World’s Cheapest Car to Be Made in Indonesia: Report

Jakarta Globe, July 11, 2011

Netherlands Ambassador to India Bob Hiensch posing at the wheel of
a Tata Nano in New Delhi in 2010. The world’s cheapest car is likely to
 be manufactured in Indonesia, a report said on Monday. (AFP Photo)

Related articles

• Car Sales Rise 12% Despite Japan Blip, Gaikindo Says
• Chinese Carmaker BYD Makes Top-Gear Debut in Shenzhen
• Indonesia’s Growth Potential Putting Automakers in Gear
• Buffett-Backed BYD Lowers China IPO to $219m Amid Uncertain Car Market
• VW Makes Bid For Heavy-Truck Maker MAN

The world’s cheapest car, the Nano produced by Indian carmaker Tata Motors, is likely to be manufactured in Indonesia, a report said on Monday.

The Bangkok Post reported that Indonesia had appeared to win out over Thailand as the production base for the vehicle.

The newspaper, quoting an unnamed source, said that as Indonesia had “offered more attractive incentives, Tata decided to shelve the expansion plan in Thailand.”

Reasons included Thailand’s lack of political stability and automobile tax structures.

The Post reported that Tata was hoping to produce 50,000 Nanos a year at a plant in Jakarta from 2013.

“It plans to export the cars to Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines as it is banking on their large populations and big demand for low-cost cars.”

Indonesia to Import 180,000 Australian Cattle

Jakarta Globe, July 08, 2011

From left to right: Indonesian Agriculture Minister Siswono, Trade and
 Industry Minister Mari E. Pangestu and Finance Minister Hatta Rajasa greet
 Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd before their meeting in Jakarta on Friday.
 Indonesia will import 180,000 live cattle from Australia for the third quarter, marking
 the restart of imports after a ban on the Aus$320 million trade was lifted this week,
Hatta said on Friday. (AFP Photo)  

Related articles

• Australia Lifts Indonesia Cattle Ban
• Indonesia to Benefit as Australia Phases Out Aid to China, India
• Mental Health Fears Rise Over Australia Cattle Ban
• Lifeline for Australia Farmers over Indonesia Ban
• Famed Australian Ranch to Be Sold Due to Export Ban

Indonesia will import 180,000 live cattle from Australia for the third quarter, marking the restart of imports after a ban on the Aus$320 million trade was lifted this week, chief economics minister Hatta Rajasa said on Friday.

Australia’s government removed the month-long ban on live cattle exports to neighboring Indonesia on Wednesday, saying it was satisfied the trade could resume after a scandal over mistreatment of livestock.

Rajasa met with Australia’s foreign minister Kevin Rudd in Jakarta on Friday to agree the details of resumption of trade, which comes just as Indonesia’s demand is expected to pick up during the fasting month of Ramadan in August.

Rudd said both sides had agreed on cattle welfare, but he did not specify what improvements to standards Indonesia had made or had promised to make, after a joint team of experts toured abattoirs in the archipelago last month.

“Australia and Indonesia welcome any arrangements that industry reaches to give the sector higher standards, including the use of appropriate technical devices to meet halal standards,” Rudd said at a joint news conference in Jakarta.

Australia’s agriculture minister said this week it had revised export control orders to require ranchers to apply for permits to meet welfare requirements, and to trace cattle from farms through shipping to abattoirs with agreed standards.

The minority government had been under pressure from ranchers to overturn the ban.

Cattle producers had warned the decision was costing jobs and that domestic beef prices would fall, while some had also threatened to slaughter stock. 

Elders Ltd, one of Australia’s largest shippers of live cattle to Indonesia with up to 200,000 head annually, said it had booked a ship on Aug. 1 to take 3,200 cattle to its Indonesian abattoir.

“We expect to be up and running by Aug. 1 ... that’s the game plan at the moment,” said Malcolm Jackman, chief executive of Elders.

Elders owns a fully accredited abattoir in Indonesia and on Thursday said it was willing to provide the needed third-party certification that would be transparent and provide full traceability.

The abattoir stuns the cattle before slaughtering them, a practice that is seen as causing less distress to cattle. The ban came after television footage showed cattle being beaten, whipped and maimed prior to slaughter in some abattoirs.

Jackman said it would still take at least two months for shipments to pick up.

“It depends how quickly it can be done before the wet season starts,” he said. “Everyone is a lot happier than they were a week ago -- that’s for sure.”

Reuters

Related Articles:

Audits Will Target Slaughterhouses As Cattle Ban Lifts

Indonesia, Australia need to agree on slaughterhouse standards: minister

Shell plans to enter upstream market in Indonesia

Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Kuala Lumpur, Sat, 07/09/2011

Royal Dutch Shell Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Peter Voser says that his company plans to enter the upstream market in Indonesia within the next few years while further developing its downstream business.

“For Shell, Indonesia plays an important role in Asia, in line with population growth, market development and significant demand,” Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser said during a discussion with journalists at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday.

Speaking about the future of energy, Voser said Shell had three pillars for the future, namely more energy, cleaner energy and smarter energy. For more energy, Shell is developing new sources of oil and gas that the world will need.

“Renewable energy sources will supply up to 30 percent of global energy by 2050, while now it is only 13 percent. Shell invested over US$100 billion from 2011 to 2014 to develop new energy. In 2010 we invested more than $1 billion for research and technology development,” Voser said.

Indonesia torture case vs Exxon Mobil revived

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"NOT ABOVE THE LAW"

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

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

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

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

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

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

DISSENT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related Article:

Texas execution 'violated international law', UN says

UNDP To Finance Wakatobi International Fishery School

Antara News, Fri, July 8 2011

UNDP provides the funds of Rp100 billion for the construction of the Wakatobi International Fishery School, the first of its kind Asia....

Related News

• Wakatobi opens registration for undersea photo contest
• Forty countries to take part in Sail Wakatobi-Belitong
• Unique cultural attractions to enliven Sail Wakatobi 2011
• Illegal fishing still rife in Wakatobi
• Sail Wakatobi Belitong officially launched

Kendari, SE Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will fully finance the construction of the International Fishery School (SPI) in Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi, a local official said.

Illustration of a Fisherman
(ANTARA PHOTO/Zabur Karuru)

Wakatobi Mmarine and Fishery Office Chief Hajiu said on Friday that Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad would lay the first corner stone next Saturday, July 16, 2011.

"UNDP provides the funds of Rp100 billion for the construction of the Wakatobi International Fishery School, the first of its kind Asia," Hajiu said.

According to him, Wakatobi district government would only provide 100-hectare plot of land for the construction of the school in two stages, financed by UNDP.

For the first stage he said the local government has prepared a 50-hectare plot of land for school which was to be inaugurated by the maritime affairs and fisheries minister.

"On the 50-hectare plot of land for the first stage, the International Fishery School will be built in addition to other facilities such as students dormitory, and Muslim and Christian houses of worship," Hajiu said.

He said both Muslim and Christian houses of worship were needed because the students and lecturers would be from various countries, especially the six countries at the world`s coral reef triangle area.

According to Hajiu, the the prospective students who wanted to study at the school would undergo tight entry test, especially related to their academic competence on coral reefs conservation.

"In principle, the students who are accepted to study at such as school will be taught and trained in such away to master the knowledge about coral reefs conservation," Hajiu said.

He said the first-corner-stone laying ceremony

would also be attended by Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, Southeast Sulawesi Governor Nur Alam, and a number of other invitees.

Editor: Ade Marboen

Related Article:

• Indonesia - Korea to Build Marine and Fisheries Institute in Karawang

Indonesia's First Private Cancer Hospital Launched

Jakarta Globe, Dessy Sagita, July 07, 2011

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, center, speaking at the
inauguration of the Mochtar Riady Comprehensive Cancer Center in Semanggi,
South Jakarta, on Thursday. He was accompanied by the center's founder,
Mochtar Riady, right, and Minister of Health Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih.
(JG Photo/Safir Makki)

Related articles

• How You Can Help Children With Cancer
• Taiwan Mulls School Cellphone Ban amid Cancer Scare
• Mobile Phone Use May Cause Cancer: WHO Experts
• Projected Increase in Cancer Calls for Quick Action: Experts
• Patient’s Painful Ordeal Highlights Crisis at Overloaded Public Hospital

The first private cancer hospital in Indonesia, Mochtar Riady Comprehensive Cancer Center, was officially launched on Thursday by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The hospital, which is the biggest cancer hospital in the country, is expected to be one of the best-equipped cancer centers in Asia.

MRCCC founder Mochtar Riady said the hospital's development was inspired by his personal experience. His own mother died of dystocia when he was only eight years old and his father died at age 60 due to stomach cancer.

"I couldn't stand watching him enduring the pain," he said.

Investment in MRCCC totaled $138.8 million. The hospital has 30 floors and is located in the heart of Jakarta, Semanggi. It is equipped with cutting-edge medical devices including positron emission tomography - computed tomography (PET-CT) and IBA Cyclotron which could produce isotopes on a large scale.

The founding of this hospital was also in anticipation of an increased number of Indonesians that choose to receive medication from overseas with reasons of advanced clinical and treatment technology.

Yudhoyono said partnership between the government and private sector in developing modern hospitals, especially in big cities, could help keep Indonesian patients from seeking medical treatment abroad.

"We certainly don't want our patients to seek help in Singapore, Tokyo, or Malaysia simply because they think we don't have modern hospitals," he said.

"But at the same time we can't forbid them, so the only way is to increase our competitiveness by providing good infrastructure like this," he added.

Yudhoyono also conveyed his appreciation because MRCCC dedicated 30 percent of its facilities to third-class service.

"The regulation says private hospitals should dedicate at least 10 percent of the beds to the third class ward, but MRCCC has done more, and I would like to thank you for that," he said.

Dutch to help build dikes in Indonesia

RNW, 6 July 2011

The Netherlands is to help with plans for a 36-kilometer dike around the Indonesian coastal city of Jakarta to protect the city from flooding.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ben Knapen has set aside 4 million euros in development aid for the project and two Dutch experts will be sent to help develop the plans. The dike will be build two kilometres into the sea so that land can be reclaimed for urban development.

“This investment in a master plan to protect Jakarta from the sea is a good example of the new development policy in which Dutch knowledge and skills can made a difference,” says Deputy Minister Knapen.

Jakarta is regularly hit by flooding. In 2007 large parts of the city were inundated by several meters of water. At least 18 people drowned and around 300,000 people become homeless. The economic damage was huge; the airport had to be closed as a result. Pumps have been installed as a short term solution and the road to the airport has been raised.

Related Articles:

Dutch govt to extend grant program for Indonesia

Netherlands to assist RI in boosting food security

Indonesia - Korea to Build Marine and Fisheries Institute in Karawang

Antara News, Wed, July 6 2011

Related News

• Indonesia - Korea to Increase Partnership in Marine Sector

Jakarta, July 6, 2011 (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) and Korea Marine Institute (KMI) agree to build national Marine and Fisheries Institute in Karawang, West Java.This educational institution which was built in 2012 is the development from Fisheries College (STP) and Fisheries Academy (AP) to become a world-class educational institution. "To realize this program, Karawang Regency has prepared a land area of 65 Hectares. While the budget of 300 billion rupiah will be borne together by the Indonesian and Korean Government for each 150 billion rupiah," explained Head of Marine and Fisheries Human Resources Development, Syarief Widjaya, after opening Indonesia-Korea Ocean and Fisheries Forum (IKOFF) today (6/7) in Jakarta.

The effort to realize this program, KKP previously has done the partnership with the Ministry of National Education so that this marine and fisheries institution can be a world-class higher educational institution and become the Top ten marine and fisheries vocational education in the world. This higher educational institution aims to make superior and characteristic experts to compete in the world of work for national or international level, as well as for make the young enterpreneurs in marine and fisheries sector.

The International Seminar of Indonesia Korea Ocean and Fisheries Forum (The 1st IKOFF) filled with the explanation from leading experts and practitioner in marine, maritime, and fisheries from Indonesia and Korea with three sub-themes, which are sustainable preservation and development of marine and coastal; new source of technology and creative activities of marine. One day before, KKP and KMI has done the signing of Letter of Intent (LoI) to increase partnership in marine and fisheries sector between Indonesia and Korea. This agreement signed by Secretary General of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Gellwynn Jusuf with the President of Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), Hak So Kim, also witnessed by Chairman of Land, Transportation, and Marine Affairs Comission of the Korean House of Representatives, Kwang Keun Chang.

KKP and KMI will be looking for the opportunity to increase partnership in scientific and marine and fisheries research, development and enhancement the capacity of marine technology, marine resources for alternative energy, sustainable and integrated management of marine ecosystem and coastal, fisheries biological resources conservation, the establishment of marine policy study centre, including marine and fisheries," explained Fadel. According to him, these opportunities will be achieved by training, workshop and increasing of other building capacity, such as research and joint development, exchange of experts, information, and related data. For the implementation of this agreement, KKP and KMI will appoint each vocal point to discuss more about operational stride.

For further information, please contact Dr. Yulistyo Mudho, M.Sc, Head of Data, Statistics and Information Center, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (Mobile: 0811836967)

Dutch govt to extend grant program for Indonesia

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 07/05/2011

The Dutch government will continue to provide a grant program for Indonesia when the current grant package ends this year, a visiting Dutch minister said Monday.

The Dutch State Secretary for the European Union and Development Cooperation, Ben Knapen, said in Jakarta on Monday that the next three-year grant program, which would begin next year and last until 2015, would cover economic and social sectors such as sustainable trade, water infrastructure development, reforestation and higher education, capacity building, especially in the legal field.

Knapen said the Netherlands had not decided yet how much money would be involved should grants be involved in the cooperation.

“However, if you look at past experiences of the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and the Netherlands, some 53 million euros [US$77 million] is involved on a yearly basis,” Knapen said.

Knapen said that previous cooperation agreements with Indonesia had been done mostly through multilateral organizations, such as the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

“We are planning to gradually change that into a direct cooperation, country-to-country,” Knapen told reporters at a press conference at the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) office in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

According to Knapen, in the coming years, the Netherlands intends to intensify its cooperation with Indonesia in the areas where the Indonesian people really need it and at the same time the Netherlands can provide them.

“For us, it’s very important that we invest in a way that creates pockets of economic growth,” he said.

According to Knapen, one of the priorities in the cooperation will be in the field of water infrastructure development. “We see a demand for water infrastructure in Indonesia,” he said.

“We have a long history of trying to keep our feet dry as half of our country is below sea level. We feel familiar with this issue and maybe we can bring something to the table,” he added.

Bappenas head and National Development Planning Minister Armida Alisjahbana, also speaking at the press conference, said that Knapen was referring to a plan by the Indonesian government and the Jakarta administration to develop a dike system, similar to that in the Netherlands, in the Jakarta Bay to prevent seawater from the Java Sea from flooding North Jakarta.

“One goal of the cooperation would be for a dike system on Jakarta’s coastline,” Armida said, adding that she believed the Netherlands would be a perfect partner in developing a dike system in Jakarta as the country already had its own dike system, which had been proven to be very effective at preventing flooding.

Armida said that several ongoing cooperation programs with the Netherlands that had been in place for years would also be continued, including in the provision of the Nuffic Neso higher education scholarship programs, as well as in the fields of law and good governance.

“The bilateral cooperation in law was based on the fact that Indonesia has so many laws that were inherited from the Dutch colonial era,” Armida said.

“We have some common heritage when it comes to law, rules, and regulations,” Knapen said. “I believe we can help each other in making progress on this issue.” (mim)

Netherlands to assist RI in boosting food security

Antara News, Mon, July 4 2011

Jakarta, July 4 (ANTARA) - The Dutch government will help Indonesia step up its food security in the framework of the two countries cooperation.

Armida S. Alisjahbana. (ANTARA)

"Food security is important issue especially with the prices which tend to rise," Dutch Minister for International Cooperation and European Affairs Ben Knapen said in a press conference at the national development planning board (Bappenas) building here on Monday.

Knapen said if the food prices were not controlled, it would have a negative impact on the poor people.

According to him, food security was one of several cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands, which would help Indonesia among others in food research and development.

He said the focus of cooperation this time was not as wide as that in the past, because it would be aimed at improving institutional capacity for development, climate change, and forest damage management.

The Dutch government has a commitment to supporting development cooperation in the form of grants amounting 53 millions of euro.

Meanwhile, State Minister for National Development Planning Board/National Development Planning Board chairman Armida S Alisjahbana said the cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands was focused on a number of important sectors.

She said the important sectors were about water related climate issues, food security, governance which was focused on law, and higher education.

Armida pointed out that the Netherlands was known to have a lot of experts in water management, and therefore the country would help Indonesia develop water management system in Jakarta.

Editor: Priyambodo RH

Related Articles:

Pension funds among biggest land investors in poor countries

G20 agriculture ministers to confront food crisis

Indonesia expects G20 meeting to press food speculators

Saving energy and making money with 'useless' crop waste

Dutch hothouses could help solve world food crisis

Rob Baan uses four colours in LED-lighting (Photo: RNW)

China to build four cement factories in Indonesia

Antara News, Thu, June 30 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - China is planning to construct four cement factories in Kalimantan and Papua with a total investment of 2.35 billion US dollars.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the cement factories development plan was signed by the industry ministry`s Director General for Manufacturing Industry Base Panggah Susanto and a Chinese consortium here Thursday.

The Chinese consortium consists of Anhui Province`s State Enterprise Administration and Supervision Commission Director General Xu Chong Xin, Chairman of Prosperity Group Huang Bing Jun, and Guo Wen San of Anhui Conch Cement Company LTd.

The MoU signing was witnessed by among others Industry Minister Hidayat, Chairman of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Gita Wirjawan, and East Kalimantan Governor Awang Farouk.

Several projects included in the MoU are among other things a cement factory to be built at Tanjung, South Kalimantan, Toeti Rahajoe, the industry ministry`s downstream chemical industry director, said.

The planned total investment would reach 400 million US dollars, with an initial investment amounting to 250 million US dollar, she added.

The second factory will be constructed at Tanah Grogot (Paser), Sepinang, East Kalimantan, with a total production capacity of 10,000 klinker tons per day. Its investment will reach around 600 million US dollars.

Two other cement factories will respectively be built in Pontianak, West Kalimantan Province, and Papua Proivnce, with investments amounting 600 million US dollars and 750 million US dollars.

Industry Minister MS Hidayat welcomed China`s plan to build the four cement factories in Indonesia as the domestic demand for cement is expected to increase 7-10 percent.

He estimated the cement demand in Indonesia in 2015 will reach 55 million ton, while the total cement productions from the existing nine cement producers are recorded at 53 million tons. The factories are located at Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Nusa Tenggara islands.

"The cement demand in 2010 in Indonesia was 40.7 million tons while production totaled 37.8 million tons. Demand for cement in the future is expected to increase 7-10 percent," he said.

Editor: Priyambodo RH

RI, EU ink agreement on 'open skies' aviation market

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 06/30/2011

Indonesia and the European Union (EU) signed a “horizontal agreement” on Wednesday on the aviation industry, aiming for a more liberalized or “open skies” aviation market  between the two parties.

“The Agreement between The Government of the Republic of Indonesia and The European Union on Certain Aspects of Air Services” was signed in Brussels on Wednesday evening by Indonesian Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi, Hungarian Ambassador to the EU Agnes Vargha and European Commission Vice President and commissioner responsible for transport Siim Kallas.

“The transportation minister said during the signing of the agreement that it was an important step to strengthen the relationship between Indonesia and the EU in the future, through the implementation of high standards of air transportation security and safety,” Indonesian Transportation Ministry spokesperson J. A. Barata said in a Thursday press release.

“The horizontal agreement between Indonesia and the EU will serve as a legal ground for bilateral agreements on certain aspects [of air services], such as aviation safety, taxation requirements and compliance with regulations on competitions,” he said.

Barata said the new agreement would complement existing bilateral agreements on aviation Indonesia had earlier signed with 18 member states of the EU: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Czech, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Greece.

“The agreement is expected to encourage more intensified flows of goods and humans, increases in investments and the growth of tourism between the two parties, which in turn is expected to boost our national welfare and economic growth,” Barata said.

RI, US ink deal on environmental partnership

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 06/27/2011

The Indonesian Environment Ministry and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here on Monday on partnership for environmental protection and sustainable utilization of natural resources.

“The MoU is a positive step in our efforts to tackle tremendous challenges in protecting our environment,” Indonesian Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said after the signing.

He said the EPA had a great deal of experience in dealing with various environmental issues, such as rehabilitating mining sites and heavily-polluted areas.

EPA assistant administrator for international and tribal affairs Michelle DePass said the U.S. recognized Indonesia as an essential partner in strengthening global environmental protection efforts.

“We are pleased to cooperate with Indonesia on protecting human health and the environment in both of our countries,” DePass said. (rpt)

London Calling for Young Indonesian Innovators

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, June 27, 2011

From left, UK Ambassador to Indonesia Martin Hatfull; Perdana Karta Yudha,
 national winner in the screen category (2010); Muhammad Lukman, international
 runner-up in the interactive category (2010); and the ambassador’s wife,
Phyllis Hatfull. (Photo courtesy of the British Council)

Sometimes, all you need to do is get two creative people together in the same room and magic will happen. That’s a big part of what the International Young Creative Entrepreneur Awards are all about.

Take, for example, Indonesian fashion designer Oscar Lawalata. In 2009, he won the fashion category at the IYCE Awards. That gave him the opportunity to present his fashion collections and business ideas to British designers in London.

It was there he met renowned textile designer Laura Miles. Laura and Oscar quickly became friends due to her interest in tenun ikat, a hand-woven textile with tie-dye motif from Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, that Oscar brought to London for his visit. She loved the uniquely Indonesian textile so much that she collaborated with Oscar to make a line of clothing using tenun ikat, which was presented at Jakarta Fashion Week in 2010.

“Oscar’s win was quite phenomenal,” said Elsa Sasmita, a program officer for the British Council. “One thing leads to another. We’ve heard that this year, Oscar will also collaborate with famed British milliner [hat designer] Justin Smith, whom he also met during his visit to London.”

Oscar is one of many success stories to come out of the IYCE Awards. Since their inception in 2006, the IYCE Awards have helped highlight and connect more than 650 creative entrepreneurs from Indonesia with UK businesses and industry leaders. The awards have also given Indonesian entrepreneurs global exposure and helped them broaden their international networks.

“The IYCE Awards are designed to develop talented local entrepreneurs,” said Keith Davies, country director of the British Council in Indonesia. “We’ll help them grow their businesses through this program. In return, they’re expected to develop creative industries in Indonesia.”

The IYCE awards honor entrepreneurs from four creative industries — design, fashion, interactive media and film. The British Council has selected three judges for each category of the competition. They are professionals, academics and members of the media. They include Arief Suditomo, editor in chief of TV station RCTI, in the film category, and designer Edward Hutabarat in the fashion category.

This year, the British Council decided to broaden the awards’ age limit, which had required entrants to be between 25 and 35 years old, to between 21 and 40. “We’ve been seeing a lot of qualified applications from beyond those [previous] ages,’’ Elsa said. “That’s why this year we decided to give more opportunities to more people by broadening the age limit.’’

From the 153 applications received this year, the judges have selected 18 finalists. Among them are Affi Assegaf, owner of femaledaily.com, fashionesedaily.com and mommiesdaily.com, who is a finalist in the fashion and interactive media categories; Titis Sapto Raharjo, owner and editor of Movieholic Production, in the film category; and Mufti Alem, owner of Greeneration Indonesia, which produces environmentally friendly products, for the design category.

“I’m very impressed with all the candidates,’’ Arief said. “They’re all highly creative and have brilliant ideas.’’

“Their creativity and business minds are excellent,’’ Edward said. “Some of their products are lacking a sense of cultural identity. This is very important, as that is what gives Indonesian products their competitive edge.”

The finalists will go through one more judging phase from July 3 to 6, during which they will receive business coaching from experts and visit successful entrepreneurs and businesses.

On the final day, the finalists will give a presentation to the judges regarding their products and business concepts.

“They should highlight five key points — entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, market awareness and international outlook — in their presentations to the judges,’’ Elsa said.

The names of the winners will be announced on July 6 at the IYCE Awards night, which will take place at the Pekan Produk Kreatif Indonesia (Indonesian Creative Product Week) at the Jakarta Convention Center. The winner in each category will get a seven-day, all-expenses-paid visit to the UK to inspire them with new ideas and introduce them to industry leaders and possible business partners.

“This is what Indonesian entrepreneurs need now,” Edward said. “We have to build on our international outlook. The UK is the place to do that because they have many international artists who can open doors for our local industries, allowing them to reach the global market.”

This year, the winner of the fashion category will attend London Fashion Week in September, while the winner of the design category will attend the London Design Festival, also in September. The winner of the film category will attend the London Film Festival in October, and the winner of the interactive media category will attend the Power to the Pixel workshop the same month.

“We’ve also designed specific programs as well as prearranged meetings and special events in which the winners will meet people in the creative industries in UK,” Elsa said. “They can present their ideas and products to these people and perhaps build the foundations for future collaborations.”

“We hope to become a bridge between the UK and local Indonesian businesses,” Davies said. “We want to develop Indonesian creative businesses to grow in the international market.”

Edward was upbeat about the future. “All of these industries are fueled by our minds, a resource that will never deplete or run out.”

 

For more information on the IYCE Awards 2011, visit www.thebritishcouncil.org.

China agrees to support Indonesia's economic master plan

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 06/23/2011

Indonesia and China have agreed on the establishment of a working committee reflecting China's support of Indonesia's 2011-2025 Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesian Economic Development (MP3EI).

“The agreement was made when Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa, a special envoy to the Indonesian president, met with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in Beijing,” the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing said in a press release on Thursday, referring to a meeting on Wednesday.

The statement said Hatta was accompanied by Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu and Indonesian Ambassador to China and Mongolia Imron Cotan, among others.

It also said Hatta explained to Wen the MP3EI concept and its key position in Indonesia's economic development policy for the year 2011-2025.

Hatta expressed hope that China will take part in the implementation of the master plan, which has been apparently welcomed by Wen, Antara news agency reported.

Related Article:

Master plan may help unemployment after migrant moratorium: SBY

ANTARA journalists join multimedia training in Netherlands

Antara News, Wed, June 22 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A number of ANTARA journalists will attend a multimedia journalism training in the Netherlands under the StuNed scholarship provided by the Nuffic-Neso and the Dutch government.

To mark the beginning of the training program, Indonesian Nuffice-Neso scholarship coordinator Indy Hartono handed the scholarships to the ANTARA CEO Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf here in Jakarta, Wednesday.

The training is scheduled to be held on June 27 - July 15, 2011 at the Radio Netherlands Training Center (RNTC), Hilversum, the Netherlands, aimed to increase ANTARA journalists` professional skills.

In the training, the participants would also have the chance to visit the Netherlands news agency Algemeen Nederlands Persbureu (ANP).

"RNTC is a training facility designed for journalists, the fourth opportunity for Indonesian journalists to participate in the event at RNTC with different topics according to the necessary needs," Indy said in her opening remarks.

Indy also said that StuNed supports journalists` capacity building to promote democracy.

"By studying at RNTC, the participants would not only learn theory but also to practice with proper equipment," Indy said.

The 16 participants in the three weeks training from from ANTARA News Agency are active journalists and one manager of ANTARA Journalism School (LPJA).

Besides the Jakarta based ANTARA journalists, there are also several those from bureaus attending this training such as from Pontianak, Makassar and Denpasar.

Upon their return from the Netherlands, they are expected to apply what they have gained there to develop antaranews.comportal, including the enrichment of content and sections within it.

In the long run, the knowledge gained will be disseminated through training courses organized by LPJA, particularly in the multimedia journalism field.

On that occasion, ANTARA CEO Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf welcomed the training as an endeavor to strengthen ANTARA as a multimedia news agency.

"Besides the training, it is also expected to reinforce the mindset that is needed to manage the current media, supported by the latest IT infrastructure, the discipline of media players, and network expanding" he said.

With the LPJA manager attending the training, it is also expected that the training methodology can be an additional reference for the management of multimedia journalism education in ANTARA.

ANTARA News Agency also thanked NESO for their cooperation and the scholarships, the program might be continued each year, and involve the PWI (Indonesia Press Association), Press Council and other journalist organizations, ANTARA is ready to help facilitate, Mukhlis said.

Nuffic Neso Indonesia is a non-profit organization officially designated and funded by the Dutch government to deal with various matters relating to the Dutch higher education.

StuNed, stands for Studeren in Nederland, or study in the Netherlands, is a scholarship program that is part of the development cooperation policy of the Dutch government which aims to support the achievement of the "UN Millennium Development Goals" in 2015.

Editor: Bambang