“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.

They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."
"Update on Current Events" – Jul 23, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: The Humanization of God, Gaia, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Benevolent Design, Financial Institutes (Recession, System to Change ...), Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Nuclear Power Revealed, Geothermal Power, Hydro Power, Drinking Water from Seawater, No need for Oil as Much, Middle East in Peace, Persia/Iran Uprising, Muhammad, Israel, DNA, Two Dictators to fall soon, Africa, China, (Old) Souls, Species to go, Whales to Humans, Global Unity,..... etc.)
(Subjects: Who/What is Kryon ?, Egypt Uprising, Iran/Persia Uprising, Peace in Middle East without Israel actively involved, Muhammad, "Conceptual" Youth Revolution, "Conceptual" Managed Business, Internet, Social Media, News Media, Google, Bankers, Global Unity,..... etc.)
.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

PP expects to raise Rp 581b from public offering

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 01/31/2010 6:41 PM

State construction company PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PP) has targeted to raise Rp 581 billion (US$63 million) from its initial public offering (IPO) of shares slated for early February.

Mandiri Sekurities, one of the IPO underwriters, said PP would sell 21 percent of its shares to the public, at Rp 560 each.

Mandiri Sekuritas director and head of investment banking Iman Rachman said investors had shown strong interest in the offer.

“Investors, including two foreign investors, Fidelity and Pheim Asset [Management], have expressed a strong interest in PP shares,” Iman said, adding that several domestic investment firms including PT Jamsostek had also made commitments.

Besides Mandiri Sekuritas, PP has also appointed Danareksa Sekuritas and DBS Vickers Sekurities Indonesia as underwriters.

Earlier PP had said the company would use the public money to finance its investment plan, including for projects in property, construction and the energy sectors.

Established in 1953, PP gained Rp 3.9 trillion in revenue last year.

PP signs property contract with Bin Laden Company

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 01/31/2010 5:57 PM

State construction company PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PP) has secured Rp 16.2 trillion ($1.8 billion) worth of contracts this year, including two with the Binladen Group construction conglomerate and holding company in the Middle East.

On Sunday, PP said in a statement that the two contracts from Binladen Group (SBG) were worth Rp 500 billion, but did not provide further details.

“We will also get additional work from the company worth Rp 1 trillion,” PP director Musyanif said.

PP’s domestic projects include the development of Hasanuddin University in South Sulawesi, a project worth Rp 450 billion.

Rp 3.6 trillion worth of the contracts for 2010 were carried over from 2009, he said.

Last year the company signed Rp 12.6 trillion worth of new contracts, twice the amount it had signed in 2008.

Yogyakarta's airport to be expanded to meet rising demand

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 01/31/2010 4:30 PM

Adisutjipto international airport in Yogyakarta will be expanded to more than two times of its current size to meet the increasing number of air passengers flying from and to this royal city.

Halendra, operational manager of the airport operator company PT Angkasa Pura I, said that the expanded airport would cover an area of 18,000 square meters, as compared to the current area of 8,000 square meters.

"The Adisutjipto airport's development and expansion is to meet the growing air traffics, both domestic and international, from and to Yogyakarta," Halendra was quoted by Kompas.com as saying.

After the 2006 earthquake, the airport was renovated to a new capacity of 1 million passengers per annum. However, since then, passengers increased rapidly to 2.8 million in 2008 and 3.2 million in 2009.

"Currently, we have a number of contractors that have submitted their designs, and we are waiting for the tender process that normally would take about 45 days," Halendra said.

Indonesia to construct 93 power plants in 2nd project

The Jakarta Post, Alfian , Jakarta | Sat, 01/30/2010 12:53 PM | Business

The government has announced its list of 93 power plants to be built under the second 10,000-megawatt (MW) power generation scheme.

"With the issuance of the decree, the bidding for the power plant procurement can now be opened," J. Purwono, the director general for electricity and energy use, said Friday.

The power plants are expected to generate up to 10,153 MW in total. Of this figure, 5,770 MW or 57 percent will go into the Java - Bali grid, while the rest will go to the other islands across the archipelago.

This second project is expected to promote the use of clean and renewable energy, but coal-fired power plants will still contribute significantly.

Of the total capacity, up to 1,204 MW (12 percent) will be generated by hydroelectric plants; 1,660 MW (16 percent) from gas combined-cycle plants; 3,977 MW (39 percent) from geothermal plants, and 3,312 MW (33 percent) from coal-fired plants.

The biggest hydroelectric plant in the project will be the 4x250-MW Upper Cisokan plant in West Java.

The biggest gas combine-cycle plant will be the expanded Muara Tawar plant, also in West Java, with total capacity of 1,200 MW.

The 1,000-MW Indramayu power plant in West Java will be the biggest of the coal-fired plants in this second phase, while the Sarulla 1 plant in North Sumatra, with expected total capacity of 3x110 MW, will be the biggest of the geothermal power plants.

Of the total 10,153 MW power expected to be generated from the project, state electricity company PT PLN is expected to generate a little more than half, or 5,118 MW.

The remaining 5,035 MW is expected to come from plants run by independent power producers (IPPs).

Although set to produce an almost equal amount of electricity, the power plants to be built by the IPPs will require double the investment that PLN's plants warrant.

Constructing all the power plants will require US$15.96 billion in investment. Of this figure, only $5.90 billion will go to PLN.

The IPPs will require a greater capital outlay as they will focus on geothermal power plants, which are far more costly than PLN's coal-fired plants.

Of the total 3,977 MW set to be generated by geothermal, IPPs are expected to contribute 3,097 MW.

The second 10,000-MW project will include the construction of 3,490 kilometers of power transmission lines, requiring $383 million in investment.

The project is expected to be finished in 2014.

Nestle to invest $390 million in Mexico coffee plant

Reuters, Mexico City, Sat Jan 30, 2010 12:36pm EST

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Nestle, the world's biggest food group, said on Saturday it will invest 5 billion pesos ($390 million) in Mexico over the next three years to increase coffee processing capacity, part of a $1 billion expansion plan.

"The majority of these 5 billion pesos will be invested in the Nescafe instant coffee processing plant," Nestle said in a statement, adding that the investment would increase capacity by 40 percent at the factory in Toluca near Mexico City.

Mexico, a major world coffee producer, has struggled to improve the quality of its beans in recent years but is positioning itself as a processor of coffee to serve U.S. and European markets.

Nestle said it planned to invest $1 billion in Mexico between 2008 and 2012.

(Reporting by Adriana Barrera)

Saturday, January 30, 2010

LIPI launches beyonic technology for organic fertilizer making

Antara News, Saturday, January 30, 2010 22:48 WIB

Bogor (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has launched microbe-based Beyonic technology for organic fertilizer making.

Such a technology was launched by Research and Technology Minister Suharna Surapranata before LIPI chief Prof Umar Anggara Jenie at Bogor`s Cibinong Science Center in West Java on Saturday.

LIPI Biological Institute Deputy Prof Endang Sukara in his presentation on the Beyonic technology said the application of such a mechanical sciences was one of the solution to the problem of soil quality decline caused by excessive use of commercial fertilizer.

"The use of microbe should be a good alternative that can be developed continually to increase agriculture productivity by reducing excessive use of commercial fertilizer," Endang said.

According to him, the government in 2010 would allocate Rp11.86 trillion subsidy funds for the production of 11.76 million tons of organic fertilizer.

But unfortunately the organic fertilizer subsidy was used largely by big producers and a little by the farmers.

"Therefore, LIPI wants the farmers to be self-reliance in producing organic fertilizer by using Beyonic technology," Endang said, adding the microbe used in the technology was safe.

"The microbe used in such a technology is the local one which is safe and pure because it is kept by Biotechnology Culture Collection which has been registered at the World Federation for Culture Collection (WFCC)," Endang said.

He said a lot of imported microbe was not absolutely reliable and was even feared to destroy our environment.

According to Endang, several types of organic fertilizer such as BioPoska, Kompenit, Biomat, Biorhizin, Kedelai Plus, BioVam and Katalek had been marketed.

Meanwhile Research and Technology Minister Suharna Surapranata said the technological innovation result should immediately be exploited by technical department in order to make Indonesia free from relying on foreign industry.

"If such a beneficial technology failed to be synergized with technical department, it would be useless," the minister said, adding that development in Indonesia was in great need of technological products.

He admitted that a number of technical departments had yet to understand that the results of technological research at home had been able to meet national demands.

Swedish businessmen to visit Indonesia

Antara News, Saturday, January 30, 2010 17:40 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President directors of 35 Swedish companies will visit Indonesia on January 30 - February 2, 2010 to identify investment and business opportunities in the country, Swedish Embassy said in a media release here on Friday.

This will be the biggest Swedish business delegation ever to visit Indonesia. The visit is jointly organized by the Swedish Embassies in Jakarta and Singapore, in cooperation with the Swedish Business Associations of Indonesia and Singapore.

During their stay in Indonesia, the delegation is expected to meet with high level officials from relevant ministries and authorities, economists, the European Union delegation, as well as with representatives of the Indonesian and Swedish related business community.

Ambassador of Sweden to Indonesia Ewa Polano, heading the delegation, says that the Swedish businessmen are very happy that so many Swedish communities have signed up.

"It has been our ambition to present the Swedish president directors a visiting program that gives a unique opportunity to improve their understanding of the impressive economic and political developments in Indonesia over the last years," she said.

Indonesia has made substantial progress in the field of democracy, economic reforms and security over the last decade. Its location and size make Indonesia strategically important: the fourth largest country in the world and the largest in ASEAN.

Having been worst hit by the Asian economic crisis in 1997-98, Indonesia has now outperformed other major economies in Southeast Asia in 2009 and in fact most other countries in the world.

IIPAC launches Indonesia Business Lobby

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 01/29/2010 9:33 PM

The Indonesia Israel Public Affairs Committee (IIPAC) launched an Indonesian Business Lobby on Friday, aiming to facilitate Jewish investment from all over the world in Indonesia.

IIPAC executive director Benjamin Ketang said his committee would work with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Australia.

So far there have been 19 Indonesian and Israeli businesspeople have joined the forum, he said.

Benjamin said he was not worried about business relations with Israel, despite it being a sensitive issue in Indonesia.

“No problem, we’re ready,” he said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com when asked about any possible protests among Muslims.

IIPAC was established in 2002 and operates from an office in South Jakarta.

Japanese tech for cleaner RI slaughterhouses

Adianto P. Simamora , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 01/29/2010 10:25 AM

The government of Japan has offered a co-benefit cooperation to develop eco-friendly slaughterhouses and landfills to cope with climate change and pollution in Indonesia.

Japan would provide technology to capture emissions from slaughterhouses and landfills in Indonesia and alter them as energy sources to generate electricity for citizens.

“But the total emission cuts from projects belong to Indonesia,” Tuty Hendrawaty, deputy assistance on pollution control from the agro industry sector at the State Environment Ministry told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

She said that pilot projects would be in slaughterhouses in Palembang, South Sumatra and the landfill in Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan.

“Experts from Japan and Indonesia have conducted feasibility studies on the planned projects,” she said.

The governments of Indonesia and Japan organized a two-day workshop on co-benefit cooperation in Jakarta on Thursday, attended by officials from several provinces.

Slaughterhouses and landfills are among the major sources of water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, especially in developing countries due to poor management.

Untreated wastewater often flows into rivers, which are the main sources of clean water for the public.

Slaughterhouses and landfills also carry diseases that can be transferred to humans, while wastewater generates methane gas.

Methane is reported as far more dangerous to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

The Japanese government launched the “Cool Earth 50” initiative in 2007 to establish a global warming management framework with the long-term target of halving greenhouse gas emissions until 2050.

Japan and Indonesia signed a joint statement on environmental protection through the co-benefit approach in 2007, including the implementation of the 3R (reduce, reuse and recycle).

Since then, Indonesia produced massive campaigns on the 3R concept to reduce the size of landfills.

Data from the State Environment Ministry shows more than 60 percent out of the 170 surveyed cities in 2008 relied on poorly managed landfills.

It said that many cities only disposed around 65 percent of daily waste at the final disposal site with the remaining illegally dumped in rivers or at parks and were illegally burned.

The report said Indonesia produced a large amount of methane gas from garbage.

Producing around 45 million cubic meters of garbage annually, mostly from metropolitan cities, Indonesia may be producing around 520,000 tons of methane, the report said.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has promised to cut 26 percent of emissions by 2020, of which about 6 percent of emission reduction would be from the waste sector.

Single window system in place at five entries

Antara News, Saturday, January 30, 2010 05:47 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Four seaports and one airport in Indonesia, namely the seaports of Tanjung Priok, Tanjung Emas , Tanjung Perak , Belawan and Soekarno-Hatta airport, are using an electronic-based National Single Window (NSW) system to serve import activities, an official said.

Chairwoman of the National Preparatory Team in charge of developing an electronic-based national single window (NSW) system, Sri Mulnyani Indrawati, said here on Friday the use of the system was expected to smooth the flow of exports and imports as well as trade services.

Mulyani who is also finance minister made the remarks on the occasion of the commissioning by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the system at a pier of PT Jakarta International Container Terminal at Tanjung Priok port here.

"The inauguration marks the application of the NSW mandatory import system for all importers` goods coming in the country through the seaports of Tanjung Periok, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Emas, Belawan and Soekarno-Hatta airport," she said.

She said that the team she chaired was set up in 2006 and was in charge of developing an NSW system in Indonesia as part of the ASEAN single window, which is an electronic-based system for customs documents processing.

"The team has been successful in developing a blue print, a trial at the end of December 2006. It was developed with two pillars, namely trade system and port system, not only for ASEAN but also for all countries," she said.

Sri Mulyani explained that since 2006 and up to 2009, the team had conducted a series of trial-tests and limited implementation of the system which was inaugurated by the president on Friday.

"Beginning today, the application of the NSW system is equipped with an official website which can be accessed through cellular phones. In the days ahead, we hope that it can be operated at all international ports and airports," she said.

The national single window export and import service is an integrated public service which provides application, exchange and processing of information electronically.

The system will provide services in the process and flow of all exported and imported goods in an effort to increase the competitiveness of the national economy.

The system makes it possible for data and information to be submitted at once, synchronizes data and information processing and integrates the flow of business processes involving customs, licensing, export-import, port, payment, shipping and logistical systems as well as other systems connected with export-import handling.

Mulyani said that up to 2014 the system would be expanded to include a method that would enable officers not to check all export and import goods but only those suspected of being in violation of existing rules.

Related Article:

News focus: RI adopts single window system to smooth exim traffic

24,000 Ha prepared for Patin fish breeding

Antara News, Saturday, January 30, 2010 06:49 WIB

Jambi (ANTARA News) - Maurojambi regency which had been appointed one of the patin fish production centers, has prepared 24 thousand hectares for fish culture, patin fish in particular, Regent of Muarojambi H Burhanudin Mahir said in Sengeti, capital of Muarojambi, Jambi, on Thursday.

"This region has a very high potential vast land to help intensify this project, for which we have prepared 24,000 ha of fishery land," the regent said.

The plots of land are located in several subdistricts and regencies, like Kumpeh, Sekernan and Jaluko. The land will be run by the farmer groups in every subdistrict.

Not only land, the regency administration will also provide the Jambi patin fish with seedlings and other fish species for breeding by the farmers free of charge.


32 investors to put Rp 24.3t into sugar plantations

Alfian, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 01/29/2010 11:57 AM

As many as 32 investors plan to develop new sugar plantations and mills in several provinces, representing a total investment of Rp 24.3 trillion (US$2.6 billion), a minister has said.

“Most of them are domestic investors,” Industry Minister M.S. Hidayat told reporters Thursday.

Hidayat said the planned mills would be located in several provinces including in Riau, Jambi, Lampung, West Java, Central Java, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, West Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, South East Sulawesi, and Papua.

“The mills will require about [an additional] 500,000 hectares,” Hidayat said.

He added that the proposed mills would have a combined processing capacity of 163,000 tons of sugar cane per day. “There will be between 10 and 25 new mills depending on processing capacity,” Hidayat said.

The investors are now asking the government to provide incentives, including tax concessions on land and infrastructure, subsidies on bank interest rates, and income tax reductions. “We are still discussing these matters,” Hidayat said.

Indonesia is the largest sugar buyer in Southeast Asia with total domestic demand (household and industrial) reaching about 4.8 million tons a year.

“So far domestic production can only meet the needs for household sugar consumption, but industrial consumption is still supplied by imports,” Agriculture Minister Suswono said.

Hidayat said demand for raw sugar for industrial use reached 2.15 million tons in 2009, while domestic production was only 1.9 million tons.

He added that demand for raw sugar for industrial use would reach 2.74 million tons by 2014.

Suswono said the domestic price of sugar was still high, because the world supply of sugar has fallen with Brazil now using much of its sugar cane to produce bio-fuel.

Deputy Trade Minister Mahendra Siregar said Indonesia would extend the importation of sugar. “We will continue with importing sugar until the price can be stabilized once again,” he said.

RI expert appointed member of UNESCO education council

The Jakarta Post | Sat, 01/30/2010 1:59 PM

Arief Rachman, an education expert from the Jakarta State University, has been elected as a member of the Administrative Group of the International Bureau of Education (IBE) Council of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

Achsanul Habib, the First Secretary of the Indonesian Permanent Representative Office in Geneva, told Antara state news agency in London Saturday that Arief was elected during the 59th IBE-UNESCO Session in Geneva, which ended on Friday.

Arief, who s also chairman of National Commission for the UNESCO, lead the Indonesian delegation during the IBE-UNESCO session.

The Administrative Group's members, whose mandate continues until the end of UNESCO's 36th General Conference in 2011, had a crucial role in directing the priority programs of IBE-UNESCO for the next one year, he said.

They would also be tasked to discuss working programs, budget and agenda of IBE Council's sessions, he said.

Habib said that Arief's appointment showed the international people's trust in Indonesia's contribution and role in education discussions.

Related Article:

Prof Arief Rachman appointed member of IBE Council


Pertamina seeks help for LNG terminal

Upstreamonline.com, News wires Friday, 29 January, 2010, 07:28 GMT

Speaking out: Pertamina's president director Karen Agustiawan

Indonesia's state oil and gas company Pertamina is seeking a partner for a planned liquefied natural gas receiving terminal.

Pertamina said previously it planned to build a floating LNG receiving terminal in East Java, to be completed in September 2011.

"We need a ship which we will modify to become a floating LNG receiving terminal. We don't want to lease the ship but we want to own it," Pertamina's president director Karen Agustiawan told reporters today.

"Therefore, we will ask the ship owner to participate in the terminal project. Under the joint venture, Pertamina wants to be the majority shareholder in the project," she said.

She said Pertamina will talk with Bontang LNG plant, Tangguh plant, and also Qatar, as it seeks LNG supplies for the terminal project.

"Our terminal in East Java will have a capacity of between 1.5 million tonnes to 2 million tonnes per year. We will need LNG from every source, both domestic or abroad," Agustiawan said.

Pertamina already plans to build a floating LNG receiving terminal near the capital Jakarta together with local gas distribution company Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN).

PGN also plans to build an LNG receiving terminal in North Sumatra with a capacity of about 1.5 million tonnes per year.

Indonesia has no LNG receiving terminal currently. The world's third-largest LNG exporter behind Qatar and Malaysia is seeking non-oil energy sources such as natural gas and coal to meet rising domestic demand for power and to reduce consumption of crude oil as its reserves dwindle.

The Tangguh plant, operated by BP's Indonesian unit, has capacity to produce 7.6 million tonnes per year of LNG via two trains.

Indonesia has far more gas than oil but has limited supplies for its own use due to long-term LNG export commitments, which it is reviewing, reported Reuters.

Related Article:

Pertamina Believes Transparency Will Attract Investors, Allay Public Concerns


ExxonMobil to sell Cepu gas to Indonesia

Eric Watkins, OGJ Oil Diplomacy Editor, Jan 29, 2010

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 29 -- A unit of ExxonMobil Corp. has signed a memorandum of understanding to supply natural gas from its Cepu Block to Indonesia’s state-owned power utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) and state gas distributor PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN).

"The MOU was signed last year. PLN will use the gas for its power plants and PGN for the city gas project," ExxonMobil Indonesia spokesman Maman Budiman told a hearing with the House of Representatives Commission VII, which is overseeing the country’s energy and mineral resources.

Maman said the gas will be produced from Cepu Block’s Jambaran field, which has reserves estimated at 1.3 tcf, all of it to be allocated to the two state-owned enterprises. Maman said discussions are under way with the buyers concerning the details of volume and price.

Maman also discussed the block’s oil production, saying ExxonMobil’s subsidiary Mobil Cepu Ltd. (MCL) is able to meet the government’s production target of 20,000 b/d, but that the downstream facilities to deliver and process the oil belong to other companies that are not ready to receive the crude.

“We can actually produce up to 25,000 b/d, but the receiving facilities are still unable to receive all the output,” said Maman, whose statement was confirmed by R. Priyono, chairman of upstream oil and gas regulator BPMigas.

“PT Tri Wahana Universal currently can only receive between 3,000 and 6,000 b/d and PT Pertamina can only receive between 10,000 and 12,000 b/d,” said Priyono, who added, “We are still evaluating the possibility that Pertamina could increase its capacity to between 14,000 and 15,000 b/d.”

Indonesia has high expectations that production from the Cepu Block will help to reverse the country's overall declining oil production, expecting the block to produce 20,000 b/d since the end of 2008—a target that has yet to be reached.

MCL holds a 45% interest in Cepu Block, while Pertamina holds 45%, and the remaining 10% is held by a consortium of enterprises controlled by the provincial administrations of East and Central Java.

Contact Eric Watkins at hippalus@yahoo.com.

UK pledges £50m to tackle Indonesia deforestation

The £50m will help educate Indonesians on climate change

The UK is to contribute £50m ($80m) to a project in Indonesia in the hope it will tackle climate change.

Large-scale deforestation makes the South East Asian country the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, after China and the US.

The money will be used to encourage palm oil manufacturers to grow new plantations on land already degraded instead of clearing new forest.

The Indonesian president has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 26% by 2020.

President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono has said Indonesia could cut emissions by up to 41% if the country was given international help.

The UK Department for International Development (DfID) said the funding was part of a £1.5bn ($2.4bn) commitment to a $10bn-a-year "fast start" global financial package to help developing countries address climate change and its impacts, which was agreed in Copenhagen last month.

The five-year partnership aims to educate the Indonesian public on how the forests in the country are used and to help them adapt to climate change.

It will also give palm oil companies money to help them offset extra costs from growing on less fertile, degraded land.

The equivalent of three football pitches of rainforest have been cut down every minute in Indonesia, which lost a third of its forest cover in the past 20 years, DfID said.

Protecting vital resources

Indonesia is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with millions of people living in low-lying coastal areas and a high dependency on agriculture and natural resources.

It also has one-fifth of the world's coral reefs, which are threatened by rising sea temperatures and greater acidity caused by higher levels of carbon dioxide.

International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said: "The impacts of unchecked deforestation in Indonesia will be felt across the world for years to come.

"Through this partnership the UK will stand side by side with the Indonesians to help manage their forests, protecting this vital resource for future generations."

Related Articles:

Indonesia Hopes to Complete Climate Action Plan Next Month

Indigenous people get ‘20%’ REDD money


Friday, January 29, 2010

UI upbeat over completing library mega-project this year

Hasyim Widhiarto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 01/29/2010 6:36 PM | Jakarta

The University of Indonesia (UI) is confident it will complete the construction of its new library, which will be one of the biggest and advanced libraries in the world, in June.

"The building's structure is complete and we are now about to finish the interior," UI spokesman Vishnu Juwono told The Jakarta Post on Friday. "We hope we can open the library by June."

Located next to the campus’ main lake, the new library, which will be open to students and the general public, has an eco-friendly design, with part of its power needs supplied by solar energy.

The eight-story library, built on 2.5-hectares of land, is designed to house more than three million books and facilitate up to 20,000 visitors a day.

The university is expecting the new library -- estimated to cost more than Rp 100 billion (US$9.8 million) -- to bring it one step closer to becoming a world-class university.

Construction of the library started in June last year.

Rp. 100 million in Government Funds to Operate 300 Community Health Centers

Tempo Interactive, Friday, 29 January, 2010 | 20:33 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Yogyakarta:The Health Department will test the Health Operation Aid (BOK) program for 300 community health centers (puskesmas) in seven regencies throughout Indonesia this year. Every community health center will get a budget of Rp. 100 million/year out of a total budget of Rp. 30 billion.

“The test will be conducted in seven regions, which are Java-Bali, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara and Papua,” said Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih at the dialogue on Health Development Priorities for 2010-2014 in Kepatihan on Friday,.

Present at the event were State Minister for National Development Planning/Chairperson of the National Development Planning, Armida S. Alisjahbana, Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X and Yogyakarta Mayor Herry Zudianto.

The BOK distribution, according to Endang, is aimed at improving the puskesmas’ performance, both in promoting and preventing health issues. The service includes family planning, nutrition and funding for village health posts, which has become community-based health initiatives.

“BOK is intended to support the Minimum Standard Services (SPM) in the process of speeding up the Millenium Development Goal’s target,” said Endang.

Un-tested puskesmas will still be allocated a Rp. 10 million budget per year. Today, there are 8200 puskesmas in all of Indonesia. She plans to allocate Rp. 10 million every month for 8500 puskesmas by 2011.

Besides the BOK distribution, the Heath Department will also increase the government-sponsored community health insurance (Jamkesmas) free membership to the poor.

The Health Department’s public communication chief, Lily Sulistyowati said that the Jamkesmas membership was one of the Health Department ‘s 100 days priority program and will be extended to three new groups, which are the poor victims of disasters, prison inmates and poor people living in public institutions.

‘In order provide health services to those three groups, an agreement has been signed between the Health Minister, the Justice and Rights Minister and the Social Welfare Minister,” said Lily.

BERNADA RURIT

Sasol starts talks with Indonesian on coal liquefaction project

Antara News, Friday, January 29, 2010 18:33 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - South Africa's Sasol Limited, the world's largest producer of synthetic fuel, has begun talks on developing a US$10 billion coal-liquefaction plant with two Indonesian state companies.

Negotiations were in progress with oil and gas company PT Pertamina and coal miner PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam (JSX:PTBA), Gita Wirjawan, the chairman of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) said.

State fertilizer companies like PT Pupuk Sriwijaya might also be involved in the project, Wirjawan said. Last month, Sasol and the Indonesian government signed an initial agreement to study the feasibility of the project, the newspaper Jakarta Global reported.

Source:
Business in Asia Today - Jan 29, 2010
published by Asia Pulse

RI, US to sign comprehensive partnership this year

Lilian Budianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 01/29/2010 2:44 PM

Indonesia aims to sign a comprehensive partnership agreement with the United States in the middle this year during the visit of President Barack Obama, says a foreign minister spokesman.

Teuku Faizasyah said Friday the comprehensive partnership draft would be finalized in the near future and would be ready to be signed in the middle of the year.

"The deliberations are almost complete ... It covers a wide range of issues from education, social issues, politics, to military cooperation," he said.

The partnership was first floated last February during the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Jakarta.

Indigenous people get ‘20%’ REDD money

Adianto P. Simamora , The Jakarta Post | Fri, 01/29/2010 10:23 AM

At least 20 percent of revenue from the forest carbon scheme should be transferred to indigenous people who play crucial roles in protecting the forest to avoid emission leakages, a minister said.

State Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said that much revenue from the carbon trade was needed to ensure the sustainability of emission reduction in tackling climate change.

“Giving indigenous people a fair share also acknowledges their rights,” Gusti said.

He said the government could not leave the indigenous people behind in projects relating to the forest as they were at the forefront of environmental preservation.

Gusti said that indigenous people had great knowledge about how to protect the forest.

“The traditional people have long been conscious of the environment. It is important to include them in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation [REDD] projects,” he added.

REDD was expected to be an alternative to emission cuts from forests, which contributed about 20 percent to global emissions.

Under the scheme, countries that protect their forests can receive financial incentives through the carbon trade from rich nations.

However, debates on land and forest rights have been a hot topic at both national and international levels, mainly concerning efforts to mitigate global warming.

Activists said the unclear status of indigenous people and tribal communities managing forests would hamper the implementation of REDD programs.

The State Ministry for the Environment signed a memorandum of understanding with the Alliance of Archipelagic Indigenous People (AMAN) on environmental protection on Wednesday.

Gusti also inaugurated 35 indigenous people, also AMAN members, as the country’s ambassadors in protecting the environment.

AMAN secretary-general Abdon Nababan welcomed Gusti’s statement. “But our main concern is not on the percentage of revenue. We want the government to acknowledge the rights of indigenous people,” Abdon told The Jakarta Post.

There are currently 1,163 tribal communities in AMAN.

AMAN claimed that of Indonesia’s 210 million population, between 50 million and 70 million were part of customary communities earning their livelihood from forests.

Abdon said that the government continued to ignore communal rights by allowing natural resources of customary land and forests to be exploited.

Gusti said that about 20 percent of money from REDD projects should also be allocated to local administrations that controlled the forests.

“The remaining expected revenue from forest carbon trade will be for investors.

“Ten percent will go to the central government,” he said. The REDD scheme was expected to take effect in 2013.

Related Articles:

Indonesia Hopes to Complete Climate Action Plan Next Month

Govt likely to accept tribal communal rights


World Bank Loans For Channel Normalization Project

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 28 January, 2010 | 15:06 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The World Bank will facilitate funding for a normalization project involving a number of river channels in Jakarta. “We are supporting the project so that it runs smoothly,” said the World Bank East Asia and Pacific Development Director, John A. Roome, at Jakarta City Hall yesterday.

According to Roome, the river channel normalization and the flood canal projects are an important step that must be taken by the Jakarta municipality. “We are convinced that this project can manage flooding problems more effectively,” he said.

Jakarta governor Fauzi Bowo added that the channel normalization project is currently in the dredging phase. “The World Bank’s financial support will come through in June 2010,” he said.

Fauzi also said the dredging project is done to normalize all the canals, including those in the micro, sub macro, and macro channels. “These are all canals that have never been dredged for 30 years,” he added.

Fauzi admitted that the project was delayed due to administrative procedures. “The flooding problem is an agenda that must be managed by the central and provincial governments,” he said.

However, Fauzi refused to mention the amount of the World Bank’s support. “We are still waiting for the President’s policy on this. When it is signed by the president, the fund will be disbursed,” he said.

The disbursement will be coordinated with the Finance Department which will then distribute it to the central government as well as the Jakarta municipality. “There are stages that must be followed according to the agreed policy,” Fauzi said.

RIKY FERDIANTO

Shoe Factory in China Moves to Indonesia

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 28 January, 2010 | 14:55 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Tangerang:Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said there seems to be a tendency for shoe manufacturers in China to relocate to Indonesia. The strengthening Chinese yuan can be one reason for this, along with the increasing cost of manpower and its regulations in China. “This is a permanent trend,” Mari said yesterday in Tangerang, Banten.

Major shoe producers like Nike, Adidas, and New Balance, have relocated their shoe purchases from China to Vietnam and Indonesia. Such a trend, Mari said, has been going on since 2005. For the last four years, the resulting value of these moves to Indonesia have resulted in US$ 1,8 billion. "Buyers are coming in large numbers,” she said.

The relocation, Mari continued, will improve production and investment in the country, especially when Indonesian shoes are now capable of competing with Chinese and Vietnamese products. The Indonesia Shoe Association board chairman, Harijanto, said with top shoe brands coming to Indonesia, the national shoe industry will make efficiencies and restructure the production system. “But the government must ensure that electricity supply is reliable and that infrastructure, like roads are repaired,” she said during the visit. She also cited the example of the Panarub factory in Pabuaran, Tangerang, which can only reach Tanjung Priok Port through the Tomang toll road which is often congested.

Harijanto also asked for more efficiency in arranging investment permits, especially in the provinces. Mari promised to reduce the bureaucracy, including the time to process the licenses. She said New Balance investors admitted that the cost and production of Indonesian manpower is competitive and the staff turnover is stable, as is the national political situation. “Then there is the infrastructure that need to be repaired,” she said. PT Panarub Dwikarya CEO, Hendrik Sasmito, said the local shoe industry will remain competitive with China and Vietnam, as long as it can keep down the cost of production. “So long as there is no out-pricing, it can still go on,” he said.

Panarub currently produces four shoe brands; Adidas, New Balance, Mizuno, and Specs. A pair of New Balance shoes is sold at US$ 12 to 16. Panarub has two factories and will open a new one in Cikupa, Tangerang. Panarub has exported 1 million pairs of shoes. Until the end of 2010, an additional 500.000 pairs per month will be produced.

IQBAL MUHTAROM

Coordinating Department for People’s Welfare to Establish SMS Center

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 28 January, 2010 | 15:08 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Coordinating Department for People’s Welfare will establish an SMS center.

The Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Agung Laksono said that the SMS Center will receive people’s complaints, starting from problems relating to the distribution of rice for the poor, plague, natural disaster up to human trading.

“In the future, foreign aid would no longer be the one coming earlier during disasters,” Agung said in Jakarta yesterday.

Therefore, he said, government performance in handling people’s problem will be more swift and responsive.

”The SMS center should operate this month,” he said.

FEBRIYAN

Foreign Property Ownership to be Extended to 70 Years

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 28 January, 2010 | 15:16 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Foreign property ownership will be extended from 25 years to 70 years. “The regulations formulation is completed. It only waits for the Housing Minister stamp,” said Lucy Rumantir, Jones Lang LaSalle Indonesia Chairman, in a press conference at the Nikko Hotel in Jakarta, yesterday.

Lucy, who is also the Permanent Commitee Head of Property Services for the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), is one member of the team who formulated Government Regulation (PP) No. 41/1996.

Under this regulation, foreigners could only own a house for 25 years.

According to Lucy, Indonesian properties occupancy rates are not optimal yet because of the government limitation.

Under this PP, foreigners can only own a home or flat built on land with a right to use (hak pakai) certificate .

Foreigners complained that while Indonesians could easily own houses abroad, but it is difficult for them to get houses in Indonesia.

Whereas regulations on property ownership in other big cities in the world was easier.

She cited that in Australia, foreigners could own a house just by having a passport. But they could only buy new houses.

“Later, step by step, we will formulate a regulation to allow right to use land become right to build land (hak guna bangunan),” said Lucy

Besides that, to smooth out foreign property ownership, the revision includes limitations.“For example, foreigners could only own properties above Rp1.5 billion,” she said.

Lucy added that if more foreigners buy properties in Indonesia, state revenues will increase.According to her notes, the number of foreigners in Indonesia is 83,000 people. If just one percent of them buy properties, this translate to 800 people. “800 times Rp1.5 billion, it’s quite a big revenue for Indonesia,” she said.

That does not include other impacts. If demand is higher, property development will also increase. “From there, demand for curtains and furniture will increase,” said Lucy. This means that other industries, such as textile and furniture, will also grow.

Eka Utami Aprilia | ANTON WILLIAM

TGS begins offshore Indonesia 2D survey

Offshore, Jan 28, 2010, Offshore staff

PERTH, Australia -- A 2D seismic acquisition program is under way by TGS offshore West Papua, Indonesia. The program adds 2,240 km (1,392 mi) of new 2D data to help evaluate the petroleum potential south of the Salawati basin, which holds an estimated total cumulative oil production of more than 300 MMbbl, TGS says.

Upon the completion of the program, anticipated in May, TGS’s Indonesia library will include 100,000 km (62,137 mi) of 2D seismic; 400,000 km (248,548 mi) of multi-beam bathymetric data; and 1,200 core samples covering over 1 million sq km (386,102 sq mi) of Indonesia's deepwater basins.

Academics speak with White House representative about scientific cooperation

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 01/28/2010 10:51 PM

Academics from universities across Indonesia conveyed Thursday their wishes and woes to a number of listeners in Jakarta, including a representative of the White House, through a video conference.

The conference was held to discuss scientific cooperation programs between Indonesia and the US Jason Rao, the Senior Policy Advisor from the White House office of Science and Technology Policy, listened and responded to inquiries from academics, who voiced their concerns on various matters, ranging from visa problems for scholarship winners to the possibility of having more lecturers from the US teach at Indonesian universities.

Rao said that the discussion held that day would provide input for President Barack Obama's upcoming visit.

Nada D.S. Marsudi, the Director for International Research at the office of the State Research and Technology Ministry’s Science and Technology Program, said that one important plan was renewing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) of scientific cooperation between the two countries.

“The MoU is required as a basis for Indonesia and US science and technology cooperation,” Nada said.

She said the two countries had an MoU between them from 1978 to 2002, but the initiative to renew it had only begun in 2008.

“However, all this time scientific and research cooperation has remained active,” Nada said. (dina)

Related Article:

US envoy for sci-tech cooperation to visit RI


Thursday, January 28, 2010

Govt to raise electricity tariffs this year

Antara News, Thursday, January 28, 2010 22:14 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government will go ahead with its plan to raise electricity tariffs this year as part of its efforts to reduce its subsidy burden, an energy official said.

The government was waiting for the proper time to raise the electricity tariffs, Director General of Electricity and Energy Utilization at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry J Purwono said on Thursday.

"But they are to be raised this year," he said.

He said the government had planned to increase electricity tariffs for medium- and large-scale subscribers by an average of 15 percent.

The increase in electricity tariffs for small-scale subscribers had yet to be set, he said.

"To be sure, small-scale subscribers still can afford the increase," he said.

The government had originally planned to increase the electricity tariffs in January. But President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono then decided to put the plan on hold, he said.

"As a consequence, the president asked the finance minister to cover subsidy needed by state power utility PT PLN," he said.

Purwono said as of 2014 the government would only give electricity subsidy to small-scale subscribers belonging to 450 volt ampere (VA) class and 900 VA class.

The policy was put in the road map for the diversion of electricity subsidy to other sectors between 2010 and 2014, he said.

DAVOS-Zurich Financial eyes Indonesia, Malaysia growth

Reuters, Wed Jan 27, 2010 7:55am EST

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Swiss Insurer Zurich Financial Services Ltd (ZURN.VX) is exploring ways to take a controlling stake in its Malaysian joint venture and grow its business in Indonesia, its Asia Pacific head said on Wednesday.

Europe's fourth-largest insurer by market value gets most of its Asian-derived revenues from former British colony Hong Kong, but mainland China and other markets in southeast Asia should get a larger piece of the pie, Geoffrey Riddell said.

"The main areas we are focused on are Malaysia and Indonesia," he told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos.

Zurich Financial now holds a 40 percent stake in a joint venture offering general and life insurance in Malaysia, but was exploring ways to take control of that business, he said.

"We would like to have control but we want to get to control in a way that is comfortable to the parties involved. It could take time. It could involve so many different things," he said, adding that the Zurich Financial could take a stake of up to 70 percent according to domestic rules.

Neighbouring Indonesia offers the greatest growth potential for the insurer, which only has a small, wholly-owned general insurance business there, he said.

"We'd like to be a significant general insurance and life player and there are multiple ways of getting there on both sides. We are looking at all the options," he said.

"We may acquire, it may be distribution agreements, it may be buying distribution, it is really at the strategic review stage," said Riddell, who is based in Zurich.

Zurich Financial has said it will expand its life insurance unit headcount in Hong Kong by 1,400 in the coming years, bringing the total number of agents to 2,400 as it accelerates business development in the city.

Asia contributes about 7-8 percent of the company's total sales, with Hong Kong accounting for half of regional sales.

"The other markets will have to grow very fast to catch up because we are continuing to grow in Hong Kong," he said. (Reporting by Tamora Vidaillet; Editing by Lin Noueihed)