Microsoft Reaches for Clouds With Indonesia Ambitions

Jakarta Globe, Shirley Christie | January 21, 2011

Software giant Microsoft is looking to invest around $2.5 billion in Indonesia to develop cloud-computing systems, an official said on Thursday.

Software giant Microsoft is looking to invest around $2.5 billion
in  Indonesia to develop cloud-computing systems, an official
said on Thursday. (AP Photo)    

Sutanto Hartono, chief executive of Microsoft Indonesia, said it was partnering with Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom), Astra Graphia Information Technology, cloud-computing infrastructure firm Greenview and Infynis System Indonesia for the initiative.

Cloud computing, in which vast data banks and programs can be accessed remotely using a personal computer connected to the Internet, would be invaluable to the corporate market, he said.

“It’s going to be cost-saving and efficient because instead of spending on capital expenditure, a company would spend on operational expansion using cloud computing,” he said at the Microsoft Cloud Summit in Jakarta.

The best-known examples of cloud computing services are those offered by Google as well as Amazon, which launched S3, an online data storage service.

Cloud computing, essentially a network of servers, also allows users to access online applications anywhere in the world, often for a subscription fee, without having to install software on their own computers.

“Cloud computing is now the center of all the things we do,” said Chris Sharp, regional cloud strategist for Microsoft Asia Pacific and Japan.

He said among the 17 countries that he had managed so far, Indonesia posed a unique opportunity to generate about $75 million annually from cloud services within several years.

“It’s an evolution of virtualization,” said Arya Sanjaya, business developer manager for Intel Indonesia, referring to the system of separating computer functions from physical hardware.

“If a company used to have three servers to run three applications, with virtualization, it could run all three applications using one server,” Arya said.

Sutanto added that companies would no longer have to buy servers — computer systems that allow users in a network to access and store files — and hire technicians to maintain them.

“Now, all a company needs is a computer and a broadband Internet connection [to benefit from] cloud computing,” he said.

The cost of running a virtual server is small, Sutanto said. A small shop running inventory software from a public cloud can spend $300 on a computer and $15 a month for Internet and cloud service subscriptions.

Larger companies can create their own private clouds which can host all their applications.

But many local firms are reluctant to use cloud computing, still a relatively new concept in Indonesia, due to concerns about data security and effectiveness.

Still, government agencies and at least 14 big firms had expressed interest in cloud technology, according to Manish Chopra, Microsoft Indonesia’s marketing and operations director.

He cited the estimated 700 participants who flocked to the recent Cloud Summit, a roadshow for the new technology.

Chopra said he saw huge potential in this country with its more than 30 million online users, as of last year. Broadband access is also growing, with the penetration rate expected to reach more than 75 percent this year.

Brian Prentice, vice president for research at IT firm Gartner, said revenue generated from cloud services around the world were estimated to reach $68.3 billion last year, or up 16.6 percent from $58.6 billion in 2009.

“With an average growth rate of 20 percent, we estimate that by the end of 2014, this figure will increase to $148.8 billion,” he said.

Aside from Microsoft, other technology firms are linking up with Indonesian companies to set up cloud computing systems.

Last week, Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel), a subsidiary of Telkom, said it was partnering with Google to launch Business Connect, a Web-based package.

It includes e-mail, instant messaging, office operation tools, a calendar and documents-sharing under Google Apps.

Doug Farber, Google Asia Pacific’s managing director for enterprise, said in a statement that the cloud-based applications would help boost business productivity in a way that standard applications could not.

Some of the advantages, he said, were larger data capacity, instant messaging enabled with voice and video chat, as well as the ability to access apps using mobile phones.

Sharp said competing firms offering cloud services would drive companies like Microsoft to develop better technology and products for customers.

RI, US to combat illegal logging

Antara News, Friday, January 21, 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and the United States have agreed to combat illegal logging by providing more complete equipment in exporting the wood, a Forestry Ministry official said.

"The cooperation with the US is important as it is one of the biggest destination of our wood exports after Europe and Japan," Agus Sarsito, director of international cooperation at the Forestry Ministry, said here Friday.

The US promised not to receive illegal logs from Indonesia, Agus said after closing a workshop in related issues.

"Indonesia has agreed with the US and some other countries that only legal logs can enter those countries," he added.

In addition, Agus also said that the ministry would have further cooperation with the Industry Ministry, Trade Ministry and Finance Ministry to ban illegal log exports more effectively.

"The Forestry and Trade Ministries will revise the regulation on trade to make the program run well. And last but not least is cooperation with the customs and excise directorate general because it is the last gate in Indonesia for domestic products," Agus said.

Moreover, he said, the cooperation between Indonesia and the US would help the reduction of illegal log exports.

Combating illegal logging cannot be done alone and therefore, there need to be cooperation with other countries not to receive illegal logs, he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Ted Osius said the partnership was the right solution to combating illegal logging and in dealing with climate change in the world.

"It`s really a comprehensive partnership because it`s all about working together for better world. And there`s nothing I can think of, that it`s more important than the other challenges of climate change. So, Indonesia government is the true partnership in this area," Ted said.

Ted confirmed that illegal logging cases in Indonesia were getting reduced as the time goes by due to the development of tools used.

"Indonesia has developed the tools to combat the illegal logging and some researches showed that the trend of illegal logs coming out in Indonesia is going down. We`re happy to support such effort of Indonesia," he said.

The US supports the Government of Indonesia`s leadership on climate change and commitment to reduce emissions 26 percent below business as usual and up to 40 percent with international assistance.

One of the efforts to conserve Indonesia`s forests is to combat illegal logging and associated timber trade. The US and Indonesia demonstrated their mutual commitment to combat illegal logging and associated timber trade by signing an MoU in 2006.

Chinese firm to fund Rp 1,5 t road project in Mamuju

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 01/21/2011

China Metallurgical Group Corporations has expressed interest in financing a road construction project worth Rp 1.5 trillion (US$165 million) in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, the regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) says.

After a meeting with a delegation of Chinese firms, West Sulawesi Kadin chairman Harry Warganegara told reporters on Friday that the meeting was a follow-up to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2010 by the Chinese and Indonesian governments with regards to the funding of future development projects in West Sulawesi.

“This particular Chinese investor is ranked eighth in the world. It’s subsidiary has the large capital to fund the project,” said Harry as quoted by antaranews.com

The Chinese delegation recently proposed a blueprint for the project, which is estimated to begin mid-April 2011. West Sulawesi Governor H Anwar Adnan Saleh attended the presentation.

The decision will rest on the result of the feasibility study that is currently being conducted by the Chinese investors.

Australia to build "peace museum" in Indonesia's Bali

English.news.cn 2011-01-21

JAKARTA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government is seeking support from Indonesia's local government in Bali for building a "peace museum" that commemorates Australians perished in 2002 Bali bombing, local media reported on Friday.

Speaking on the sidelines of his meeting with regent of Bali's Badung regency Anak Agung Gde Agung on Friday, Australian ambassador to Indonesia, Greg Moriarty, said that the museum would be constructed near the ground zero in Badung regency where the bomb blast killed 202 people in Bali in mid-August 2002.

Most of the casualties were Australians, the Antara news service reported.

Badung regent Anak Agung said that his administration would fully support the museum construction plans after learning that the Australia government has settled the acquisition process on the site where the project would be carried out.

Indonesia's leisure island of Bali saw strings of deadly terrorist attacks perpetrated by Indonesian terrorist cells that killed hundreds of westerners and local people. The security in the Indonesia's prominent island has been in perfect condition after Indonesian apparatus arrested the terrorists. Some of them were executed after undergone trials in public courts.

Editor: Tang Danlu

Daihatsu to Raise Indonesia Minicar Production to as Many as 400,000 Units

Bloomberg, By Anna Mukai and Yuki Hagiwara - Jan 19, 2011

Daihatsu Motor Co., Japan’s biggest minicar maker, will boost production in Indonesia to as much as 400,000 vehicles this year as the Toyota Motor Corp. unit seeks to increase sales in the Southeast Asian nation.

Indonesian auto demand will continue to expand and it’s necessary for Daihatsu to increase capital spending there if it wants to raise production further, President Koichi Ina said in an interview.

The company, based in Osaka, Japan, aims to increase sales in Indonesia 25 percent to 145,000 vehicles in 2011 from 115,000 last year. Its factory there, which also exports to the Middle East and Africa, will raise annual output to 330,000 units in May from the current 280,000 and could further boost production to a yearly rate of 400,000 vehicles, he said.

Japanese automakers are adding capacity in the region as sales growth outpaces the mature markets of the U.S, Europe and their home market, while the strong yen and lower labor costs make local production attractive. Auto sales in Indonesia are expected to rise 16 percent to 710,000 vehicles this year from 610,000 in 2010, according to IHS Automotive.

Daihatsu, which said last week it would withdraw from Europe in 2013 because the yen’s strength makes its exports uncompetitive, expects Japan sales to fall 4.2 percent to 1.65 million vehicles this fiscal year, Ina said.

Cutting Costs

To boost earnings, the company, 51 percent owned by Toyota, will focus on cutting costs and raising sales in Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia, Ina, 62, said in the Jan. 14 interview at the company’s headquarters.

“For now, we are not looking at entering markets elsewhere,” he said.

Daihatsu rose 1.6 percent to 1,312 yen yesterday in Tokyo trading. The stock has gained 5.3 percent in 2011.

The yen rose against all major currencies in 2010 and reached a 15-year high of 80.22 yen against the dollar in November.

In Japan, Daihatsu will introduce the e:S minicar in August with a price of less than 1 million yen ($12,160) and a fuel economy rating of 30 kilometers per liter (70 miles per gallon) under the Japanese test system.

The carmaker also plans to begin supplying Toyota with minicars in the second half of this year. Production will be limited to 60,000 units annually “no matter how much the market may expand,” Ina said.

Toyota doesn’t make its own minicars, which are limited to engines with capacities of 660cc or smaller and account for about 33 percent of auto sales in Japan, according to data from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Mini Vehicles Association.

Separately, Daihatsu plans to sell a hybrid car using technology from Toyota and it may also receive electric-vehicle components from its parent, Ina said. Daihatsu will decide the type of hybrid it will sell this year, Ina said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Anna Mukai in Tokyo at amukai1@bloomberg.net; Yuki Hagiwara in Tokyo at yhagiwara1@bloomberg.net

Investors from India to invest US$15 billion in Indonesia

Antara News, Thursday, January 20, 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Some investors from India will invest US$15 billion in Indonesia this year, head of the Capital Investment Coordinating Board, Gita Wirjawan, said here on Thursday.

"The foreign investment from India will be realized this year. The signing of some of the agreements will be done next week," he said.

He said the Indian investors were interested in infrastructure sectors such as railway, seaport and airport development projects.

They will also enter into shipbuilding, alumina processing and coal mining, he said.

Gita did not tell about the number of the investors who would come to Indonesia but said they include Tata, Adani Group, Power and GBK.

"Usually it would take three to four years to realize investment. But they have already expressed their commitment and some of them have even signed a memorandum of understanding," he said.

According to records the total value of trade between the two countries reached US$12 billion in 2010 rising from US$9.6 billion in 2009.

Indonesia`s exports to India include vegetable oil, raw palmoil, coal, copper ore, cashew nuts, print paper, machinery and electronics, chemical products, natural rubber, balata, glass wares and pulp.

Indonesia meanwhile imports goods such as nylon, organic chemical substance, iron and steel products, purified copper, synthetic fiber and cotton.

Indonesia to host WEF 2011

Antara News, Thursday, January 20, 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is to host the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia on June 12-13, 2011, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said here on Thursday.

"We will take advantage of it because we will also host ASEAN Summit in October this year to put Indonesia in the role of leadership in ASEAN and East Asia region," Mari said.

She said it would be the first for Indonesia to host WEF after its neighbor countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Japan have ever been trusted to be the organizing committees.

"It will be the first time for us to host the World Economic Forum, and we hope Indonesia will take a leadership role and become the central power in Southeast Asia and East Asian region," Mari said.

The minister said global issues related to commodity prices volatility, food resilience, and energy resilience would be among the topics of discussion at the forum.

"The topics of discussion will be the same as that during WEF in Davos, and it will be a challenge for the government, business world, and private party to step up the industry, investment, and technology -- especially agriculture and climate change technology to face with extreme climate change," Mari said.

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Mari said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would lead Indonesia`s delegation in the 41st World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland next January 26-31,2011.

The minister said she would accompany President Yudhoyono to the forum with several senior officials such as Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Radjasa, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa, Investment Coordinating Board` (BKPM) chair Gita Wirjawan and leaders from national enterprises namely Bank Mandiri, BNI, Garuda Indonesia, Bhumi Resources, Indorama and Gunung Sewu.

S korean tire maker invests $1.2 bln in RI

Antara News, Thursday, January 20, 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A South Korean tire maker Hankook Tire plans to build a new tire plant at a cost of US$1.2 billion in Bekasi, West Java.

In the first phase, the company would invest US$353 million in the project scheduled for completion in 2014, Chairman of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Gita Wirjawan said on the occasion of "Hankook Tire`s Planned Investment in Indonesia" at the BKPM building here on Thursday.

Also present at the event were Industry Minister MS Hidayat, Hankook Tire Vice Chairman & CEO Seung Hwa Suh, and Hankook Tire Executive Vice President Hyun Bum Cho.

Gita said the construction of the plant with a production capacity of 6 million tires a year would be started in the first quarter of 2011.

The plant which will produce tires for four-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles will be built on 60 hectares of land in Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java. Once the project is completed, Indonesia will become a hub for Hankook tires in Southeast Asia.

Hyun Bum Cho said by building a new plant in Indonesia, the company would be one of the world`s five largest tire producers, with a production capacity of 100 million units a year in 2014.

The company is expected to sell its products from the Bekasi plant in a number of Asian and American countries.

Hankook now has five tire plants, including those in Hungary and China.

W. Sumatra geothermal block fails to lure investors

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 01/19/2011

Amid recent campaigns for renewable energy, a geothermal mining working area in Solok Regency, West Sumatra, has failed to attract investors, the government says.

West Sumatra Energy and Mineral Resources Agency chief Marzuki Mahdi on Tuesday said he had twice publicly announced the bid for geothermal mining working area in Bukit Kili, but had received no responses at all, kompas.com reported.

The working area has the potential to produce up to 86 megawatts of electricity (MWe) for power generation, with a realization of up to 53 MWe.

Upon recommendation from the geology office of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, the working area in Bukit Kili may be combined with that of Gunung Talang, which has the untapped potencial for 58 MWe, with a realized figure yet to be calculated, Marzuki said.

West Sumatra has geothermal potentials in 16 areas with a total output of up to 1,656 MWe in the regencies of Pasaman, Limapuluh Kota, Agam, Solok, Tanah Datar and Solok Selatan, and in Solok city.

The mining working area in Solok Selatan had earlier been tendered with PT Supreme Energy as the winner. The company is currently conducting a survey in the area.

Germany disburses Rp 90b for geothermal project in Aceh

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 01/18/2011

German development bank KfW has disbursed a total of Rp 90 billion or 7.72 million euros (US$9.9 million) in grants to Indonesia to finance geothermal exploration activities in Aceh.

Indonesia’s Finance Ministry debt management director general Rahmat Waluyanto said Tuesday the activities were part of the government’s target to develop geothermal power plants with a total capacity of 12,000 megawatts across the country.

“Indonesia needs 18.7 million euros to construct a geothermal power plant in the area [Aceh],” Rahmat said.

He added that the Aceh administration would allocate Rp 2.5 billion for the same project, and that the remaining funds needed were expected to be covered by a company's winning bid on the project.

Rahmat said the project was also part of Indonesia and Germany’s partnership in tackling climate change.

Taiwan firm to make paper from rice, wheat stalks

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press, Taiwan | Sat, 01/15/2011

A leading Taiwanese paper company expect to begin mass producing paper pulp made of rice and wheat stalks this year, a newspaper reported Saturday.

Yuen Foong Yu Group collaborated with Taiwanese universities in developing the bio-technology, Chairman Ho Shou-chuan told the Economic Daily News.

It's a cheaper and greener process because more paper pulp can be produced from rice stalks - farming byproducts that are usually dumped - than from the same amount of lumber by weight.

Ho said he hoped the new technology could replace existing chemical processes that are highly polluting and require cutting down massive numbers of trees.

The new pulp-making technology will use energy more efficiently and produce much less carbon dioxide during manufacturing, he added.

Yuen Foong Yu has been making industrial paper in Yangzhou City in eastern China. Last year, it invested $8 million to set up a new factory there to make the bio paper pulp, the newspaper said.

Production is expected to begin during the second half of this year, he added.

The group's spokesperson could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

The Yuen Foong Yu Group also owns Taiwan's E Ink Holdings Inc., which supplies global e-reader makers such as Amazon Inc. with electronic paper.

Maritime International Training Center to be Built in Pangkep

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 13 January, 2011 

TEMPO Interactive, Makassar:A Maritime International Training Center to be built in Pangkep this year will be luxurious and world-class, Saggaf Saleh, the South Sulawesi Manpower and Transmigration Office chief said in Makassar yesterday. 

The construction project located in Mandalle sub-district is valued at Rp300 billion. The building will be equipped with supporting equipment for the training. “We will have complete facilities to prepare our manpower to work overseas,” he said. 

The training center will have a dormitory with 1,000 rooms for the trainees. The project is fully funded by the state budget and is expected to be completed by 2013. “We are prioritizing the quality, not the quantity,” said Saggaf. 

Instructors will also be flown in from the Netherlands, while local instructors will be sent to the Netherlands to improve their skills. 

The Takalar Regency previously submitted documents for the building’s construction however, as the land administration was not arranged until the end of 2010, the government relocated it to Pangkep. “It is ready there and close to Makassar,” Saggaf said. 

Until 2010, there were 4,850 people from South Sulawesi working overseas, mostly in Malaysia. 

According to Saggaf, most South Sulawesi workers are hired as domestic workers or work at cocoa and palm oil plantations. “The technical workers are usually sent to Brunei to work in the oil sector,” he said. 

In Saudi Arabia, he continued, around 160 people from South Sulawesi were employed as drivers, cleaners and domestic workers. “We are thankful there are no problems with abuse such as the Sumiati case,” Saggaf said. 

This year, another 150,000 workers will be added in South Sulawesi. Therefore, he said, the province needs investors to create job opportunities. 

ABD AZIS

Indonesia Donates $1 Million for Australia Flood Relief

The Jakarta Globe, Nurfika Osman & AP | January 12, 2011

         

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Indonesia is donating $1 million to help the victims of the deadly floodwaters that have swept Queensland, Australia, Foreign Ministry spokesman Michael Tene told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday.

An aerial view of partially submerged houses in flooded
 Rockhampton in Australia's state of Queensland. Indonesia
 has donated $1 million to Australia to help the flood victims.
 (Reuters Photo) 

"[Foreign] Minister Marty Natalegawa has contacted Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd this morning and the fund will be sent immediately," Michael said.

Regarding the condition of Indonesians in Brisbane, he said he has not received detailed information yet.

"But if others take refuge, I am sure they will do the same thing," he said.

Deadly floodwaters that have cut a swath across northeastern Australia flowed onto the streets of the nation's third-largest city Wednesday, forcing people to flee suburbs and skyscrapers as rescuers elsewhere searched for 67 people still missing.

Almost 20,000 homes in Brisbane were expected to be swamped in the city of about 2 million by the time the Brisbane River reaches its expected peak Thursday, Mayor Campbell Newman said.

The figures were constantly being revised as the threat became clearer and it was getting consistently worse.

At least 22 people have died in Australia's northeastern state of Queensland since drenching rains that began in November sent swollen rivers spilling over their banks, inundating an area larger than France and Germany combined.

Govt plans new toll road to Bali airport before APEC Summit

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 01/11/2011

On Tuesday, the government announced plans to build a toll road in Bali connecting Nusa Dua airport with the rest of the island.

“We have agreed to build the Sarangan - Nusa Dua toll road, spanning 11.5 kilometers, in Bali," State-Owned Enterprises Minister Mustafa Abubakar said Tuesday after meeting Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa.

“The toll road will not curve but cut from the airport to Benoa. It will also cut from the airport to Sarangan," he added.

Four state-owned enterprises, PT Jasa Marga, PT Pelindo III, PT Angkasa Pura, and the Bali Tourism Development Board, would form a consortium that would oversee the construction of the road.

“The four state-owned enterprises will work together to manage [the construction of] the toll road so it won't be necessary to use the state budget [APBN]. All funds, amounting to Rp 1.4 trillion to Rp 1.6 trillion, will come from the state-owned enterprises,” Mustafa said.

He added that the construction would begin in January, and has been targeted for completion by May 2013.

"We hope this road will be complete before the APEC Summit in Bali in 2013," he said.

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.