, only about 1 out of every 3 people are connected to the Internet. And even though most of their connections are painfully slow, they’re doing some pretty incredible things. Startups like motorcycle delivery service Go-Jek are building impressive adaptations to Indonesia’s unique challenges, while small businesses like fashionable hijab shop HiJup are using the web to redefine marketplaces.

Still, a majority of Indonesians don’t have access to the educational, cultural, and economic opportunities of the Internet. That’s why we’re pleased to announce that Indonesia’s top three mobile network operators—Indosat, Telkomsel, and XL Axiata—have agreed to begin testing Project Loon balloon-powered Internet over Indonesia in 2016. These tests represent an important step toward bringing all of Indonesia online.

From left to right: Ririek Adriansyah, CEO of Telkomsel; Dian Siswarini, CEO of
XL Axiata; Alexander Rusli, CEO of Indosat; Mike Cassidy, VP of Project Loon;
Sergey Brin, President, Alphabet Inc

Loon balloons act like floating mobile phone towers; flying on the stratospheric winds at altitudes twice as high as commercial planes, each balloon beams an Internet connection down to the ground, and as one drifts out of range, another moves in to take its place. Loon can help telecommunications companies extend their networks; high in the sky, we can help overcome the difficulties of spreading equipment across an archipelago of 17,000 islands of jungles and mountains, providing connectivity to even the most remote islands.

Project Loon balloons travel approximately 20 km above the Earth’s surface in

 the stratosphere. Winds in the stratosphere are stratified, and each layer of wind 

varies in speed and direction. By moving with the wind, the balloons can be 

arranged to form one large communications network

  

Over the next few years, we’re hoping Loon can partner with local providers to put high-speed LTE Internet connections within reach of more than 100 million currently unconnected people—that’s enough speed to read websites, watch videos, or make purchases. From Sabang all the way to Merauke, many of these people live in areas without any existing Internet infrastructure, so we hope balloon-powered Internet could someday help give them access to the information and opportunity of the web.

But it’s not the only step Google is taking toward making the Internet both accessible and useful for people in Indonesia. Android One phones are helping to make high-quality smartphones more accessible in a country where most people first access the Internet on a mobile device. And along with that, we’re working to ease the use of data with features sure as Search Lite, which streamlines search so pages load more quickly, or by optimizing web pages so that they require less data to load. Indonesia is also one of the first countries where YouTube users can take videos offline to watch later during periods of low or no Internet connectivity.

We’re also doing what we can to ensure that language isn’t a barrier to the opportunities of the web. Google Translate was introduced for Bahasa in 2008, and more recently we’ve expanded it to Sundanese, a language that’s spoken by nearly 40 million people living on the island of Java.

Soon we hope many more millions of people in Indonesia will be able to use the full Internet to bring their culture and businesses online and explore the world even without leaving home. And for those of you who’ve never been to this country of rich culture and natural beauty, we invite you to head over to Google Street View to explore the famous temples at Borobudur and Prambanan.

Posted by Mike Cassidy, Vice President, Project Loon

A New Home for Rp 70m? It Might Be Within Reach for Indonesia's Poor

Jakarta Globe, Anita Rachman, March 19, 2012

Model units of the prefab homes that the Ministry of Public Housing
 envisions as an affordable plan to homeownership. Accounting for all
the costs  associated with them, setting up the houses would cost at least
Rp 70 million, with mortgage plans available. (JG Photo/ Afriadi Hikmal)  

       

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Shortly after he was appointed public housing minister in October, Djan Faridz was given a daunting challenge: build Rp 25 million ($2,750) houses for low-ranking civil servants on land provided by the local government.

“I was shocked,” he told the Jakarta Globe in a recent interview. “How can I build a house with only Rp 25 million? And I wanted it to have at least a 36-square-meter [floor area].”

But he soon found an answer in Palembang, South Sumatra. In a trip to the province, he met representatives of Grand Wijaya Persada, a construction company that has been building houses for even less than that amount.

A model cheap house

Inside the ministry compound in South Jakarta, a fully furnished, two-bedroom 45-square-meter model unit now stands.

The basic structure of the prefab house costs Rp 35 million, sans flooring, ceiling and paint, which runs an additional Rp 5 million.

Beside it, a model unit of the Rp 25 million, 36-square-meter version is being built. Visible for now is the steel mold where concrete would be poured into to create the basic structure. But it won’t remain like that for long, because the house can be finished in as little as seven days.

Anyone interested in looking at the model units is welcome at the ministry. Both units have a defined two-bedroom floor plan according to the prefab mold patented by Umar Sumadi, the production head at Grand Wijaya. A single mold can be used to construct as many as 200 houses.

The ministry has already signed a memorandum of understanding with several other ministries committing to help provide civil servants with these cheap houses.

Djan said the project would be done in 60 districts and municipalities across the country, starting off with East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and North Maluku.

The ministry is aiming to build around 7,900 cheap houses in NTT and 2,000 in North Maluku this year, among others.

Rp 70 million dream

The minister, however, is keen on finding a way to make the same cheap houses available to all Indonesians.

“Housing is a serious matter, after food and clothing. But many cannot afford it because it’s remarkably expensive,” Djan said.

According to his ministry’s data, as many as 4.8 million Indonesians today live in dilapidated houses, and more than 11 million people do not have their own homes. And with real estate prices expected to keep rising, chances are these figures will only climb higher.

That’s why the minister’s goal is to give Indonesians a chance to own a home for an affordable Rp 70 million.

Here’s how he sees it: in certain parts of Jakarta’s satellite cities, say Depok, people can still get a 60-square-meter plot of land for less than Rp 20 million.

If the Rp 25 million, 36-square-meter prefab model is built on that land, then for as little as Rp 70 million — including flooring, ceiling, paint, electricity and water installations and other fixtures — an Indonesian family can have a home it can call its own.

“Of course you can also get it elsewhere, anywhere you want,” the minister said. “So if you are outside Java, you can get a house for even less than Rp 70 million.”

Bringing it to the people

The idea is that the ministry will work with developers who can build subdivisions full of these prefab units.

For a housing project to be economically feasible, at least 200 units must be constructed to maximize the use of the mold. Grand Wijaya would earn a 5 percent licensing fee for each socialized housing project.

Indonesians can then buy the houses from these developers at prices determined together with the ministry. Of course, certain conditions, such as that the potential buyer does not own a house yet, have to be met.

The ministry will then help get bank housing loans. For a Rp 70 million house, Djan said the current computation would see a buyer pay Rp 575,000 a month for 15 years.

But it might still be a while before these become a reality, as the ministry hasn’t begun discussions with developers yet.

Real Estate Indonesia chair Setyo Maharso said delivering low-cost homes was not a problem, and the ministry’s plan could be executed in the same way as previous programs.

Doing it in Jakarta, though, would not be easy, he said.

“It’s even quite difficult to build it in Depok. Bogor or Bekasi are still possible, but not here in Jakarta,” he said.

Although he completely supports the policy, he said prefab units were not always ideal.

“Low-income families usually buy a small house, but when they have money, they will build more rooms. But prefab houses are not really flexible for modifications,” he said.

Priyo Suprobo, a structural engineer with the Sepuluh November Institute of Technology (ITS), agreed. He said modifying a prefab structure would be difficult, and that the lack of flexibility was a major weakness.

Another is that people could not embed electrical wiring into the walls.

But Priyo still believes this kind of model can help low-income families solve their housing problems, “especially if the ministry provides a subsidy,” he said.

Will people buy?

Ridwan, a security guard in an office building in Kuningan, currently rents a house in Kedoya in Kebun Jeruk, West Jakarta, with his wife and child for Rp 350,000.

Hearing about the Rp 70 million house made him happy and hopeful. “I think it’s affordable, and 36 square meters looks decent enough,” he said.

On the other hand, Afrizal, a single 24-year-old noddle seller in Lenteng Agung, felt the Rp 575,000 amortization per month was still out of reach.

“It’s already hard to make ends meet,” he said.

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Australia supports RI focus on achieving MDGs

Antara News, Sat, February 4 2012 

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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - With three years until the world needs to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Indonesian Government, with Australia`s support, is focused on progress throughout the archipelago.

Australian Embassy media release in its official website early this week said the Australian Government, through its aid program (AusAID), was strongly supporting Indonesia in achieving the MDGs by being Indonesia`s largest development partner.

As part of this commitment, AusAID is sponsoring the Indonesian Government`s MDG Awards, and participating in an exhibition showcasing MDG achievements at the Balai Kartini Convention Center, on January 31 and February 1, 2012.

The MDG Awards will recognize individuals and organizations making a substantial contribution towards achieving the MDGs. These awards will also inspire further action to tackle poverty and other development challenges in Indonesia.

"Indonesia is making substantial progress helping poor people improve their incomes and access food, ensuring children go to school, supporting women and making childbirth safer, but there`s still a lot more work that needs to be done," said the head of AusAID in Indonesia, Jacqui De Lacy.

"By recognizing those making a difference, we will encourage more Indonesians to accelerate efforts on achieving the MDGs including improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS and ensuring environmental sustainability," added De Lacy.

The exhibition, which is open to the public, will promote the work of Indonesian Government departments, international development partners, members from the private sector and local and international NGOs.

The MDG Awards are hosted by the Office of the Special Envoy of the President for the MDGs and in cooperation with Metro TV.

Australia is allocating an estimated A$558.1 million in 2011-12 for its development program in Indonesia. Australian aid programs have already created over 330,000 new school places for students, trained over 5,000 health workers and connected nearly 350,000 people to water and sanitation networks.

Editor: Priyambodo RH

Telkomsel allocates CSR funds for peoples’ empowerment

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Sun, 10/02/2011

Indonesian telecommunication giant Telkomsel has spent 65 percent, or Rp 18 billion, of its Rp 28 billion (US$ 3.16 million) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) budget. The assistance has been committed to community empowerment programs, a company official said on Sunday.

“We have been using the funds to support student capacity building initiatives in schools throughout the country. We are likely to continue with these endeavors because we have received consistent positive feedback,” Telkomsel CSR general manager Tubagus Husniyullah said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Tubagus said Telkomsel was particularly focused on regions recovering from disaster and assisting the organization of activities intended to support local residents during their recovery stages.

Freeport familiarizing Jayapura schoolers with environmental awareness

Antara News, Thu, September 8 2011

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Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - PT Freeport Indonesia in cooperation with the Jayapura City administration is conducting a program to familiarize local primary and secondary school students with environment-related subjects under the theme "Towards Environmentally Aware Schools."

The head of the PT Freeport Indonesia representative office, Anthon Raharusun, said here Wednesday the program was a manifestation of the company`s constant attention to the environment and part of its efforts to work in partnership with local stakeholders.

"We have been doing a lot of cooperation with various parties as well as local administrations and private sectors, not only in Papua but also throughout Indonesia, especially in terms of environmental problems. Because PT Freeport Indonesia is concerned about the environment," he said.

He also hoped the cooperation with the Jayapura city administration can be done continuously in the future, not just familiarization for schools but also for regional task force units.

"All parties who wish to conserve the environment can cooperate with Freeport," he said.

The supervisor for environmental awareness and education of PT Freeport, Jimmy Rumainum, said the environmental awareness familiarization program for primary and junior high school students was also aimed at creating an environment-based school (locally named Adiwiyata).

"The activity itself in Jayapura city is still in its early stage but in Mimika district and several other areas in Papua it was in an advanced stage. In fact, in Mimika there is already an Adiwiyata school," he said.

Meanwhile, the vice mayor of Jayapura city, Nur Alam, on behalf of the city administration welcomed the concept of cooperation and initiatives offered by PT Freeport Indonesia.

Moreover, the administration has outlined the Five-Year Development Program (2011-2016) of Jayapura City, among others, the Clean and Beautiful City, and Lighting the City in the night.

"Many things can be supported by PT Freeport as a world class company. We hope the activities that give positive values ​​such as this can become a sustainable program," he said.

The Freeport program is highly synergistic with Jayapura city administration`s work program, so it can join hands to save the environment in Jayapura city area," he added.

Editor: Jafar M Sidik

2m poor elementary students to get scholarships

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Wed, 07/27/2011

The National Education Ministry says it has allocated Rp 762.2 billion (US$89.9 million) this year for BSM-SD scholarships for about 2.04 million poor elementary school students nationwide.

Students from first to fifth grade will be entitled to the scholarships, which are worth Rp 360,000 per student and will be disbursed between July and December.

Ministry director for elementary schools Ibrahim Bafadal said Tuesday in Jakarta the scholarships were meant to help poor parents purchase stationery, uniforms and other school-related items for their children.

School operating costs, meanwhile, are covered by the School Operational Aid (BOS) funding program, Ibrahim said.

The numbers of students to be granted scholarships in each municipality/regency has been set based on several indicators such as poverty levels and geographical conditions, he added.

“Each municipality and regency will then select schools that will receive BSM-SD scholarships. Then a team will be sent to ask for a list of the students that have been nominated to receive the scholarships at each school,” Ibrahim said as quoted by kompas.com.

Indonesia torture case vs Exxon Mobil revived

Reuters, by Jonathan Stempel, NEW YORK, Fri Jul 8, 2011

(Reuters) - Indonesian villagers who accused Exxon Mobil Corp's security forces of murder, torture and other atrocities have regained their right to sue the giant oil company in the United States.

A federal appeals court said on Friday that companies are not immune from liability under a 1789 U.S. law known as the Alien Tort Statute for "heinous conduct" allegedly committed by its agents in violation of human rights norms.

The 15 villagers contended in their lawsuit that family members were killed and that others were "beaten, burned, shocked with cattle prods, kicked, and subjected to other forms of brutality and cruelty" amounting to torture in Indonesia's Aceh province between 1999 and 2001, a period of civil unrest.

A divided panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said Exxon Mobil should be forced to defend against such charges.

Given that laws in civilized nations hold corporations responsible for lesser wrongs, "it would create a bizarre anomaly to immunize corporations from liability for the conduct of their agents in lawsuits brought for shockingly egregious violations of universally recognized principles of international law," Judge Judith Rogers wrote for a 2-1 majority.

Friday's decision reversed part of a ruling by the federal district court in Washington, D.C.

It is also at odds with a landmark ruling last September by the federal appeals court in New York, raising the prospect that the U.S. Supreme Court could try to resolve the dispute.

"The ruling basically says that corporations are not above the law," said Jennifer Green, a University of Minnesota law professor and director of that school's human rights litigation clinic, who submitted a brief on the plaintiffs' behalf. "When corporations have knowledge that they are aiding and abetting human rights abuses, they can be held liable in a U.S. court."

Exxon Mobil, based in Irving, Texas, said it is reviewing Friday's decision, calling the plaintiffs' claims "baseless." Indonesia's government has also opposed the lawsuit.

"NOT ABOVE THE LAW"

The villagers sought to hold Exxon Mobil responsible for having retained soldiers from Indonesia's military as guards for a natural gas facility in Aceh, despite knowing of past human rights abuses by Indonesia's army and that the contract would lead to human rights violations against Aceh villagers.

In its ruling, the D.C. Circuit also upheld the district court dismissal of claims under a different law, the Torture Victim Protection Act.

It returned the case to that court, where a jury could decide liability and any compensatory or punitive damages.

"We have fought these baseless claims for many years," Exxon Mobil spokesman Patrick McGinn said in a statement.

"While conducting its business in Indonesia, ExxonMobil has worked for generations to improve the quality of life in Aceh through employment of local workers, provision of health services and extensive community investment. The company strongly condemns human rights violations in any form."

Agnieszka Fryszman, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said the decision makes clear that corporations would be "as liable as anyone else" for violating international human rights norms.

DISSENT

Friday's decision puts the D.C. Circuit in agreement with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

It also put both courts at odds with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which said companies are not liable in U.S. courts for violating international human rights law.

That case was brought against Royal Dutch Shell Plc by the families of seven Nigerians executed by a former military government. They accused Shell of helping Nigerian authorities violently suppress protests against its oil exploration and development in the 1990s. [ID:nN04244684]

The 2nd Circuit decision applies in New York, Connecticut and Vermont.

Judge Brett Kavanaugh dissented from Friday's decision, saying it would be "quite odd" for a U.S. court to allow Alien Tort Statute claims against a corporation based on customary international law, when no international tribunals would.

He also said the ruling could harm U.S.-Indonesian relations, and perhaps damage the war on terrorism.

Kavanaugh was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush. Rogers and Judge David Tatel, who comprised the majority, were appointed by President Bill Clinton.

Exxon shares closed up 6 cents at $82.42 on the New York Stock Exchange.

The case is John Doe VIII et al v. Exxon Mobil Corp et al, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 09-7125.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel; additional reporting by Anna Driver in Houston and James Vicini in Washington, D.C.; editing by Tim Dobbyn, Andre Grenon and Matthew Lewis)

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Australian govt expands bridge school partnership program

Antara News, Wed, June 1 2011 

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Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Australia`s Ambassador to Indonesia, Greg Moriarty, on Wednesday announced the continuation of the Australia-Indonesia Building Relations through Intercultural Dialogue and Growing Engagement (BRIDGE) program, the Australian embassy said in its media release on Wednesday.

The ambassador announced the program during a visit to SMAN 15 Surabaya, one of the first Indonesian schools to join the program in 2008.

"Australia is committed to building stronger people-to-people links between Australian and Indonesian schools to increase knowledge and understanding of our two countries," said Ambassador Moriarty.

This new $3.6 million, five-year program will forge more than 80 new school partnerships and involve more than 3,500 Australian and Indonesian teachers and more than 100,000 students through information technology, social networking tools, school visits and on-line training sessions. Four schools from Surabaya, Malang and Kediri have joined the new program, bringing the total number of BRIDGE schools in East Java to fourteen.

"The BRIDGE program has worked with the private sector and communities to deliver education benefits to thousands of teachers and students in Australia and Indonesia. The first phase of BRIDGE built people-to-people links between more than 90,000 Australian and Indonesian students and thousands of teachers," said Ambassador Moriarty.

"Being a part of BRIDGE has been a great benefit to our school. It has meant our students have been more motivated to learn English and are able to use ICT more confidently. Our students are looking forward to visiting our partner school Kormilda College in Darwin later this year to share and participate in learning and cultural activities," said SMAN 15 BRIDGE teacher Ali Gufron.

The program is funded by the Australian Government in partnership with The Myer Foundation and delivered by the Asia Education Foundation and Australia-Indonesia Institute.

The new program will be run in 12 Indonesian provinces and 8 Australian states and territories.

Editor: Aditia Maruli

PLN to install solar panels for 340,000 customers

Rangga D. Fadillah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 04/08/2011

State electricity utility PT PLN has targeted to install solar panels for 340,000 new customers in eastern Indonesia this year with a total investment of around Rp 1.2 trillion (US$138.76 million), a senior official reveals.

PLN operational director for eastern Indonesia Vickner Sinaga said Friday that using solar panels was the best solution to provide electricity to people living in less developed areas in the eastern part of the country.

“By using solar panels, customers only need to pay Rp 35,000 per month to PLN. The price is cheaper compared to Rp 90,000 each family has to spend per month to buy kerosene for petromax lamps,” he told reporters at a media briefing at his office in Jakarta.

Currently, 1,234 customers in eastern Indonesia use solar panels in their houses, Vickner said. New customers should not worry about funds to buy the solar panels because PLN would provide them free of charge, he added.

“The price of a solar panel package is Rp 3.5 million comprising the panel, pipes, cables and three lamps. PLN will provide customers with the package,” he explained.

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Nickel processing plant to be built in SE Sulawesi

Antara News, Saturday, December 25, 2010

Kendari (ANTARA News) - The Southeast Sulawesi provincial administration established cooperation with foreign and national companies to build a nickel processing plant in the region.

"The cooperation is contained in a memorandum of understanding between Jilin Horoc Nonferrous Metal Group Ltd of China and PT Billy Indonesia on December 15, 2010," Southeast Sulawesi Governor Nur Alam said here on Thursday.

Nur said under the MoU, Jilin will keep 100 million US dollars at Bank Pembangunan, Southeast Sulawesi office, before building a stainless steel plant.

He said the cooperation is aimed at managing the nickel potential in the region, including southeast Sulawesi, and the potential in the thousands of hectares of mining fields under the control of PT INCO but still unprocessed.

He said the cooperation is an implementation of Law No 4 of 2009 on mineral and coal mining which does not export the mining products in the form of basic material.

"Thus we no longer export ferro nickle in its raw material, but after processing first, so that it produced a relatively high added value," he said.

This cooperation is expected to boost the region`s income in the form of tax and provide employment to locals, and therefore beneficial to the government and for the welfare of the people, especially those living near the mines, without harming the environment.

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).

Government to Fund Poor Students

Tempo Interactive, Wednesday, 08 December, 2010

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Djoko Santoso, director of Higher Education said the National Education Ministry will grant scholarships to students from low-income families. The Ministry has issued Government Regulation no. 66/2010 on Education Management and Organization, requiring state universities to allocate 20 percent of seats for students from the low-income group. The government, he said, will also fund their living costs and the tuition, Djoko said yesterday.

One of the universities already applying for this policy is the Tenth November Institute of Technology (ITS) Surabaya.

ITS Rector Priyo Suprobo said the cost of living will be borne by the campus, the foster parents, or sponsorship from various companies.

Meanwhile, the entire tuition will be borne by ITS.

Every month, ITS will disburse Rp500.000 per student. Meanwhile, the student will get at least Rp500.000 from the foster parent or a minimum of Rp750.000 from a sponsoring company. “Each student will get a cost of living assistance from a grantor,” Priyo said.

The cost of living, he said, varies from Rp150.000 to Rp2 million per month. The smallest amount is the Supersemar scholarship totaling Rp150.000 per month. ITS allows the grantee to receive other scholarships because Rp150.000 is not enough to cover their cost of living.

However, he said students who get a living cost from ITS, foster parent, or other scholarship whose amount is bigger than the Supersemar, will not be allowed to seek other forms of assistance.

According to Priyo, the scholarship will be annulled if the student’s score declines for two consecutive semesters. “Their score cannot be below 2,75,” he said.

Priyo did not mind the government’s policy requiring universities to allocate 20 percent of the seats for students from the low-income group.

CORNILA DESYANA

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Norway to give $1.65m to boost women’s role in politics

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 11/04/2010 5:30 PM | World

In an effort to strengthen the status of Indonesian women in politics and enhance their role in democratic governance, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday signed a cooperation agreement with The Asia Foundation in Indonesia.

“Norway was happy to continue its partnership with Asia Foundation in strengthening the voices and involvement of Indonesian women in politics ,” Norwegian Ambassador to Indonesia Eivind S. Homme said in a press release sent to The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

“Much has been achieved, and we want to be there to offer further support in this progress with women actively taking part in shaping the future of their society and nation”.

Norway will provide US$1.65 million to the activities organized under this cooperation agreement. The agreement was signed by Ambassador Homme and The Asia Foundation representative for Indonesia Robin Bush at the Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday.

The three-year program, according to the press release, will focus on achieving increased capacity of women lawmakers at national level and in Aceh, East Java and South Sulawesi provinces. -- JP

Herbal Plants to be Cultivated in Perhutani Areas

Tempo Interactive, Tuesday, 28 September, 2010 | 20:41 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Semarang: Agriculture Minister Suswono said herbal plant farmers can use the state forest company, Perhutani’s space to cultivate herbal plants. Suswono was responding to farmers’ complaints about the little area they had to work on. “Please contact the local Perhutani to use the land for herbal plantations,” Suswono said during a meeting dialog with farmers in Ungaran, Semarang, yesterday.

Suswono said Perhutani has a program called “Managing Forests Together with the People,” through which farmers are allowed to utilize Perhutani areas to plant herbal plants among the existing hard plants. Seman, a farmer from Karanganyar, complained about the lack of area for herbal plant cultivation. “If only the farmers had the space and enough capital, the welfare of medicinal plant farmers would improve,” he said.

SOHIRIN

New legal network for the underprivileged

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 08/06/2010 9:45 PM

More than 150 lawyers, activists and public investigators have formed the Public Interest Lawyer Network (PIL-Net) aimed at providing free services to marginalized people.

The new organization is backed by several human rights NGOs, such as Elsam, Huma and Sawit Watch.

“We are here to assist those who are currently in battle with the state or big business entities and feel that they receive no fair treatment,” PIL-Net board member Indriaswari Saptaningrum told a press conference Thursday.

PIL-Net secretary Wahyu Wagiman said that the network would focus more on providing free service in the regions, which often witnessed conflict between locals, state officials and big companies.

“We will immediately release the names of our public lawyers so that the people who need our services can contact us,” he said.

The joint secretariat will be temporarily housed at Elsam headquarters, in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta

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Soetarti Sukarno, right, has won her case — and evaded a jail sentence — after legal action launched by state pawnshop company PT Perum Pegadaian. (JG Photo/Safir Makki)

Justice for all

Grandma Minah, a villager living near Purwokerto, Central Java is embraced by actor Butet Kertaredjasa after receiving a cacao seedling from the anticorruption organization Kompak in Jakarta on Monday. The woman, who made newspaper headlines after a local court sentenced her to 45 days in jail for stealing three cacao pods from a plantation company, was named one of Kompak’s People of the Year. JP/Nurhayati

Telkomsel on track to book 100 million connections

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 08/03/2010 9:54 AM | Business

Cellular operator Telkomsel’s total number of mobile connections reached 88 million as of June this year, an increase of about 30 percent from the same month last year, the company’s senior executive says.

President director Sarwoto Atmosutarno said in Jakarta on Monday that with the significant increase in connections in the first half of the year, he was upbeat the company would achieve its target of establishing 100 million connections by the end of 2010.

He said the significant increase in total connections during the first half of the year was partly attributable to the launch of several new products.

Sarwoto said Telkomsel’s Simpati PeDe product, which offers discounts for calls and text messages to and from other PeDe simcards, and Jagoan Duo, which offers free calls and text messages, had been received well by customers.

“Besides the products, the increase has also been supported by the expansion of Telkomsel’s networks,” he said during the launch of a service called Telkomsel Siaga in Jakarta.

Telkomsel Siaga will help customers plan their trips to their hometowns during the Idul Fitri holiday season by providing various kinds of information services, including Ovi Maps and Google Maps, Traffic Monitoring 9119 for video traffic monitoring and information on locations of nearby ATMs, banks, gas stations, restaurants, hotels and police offices.

“Our applications will be easy to access using broadband,” Sarwoto said, adding that this year’s

program would be different because it would focus on broadband services.

Under the program, Telkomsel, in cooperation with Takaful Safari Insurance and Jiwasraya Staco Insurance will also provide accident insurance worth up to Rp 100 million (US$11.200) for its customers who buy policies through its T-Cash service.

To support the program, Telkomsel will also cooperate with several government institutions, including the police, transportation agencies, shipping company PT Pelni, travel agencies and 28 authorized sellers of cellular phones and motorcycles.

In cooperation with these parties, Telkomsel will establish 802 posts in Java and Sumatra providing a variety of services, including sales of SIM cards, food and beverages, porter services, healthcare and auto workshop services for Telkomsel’s customers traveling to their hometowns. (map)

Related Article:

‘Wartel’ falling victim to cellular services

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

Newmont sets aside $30 million for CSR

Antara News, Sunday, July 11, 2010 15:28 WIB

Kuta, Bali (ANTARA News) - PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (PTNNT),  local subsidiary of US mining giant Newmont, has allocated US$38 million in funds for corporate social responsibility (CSR) program this year.

The funds would be used to finance community development near mining sites and in the rest of West Nusa Tenggara province, Kasan Mulyono, the company`s public relations manager, said at a mining workshop here on Sunday.

Part of the funds would be used to develop a number of schools which would be part of Islamic Center in West Nusa Tenggara, renovate Jami At-Taqwa Mosque in Sumbawa and develop a referential hospital, he said.

"Through the various activities, the people can hopefully benefit much from the presence of PTNNT in West Nusa Tenggara," Kasan said.

He said since the company started operating in the province a few years ago it had contributed a lot to the economic sector by paying taxes and royalties and increasing its spending on locally-made goods.

In the 2000-2009 period, the company paid US$413 million in taxes and royalties, he said.

PTNNT Community Development Manager Wagimin Sastrahadi said the company planned to increase the number of local students receiving scholarships from the company this year.

The scholarships this year would target 1,540 students, he said.

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.