The picture of the 3rd place Indonesian Player at Asian Youth Games

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Semen Gresik plans Rp 3.5t new plant

State cement producer PT Semen Gresik is planning to invest Rp 3.5 trillion (US$3.5 million) to build a new cement plant in Indarung, West Sumatra, to boost its production capacity.

“Semen Gresik subsidiary PT Semen Padang will manage the new plant,” Semen Gresik president director Dwi Soetjipto said at a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between state electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) and the Semen Gresik group in Jakarta, on Friday.

Dwi said the new plant’s construction would be financed using internal funds and loans.

“The new plant will be operational by the end of 2011 or at the beginning of 2012,” Dwi said, adding Semen Gresik would start building it in 2010.

According to Dwi, the new plant will be designed to produce 2.5 million metric tons of cement per year and will contribute to 10 percent of Semen Gresik Group’s total production capacity.

Semen Gresik, located in East Java, has two subsidiaries — PT Semen Padang in West Sumatra and PT Semen Tonasa in South Sulawesi.

“The new plant’s capacity will almost match the production capacity of our two factories in Gresik and Tuban,” Dwi said.

Dwi acknowledged that Semen Gresik sales fell 3.4 percent to 8 million tons in the first half of this year.

“This drop is not as deep as the fall in national cement consumption. We hope our sales will grow in the second half,” he said.

Although its sales dropped in the first semester, the company saw a 15 percent revenue growth.

“Last year, our revenue grew by 12 percent,” he said, without elaborating on the first semester’s profit.
He said price fluctuations in the world market contributed to the company’s revenue.

Semen Gresik posted a net profit of $66.4 billion in the first quarter this year, up by 17 percent from the same period last year.

It also posted a revenue of Rp 3.22 trillion in first quarter, up by 20 percent on a year-on-year basis.
The volume of domestic sales in the first quarter reached 3.78 million tons, declining by 23 percent on a year-on-year basis.

Semen Gresik is 51 percent owned by the government. Blue Valley Holdings — a subsidiary of business conglomerate Rajawali Group — owns a 24 percent stake and the remaining 25 percent is held by retail investors.

Semen Gresik group is the largest cement producer in Indonesia, with 45 percent market share of Indonesia’s cement industry. It produces 18 million tons per year, 98 percent of its total designed capacity.

Meanwhile, State Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil suggested state cement producers increase their production capacity to fulfill the country’s growing demand for cement.

“We predict the country will need 140 million metric tons in the next 10 years,” Sofyan said.

“So far, we only produce 46 million metric tons to provide for the country’s annual consumption.”


http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/07/25/semen-gresik-plans-rp-35t-new-plant.html

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Police intensify investigations of man bearing likeness to Noordin

The police's anti-terror unit, Densus 88, is currently questioning a 50-year-old man arrested in Makassar, South Sulawesi, recently, resembling Indonesia’s most-wanted terror suspect, Noordin M. Top.

"We have intensified our investigations with Densus 88. We arrested [the suspect] because he bears a likeness to Noordin M. Top," South Sulawesi Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Herry Subiansauri said on Sunday.

Police suspect Noordin was behind the recent bombings of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta.

The new suspect carried five identity cards and two passports bearing different names, Herry said. He allegedly claimed to have used the different ID to commit several criminal acts, including stealing around Rp 100 million [US$9,900] from four banks via their internet banking services.

"We won’t just believe what he said. We will cross-check this information with the four banks and will trace the flow of his money," Herry said.

The suspect was arrested at his rented house on Jl. Pengayoman in Makassar early on Saturday morning. Police confiscated his five ID cards (all with the same picture), two passports, four debit cards, nine credit cards and a number of cell phone chips.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/07/26/police-intensify-investigations-man-bearing-likeness-noordin.html

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Chris John heads to LA for rematch against Juarez

WBA world featherweight champion Chris John will depart to Los Angeles on Wednesday for his June 27 rematch against Rocky Juarez.

The first match in Houston on Feb. 28 ended in a controversial draw, with Chris, who dominated his opponent, retaining his title.

The Indonesian camp is looking for a KO win this time.

"I predict there will be a 10th-round KO for Chris," said Chris's coach and manager, Craig Christian of Australia.

Chris expressed relief the rematch would not be in Houston.

"I'm glad to finally have the rematch in LA. It was almost another Houston bout again," Chris said during a media conference Tuesday at the sports ministry office.

"We'll fight more strongly. There's always a chance to KO the opponent. However, I don't want to be burdened by the target. I'll just play to my best," he said.

Chris will have a month to adapt to the local conditions before the rematch planned for the Staples Center in LA on June 27. RCTI will broadcast the bout live for Indonesian viewers.

A day before the match, the World Boxing Association will confer the Super Champion title belt on Chris for his 10 successful defenses of his belt. He becomes the first Asian featherweight boxing champ to have attained this feat.

The ceremony will be held at the Indonesian Consulate General.

Oscar de la Hoya from Golden Boy Promotions agreed to move the rematch from Houston to LA by requiring Chris's camp to purchase 5,000 tickets for the match, each worth US$25 to $50.

"Greater Indonesian audience support in LA will definitely fuel my fighting spirit," Chris said, pointing out there were less than 100 Indonesians at his Houston match.

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Indonesia faces higher subsidy costs

Despite a forecast lower electricity production cost next year, the government proposes a higher budget for the power subsidy than this year's, because of increased national power consumption.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry told a hearing with lawmakers on Thursday that the government proposed to increase the budget allocation for the electricity subsidy next year to between Rp 43.25 trillion (US$4.19 billion) and Rp 48.39 trillion, up from Rp 42.46 trillion allocated for this year.

J. Purwono, the ministry's director general for electricity and energy utilization, said the projected subsidy cost was largely based on two assumptions - Indonesia crude oil price (ICP) of between $50 and $60 per barrel and a rupiah rate of between 10,000 and 10,200 per dollar.

"The proposed subsidy is higher than the Rp 42.46 trillion allocated for this year. The increase is mainly caused by the growth of electricity consumption, which is forecast *to grow* at 6 percent next year," Purwono told lawmakers from Commission VII overseeing the energy and mineral resources ministry.

State utility PT PLN, the sole distributor of electricity, plans to use more coal to generate power next year partly due to the running of newly constructed power plants under PLN's 10,000-megawatt (MW) power program to meet power demand in Java and Bali.

Purwono said that the subsidy proposal would be incorporated into the 2010 state budget bill, along with other allocations. Thursday's hearing was part of the series of meetings to formulate government revenue and expenditure for next year.

PLN forecasts it will sell as much as 144.52 TWh (tera watt hours) of power in 2010, up from 135.99 TWh forecast to be sold this year, president director Fahmi Mochtar said.

He added PLN's average production cost would decline from Rp 962 per kWh (Kilowatt Hour) in 2009 to Rp 931 per kWh next year. "We will reduce our oil-based fuel consumption and this will reduce our costs," Fahmi said.

He said PLN expected to reduce its oil-based fuel consumption from 8.01 million kilo liters in 2009 to 4.56 million kilo liters in 2010. As a consequence, PLN consumption of coal and gas will increase.

Fahmi said that coal consump-tion would increase from 23.77 million tons in 2009 to 31.70 million tons in 2010, while gas consump-tion would increase from 313,716 Billion British Thermal units of gas (BBTU) in 2009 to 323,447 BBTU in 2010.

Although PLN's production cost will be lower next year, Fahmi said the company would still not be able to make a profit.

"Our average selling price is still lower than our average production cost," he said, adding that PLN's average electricity price was at Rp 654 per kWh.

Last year, the company suffered around Rp 13.1 trillion in losses.

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Harta Boediono 18 M, Kok Belum Berhaji ?

Isu berbau agama adalah isu biasa dalam demokrasi yang selalu muncul dalam pemilu pasca reformasi. Pasangan Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Boediono sebaiknya tidak menghindar dan harus memberikan penjelasan kepada publik mengenai isu tersebut.

"Kekayaan Pak Boediono Rp 18 miliar. SBY mengatakan dia muslim yang taat. Lalu masyarakat tanya, 'kok belum naik haji?'. Itu kan hal wajar. Pertanyaan begitu ya dijawab. Kita jangan tepis, tapi jelaskan," kata pengamat politik Islam UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, Bachtiar Effendy, di Jakarta, Kamis (28/5).

Isu mengenai istri SBY dan Boediono yang tidak berjilbab, ujar Bachtiar, seharusnya juga perlu disikapi dengan jeli. Apalagi, yang mengangkat pertama kali isu itu adalah kalangan Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS) sebagai partai pendukung. "Kalau orang tidak suka dengan isu jilbab, ya dibalas dengan isu lain. Jangan kemudian menghindar dengan mengatakan itu isu tidak penting," ujarnya.

Bachtiar mengingatkan, mayoritas pemilih adalah muslim. "Dalam pemilu, apapun jadi penting. Orang pakai baju apa, ngomong apa jadi penting," tambah Bachtiar.

Upaya menghindari isu agama, lanjut Bachtiar, menunjukkan ketidakmampuan menangani isu tersebut. Padahal, isu agama bukanlah isu istimewa. "Dulu tahun 1999 dan 2004 sempat ada isu menolak calon presiden perempuan dengan alasan agama. Sekarang isu itu berganti dengan isu jilbab," pungkasnya.


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Special BlackBerry Storm packages from Indosat

Gadget freaks wanting to get their hands on the latest BlackBerry Storm are probably screaming in agony now as Indosat’s recent event called BlackBerry Touch Experience has just ended.

It’s painful because at this event, held in Promenade Senayan City from May 18 to 24, Indosat was offering a 50 percent discount on various applications developed specifically for this gadget, including Quick Dial, Anti-Theft Software, i-Berry themes, digital Koran and hadith, IDX Mobile for stock, Arena Games and Arena Music.

Even so, the good news has yet to turn sour, as Indosat is also giving out Storm packages until June. For those intending to purchase a BlackBerry Storm, do so between May 18 and June 30. The price tag during this period is only Rp 8,550,000 and without cash, its one year credit payment program is just as intriguing.

Included in the promo is a price reduction to Rp 1 per month for all BlackBerry services, 100 minutes worth of free calls to Indosat numbers for a month and 100 free SMSes every month for a year. Don’t you just love being geeky?

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Prabowo’s intelligence contacts give him an edge

The presidential candidate with the strongest links to experienced intelligence experts will have an edge in the upcoming presidential election, political expert Arbi Sanit says.

Although the presidential partnerships of Kalla—Wiranto and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono—Boediono are made up of strong figures with either direct or indirect access to the military, with former intelligence personnel on their team, Megawati and Prabowo definitely have an advantage, Arbi said.

The Megawati-Prabowo team will probably have more access to pertinent intelligence, he said at a discussion on the participation of former generals in the election and the reform of the defence sector in Jakarta on Thursday.

Megawati and Prabowo have Muchdi, a former deputy of the country’s intelligence agency (BIN). Muchdi is deputy chairman of Prabowo’s Gerindra party, and was also a suspect in the murder of prominent human rights activist Munir. Despite the allegations, he was exonerated of all charges by the state court at the end of last year.

Arbi said the advantage of having military influence in a campaign team would be the links to the intelligence sector.

“With intelligence operations, the skeletons in your enemy’s closets can be investigated easily.”

He said the campaign period would most likely see tough battles between the former generals.

“Even if the presidential election goes smoothly and safely, what remains worrying is what will happen after the result is announced.

“The danger lies in the money being sourced from tycoons, or the use of military influence through families, to get an advantage,” he said.

Whether or not the candidates are still active in military duty is not important, he argued.

“I see these generals as having the same working methods. They still have the same culture of discipline and ability to organize people.”

Generals also have power over military territory, whereas political parties must share areas with other parties.

“True they [political parties] have branches, but they are different from military bases.”

Another dangerous possibility would be if active military personnel joined the campaign team, Arbi said.

Asrian Mirza, deputy director of the Megawati Prabowo Media Center, said the generals backing their team were all former military men who were aware that to contribute to politics in civil society they should be civilians themselves.

“There are no active military personnel in our campaign team or in the party,” Asrian said.

Mufti Makarim, executive director of the Institute for Defense Security and Peace Studies, said all three teams had former intelligence officials in their ranks.

Mufti said there were two factors that could influence participation by generals in the campaigns.

“First, there is the feudalistic nature of society that perceives a strong government as coming from a strong leader, and while a strong leader in the past was a king, in modern times the society sees this in a military figure,” he said.

“Secondly, there is the belief among the political elite that votes supported by the military will bring more influence in politics,” said the former secretary-general of Kontras, the Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence.

“There is a view that if you don’t give the military a bargaining position, then you will lose support in politics,” he said.

One positive aspect of military involvement, however, is that “they are more aware that if they still want to contribute to the country, they have to follow the rules of democracy and enter politics via a party”.

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Indonesia Foreign Minister's picture

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Character building: The missing link in Indonesia’s public school curriculum

Pria Saptono, a math teacher at Sevilla School in Pulomas, East Jakarta, thought he could squeeze in some character building lessons for his students by having them compete in an international math competition.

“The Gauss contest puts more emphasis on student’s abilities in figuring out logical solutions to mathematical problems, since children are free to use their own methods,” Pria said, referring to the 2009 Gauss test — a Canadian mathematics competition held at Sevilla School on Saturday.

This was one of Pria’s attempts to develop his student’s willingness to learn by making mathematics fun, as opposed to information-cramming to get students through the national exams.

“The national exams focus so much on solving problems using formulas, teachers are pressed to cram as much as they can into students’ minds, which I think causes students to forget the essence of learning.

“As a teacher, I would be doing a disservice to my students and their parents if I didn’t teach them the more fun aspects of problem solving.”

Many of the city’s teachers have questioned Indonesia’s education system since apparently it can produce International Science Olympics gold-medalists, and yet the country still ranks high among the most corrupt in the world.

In response to this perceived shortfall, many have begun investing in character education programs, social work and friendly competitions to develop students’ characters.

There is the aptly named Character School on Jl. Raya Bogor, Depok, which focuses completely on character training. Here teachers encourage students to find their main interests and focus on them.

The studies slip into cognitive learning, but focus on making sure children end up wanting to learn.

Then there’s Cikal School in Cilandak, which works to involve children’s parents in their schooling, with community work and psychological techniques to enable children’s characters to develop.

Teachers like Pria who do not teach at such schools, can only do their best to make sure children leave the classroom not just smarter, but also more responsible.

“I don’t think children from my school will grow up without morals,” said Betsy Eliana, a kindergarten teacher at the Al-Azhar mosque in Rawamangun.

“Morals are an important part of our lessons, which we impart using examples of how the Prophet acted.”

Sri Sungging Sumunan, also a kindergarten teacher at Al-Azhar, said children did not get enough character education.

“Especially students at public schools. I think private school teachers have more time to impart important moral lessons,” Sri said.

Character School executive director Rahma Dewi criticized public schools’ moral education (PPKn) programs under the national curriculum.

“Just compare the amount of time given to moral education, and even art lessons, to math and science classes. It’s astounding how much the government is ignoring this important facet of children’s development,” she added.

Earlier this month, the Sampoerna Foundation funded a training workshop for teachers, led by Thomas J. Martinek, an education professor from the Kinesiology department of the University of North Carolina.

Martinek said Indonesian students shared similar problems to students in the United States, with teachers in Indonesia unable to figure out ways to develop students’ characters.

Thomas urged the government to support character education in through the curriculum, instead of just slipping moral lessons into schools without correct implementation.

“The Obama administration has poured a lot of money into character education and I do think it is a growing trend. In fact, it should be the logical trend because it is certainly the most important aspect of educating children.”

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Tangerang Council rejects bird flu regulation draft

Tangerang Regency Council considers a regulation draft on bird flu, currently being discussed by the administration, would have severe impact on local residents bird farm.

Daka Udin, a councillor, said that the regulation draft contains articles on limitation on fowl numbers in a farm and prohibition of setting up coops near residential houses.

He said the regulation would send a blow to small farmers.

“The administration needs to reconsider these articles,” he said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Tangerang Council Speaker Endang Sudjana also said that small farmers in the area have put their coops near their residence for ages.

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Dutch documentary immortalizes Indonesian heroine

The pen is sharper than a blade. This was an adagium used by social observer and woman activist Debra H. Yatim to describe the struggle of the Javanese lady aristocrat Kartini in breaking the old customs that barred women from access to education and the right to self-determination.
She was the moderator of a film discussion on the national heroine’s life story held at Erasmus House on April 18.

The event started with a film screening Just Call Me Kartini.

The original title was in Dutch Noem Mij Maar Kartini, a documentary written and directed by Hans Hulscher.

The documentary is about Raden Adjeng Kartini’s life based on her letters written in Dutch to her friends, black and white archive film and photos of Kartini and her Java traditions from the 19th century.

The films opens with Javanese gamelan music; continued by a narrator speaking in Dutch who read Kartini’s letters to her friends in the Netherlands.

Kartini’s letters reflect her rebellion against the old customs in Central Java, revealing her deep thoughts on women’s emancipation, education, the fight against polygamy, and finally her understanding

of her social environment. Kartini’s big dream, which was to fight for her freedom and women’s rights was not realized in her own lifetime.

She had to marry the regent of Rembang who already had three wives and seven children, in a show of loyalty to her father.

Dutch ambassador Nicholas van Dam said in his speech after the movie that the whole event was held to commemorate Kartini Day on April 21.

In her speech, State Minister of Women’s Affairs Meutia Hatta highlighted that despite modernization, a lot of women were still thinking in a backward way, far from Kartini’s forward thinking. She hoped there would be more modern Kartinis in these present days.

“Kartini, who lived 130 years ago, used letters to communicate and share her thoughts. Nowadays with the rise of technology, women could communicate their concerns much more easily, such as by Facebook, which is known by most city people, as a great tool for communication,” said Debra, starting off the discussion.

Irma Alansyah, on the specialist staff from a state ministry, drew attention to the spirit of communication, better education, humanism, and the changes in the mindset of women moving from domestic to public life, as making relevant Kartini’s message for modern times.

“In Kartini’s era, there was a need of emancipation. But, nowadays men and women have the same rights. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of problems including poverty, domestic violence, polygamy, human trafficking, low job opportunities, and low involvement of women in government policy,” added Yuda Irlang from the Institute of Women’s Voice Development Movement (Yayasan Gerakan Pemberdayaan Swara Perempuan).

Reza Dyan Perdani, a medical student at the University of National Development “Veteran” (UPN) Jakarta, said Kartini had changed the nation into what it is today.

“I’m proud of Kartini … she deserves the title of Indonesian heroine. I feel blessed that I can have a proper education, freedom to express myself, and freedom to choose from my own free will, unlike in Kartini’s era.”

Barbara Brouwer, the event organizer, said: “The public responded very much. Maybe some people miss the spirit of the women’s movement. Years before, Kartini Day commemorations were always a little stiff; people just used kebaya and traditional clothing [to remember her contribution]. Now, by discussing and working out the solutions on women’s issues , we can make a real contribution on Kartini Day.”



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Rupiah strengthens to 10,300 level

The rupiah has strengthened to the level of Rp 10,300 against the US dollar in Jakarta inter-bank market on Monday morning, after weakening to Rp 10,400 level last week.

The rupiah was traded at Rp 10.385 against the greenback on Monday morning, compared to last week's close of Rp 10.445

Money market analyst Edwin Sinaga told Antara news agency that the strengthening of the rupiah was driven by a statement by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati that year-on-year inflation in May would not reach 5 percent, below the government's target of 6 percent.

In addition, the market was also buoyed by the news that Indonesia's economy grew by 4.4. percent in the first quarter of this year, making the country one of a few Asian economies that posted positive growth in the first semester.

Such positive news, Edwin said, would continue to boost the rupiah.

"We are optimistic that the rupiah eventually will reach Rp 10,000 level per dollar," Edwin said.

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Students articulate traditions in competition

Thirty-three students from across the archipelago competed in a creative writing and arts contest Saturday, wowing the audience and judges alike with their performances.

The competition, now in its second year, is held by the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF) and the United States Embassy and aims to help voice the ideas of Indonesian youth. The theme of the latest event was, "how do my traditions matter in a changing world."

The participants of the National Creative Writing and Arts Performance Competition, or W.O.R.D.S, conveyed the message in their own way through poems, essays, songs, speeches and other performances.

Adelheid Bethanny Nughrahaning Sudibyo, a ninth grader from YPJ Tembagapura in Papua, performed a traditional dance from the region, relating it to the social context of her village.

"I'm not a Papuan, but I learned how to dance the traditional Papuan women's dance as I realize the dance tells about the strength of women during hard times," she said.

"They have danced because they believe they can keep each other strong, they have danced to raise the spirits of the sick and to alleviate their pain," she said.

After dancing, she explained to the audience she and her communities were struggling to combat AIDS, an epidemic that has been tearing apart communities in her region.

"I've prepared this since January, discussing with my parents and teachers. I found it much easier when I had a native teacher helping with some of my work, editing my short essay," Betha said.

Betha won the prize for best overall performance, and will return to Papua with a Rp 1.5 million (US$130) scholarship.

As a participant in the Fullbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) program, her teacher, Rohan Mulgaonkar has been living and teaching English in Papua for eight months.

The prize for the most creative performance went to Yolanda Surya Wijaya from Madiun, East Java, who read an essay titled "The Greatest Miracle." The prize for best English went to Thorifa Yumma from Papua, who read a poem and story titled "The Indonesian tradition of helping others."

The final award, for the best use of theme, was snapped up by Shinta D. Manurung from Manado, North Sulawesi, who presented an essay titled, "When Mapulus Tradition Matters in a Changing World."

"It was the hardest time for us judges to decide the winners because all of you have performed wonderfully," judge Michele Cenzer said. The AMINEF was established in 1992 by the government of the United States and Indonesia and is a bi-national non-profit foundation for the administration of the Fulbright and other scholarship programs in Indonesia.

As a AMINEF Fulbright program, the ETA aims to assist individuals in English-hungry environments starved for native teachers.

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Gates offers free software to Indonesian students

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said on Thursday he would help Indonesian students obtain free software and inexpensive personal computers to gain greater access to the Internet.

During a meeting here with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Gates, one of the world's richest men, expressed his commitment to supporting the government's efforts to improve education quality by providing Internet-based national education.

"He (Gates) told the President that Microsoft will continue to train teachers and students throughout Indonesia in software, computer and information and communication technology," Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie told a press briefing after the meeting.

Yudhoyono told Gates that Indonesia and Microsoft should continue to work together as the cooperation would mutually benefit both parties.

The government is seeking to obtain software from Microsoft for a million computers for educational purposes in an effort to cut the ratio of computers to students from the current 1:1000 to 1:20, Aburizal said.

Gates said he was ready to help Indonesia get high-quality personal computers for a price of less than US$200 per unit, plus free software if Indonesia could make a deal with Intel chairman Craig Barrett, who will meet Yudhoyono in Jakarta next week.

"We will make a deal with Barrett to acquire cheap or even free processors for the computers to be distributed to the students. As a result, we will get a much lower price than $200," minister of communication and information Muhammad Nuh said.

He expressed optimism that Indonesia could strike a deal with Barrett, who is known as a leading advocate for education improvement in the United States and around the world, and a vocal spokesman for the value of technology.

Gates also praised Indonesia's progress in fighting software piracy, pointing to fact the country had moved out from a priority ranking on a world piracy watch list.

"Gates' visit shows that he trusts we are making progress in fighting piracy. We are now checking government offices and big businesses to make sure they don't use pirated software. We want to get out from the watch list as soon as possible," Nuh said.

Indonesia ranks as the fourth-worst offender of software piracy in the Asia Pacific after Vietnam, Pakistan and China.

Gates also expressed commitment to expanding the Microsoft Innovation Center program, which now runs at the University of Indonesia, the Bandung Institute of Technology, Gadjah Mada University and the Surabaya Institute of Technology. The center helps students conduct research in the information technology field.

Gates is in Indonesia as a key speaker at the presidential lecture to be held as part of Microsoft's annual Government Leadership Forum, which started Thursday. He will address about 1,500 government officials and business representatives and 1,000 students on Friday.

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Newmont Pays Off Arbitration Fine To Indonesia

Energy and Minerals minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro confirmed the payment. He says the government will negotiate the price of Newmont's stocks during the 180 day period to divest the company's shares. Yusgiantoro adds that he will still consult Newmont to appraise the value of its stocks. The government and Newmont went to international arbitration following a dispute over the terms to divest the company's shares in a West Nusa Tenggara mining operation in 2008. http://www2.metrotvnews.com/indonesiathismorning/berita.asp?id=1242

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MEGAWATI THREATENS TO BOYCOTT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

PDI-P secretary general Pramono Anung says the parties will give the KPU until May 9th to sort out its problems with the vote count. They requested the government and KPU to account for missent ballots, and speed up the vote count. Anung also deplored the National Police for dismissing the BAWASLU monitoring agency's report on election violations. President Yudhoyono dismissed the threat to boycott the presidential race. He encouraged the discontented parties to run in the elections.

http://www2.metrotvnews.com/indonesiathismorning/berita.asp?id=1239

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1st iPhone 3G sale on March 20

The Jakarta Post , JAKARTA | Sat, 03/14/2009 1:09 PM | Business

PT Telkomsel, the country’s largest cellular operator, is slated to sell the country’s first iPhone 3G mobile handset on March 20 at the Pacific Place shopping center in Jakarta.

In its statement late on Thursday, the company said the handset would be available also at GraPARI outlets with a price starting at Rp 2.62 million (US$188)

“iPhone 3G will redefine our consumers’ mobile phone experience,” said Telkomsel president director Sarwoto Atmosutarno.

iPhone 3G combines three products in one -- a mobile phone, widescreen iPod and internet device. It also includes fast 3G networking, GPS mapping and support for enterprise features including Microsoft Exchange.

iPhone 3G is available in over 70 countries worldwide.

In its statement, Telkomsel also said it would invest $1.5 billion this year to expand its 3G network.

Telkomsel was the first operator in Indonesia to launch 3G services in September 2006, and had the biggest 3G community with more than 9.2 million subscribers in more than 140 cities.

Telkomsel has 69 million subscribers or more than 50 percent of the market share.

Telkomsel is 65 percent owned by state-run PT Telkom, the country’s largest telecommunications company. The remaining 35 percent is owned by Singapore Telecom Mobile Pte Ltd.

Facilities embedded in iPhone 3G have put the gadget in competition with Research in Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry and Nokia’s smart phones, which are designed for business users.

The arrival of the iPhone is likely to heat up competition among mobile operators tapping cash-rich business clients, who account for a smaller proportion of the market’s customer base. Indonesia’s cellular operators primarily target the market of middle to lower-income users, which accounts for an average of more than 70 percent of the customer base for cellular providers.

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Kids learn business in fun ways

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 03/12/2009 1:35 PM | City

Relax Mom: A 1st grader massages a parent as part of a business fair at the High/Scope school, South Jakarta on Friday. The 15-minute massage cost Rp 15,000 (US$1.2). (Courtesy of High/Scope)

What can we expect when children from kindergarten to middle school have a business fair? Students from High/Scope school in South Jakarta recently and it was full of sweet treats, face paint, loud karaoke and an iguana!

Children from Kindergarten to Grade 5 turned their classrooms into shops in a two-day business fair last week.

In one, the children transformed their classroom into a beauty parlor, a vision in pink, just like a little girl's room, with small booths for manicures, makeup and hairstyling.

The "shop" was titled (in pink): Beautiful Fairies. The d*cor was cute, girly, and pink. Looks like the boys gave in to the girls here.

Inside the classroom, mothers took turns to have a manicure or have a custom-made bracelet or necklace crafted by the children and ready within a few minutes.

In a corner, a parent sat on a reclining chair with little boys and girls massaging his arms and feet. The man looked amused, while the children were dutifully performing their tasks. "It is Rp 15,000 for a 15-minute massage," said Desy, the class teacher.

"Unlike their bigger brothers and sisters who did market research surveys for their businesses, the younger children came up with their business plans through brainstorming," she said.

She said her students had set a goal of going to Ancol Dreamland Park in North Jakarta, using the profit from their one-day business. There had been a lot of different suggestions, though. Earlier they had planned to go to a movie together.

In another classroom-turned-shop, the 2nd and 3rd Grade students magically turned the place into a night zoo. It was titled Night Safari. In one corner, children took turns to get photographed with a large iguana or a small alligator. The iguana's owner, Prana - a 3rd Grade student - said it was the whole class' idea to have a zoo in the classroom.

"To get a picture with the alligator or the iguana, you have to pay Rp 25,000," said Sabrina, the cashier of the safari shop.

"A visit to the mini zoo will cost you Rp 20,000 and for games, Rp 10,000," the little cashier said.

Sabrina, along with other girls, Lilu, Mika and Gaby, performed in themed plays, one called "Camping in the Jungle" and the other entitled "A Trip to the Amazonian Rainforest." The plays lasted for about 15 minutes and visitors had to pay Rp 25,000.

The girls merrily said they now knew how to do business. They said they wanted to use the profit to go to Kidzania, a children's recreational center.

"Or we can use it to have a party in the classroom!" said Sabrina.

Other classes had themes such as the Night Carnival or Pasar Malam Tjilandak where culinary delights were sold and the Pet Shop where people could buy rabbits clothed in colorful costumes.

Bullish business: Middle schoolers prepare sweet treats for their guests at the High/Scope school, South Jakarta, on Thursday last week. (Courtesy of High/Scope)

On the previous day, six classes - the 6th and 7th Grade students - had taken their turn opening a one-day business - mostly selling food - with real customers, actually their parents, friends and teachers.

The school's basketball court was divided into six large areas, filled with small tables and booths for games, face painting and karaoke. Children ran around with scary, big-haired, full-head masks and black capes, holding cups of ice-cream or Korean japchae noodles.

"Would you like to try these?" A 6th Grade boy offered sticks of marshmallow dripping in chocolate. His face was painted to look like a smiling cat, drawn by his friends from the face painting booth that was decorated with Halloween pumpkins cut from paperboard.

Ivan was his name. "Our capital from the investors was Rp 3 million," he said proudly. The investors were their parents. "We have to return the loan of course, but we haven't counted the revenue yet. It seems that we have covered all our costs."

The face painting booth had many customers. The booth was located in the same space as the stall selling chocolate and marshmallows. It was titled Go Scream. The color theme of the business was black. All the officers on duty wore black.

Etika Hia, the school's assistant principal, said each class received a Rp 700,000 loan from the school as starting capital, and they had had to present their business plans in front of potential investors few days earlier.

It was not only a day for them to try to make a profit, but also a time to have hands-on experience of good teamwork and to see whether their business selection had been the right choice.

"I am one of the production team, we have 24 students each class, and everybody has their own duties," Ivan said. "The choice of what to sell in our business came from the answers we received through our market research survey."

They created a written survey that they then distributed to teachers, parents, older and younger students and all school staff including the security officers.

On another stall, a 6th Grade student, Citta, was carefully counting the cash, dividing it into neat piles. She was the cashier of a shop called Redlines, where girls were busy frying cirengs - a pita-bread-like dough - filled with chicken, cheese, spaghetti sauce or smoked beef, and selling them for Rp 5,000 (40 US cent) per piece.

Iin Pramono, Citta's mother said, "My daughter was always been selected as the cashier by her friends." She said Citta's attitude toward money was prudent.

"She would compare the price of books she wanted to buy in different bookstores first. Perhaps that comes from her duties at school events," she laughed.

Interestingly, the open-air stall also offered instant noodles which received a warm welcome, with children queuing up to get their orders. They happily waited for the MSG-laden noodles to be prepared.

Iin said, "It might be because they are not allowed these instant noodles at home, that they have them for sale here."

In front of Redlines was an all-blue stall, named Schwasz Creamery. It offered banana splits, poffertjes, waffles and other cold treats. The rest of the stalls also offered many kinds of sweet treats and games.

Another stall was titled Carcique. This was where all the loud noise came from. A cafe with karaoke, the booth was full of 7th Grade students taking turns to sing their favorite songs.

Young children were having a wonderful time on the first day of the business fair. Little girls and boys walked hand in hand led by their teacher to visit the "shops".

They looked at the colorful stands in awe, watching their big brothers and sisters cooking fries or squeezing whipped cream on top of bowls of ice-cream. (iwp)

Source : www.thejakartapost.com

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RI and Singapore

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 03/10/2009 6:12 PM | National 

Inked in black: RI and Singaporean Foreign Ministers Hassan Wirajuda (right) and George Yeo exchange agreement documents signed at Pancasila Building, Deplu Complex, Jakarta, on Tuesday. The Indonesian and Singaporean governments agreed on Nipah and Tuas islands of the Singapore Straits as the most western maritime border of the two countries after four years of tough negotiations (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

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Apple's small new 4-gigabyte iPod shuffle can talk

The Associated Press , Seattle, US | Thu, 03/12/2009 9:23 AM | Sci-Tech 

In this product image released by Apple Inc., a new version of the iPod Shuffle is shown. Apple touts the new $79 device, which stores 4 gigabytes -- up to about 1,000 songs -- as "significantly" smaller than a double-A battery. AP/Apple Inc.

Apple Inc. unveiled a minuscule new iPod Shuffle on Wednesday that takes its "smaller is better" mantra to a whole new level.

The third-generation Shuffle, a slim aluminum rectangle less than 2 inches long, takes up about half as much space as the previous version even as it doubles music storage space to 4 gigabytes. To achieve such a tiny form, Apple had to remove most of the buttons from the body of the $79 device and build them into the headphone cord instead.

"Smaller has tended to work very well for us," said Greg Joswiak, a marketing vice president at Apple.

The trade-off for a sub-$100 Shuffle always has been the lack of a screen to visually navigate the music stored on the device. The first-generation Shuffle, which launched in 2005, could hold about 240 songs, arguably not enough to warrant a screen.

Now that the device can carry 1,000 songs, Apple has come up with a way for people to identify the music they're listening to or find songs they want. A new feature called VoiceOver can, at the push of a button, speak the song and artist name or rattle off the list of custom mixes - called playlists - that the owner has loaded onto the device.

Here's how it works: As you synchronize a new Shuffle using an updated version of iTunes, your PC or Mac looks at each track and playlist and creates a small file of a computerized voice speaking the title, artist or playlist name.

When you tap a button on the headphones, the voice speaks the title and artist as the music plays. (If a song is in Spanish, Chinese or any one of 12 other languages, the software figures this out and speaks in the appropriate language.) When you hold down the headphone button, the device reads a list of your playlists, and you can pick one by tapping again.

It's not possible to scroll through all of the songs on the device to jump right to one favorite, unless you know it's at the start of a certain playlist.

The new Shuffle, which comes in silver or black aluminum with a shiny stainless steel clip, is set to go on sale Thursday. Joswiak said Apple's own earphones will be the only option for early buyers, but that other companies plan to make compatible headphones as well as adapters for regular headphones.

Ross Rubin, an analyst for market researcher NPD Group, said there's no such thing as "too small" for gadget-happy consumers as long as Apple stays focused on ergonomics and provides a way to secure the device and keep it from getting lost.

But people who do buy a new Shuffle will be paying a premium for Apple's design, he added, noting less-expensive mini-models like SanDisk Corp.'s Sansa Clip ($60 for a 4-gigabyte model) and Creative Technology Ltd.'s Zen Stone (less than $50 for a 2-gigabyte version on Amazon.com).

Shares of Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple jumped $4.05, or 4.6 percent, to $92.68.

Source : www.thejakartapost.com

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Rhino life

The Jakarta Post | Thu, 03/05/2009 5:40 PM | Sci-Tech

In this image made from undated video released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), mud bathing Javan Rhinos are captured by a camera trap in Ujung Kulon Wildlife Park, Java island, Indonesia. The numbers the world's rarest rhino in Indonesia over the past 50 years have been decimated by rampant poaching for horns used in traditional Chinese medicines and destruction of forests. (AP/WWF)

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BI drops key rate to 7.75 percent

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 03/04/2009 4:50 PM | Business

Bank Indonesia (BI) has reduced its key interest rate by 50 basis points to 7.75 percent, as part of efforts to help the banking sector cope with worsening impacts of the global financial downturn, kompas.com reports.

On Wednesday, BI strategic planning and communication bureau head Didy Laksmono R. said that before deciding to reduce the rate, BI had evaluated the performance of the domestic and global economies.

“Inflation pressure was relatively low – at 0.21 percent – during February, thanks to lower fuel prices and availability of food supplies,” Didy said.

The lower prices of international commodities were another factor causing the low inflation pressure, he added.

Bank Indonesia said in a statement the economic slump was "taking a steeper turn" and developing countries were being hit by a fall in exports and negative market sentiment.

Indonesia's exports fell 36 percent in January from a year earlier, the biggest drop since 1986, due to plunging demand for natural resources and manufactured goods, the statistic's agency reported Monday.

It was the fourth straight month the central bank has cut the rate, lowering it a total of one and three quarter points from 9.5 percent since early December.

Indonesia had been struggling to bring down inflation topping 10 percent, but that figure slowed to 8.6 percent on year and 0.2 percent month-on-month in February, the bank said.

The central bank forecast a slowdown in economic growth to 4 percent in 2009, from an estimated 6.1 percent in 2008, "with considerable downside risk if global economic growth worsens even more than expected."

At the same time, Indonesia's banking system - which collapsed just over a decade ago in the Asian financial crisis - was in "stable condition," the bank said.

International reserves stand at $50.56 billion, with an additional $3 billion from government bond issues and a $2 billion World Bank loan also available. (ewd)

Source : www.thejakartapost.com

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Hello Windows 7, adios Vista

Zatni Arbi, Contributor, , JAKARTA | Mon, 02/09/2009 12:14 PM | Sci-Tech

Windows 7 fixes a lot of the problems found in Windows Vista. Still in its beta version, it can even run on a netbook with only 1 GB of RAM. JP/Zatni Arbi

Still remember the comments I made in my review of Dell Mini 12 last month? I found that I could hardly use it because the pre-installed Windows Vista made it run like a Toyota Avanza hauling a home trailer.

Still, I loved the netbook because of its large screen, stylishness, lightweight and, especially, comfortable keyboard.

At that time, I actually knew that the solution for the sluggishness was already on the horizon. It was certainly not a downgrade to Windows XP, as the days of the XP were already numbered. Instead, it would be an upgrade to the next version of Windows.

Yes, I knew about the performance remedy, because I had seen it running on a Lenovo S10 netbook. Unfortunately I was under a non-disclosure obligation then, so I was unable to reveal it in my article.

Now that Microsoft has gone public with the product and the beta version of Windows 7 is already available on Microsoft’s website for download, I can share with you my first impression of it ­— it is quite impressive.

During a media outing two weeks ago, Microsoft Indonesia gave each journalist, including myself, a DVD containing the beta version of Windows 7 Ultimate, Build 7000. Back home, I took the Dell Mini 12 and my LG external DVD-RW out, put the DVD into the drive and ran the setup program.

Strangely, it took more than three hours to install it with the Upgrade option. A couple of times I thought the computer hung, but it never did. The great thing was that the installation process hardly required any interference from me. Microsoft said that the installation, which is far more streamlined than Windows XP’s, should normally take 30 minutes or so.

However, once the installation was finished, I got a series of nice surprises. First, almost all of the programs and utilities that Dell had already installed on the Mini 12 were kept intact. These included Dell Dock, Dell WebCam, Dell Video Chat, even Microsoft Works. They all ran smoothly. The Wi-Fi worked well, too, and the netbook automatically got connected to my LinkSys access point without requiring any help from me.

The only things that did not work in the new environment were Windows Desktop Manager and the McAfee antivirus software. That was to be expected and McAfee will for sure make its products fully Windows 7-compatible.

More critical was the responsiveness. Booting up and shutting down still took some time, but it was far quicker than Windows Vista. When the boot up process was completed, the netbook was almost as responsive as a netbook running Windows XP.

As the accompanying picture shows, I can open multiple Internet Explorer windows, a Microsoft Works document, the Dell WebCam and a couple of gadgets without any sign of memory overload. I can switch from one program to another in a blitz.

No doubt about it, the programmers at Microsoft have done a great job. The new operating system is not as resource hungry as Windows Vista. Even in its beta version it is very stable; it has not crashed since I installed it. It can easily take the place of Windows XP as one of the ideal operating systems for a netbook with an Intel Atom N270 processor and only 1 GB memory.

We should also keep in mind that the version I installed is a beta version. It is bound to be plagued with bugs. It will be several months before we can buy the release version. After that, there will be a Service Pack and incremental upgrades to iron out the bugs, and the performance will be improved further.

Faster performance and lower hardware requirement are not the only strong points of Windows 7, though. During the media outing, Lukman Susetio, Microsoft Indonesia’s Product Manager for Windows, demonstrated just a small number of new features found in it.

One of the most interesting and very useful features is the capability to set up a wireless network using the computer’s Wi-Fi. This allows us to share an Internet connection without the help of a router or an access point.

So, for example, if several people are within the Wi-Fi range and one of them has a 3G or HSDPA USB modem that connects them to the Internet, the others can share it through their Wi-Fi network.

Other very useful features in Windows 7 include a search engine, which it inherits from Windows Vista. The user interface is improved and can be personalized more than in its predecessor. For example, gadgets can now be placed anywhere on the screen, whereas in Windows Vista, they can only sit on the upper right hand corner of the screen.

Windows 7 was developed with the needs of users of mobile computing devices in mind. Therefore, in this version we can make more adjustments to the power consumption of the various hardware components so that we can increase the maximum battery life.

DirectAccess is a feature that will benefit enterprise users, as it makes Virtual Private Network no longer necessary. When combined with Windows Server 2008 R2, they can use all the available bandwidth to access their intranet without fear of being snooped on.

According to Microsoft, even today a lot of hardware vendors have prepared the right drivers for Windows 7. Software makers are also developing the next version that will work seamlessly with Windows 7.

But you may have to live with Windows Vista, for now. My guess is that Windows 7 will become available toward the end of this year at the earliest.

Source : www.thejakartapost.com

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Pertamina's New Boss Gets Bullied by Lawmakers

The Jakarta Post , JAKARTA | Tue, 02/17/2009 8:49 AM | Headlines

High and dry: Pertamina president director Karen Agustiawan (center) prepares to leave a conference room Monday at the House of Representatives, after legislators abruptly halted a hearing. ANTARA/ISMAR PATRIZKI

A hearing between the House of Representatives' energy commission and the new management of state oil and gas company PT Pertamina turned sour Monday as lawmakers felt offended by a letter from the company, in their view naively questioning the effectiveness and efficiency of their previous meeting.

Commission VII deputy chairman Sony Keraf ended the meeting while Pertamina president director Karen Agustiawan was still replying to points from lawmakers on Feb 10.

Sony said Pertamina’s corporate secretary Toharso had disgraced the lawmakers by questioning the House's supervision authorities.

“Nobody, not even the president himself dares to question our authority and rights to question whatever is needed to be asked."

“Pertamina does not only disgrace the commission, but the whole parliamentary body as well. That’s why we need to know whether Toharsos's action also represents Pertamina’s board of directors’ view on the previous meeting,” he added.

Toharso wrote to lawmakers on Feb. 13 that Pertamina was very disappointed with the way the lawmakers questioned the capacity of its current president director. He considered the questions had deviated from the initial agenda, thus violating the House internal rules.

Right after Sony terminated the session, Karen promptly packed her things and left the meeting room.

“We'll answer any questions but not on the deprecatory points. Comparing Pertamina’s president director as similar to a satpam (private security guard) is outrageous,” Karen said, referring to a metaphor by lawmakers in the previous hearing.

“The board of directors know about the letter, and gave approval to send it to the House based on the recommendations from our legal team," said Karen rushing to her car.

The Feb. 10 meeting was more dominated by mockery than a discussion about Pertamina's problems and future strategies.

Despite the incident, Toharso, in the job for less than five months, insisted the House would have efficient hearings in the future.

Energy analyst Pri Agung Rakhmanto said the “bullying” Karen received was common practice. She needed to learn the ropes.

“I think there is nothing strange about the incident. What Karen needs to do now is to prove her capacity by delivering excellent performance,” he said.

Perceived widely as a cash cow for ruling politicians, Pertamina bosses often receive out-of-context humiliating remarks from lawmakers during hearings. Sometimes, lawmakers hope to get kickbacks later if they keep quiet for the next session.

Despite numerous problems plaguing the energy and mining sector, other hearings between related authorities and Commission VII have been regularly far from hostility and more amicable.

Source : www.thejakartapost.com

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Nokia discontinues WiMax tablet computer

Peter Svensson , The Associated Press , New York | Thu, 01/22/2009 8:29 AM | Sci-Tech

Nokia showing the N810 WiMax Edition. (AP/Nokia, File)

Just as Clearwire Corp. has fired up its long-awaited WiMax wireless data network in two cities, Nokia Corp. has stopped selling the only portable gadget that can use the network without accessories.

Nokia spokeswoman Laurie Armstrong confirmed Wednesday that the company has discontinued the N810 Internet Tablet WiMax Edition on its Web site.

Armstrong did not say why the tablet was withdrawn. But she said Nokia is still interested in WiMax, and by the time WiMax networks are more widely deployed, "refreshed products with even better performance will be required."

Nokia's portable computer, which has a 4.1-inch touch-sensitive screen and a slide-out keyboard, is still for sale for $438 in a version without a WiMax modem.

WiMax, sometimes described as a long-range version of Wi-Fi, is a competitor to traditional cellular broadband technologies. It offers relatively fast data speeds, and its proponents hope that WiMax antennas will be built into a variety of gadgets, from small computers to GPS devices.

Leading computer manufacturers have announced their intention to make their laptops WiMax-capable, but for now the only way to use Clearwire's "Clear" network is with plug-in modems.

"We have a robust pipeline of devices slated throughout 2009 and will be providing more details in the coming weeks," said Susan Johnston, spokeswoman for Clearwire.

The network is live in Baltimore and Portland, Ore.

Clearwire was formed last year by the union of a smaller company of the same name with Sprint Nextel Corp.'s WiMax division.

Source : www.thejakartapost.com

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Indonesia Seeks Larger Japan Currency Swap, New Pacts

By Arijit Ghosh and Patricia Lui

Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Indonesia’s central bank is seeking to expand its currency swap agreement with Japan from $6 billion and is seeking new pacts to bolster the rupiah, which slumped the most in eight years in 2008.

Indonesia, which has similar agreements with China and South Korea for $3 billion each, may also initiate talks with a fourth nation, central bank Governor Boediono said, without identifying the country. The rupiah, which fell 16 percent last year, closed at 11,673 per dollar yesterday in Jakarta.

“We think the critical period is six months in which the main problem is tight liquidity and investors pulling out money to return home,” Boediono said at a dinner with local newspapers late yesterday. “In the U.S. itself there’s dollar scarcity, which is ironic.”

Bank Indonesia is boosting supply of foreign exchange as a deepening global recession pummels exports and prompts overseas investors to sell emerging-market assets. The nation’s currency reserves slid to $50.9 billion at the end of January, from $60.6 billion in July, as the central bank intervened to slow the rupiah’s decline.

“The more resources and ammunition that they have in terms of foreign exchange, the more ability the central bank would have in terms of stabilizing the currency,” said Sailesh Jha, a senior regional economist at Barclays Capital Plc in Singapore. “It would be fair to say that one possibility is to look towards the U.S.”

Kazakhstan Devalues

Kazakhstan’s central bank yesterday devalued the tenge by 18 percent, joining Russia, Ukraine and Belarus in abandoning attempts to prop up exchange rates as currency reserves dwindle. Finance ministers from Japan, China, South Korea and 10 Southeast Asian nations plan an unscheduled meeting this month to forge a deal to pool $120 billion of foreign-exchange reserves to help defend their currencies.

A $5.5 billion so-called standby loan from Japan, Australia, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank and $4 billion of proposed bond sales may help shore up reserves, Boediono said. The country’s foreign-exchange holdings are the 10th biggest in Asia and less than half those of Thailand.

Sales of Indonesian equities by foreign funds have exceeded purchases by $101 million this year. Exports from the $433 billion economy plunged 20 percent in December, the biggest decline since 2001.

The central bank said last week it would lend dollars to banks holding the nation’s foreign-currency denominated government debt to reduce volatility in the rupiah market.

To contact the reporter on this story: Arijit Ghosh in Jakarta at aghosh@bloomberg.net

Source : www.bloomberg.com

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