KNPI to hold int’l climate change conference

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 01/10/2011

The National Committee of Indonesian Youth (KNPI) will hold an international youth conference on climate change to involve participants from 120 countries in February.

The event will take place between Feb. 19 and 27 at several venues at Senayan Sports Complex in Central Jakarta. Beside seminars, the event will also take participants on field trips to three national parks: Tanjung Puting in Central Kalimantan, Takabonerate in South Sulawesi and Komodo in East Nusa Tenggara.

Chairman Ahmad Doli Kurnia said that his organization wanted to communicate the issue of climate change to young Indonesians. He said that Indonesians should be the leaders of climate change, because the country had one of the largest forests in the world.

“We are targeting to have 200 to 250 participants. We will involve related stakeholders such as NGOs and youth organizations. We will also involve foreign students or expatriates living in Jakarta to support the event,” he said.

For registration or further information about the event, the public can log on to the official website at iyfcc.org.

Al Gore to deliver lecture to 300 people in Jakarta

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 01/09/2011

Nobel laureate and former US vice president Al Gore would be in Jakarta for three days, during which time he is scheduled to give 10-minute lecture before 300 training participants at the Jakarta Convention Center on Sunday.

His schedule also includes meetings with several Indonesian ministers, and perhaps President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Gore would address practical solutions that could be implemented at the grassroots level to deal with the impacts of climate change.

Indonesian business people and members of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) are also slated to participate in discussions on the hazards of climate change.

Gore’s main agenda this time in Indonesia is to train some 300 participants from the Asia-Pacific region on Sunday. The participants were selected from a field of some 1,200 candidates.

Gore last visited Indonesia to attend the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Bali in 2007.

The participants, collectively known as The Climate Project, or TCP Presenters, will then relay Gore’s presentation, which is based on his award-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, and his recent book Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis, to their respective local communities.

“Climate change education is of key importance to people living in the Asia-Pacific region, many of whom face the very real risk of becoming displaced in the coming decades,” Gore said on his official website www.theclimateprojectus.org.

“TCP Presenters can help educate and inform citizens to take an active role in their communities to help solve the climate crisis.”

This will be the first training session conducted by Gore in Indonesia. The occasion was co-organized by The Climate Project Indonesia (TCPI), which was established in 2009.

Indonesia is categorized as one of the nations most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change with millions of citizens living along coastal areas and employed in the agriculture sector, which had experienced the most immediate impacts of extreme weather changes.

National Council on Climate Change (DNPI) chief Rachmat Witoelar said that Gore’s visit could inspire more Indonesians to take real action to deal with impacts of climate change.

“We are facing a lack of awareness of climate change issues among the people,” Rachmat told reporters on the sidelines of the first training day for climate presenters on Saturday, adding that adequate public awareness could help push the government to make environmental preservation the foundation of future economic development.

“Indonesia needs to change the paradigm on economic development by taking the environment and climate change impacts into account, or else development would not be sustainable, he said.

TCP Indonesia manager Amanda Katili Niode said that public awareness had been on the rise since the establishment of the TCPI.

Indonesia currently has 71 presenters directly trained by Gore in Australia, the US and China. There are presently over 3,000 Gore-trained presenters in 57 countries.

“The TCPI has so far recruited some 1,000 volunteers who would spread climate change issues to their communities,” she said. Volunteers are local community members who have received instruction from Gore-trained presenters.

One of the presenters elected from Jakarta, Nana Firman, who is also an urban designer and environmental activist, expressed hope that Gore’s training would help her initiate change in Indonesia to avoid the potentially catastrophic impacts of climate change.

“I plan to be an advocate for this work at this important time,” she said.

Former US vice president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore delivering his speech at the Asia-Pacific summit for the climate project in Jakarta on Sunday. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Related Articles:

Al Gore Praises Yudhoyono, Cites Indonesia's Geothermal Potential

Al Gore praises Yudhoyono on green house gas emissions cuts

Indosat, ITB join hands to develop mobile apps innovations

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 01/08/2011

Indonesia’s second largest cellular operator, PT Indosat, is teaming up with the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in mobile applications development in an attempt to encourage innovations in technology among youths and to produce new experts in the industry.

Indosat director and chief wholesale and infrastructure officer Fadzri Sentosa signed in Bandung on Saturday a memorandum of understanding on the new partnership with ITB deputy rector Hasanuddin Z. Abidin.

“This partnership will serve as a positive and effective collaboration in the development of mobile applications for the campus community and the young generation in general,” Fadzri said as quoted by Antara.

He added that the partnership was also expected to produce new experts in mobile technology.

As part of the partnership, an Indosat Innovation Lab will be built in the West Java capital.

“It will serve as a place where they (young innovators to-be) can experiment and have intensive discussions,” Fadzri said.

Hasanuddin, meanwhile, said the new partnership was ITB’s third with Indosat.

Researchers Turn Common Indonesian Plant Into Alternative Fuel

Jakarta Globe, Ismira Lutfia | January 07, 2011     

In an effort to wean rural communities off inefficient and costly kerosene, Indonesian researchers have developed an alternative fuel from a common plant.

Researchers say the fruit of the bintaro can be used to
 make an oil that may be able to replace kerosene.  

The new fuel is derived from the seed of the sea mango tree (Cerbera manghas), known locally as bintaro.

Aris Purwanto, head of the research team at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), said the idea came after rising kerosene prices in the Teluk Meranti area of the Riau Islands forced villagers to switch to burning wood for cooking.

“The bintaro tree grows all year round and a tree of at least three years of age can produce an average of 300 to 400 fruit a year,” Aris said during a presentation on Wednesday.

To extract the bintaro oil, researchers removed the seeds from the ripened fruit, then dried and crushed them. Aris said 2.9 kilograms of seed yielded one liter of oil.

In an interesting aside, he said the seed kernels contain the toxic substance cerberin, which is often used by local farmers to poison wild animal pests that damage their crops.

“Even in its raw phase, the oil can be used to fuel an electricity generator,” Aris said.

But the researchers experimented further, refining the oil by mixing it with water and storing it until an oil-water dispersion was achieved.

This refined oil, they said, can be used to fuel a fire, such as in a kerosene stove.

However, Aris said that because it had a much higher viscosity than kerosene or diesel, and hence different combustion properties, stoves and generators would have to be modified slightly to ensure the oil worked.

The viscosity difference means that the bintaro oil is too thick to vaporize into a flammable spray, as required in the combustion chamber of a kerosene stove or diesel-powered generator.

To use it to power a generator, for instance, a converter must first be used to heat the oil to 70 degrees Celsius to lower its viscosity to the level of diesel.

Even then, the generator needs to have been running for four to five minutes on diesel before the bintaro oil can be added to the external tank and the diesel supply shut off.

Aris acknowledged bintaro oil could not yet be classified as a biofuel, and was not yet a viable replacement for conventional fossil fuels.

He said that with only four months of development behind it, more research and processing was needed before bintaro oil could viably generate sufficient power to fuel heavier machinery such as motor vehicles.

In the meantime, he said, it is sufficient for basic cooking needs such as boiling water or cooking rice, allowing it to take over some of the role of kerosene.

“We aim to develop this as an alternative energy source for people in remote areas, so that they’re not overly dependent on kerosene,” he said .

He added that bintaro trees were common in many rural areas and relatively easy to grow, making it easy for villagers to collect the necessary seeds.

The tree is also frequently used in greening projects in residential areas across the country .

Marzuki Effendi, one of the Teluk Meranti villagers who attended Wednesday’s presentation, said that bintaro-fueled stoves produced an intense blue flame that brought water to the boil in just four minutes.

With kerosene, he said, boiling water took eight minutes.

Marzuki said another downside to kerosene was its high cost.

The fuel typically costs Rp 6,000 to Rp 8,000 (66 to 88 cents) per liter in the area, he said.

Kerosene distributed to the public is supposed to be subsidized by the government, although distributors almost invariably charge a commission on sales.

In addition to being expensive, it is increasingly difficult to source, a result of the government’s plan to replace it with liquefied petroleum gas.

However, the kerosene-to-gas campaign has concentrated largely on urban areas, with many rural communities yet to receive the free liquefied petroleum gas stoves and canisters that are part of the program.

Rp 8.9t for electricity infrastructure in western Indonesia in 2011

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 01/07/2011

State electricity firm PT PLN will disburse Rp 8.9 trillion (approximately US$987.9 million) this year for the completion of electricity projects in western Indonesia.

The funds would be used to partly finance the construction of supporting infrastructure for the first phase of the government’s 10,000 megawatt fast-track program, PLN spokesman Bambang Dwiyanto said Friday.

“For the western Indonesia operation area, the amount of investment allocated for electricity projects in 2011 reaches Rp 8.9 trillion,” Bambang said in a press statement, as quoted by kontan.co.id.

He said Rp 6.25 trillion of the amount would be secured from PLN’s internal budget, while the remaining Rp 2.65 trillion would come from the 2011 state budget.

The construction of seven new power plants in western Indonesia, as part of the fast-track program, is expected to be completed this year.

“The seven power plant projects are ongoing and about to be completed, so the funds will be used to build networks to help the distribution of electricity produced by most of the power plants,” Bambang said.

U.S. reaffirms maintenance for Indonesian F-16 fleet

English.news.cn   2011-01-05 00

JAKARTA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) - The United State has reaffirmed its pledge in securing the service and maintenance works on F-16 fighter jet planes operated by Indonesian air forces, an Indonesian official said here on Tuesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting between Indonesia Air Forces Chief Marshall Imam Sufaat and former commander of U.S. fleet in Asia Pacific region Gen. (ret.) William J. Beggert, Indonesian Air Forces Spokesman Rear Marshall Bambang Samoedro conveyed that U.S. service and maintenance works on Indonesia's F- 16 planes have been resuming well after the U.S. embargo on such services was lifted in November 2005.

"They have been helping us in monitoring and checking the parts of our F-16 fleet in the last three years," Bambang said.

William J. Beggert now is the vice president of Business Development and Aftermarket Sales and Services at Pratt & Whitney.

Bambang said that teams from U.S. jet engine firm Pratt & Whitney came to Indonesia twice a year, checking the airworthiness of those planes.

"The service and maintenance works were conducted exactly the same like it was before the embargo was imposed," Bambang added.

Indonesia now operates 10 F-16 Fighting Falcon produced by U.S. firm General Dynamics. Those planes are stationed in Air Force's third air base located in Madiun, east Java, the Antara news service reported.

The embargo on Indonesia's fighter jet planes were imposed in late 1990s following an allegation of rights abuses committed by Indonesian forces during the referendum in former Indonesian province East Timor.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Garuda $500 Million IPO Kicks Off Busy Year in Indonesia

Jakarta Globe, Denny Thomas & Vikram Subhedar | January 04, 2011

Hong Kong. Flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia launched an up to $500 million initial public offering (IPO) on Tuesday, kicking off a busy year for capital-raising in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

A Garuda Indonesia airplane undergoes maintenance work in the
Garuda Maintenance Facility at Soekarno-Hatta International
Airport in Cengkareng, Indonesia. The flag carrier launches an up
to $500 million initial public offering (IPO) on Tuesday. (Bloomberg
Photo)

Indonesia's fast-growing economy is attracting interest from foreign investors, encouraging companies to tap equity markets.

Indonesia's benchmark share index .JKSE jumped 46 percent last year, in-part supported by $2.18 billion in foreign portfolio inflows, which was more than double the level in 2009.

Banks are also raising fresh capital to support an expected pick up in lending growth. PT Bank Mandiri Indonesia Tbk BMRI.JK, the nation's biggest lender, was raising up to $1.6 billion to support credit growth, according to a term sheet seen by Reuters.

The Indonesian government had initially planned to launch the Garuda IPO in November last year, but later delayed it for 2011.

The company aimed to list on Feb. 11, the term sheet said.

"IPOs of this size and nature will be a key feature of the industrialisation process driving ASEAN growth," said Singapore-based Geoff Howie, a sales and markets strategist at MF Global, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations grouping.

"As the economic modernisation of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand continues, their new and existing financial assets will continue to provide investable economics," he added.

Citigroup Inc C.N and UBS AG UBSN.VX are the international book runners for Garuda's offer.

Reuters

Foreign students undertake journalism, development studies in Jakarta

Antara News, Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A group of students from Australian and New Zealand universities are participating in separate Journalism Professional Practicum and Development Studies and Professional Practicum programs in Jakarta over the next six weeks

According to an Australian Embassy media release, Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty congratulated the students here on Tuesday.

"As neighbors and partners, it is important for Australia and Indonesia to know each other well," Moriarty said during the official opening of the program at Atma Jaya University.

"Programs like these help to increase the people-to-people links in the region, enhance understanding of contemporary issues in Indonesia, and provide an opportunity to strengthen professional linkages across the media and development sectors," Moriarty added.

Thirty-six students from Australian and New Zealand universities are undertaking the program organized by the Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies (ACICIS).

The program incorporates a two-week language and seminar program at Atma Jaya Catholic University followed by a four-week industry placement, and includes students from Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan and Korea.

Both programs were designed to open up in-country study options in Indonesia to non-Indonesian/Asian studies students.

The journalism program is now into its 5th year, while the development studies practicum ran a successful pilot program last year.

Students will be placed with a range of local and international media and development organizations including Tempo Weekly magazine, Metro TV, Radio Republik Indonesia, The Jakarta Globe, The Jakarta Post, Globe Asia Business Monthly Magazine, Agence France-Presse, ThomsonReuters, CARE Indonesia, World Wildlife Fund, Wahid Institute, Center for International Forestry (CIFOR), International Labor Organization (ILO) and Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW).

Indonesian, American women`s soccer exchange

Antara News, Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Four women`s soccer coaches from the United States held a soccer training clinic on Monday,January 3, 2011 at Jakarta State University for more than 150 young Indonesian women and disabled athletes.

A press release from US Embassy in its official website said the American coaches would also hold clinics in Surabaya, East Java, on January 5, and Pontianak, West Kalimantan on January 7, 2011.

Prior to leaving Jakarta, the coaches shared the stage @america with four female Indonesian athletes (Rally Marina-car racer, Fanny Kalumata, player of the women's national basketball team, Andari Putrianti, member of the Indonesian Youth National Female Softball team and Santia, Silver Medal winner at the SEA GAMES 2010 in Athletics) and Monica Desideria from the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) and ANTV to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing women in sports.

In attendance were approximately 70 female athletes from Jakarta and several members of the press.

The training is part of the "The Indonesia-America Soccer Exchange," made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of State in cooperation with the Center for Civic Education Indonesia.

The program aims to further improve understanding between the people of Indonesia and the United States through the medium of youth sports.

The "Indonesia-America Soccer Exchange" has two components. The first includes three one-day training clinics for female athletes, including disabled athletes, within the 12-20 year-old range and 30 coaches.

After the training sessions in Jakarta, Surabaya, and Pontianak, a smaller group of coaches and athletes will participate in an eight to ten day visit to the United States.

The visiting American coaches include former members of the U.S. Women`s National Soccer Team, U.S. Women`s National Youth Team, and top NCAA university programs who are now elite youth basketball club and high school coaches in the United States.

They are Janine Szpara, Cori Alexander, Rachel Rapinoe, and Karen Willoughby.

Govt to auction off 50 oil and gas blocks this year

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 01/03/2011

The government will put up for sale 50 oil and gas blocks this year in two auctions, a senior official says.

Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry director general Evita Herawati Legowo said most of the blocks would be auctioned off in tenders.

“Only 11 blocks will be made available through a direct offer scheme,” Evita said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Evita said the government also planned to offer 10 coal bed methane blocks.

She said the move to auction off the blocks was part of the government's effort to improve the ministry's oil and gas sector.

She added that the government would improve its data on the blocks to make them more attractive to potential buyers and so that it could set credible prices for them.

Last year, the government targeted to auction 43 blocks, but only 21 found buyers, in part due to a lack of data on the blocks.

China to build seaports and airports in Papua

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 01/03/2011

Nine Chinese companies are interested in building seaports and airports in Papua and West Papua, an official said in Jakarta on Monday.

“Chinese ambassadors will bring nine Chinese companies to Papua and West Papua on Jan. 5 to see directly what kind of transportation investments would be feasible there,” Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi said, adding that the governors of Papua and West Papua would also present investment opportunities in the provinces.

According to Freddy, the companies have shown interest in Sorong, Biak, and Jayapura, with the port in Jayapura likely to only handle containers.

“This is in line with the need of investment in Papua and West Papua,” he said.

He added that some Chinese investors might refurbish airports in Manokwari, Timika, Biak and Sorong.

“We plan to upgrade those airports to become international ones,” Freddy said.

Indonesia to Offer Geothermal Drilling Rights in Block Tender Next Year

Bloomberg, By Bambang Djanuarto - Dec 31, 2010

Indonesia will seek bids for 50 new oil and gas blocks next year through tenders and direct offers to help boost output, said Evita Legowo, director general of oil and gas at the Energy and Minerals Resources Ministry.

The government will seek investors next year to develop 10 coal-bed methane working areas, Legowo said in a press briefing in Jakarta today.

“We will also offer nine geothermal working areas” to increase the use of the cleaner-burning fuel, Energy Minister Darwin Saleh said at the same briefing today. The projects would have a potential capacity to generate 1,336 megawatts of electricity, he said.

Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest crude oil producer, pulled out of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in 2008 as aging fields and declining output turned the nation into a net oil importer. The nation may return to net exporter status by 2020, according to Gita Wirjawan, chairman of Indonesia’s investment coordinating board.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bambang Djanuarto in Jakarta at bdjanuarto@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Greg Ahlstrand at gahlstrand@bloomberg.net

Sahid Resort brings oasis of luxury into heart of Kuta

Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post, Kuta | Thu, 12/30/2010

An “oasis” will soon emerge in Bali’s most crowded tourist area offering holidaymakers a luxury hotel and lavish shopping paradise overlooking the pristine Kuta Beach.

World famous: Bali’s Kuta Beach, pictured here,
is a favorite spot for holidaymakers around the world:
Courtesy PT Indonesia Paradise Island /
Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort

“This will be a perfect blend of contemporary and traditional, translated into a world-class hotel and shopping mall,” explained Hariyadi B. Sukamdani, president of PT Indonesian Paradise Island (IPI).

The planned project is expected to be completed mid 2011. IPI invested Rp 600 billion (US$70 million) into the Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort. Haryadi, however, was quick to add the amount of capital invested might change depending on the project design.

“We are still altering some of the designs here and there and these could affect the amount of capital invested,” he said.

Some might wonder whether the already crowded and often traffic congested Kuta really needs another multi-billion project. People will certainly be curious about the project’s structure and design especially when it comes to ecological issues brought about by the rapid growth of tourist-related development projects and the increasing number of visitors besieging Kuta.

Sukamdani Sahid Gitosardjono, the patriarch of the Sahid family, said his old property, the Sahid Hotel, was one of the pioneer hotels in the area.

“In the past, Kuta was quiet and beautiful. Only a few small guesthouses and hotels were operating, catering for local and foreign tourists,” Sukamdani said.

“In the past, the development of any five-star hotel was allowed provided developers applied designs in line with the island’s nature,” he said.

His son Hariyadi decided to follow this philosophy by developing an eco-friendly resort on the 5.2 hectares of land on the former site of the old Sahid Hotel.

“My plan is to revitalize the Kuta area into a green and people-friendly area by constructing an-integrated luxury resort, office complex and high-end shopping complex using an eco-friendly architectural concept.”

The buildings have been designed with world-class architectural standard using as much local materials as possible.

Spacious and lust gardens, water ponds and hanging gardens will surround the buildings, which will be lined with wide sidewalks to enable visitors to enjoy their promenade. Nowadays, it is still difficult for people to walk along the narrow streets of Kuta because of the limited pedestrian facilities.

The planned hotel will consist of 200 lavish rooms facing the great waves of Kuta Beach and will be operated under the brand Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort.

A new oasis: PT Indonesian Paradise Island is planning to build a multi-billion
rupiah hotel project, currently designed to look like this picture, called the Sahid
Kuta Lifestyle Resort. The resort will be completed mid 2011. Courtesy PT Indonesia
Paradise Island/Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort

The shopping arcades, called the Beach Walk, will be designed in the Balinese traditional architectural style, adding a few touches to remind visitors of the daily lives of the Balinese agricultural society.

The project has been designed by architectural firm PT Enviro Tec Indonesia, according to Indonesia Design.

The Beach Walk will resemble the island’s rural landscape with its beautiful terraced contours and open-air walkways. It will house 200 top-notch boutiques and stores, restaurants, children playgrounds, music and dance stages.

“We will not cut any existing trees on this site and will use recycled wood and materials for the project,” said Hariyadi.

The company’s director of development, Patrick Rendradjaja, added that the company was also concerned about the existing traffic problems in Kuta.

“We have already incorporated a comprehensive parking site to ease traffic congestion,” Rendradjaja said.

Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort will have a two-level parking basement which can accommodate up to 1,000 vehicles at a time. The Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort will be next to the Harris Hotel, which also belongs to the Sahid family.

“They will complement each other. The Sheraton will cater to the high-end market, while the four-star Harris will continue to retain its own clientele,” Hariyadi said.

“I really expect the project will benefit hotels and businesses in this area as it will rejuvenate the area into a green and beautiful one,” he added.

Those eager to stay at this luxury and tranquil hotel in the hustle-bustle Kuta will have to wait until its completion, sometime in 2011.

Happy Holidays.

HK allocates US$50 billion for investment in RI

Antara News, Friday, December 31, 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Hong Kong government has allocated US$50 billion for its investment in Indonesia until next year, an Indonesian diplomat said here.

"Indonesia must be able to provide various facilities so that the investment funds will not go to other countries instead," Teguh Wardoyo, Indonesian consul general in Hong Kong said on Thursday.

He said that up to now about 34 billion dollars had been absorbed while the remaining 16 billion dollars had not yet been absorbed.

Indonesia, he said, is still an important part of the government and businesspeople in Hong Kong. After all, Indonesia`s market potentials are big in line with the progress of the infrastructure in Indonesia.

"This matter was acknowledged by a number of quarters in the business sector in Hong Kong," he said.

Government Has a New Disaster Plan for the New Year

Jakarta Globe, Dessy Sagita | December 29, 2010

Following a series of major natural disasters in 2010 that claimed hundreds of lives, the government plans to shift its focus next year to programs aimed at minimizing fatalities, a minister has said.

Three incidents alone this year — flash floods in the West Papua town of Wasior, a tsunami in the Mentawai Islands and the eruption of Mount Merapi — killed around a thousand people in the space of a few weeks.

“There are some disasters we cannot prevent such as volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and earthquakes, however, we can do many things to minimize the losses,” Agung Laksono, the coordinating minister for people’s welfare, said during a press conference on Wednesday.

He said the most common disasters this year were floods and landslides, adding that human activity played a role in most of these incidents.

Next year, he added, the government will intensify efforts to educate the public about how they can protect themselves during a disaster.

“Children at school should know what they must do when disaster strikes,” he said. “It should be taught across the country as part of the curriculum.”

Regional governments should take the lead in this educational campaign, the minister said. Municipal authorities, he added, were obliged to inform residents about what to do and where to go in the case of an emergency.

He said the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) was responsible for leading the emergency response and post-disaster rehabilitation.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, BNBP’s director for disaster risk reduction, said focusing on disaster mitigation instead of emergency response was a relatively new idea that was being adopted by countries around the world.

Effective mitigation programs, he said, help save lives and minimize the financial losses from a disaster. He warned, however, that such programs required sizeable investments to set up.

“The government should earmark at least 4 percent from the state budget for disaster mitigation programs and emergency responses,” he said.

Agung said the government would allocate Rp 4 trillion ($444 million) for disaster management in 2011. That is a massive increase from this year’s Rp 500 billion.

He also said the response to this year’s three major disasters had been quicker and more efficient than in the past because of the establishment of two rapid-response units to help deliver emergency aid to victims.

Related Article:

Indonesia to Put Disaster Mitigation on the Map

Tifatul says Palapa Ring to be completed by 2012

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 12/29/2010

Information and Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring is aiming for the Palapa Ring fiber-optic project to be completed by 2012, saying the project has been delayed because of financing difficulties.

"The consortium that runs the project is having financing problems, but everything will be completed by 2012," Tifatul said.

According to Tifatul, the project will be financed by state revenue obtained from the information and communication technology (ICT) industry.

"We are now awaiting the order to resume the project. The Finance Ministry has approved the plan," Tifatul said Wednesday.

He said that the government aimed to raise Rp 1 trillion (US$111 million) in annual revenue from the ICT industry.

The Palapa Ring is an ambitious project that aims to link Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua and eight existing network connections or backhauls through an estimated total 35,280 kilometers of undersea and 21,870 kilometers of underground fiber-optic cables.

The government has created a consortium for the project involving PT Telkom, PT Indosat, PT Exelcomindo Pratama, PT Bakrie Telecom, PT Infokom Elektrindo and PT Powertek Utama Internusa.

Army builds 775 houses of disaster victims

Antara News, Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Jakarta  (ANTARA News) - The Army is building 775 houses for natural disaster victims in seven provinces throughout Indonesia.

The head of the Military Headquarters Colonel Minulyo said here Monday the houses are built with cooperation of the Social Affairs Ministry.

He said the rehabilitation, reconstruction and relocation of the houses are for this year`s natural disaster victims in South Sulawesi, West Java, Central Java, North Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Central Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, and West Nusa Tenggara.

Minulyo said the 775 houses are being built in several areas under the IIIrd Military Command, 307 houses, comprising 54 in West Bandung regency and 253 in Majalengka regency.

In the area under the IVth Military Command 51 houses are built, including 30 in Purworejo regency and 20 pct already completed, under the VIIth Military Command 331 houses, comprising 70 units in Sangihe Islands province in North Sulawesi and 6 pct completed, and 109 units in Parigi Moutong regency, Central Sulawesi with 8 percent of them completed, and 122 units in Palopo regency, South Sulawesi.

And in the area under the command of the IXth Military Command 44 units in Belu regency, East Nusa Tenggara with 67.4 pct completed, and 72 units in Bima regency, West Nusa Tenggara with 40 pct completed.

The rehabilitation and reconstruction, and relocation of houses of the natural disaster victims is carried out in 60 days starting from the IVth week of November 2010 until the fourth week of January 2011, involving military personnel, social services, regional administrations and the local population with funding from the social affairs ministry.

RI to get US$600 million loan from S Korea

Antara News, Monday, December 27, 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is to receive a loan from South Korea under the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) scheme worth US$600 million, an official said.

"The loan aims to support development and economic activity in Indonesia specifically in three areas, namely technology, green growth and infrastructure," Director General for Asia Pacific Cooperation at the Foreign Affairs Ministry TM Hamzah Thayeb said here on Monday after attending a ceremony marking the signing of the loan`s framework with South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Kim Ho-Young.

Hamzah said the loan would be given with a low interest, namely 0.15 to 0.2 percent per year. However, he stated, the government had not yet decided which projects should be financed with the loan. "We are still studying it," he said adding that technical matters regarding the loan would be handled together by the Finance Ministry and the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).

He expressed hope that the loan would increase the employment rate in Indonesia as well as increase the country`s revenue from improving industry and economic activity.

Meanwhile, South Korean Ambassador Kim Ho-Young said the EDCF scheme was one of his country`s ways to enhance bilateral cooperation with Indonesia. "I think Indonesia has a great potential for economic growth. There is still much room for bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea," he said.

ECDF is a program to extend financial loans to 47 developing countries in the world with the aim of supporting the stability of economy and industry of the partnering countries as well as enhance South Korea`s relations with them.

Indonesia itself has been receiving loans from ECDF since 1987 in varying amounts. The latest financial commitment executed under the scheme was between 2007 and 2009 worth US$149.9 million.

Govt to build three new airports

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 12/26/2010

The government has planned to build three new airports in 2011 in Sulawesi and Maluku to improve access to the regions.

The planned airports are Mamasa Baru and Toraja Baru in Sulawesi and Moa in Southeast Maluku.

“We need at least Rp 130 billion (US$14.4 million) in investment per airport,” Transportation Ministry air transportation director general Herry Bhakti said over the weekend, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Most of the projects at the airports would be financed by regional budgets, he said, however, “the state budget will cover the construction stage.”

Govt building 30 new penitentiaries, expanding 33 old ones

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 12/25/2010

The government is building a total of 30 new penitentiaries across the country, while expanding 33 old ones.

Justice and Human Rights Ministry’s director general for penitentiaries Untung Sigiyono said Saturday the move was aimed at addressing Indonesia’s overcrowded prison cells.

“The numbers of inmates at most of our penitentiaries exceed the capacities,” Untung told journalists after bestowing remissions to 59 inmates of Bulak Kapal penitentiary in Bekasi, West Java, in a symbolic ceremony.

He said the construction and expansion of 50 penitentiaries were near completion, adding that the 63 new and renovated penitentiaries would add a total of 10,000 new cells for inmates.

New penitentiaries include those in West Java towns of Cikarang, Bekasi and Banjar, and in Banten town of Cilegon.

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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.

Australian support to help RI recover from disasters

Antara News, Friday, December 24, 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Villages and homes will be rebuilt, burns victims will receive treatment, and communities will be better prepared following an additional $5.5 million from Australia to help Indonesia recover from the recent natural disasters.

According to an Australian Embassy media release in its official website on Friday, Ambassador Greg Moriarty said that Australia had been quick to respond with $2.1 million in emergency funds when Mount Merapi erupted and the tsunami in the Mentawai Islands killed more than 800 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

This additional funding takes Australia`s total support to $7.6 million.

Australia`s further $5.5 million for the recovery phase will go towards:

• Grants to affected communities to help themselves - for example by rebuilding homes and local health clinics - through Indonesia`s National Program for Community Empowerment (PNPM).
  
  
• Non-Government Organizations to provide temporary shelter, livelihood and mental and physical health support activities in the Mount Merapi area. This will include providing equipment to assist burns victims.
  
  
• The Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction to survey, understand and document the actions taken by communities, governments and NGOs before, during and after the disasters that saved lives and minimized destruction.
  
  
• 600 family kits funded by the Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction to assist families in the Mentawai Islands with clothes, cooking equipment and hygiene items.

Moriarty said Australia`s further support will help minimize the impact of future disasters and save lives.

"Indonesia is now looking beyond the immediate response to longer-term recovery and rehabilitation. Australia is providing support to efforts on how Indonesia can better prepare for future disasters," Moriarty said.

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Nuclear power ‘not feasible’ for RI: Expert

Imung Yuniardi, The Jakarta Post, SEMARANG | Thu, 12/23/2010

Developing nuclear power in Indonesia is not feasible due to the huge initial investment required and the high price of uranium, a government energy expert says.

There is no reason for the Indonesian government to develop nuclear power plants (PLTN) given the lower costs of renewable energy power generators, according to Rinaldy Dalimi of the National Energy Council.

“This is no longer an issue of safety but more about investment calculations and a consideration of the fact that Indonesia will have to import uranium should it develop a PLTN,” Rinaldy said at a seminar on new and renewable energy in Semarang, Central Java, on Tuesday.

According to Rinaldy, who is also a professor at the University of Indonesia, the nation’s uranium reserves were relatively small and could only power a single 3,000-megawatt nuclear reactor for 11 years.

Plans to establish a nuclear power, first mooted during Soeharto’s era, have drawn criticism from environmental organizations.

During a hearing in May, legislators urged the government to be serious in realizing its plan to build a nuclear power plant in Jepara, Central Java.

Rinaldy said a nuclear power plant would require US$4,000 to produce a single kilowatt of electricity while a steam-powered generator would require $800 to produce the same amount.

“The price of the energy that [nuclear power plants] produce therefore will surely be much higher when compared to electricity produced by a PLTU or PLTG [gas-powered generator],” he said.

Pressure to develop nuclear power in Indonesia might have come from countries with nuclear technology such as Japan and Russia, he said, adding that only 15 percent of countries worldwide had nuclear power plants.

“They have approached Indonesia over consideration that the government’s policies still support the development of PLTNs.”

The main objective of establishing the National Atom Agency (BATAN) and other nuclear-related institutions over the last 56 years ago was not to produce electricity but to master nuclear technology, according to Rinaldy.

The government so far has heard only one side of the case for nuclear power development, Rinaldy said.

Rinaldy said that BATAN should organize a national forum where differing parties could meet and talk further about nuclear power development in Indonesia based on the latest developments in energy technology.

He said developed countries had been developing cheap sources of renewable energy such as solar cell technology.

“My suggestion is the government initiate the use of renewable energy. By 2050 at least 75 percent of energy used in Indonesia should be renewable.”

Electricity power pundit Nengah Sudja agreed, suggesting that BATAN should not promote nuclear power plants but instead investigate the use of nuclear energy in the areas of health and medicine, industry and research, food and agriculture.

Responsibility for electricity production should rest with state electricity company PT PLN or private companies, Nengah said.

Nengah said the government had not given sufficient support to research institutions such as BATAN, the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) to develop cheap sources of renewable energy.