Basri Pemenggal 3 Siswi SMA Poso Diancam Hukuman Mati

2007-08-13 17:10:00

Irwan Nugroho - detikcom
Jakarta - Sidang perdana kasus kekerasan di Poso dengan terdakwa Muhammad Basri digelar di Pengadilan Negeri (PN) Jakarta Selatan. Basri didakwa 4 kasus salah satunya pemenggalan 3 siswi SMA di Poso.

Dakwaan dibacakan secara bergilir oleh jaksa penuntut umum (JPU) yang dikoordinatori Totok Bambang di PN Jakarta Selatan, Jalan Ampera Raya, Senin (13/8/2007).

Basri dikenai dakwaan pertama yakni dakwaan primer pasal 15 jo pasal 6 UU Terorisme 15/2003 jo pasal 65 ayat 1 KUHP.

Basri didakwa terlibat kasus penembakan pendeta Susianti Tinulele di Gereja Effata di Palu pada 18 Juli 2004. Dia terlibat kasus mutilasi 3 siswi SMA bernama Alvita Poliwo, Theresia Morangki, dan Yarni Sambue Novita Malewa pada 29 Oktober 2005 di Kelurahan Lambugia, Poso, pada 29 Oktober 2009.

Selain dakwaan primer, Basri dikenai dakwaan subsider pasal 15 jo pasal 7 UU Terorisme 15/2003 jo pasal 65 ayat 1 KUHP.

Basri didakwa terlibat penembakan Ivon Natalia dan Siti di Kelurahan Kasintuwu, Poso, pada 8 November 2005 dan kasus bom senter di Kecamatan Poso yang menewaskan 1 warga.

"Ancaman pasal 6 dan 7 maksimal hukuman mati dan minimal untuk UU Terorisme 3,5 tahun," kata jaksa penuntut umum Totok Bambang.

JPU juga mendakwa Basri dengan dakwaan kedua pasal 15 jo pasal 9 UU Terorisme 15/2003 jo pasal 65 ayat 1 KUHP dengan perbuatan melawan dan menghalang-halangi petugas dengan menggunakan senjata api dan bahan peledak pada 22 Januari 2007 dan 1 Februari 2007.

Sidang yang dipimpin ketua majelis hakim Eddy Jaenarso akan dilanjutkan pada 27 Agustus 2007 dengan agenda pembuktian oleh terdakwa.

Di waktu yang berbeda, PN Jakarta Selatan juga menggelar sidang dengan terdakwa Ardin Djanatu alias Rozak yang terlibat kasus peledakan bom Pasar Tentena 24 Mei 2005 dan penembakan Ivon, dan terdakwa Ridwan alias Duan, dan terdakwa Tugiran alias Iran karena menghalang-halangi petugas.

Hingga pukul 17.00 WIB, sidang 3 terdakwa itu masih berlangsung. (aan/nrl)

http://www.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2007/bulan/08/tgl/13/time/171012/idnews/816672/idkanal/10

Pollycarpus Bantah Terima Surat dari Petinggi BIN

2007-08-13 17:20:00

M. Rizal Maslan - detikcom
Jakarta - Sejumlah pengakuan baru menyudutkan Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto. Lebih-lebih yang keluar dari tersangka kasus Munir, mantan Dirut Garuda Indra Setiawan.

Namun tegas-tegas kesaksian Indra yang termuat dalam memori PK Kejari tersebut dibantah Pollycarpus. Hal itu disampaikan Polly melalui percakapan telepon dengan pengacaranya, M Assegaf, pada Senin (13/8/2007) yang juga diperdengarkan pada wartawan di kantor Assegaf, Jl Haji Samali, Jakarta Selatan.

Berikut petikan tanya jawab Assegaf dengan Pollycarpus:

Apakah betul menerima surat dari Wakil Kepala BIN As'ad?

Tidak pernah. Tidak ada surat itu, itu kan bulan Juli (2004-red). Saya tidak pernah memberikan surat ke Pak Indra, sebab itu tidak gampang untuk menyampaikan ke Pak Indra, tanya saja ke teman-teman di Garuda.

Tugas ke Singapura itu perintah siapa?

Umumnya perintah dari Pak Indra, tapi ada beberapa tugas dari Pak Ramelgia Anwar dan itu sudah saya jelaskan di persidangan. Dalam kasus ini saya tidak kenal orang-orang di BIN, saya tidak kenal dan tidak ada urusannya.

Dalam memori PK disebutkan Anda pernah bertemu Raden Muhammad alias Ucok di parkiran untuk bertemu Deputi II BIN Manunggal Maladi?

Tidak pernah, saya tidak kenal Pak Manunggal dan saya tidak pernah ke kantor BIN dan saya tidak tahu di mana alamat kantor BIN, barangkali salah lihat.

Di dalam memori PK katanya Bapak (Pollycarpus) menggunakan mobil Volvo?

Saya dari dulu tidak pernah naik mobil Volvo, tapi naik Daihatsu Taruna warna merah. Dan karena saya sibuk, kemana-mana selalu bersama keluarga.

Tidak kenal Ucok?

Saya tidak kenal siapa dia, itu surprise berita itu bagi saya. (ndr/nrl)

http://www.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2007/bulan/08/tgl/13/time/172047/idnews/816676/idkanal/10

Otak' Bush Mundur Akhir Agustus

2007-08-13 17:35:00


Arfi Bambani Amri - detikcom
Washington - Penasihat politik Gedung Putih Karl Rove yang sering disebut 'otak' Presiden AS George W Bush akan berhenti dari jabatannya. Rove bilang akan berhenti akhir Agustus 2007 ini.

"Saya pikir, sudah tiba saatnya," kata Rove seperti dikutip kantor berita AFP dari The Wall Street Journal, Senin (13/8/2007).

Rove mengaku mundur demi kepentingan keluarganya. Namun media massa AS melihat, Rove mundur akibat kekalahan Partai Republik dalam pemilihan anggota Kongres beberapa waktu lalu.

Rove juga ditekan sangat kuat oleh Partai Republik terkait pemilihan presiden AS yang akan berlangsung tahun depan. Partai Republik merasa akan kalah telak dalam pilpres mendatang.

Posisi Rove mulai terjepit sejak tahun 2003. Pria yang selalu berada di belakang keberhasilan Bush sejak masih Gubernur Texas ini diduga merupakan orang yang membeberkan identitas agen CIA Valerie Plame kepada media.

Rove juga orang yang berada di balik berbagai kebijakan-kebijakan kontroversial Bush. Rove-lah yang membuat data palsu bahwa Saddam Hussein telah memiliki fasilitas pengayaan uranium, sehingga menjadi alasan AS menyerbu Irak.

Kehebatan Rove menciptakan isu menjadi fakta itu telah melegenda. Beberapa kali Rove berhasil mendepak lawan-lawan politik Bush dengan hanya menggunakan isu atau rumor.

Saat Bush bertarung untuk posisi Gubernur Texas, Rove dengan pintar membuat isu lawan Bush, Ann Richards, adalah seorang lesbian. Ketika Bush bertarung di Pilpres tahun 2000, lawan Bush, Senator John McCain, diisukan punya anak haram.

Menurut James Moore dan Wayne Slater yang mengarang buku "Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W Bush Presidential", Rove memang jago menggunakan isu sebagai senjata politik. Namun semua itu dilakukan dengan licin, tanpa jejak.

Dan sekarang, sang dalang sekaligus 'otak' Bush itu pun mundur. Rove mundur sebelum aktor utamanya, Bush, menyelesaikan periode kedua jabatan sebagai presiden negara terkuat di dunia itu. (aba/nrl)

http://www.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2007/bulan/08/tgl/13/time/173552/idnews/816685/idkanal/10

Pengacara Polly Minta BIN Jelaskan 4 Hal Tentang Indra & Ucok

2007-08-13 18:01:00

Indra Subagja - detikcom

Jakarta - Pengacara Pollycarpus, M Assegaf, mendatangi BIN untuk menyerahkan surat setebal 4 halaman. Assegaf ingin mendapatkan klarifikasi atas empat hal.

Isu surat itu disampaikan oleh Assegaf di kantornya, Jl Haji Samali, Jakarta Selatan, Senin (13/8/2007).

Pertama, apakah benar Raden Muhammad Patma Anwar alias Ucok alias Empe alias Aa, adalah anggota BIN sejak tahun 2000 dengan pangkat agen muda golongan III C.

Kedua, apakah benar ada perintah BIN melalu Deputi II Manunggal Maladi kepada Sentot dan Ucok untuk membunuh Munir sebelum pemilihan presiden 2004.

Ketiga, apakah benar ada anggota BIN bernama Wahyu Saronto (Deputi IV BIN) dan Sentot yang mendapat tugas bersama-sama dengan Ucok, pernah mengunjungi rumah Ki Gendeng Pamungkas untuk menyantet Munir," jelas Assegaf.

Keempat, apakah sekitar bulan Juni atau Juli 2004, pihak BIN dalam hal ini diwakili oleh Wakil Kepala BIN (Bapak As'ad) pernah menerbitkan surat perintah yang memerintahkan kepada Indra Setiawan (mantan Dirut Garuda) untuk menugaskan Pollycarpus ke bagian Corporate Security pada maskapai penerbangan PT Garuda.

"Ini bukan untuk kepentingan klien kami tapi untuk BIN juga, mengingat lembaga ini 'dikesankan' terlibat dalam kasus kematian Munir," tandas Assegaf. (ndr/nrl)

http://www.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2007/bulan/08/tgl/13/time/180109/idnews/816693/idkanal/10

Din: Tegakkan Khilafah Harus dalam Kerangka NKRI

2007-08-12 18:54:00

Melly Febrida - detikcom

Jakarta - Gagasan menegakkan khilafah harus dalam tetap dalam kerangka negara bangsa, yakni Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia (NKRI) yang berdasarkan Pancasila. Khilafah tidak boleh mengurangi pluralisme bangsa.

Hal ini disampaikan Ketua Umum PP Muhammadiyah M Din Syamsuddin dalam keterangan tertulis yang diterima detikcom, Minggu (12/8/2007).

"Khilafah adalah ajaran Islam yang baik dan ada disebutkan dalam Al Qur'an. Bahkan dalam nada bahwa setiap manusia adalah khalifah Allah di muka bumi," kata Din.

Din mencontohkan, soal khilafat historis yang pernah ada dalam sejarah Islam, yakni Ibnu Khaldun yang sudah mengkritiknya bukan sebagai lembaga kepemimpinan politik yang bersifat keislaman. Sesungguhnya khilafah waktu itu adalah kerajaan.

Menurut Din, konsep khilafah tidak mungkin kita tolak. Namun, lanjut Din, jika khilafah ditarik kepada kelembagaan politik keagamaan, maka terdapat perbedaan pendapat di kalangan ulama dan cendekiawan Muslim dari dulu hingga dewasa ini.

Din mengimbau, agar semua pihak tidak perlu khawatir dengan wacana khilafah sebagai bagian dari proses demokrasi dan pluralisme. Menurutnya, justru dengan sikap menolak dan mengecam wacana yang hidup di kalangan bangsa, bisa bersifat anti demokrasi dan pluralisme.

Sebelumnya juru bicara Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), Ismail Yusanto, mengatakan mereka berencana membentuk Partai Politik. HTI tidak sepakat dengan sistem demokrasi, sebab demokrasi membawa jargon kekuasaan dari rakyat oleh rakyat untuk rakyat.

"Beda dengan yang kita anut, kekuasaan dari Allah, dan untuk kemaslahatan umat. Tujuan awal kita, yaitu khilafah Islamiyah (kepemimpinan Islam)," ujar Ismail. (mly/mly)

http://www.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2007/bulan/08/tgl/12/time/185422/idnews/816171/idkanal/10

Sekolah Gratis Tuntutlah Ilmu ke Sekayu

Belasan siswa berseragam putih abu-abu duduk rapi di depan meja komputer. Masing-masing menghadap satu unit komputer yang tersambung dengan jaringan internet. Pendingin udara membuat aktivitas di ruangan seluas 400 meter persegi itu terasa sejuk dan nyaman. Sesekali tampak seorang siswa mencatat sesuatu ke buku. Ini pemandangan yang jamak dijumpai di Resource Cafenet, yang terletak di kompleks SMA Unggul Negeri 2 Sekayu, Kabupaten Musi Banyuasin, Sumatera Selatan.

Cybercafe dengan fasilitas kelas I itu adalah bagian dari sarana gratis yang diberikan sekolah negeri tersebut. Yang ingin berselancar di dunia maya dapat menggunakan peranti itu dengan menyerahkan kupon yang disediakan oleh sekolah. Selain itu, di sudut lain sekolah ini terdapat enam laboratorium dengan peralatan kelas I. Masing-masing untuk bahasa, fisika, komputer, kimia, biologi, dan ilmu pengetahuan sosial.

Bangunan SMA yang dikelola Pemerintah Kabupaten (Pemkab) Musi Banyuasin (Muba) itu tidak lebih megah dibandingkan dengan sekolah-selolah favorit pada umumnya. Jumlahnya hanya 10. Masing-masing kelas punya tiga ruang, kecuali kelas I yang memiliki empat ruang. Namun fasilitas pendukungnya sungguh lengkap.

Dalam menyampaikan pelajaran, guru tak lagi menggunakan kapur, melainkan cukup klik dari laptop yang dihubungkan dengan sebuah liquid crystal display (LCD) proyektor. Materi pelajaran diproyeksikan ke layar putih tepat di depan ruang kelas. Tak ada waktu terbuang hanya untuk mencatat di papan tulis.

Selain setumpuk fasilitas pokok tersebut, terdapat pula beberapa pendukung kegiatan ekstrakurikuler, seperti 10 sarana olahraga dan sejumlah alat musik. Selain itu, tersedia pula sebuah stasiun radio sekolah. Suara Smanda, namanya, dibuka sejak Februari lalu. Untuk ukuran radio sekolah, peranti yang tersedia cukup lengkap.

Bagi yang suka kegiatan keagamaan, di tengah-tengah kompleks sekolah itu terdapat sebuah masjid yang luas. Kompleks bangunan dengan luas total satu hektare ini terletak di Jalan Kolonel Wahid Udin, Sekayu, ibu kota Kabupaten Muba. Tak jauh dari kompleks gedung sekolah, terdapat asrama. Para siswa yang menuntut ilmu di sekolah ini diwajibkan tinggal di asrama. Sedangkan guru diberi rumah dinas.

Semua fasilitas tersebut tidak perlu dibayar mahal. Pemkab Muba membuat semuanya itu gratis. Tahun ini, anggaran yang disiapkan untuk pendidikan mencapai Rp 345,6 milyar, naik dua kali lipat dibandingkan dengan dua tahun sebelumnya.

SMA Negeri 2 Sekayu adalah salah satu dari dua SMA unggulan yang dikelola Pemkab Muba sebagai percontohan. Kualitasnya disebut-sebut setara dengan SMA di Singapura. Tahun lalu, sebanyak 85% siswa dari dua SMA unggulan itu diterima di universitas terkemuka di Tanah Air, tanpa tes. Mereka tersebar di Universitas Sriwijaya, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Bandung, dan lain-lain.

Sejak 2002, sekolah gratis gampang ditemukan di Muba. Pemerintah setempat berkomitmen membuka akses seluas-luasnya kepada dunia pendidikan. Untuk itu, semua sekolah negeri diberikan gratis. Mulai SD, SMP hingga SMA, termasuk madrasah ibtidaiyah, tsanawiyah, dan aliyah.

Semua ini membuat Sekayu, kota kecil yang terletak 90 kilometer arah utara Palembang, berubah wujud jadi kota pelajar. Bupati Muba, Alex Nurdin, berpandangan bahwa pendidikan adalah jawaban bagi persoalan global, khususnya untuk masyarakat Muba. "Kesejahteraan tidak bisa diraih dengan kebodohan," ujar jebolan Universitas Atma Jaya Jakarta itu.

Ide ini didukung oleh pihak legislatif. Ketua DPRD Muba, Sulgani H. Pakuali, mengungkapkan bahwa kebijakan dalam bidang pendidikan dinilai tepat sasaran. Dengan cara ini, katanya, rakyat miskin tak lagi sulit mengakses sekolah. "Untuk itu, anggaran yang diajukan eksekutif langsung disetujui," kata Sulgani.

Sejak lima tahun lalu, pemerintah mengalokasikan subsidi pendidikan tak kurang dari Rp 150 milyar setiap tahun. Seiring dengan meningkatnya pendapatan asli daerah setempat, sejak tahun lalu nilai subsidi meningkat dua kali lipat, menjadi Rp 327 milyar lebih atau 26% APBD.

Eloknya, tidak semua subsidi pendidikan berasal dari kantong pemerintah. Sebagian merupakan peran NGO yang bergerak dalam bidang filantropi pendidikan. Sampoerna Foundation, misalnya, menyiapkan dana Rp 1,2 milyar untuk pendampingan SMA 2 Sekayu dalam kontrak United School Program. Beberapa lembaga swasta lainnya ikut terlibat dalam mengelola pendidikan di Muba, antara lain Tanoto Foundation dan Lien Aid Singapura.

Selain dukungan dana, tenaga pendidik dan konsultan didatangkan dari beberapa universitas di dalam negeri maupun asing, seperti Institute for The Environment Nanyang Technology University (INTU) Singapura, British International School, dan Fullbright dari Amerika Serikat. Semuanya dengan konsep kerja sama pendampingan. Tanpa bayar.

Tahun ini, sebuah perguruan tinggi akan dibuka. Yaitu Politeknik Sekayu, yang akan menampung 60 mahasiswa terseleksi. Politeknik gratis ini akan membuka tiga jurusan: akuntansi, informatika, dan teknik informatika. Persiapannya dilakukan bekerja sama dengan politeknik Singapura.

Mahasiswa mendapat pendidikan dan seluruh fasilitasnya secara gratis, termasuk asrama. Tentu saja seleksinya lumayan ketat. Selain serangkaian tes dan wawancara, pendaftar harus punya nilai rata-rata 7,0 dan skor TOEFL minimal 450. Tahap awal, alumninya diharapkan mampu menyuplai tenaga profesional untuk kebutuhan lokal.

Dalam tempo lima tahun, Sekayu berhasil disulap mengimitasi Yogyakarta. Tujuh tahun silam, Musi Banyuasin tak lebih dari kabupaten miskin dengan 12.000 penduduk buta huruf. Sekolah menengah menjadi barang mahal. Di wilayah seluas 14.000 kilometer persegi ini, setengah juta penduduknya hidup bertani dan kurang melek sekolah.

Tahun 2002, pemkab mencanangkan wajib belajar 12 tahun. Bersama dengan itu, semua sekolah negeri dari SD sampai SMA dibuka gratis. Tahun ini, wajib belajar ditingkatkan menjadi 15 tahun dengan membuka politeknik, yang juga gratis.

Selain membuka pintu sekolah lebar-lebar, Pemkab Muba juga mengobok-obok manajemen sekolah. Para guru dipaksa meningkatkan mutunya. Mereka dikenai pogram wajib kuliah. Tahun ini, 1.800 guru disekolahkan kembali di Universitas Terbuka. Mereka diwajibkan mengambil program D-2 dan S-1, juga secara gratis.

Selain kuliah, para guru juga diberi pelatihan. Mentornya disokong lembaga asing seperti Unicef, International Development Partner (IDP) Norwegia, Edinburg University di Skotlandia, dan Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung. Kini Sekayu menjadi daerah tujuan baru untuk belajar. Di sekolah-sekolahnya yang gratis, mereka menyisihkan kuota 20% untuk menampung pelajar dari luar Muba.

Kepada Gatra, Alex mengisahkan, tahun 2001, ketika dirinya pertama kali masuk Sekayu, di depan matanya terhampar kemiskinan, buta huruf, dan prasarana yang tidak memadai. Anggaran daerah banyak bocor karena dikelola secara tidak efisien.

Alex lalu melakukan berbagai pembenahan. Ia mengampanyekan clean governance dan mengutamakan pelayanan publik. Pembuatan KTP, akta kelahiran, akta kematian, dan sejumlah dokumen masyarakat dibuat gratis. Prioritasnya adalah pendidikan. Ia memulai dengan mendirikan sekolah pilot project, lalu merangkul berbagai pihak untuk membantu.

APBD Kabupaten Muba tahun lalu sekitar Rp 1,2 trilyun. Tahun ini meningkat jadi Rp 1,6 trilyun. Setengahnya merupakan hasil konsesi minyak dan gas yang digarap kontraktor. Dana ini bisa diatur sedemikian rupa sehingga efektif membangun bidang utama yang menjadi prioritas.

Mujib Rahman, dan Noverta Salyadi (Musi Banyuasin)
[Pendidikan, Gatra Edisi 38 Beredar Kamis, 2 Agustus 2007]

Ungkap 'Surat Sakti' BIN, Kini Indra Setiawan Plong

2007-08-11 16:29:00

Jakarta - Mantan Dirut Garuda Indra Setiawan kini merasa lega. Ini terkait pengakuannya
yang termuat dalam berita acara pemeriksaan (BAP). Dalam BAP tersebut, Indra
mengatakan bahwa ada surat dari BIN terkait penugasan Pollycarpus di pesawat Munir.

"Pak Indra sebelumnya ketakutan, sekarang sudah tenang," kata pengacara Indra,
Antawirya J Dipodiputro, tanpa memerinci alasannya, Jumat (10/8/2007).

Menurut Antawirya, selama di tahanan berat badan kliennya itu turun. Tapi itu
bukan karena tekanan psikis yang dialaminya.

"Pak Indra kan sempat sakit, kemarin (akhir Juli) dia sakit tipus dan dirawat 3 hari di RS Polri Kramatjati," ujar Antawirya.

Indra telah mengalami 2 kali masa perpanjangan penahanan di Mabes Polri sejak 13 April lalu. Penahanannya berakhir pada 11 Agustus. Kasusnya pun kini sudah dilimpahkan ke Kejati DKI. Namun dengan alasan keamanan Indra kembali ditahan di Rutan Mabes Polri.

"Ya di Mabes Polri lebih aman, lebih terjamin," imbuh Antawirya.

Telepon Bosnya

Sementara itu sumber di kepolisian menyebutkan bahwa Indra adalah saksi kunci dalam sidang Peninjauan Kembali terhadap Pollycarpus yang dilancarkan Kejagung dalam kasus Munir. Sebelumnya saat pertama kali ditangkap dan diperiksa, Indra selalu bungkam.

"Dia selalu minta dihubungkan bicara dulu dengan petinggi intelijen. Bosnya," ujar sumber itu.

Sumber itu menjelaskan bahwa saat penangkapan 13 April lalu pun, kala Indra
ditangkap di rumah teman wanitanya di Tebet, Indra meminta untuk menelepon bosnya itu.

"Dia sudah mau menelepon. Minta bicara dulu dengan bosnya," jelas sumber itu.

Hingga akhirnya polisi menyodorkan sejumlah bukti dan Indra pun tidak mau mengelak. "Sekarang dia sudah kooperatif, kesaksiannya sangat berharga. Sekarang Indra sudah 'diservis'," sebut sumber itu.

Sebagai saksi, keluarga Indra pun telah mendapatkan perlindungan dari polisi. "Ada petugas yang mengawal keluarga mereka," ungkap sumber itu.

Sedang saat dikonfirmasi mengenai hal ini, Antawirya menjawab diplomatis. "Saya belum dengar itu," tandasnya. (ndr/nrl)

http://www.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2007/bulan/08/tgl/11/time/162907/idnews/815951/idkanal/10

KPK Harus Berani Ungkap Dugaan Suap BI ke DPR

Sabtu, 11/08/2007 16:14 WIB
M. Rizal Maslan - detikfinance



Jakarta - Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) diminta berani untuk mengungkap kasus dugaan suap yang dilakukan Bank Indonesia (BI) kepada sejumlah anggota DPR periode 1999-2004.

Jika benar, maka penyuapan ini dinilai pelanggaran hukum yang dilakukan eksekutif dan legislatif.

"Ini salah satu bentuk korupsi yang amat lihai. Saya heran kok itu bisa terjadi di BI," kata pengacara senior Adnan Buyung Nasution yang juga anggota Watimpres usai diskusi yang diselenggarakan ILUNI di Fakultas Kedokteran UI, Jl Salemba Raya, Jakarta Pusat, Sabtu (11/8/2007).

Buyung mengaku heran dengan sikap sejumlah petinggi BI, bila memang benar penyuapan kepada DPR tahun 2004 sebagai dana untuk membahas sejumlah peraturan perbankan. Seharusnya sebagai bank sentral, BI mengatur dan mengawasi lalu lintas keuangan di Indonesia.

"Ini kok malah ikut-ikutan suap dan beri uang ke DPR. Buat saya perilaku ini tidak bisa dimaafkan. Ini keterlaluan karena mereka telah mencederai fungsi dan tugas BI," ucap Buyung.

Untuk itu, lanjut Buyung, KPK didesak untuk segera melakukan penyelidikan terhadap kasus tersebut. Sesuai porsi kerja masing-masing, aparat KPK tidak boleh ragu dan harus berani memeriksa kasus itu.

"Kalau tidak berani, pecat saja pimpinan KPK itu. Saya malu telah pernah memilih mereka kalau tidak berani mengusut," tegasnya.

ICW sebelumnya melaporkan Bank Indonesia (BI) ke Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK). BI dituding telah melakukan upaya suap memberi uang sejumlah Rp 3,8 miliar kepada anggota DPR. Tindakan BI ini bertujuan untuk menggolkan sejumlah pembahasan Rancangan Undang-Undang yang berkaitan dengan bank.

Menurut Koordinator ICW Teten, aksi bagi-bagi uang itu dilakukan BI dalam kurun waktu bulan Agustus 2002 hingga September 2004 . Saat itu komisi IX akan membahas RUU Likuidasi Bank, pembahasan anggaran BI, RUU Lembaga Penjaminan Simpanan dan RUU Kepailitan.


(zal/qom)


Baca Juga:

Dilaporkan ke KPK
BI: Dokumen ICW Tak OtentikBagi-Bagi Uang ke DPR, BI Dilaporkan ke KPK

Jabar Peringkat Pertama Kasus Korupsi Terbanyak

Kinerja Kejaksaan Tinggi Dinilai Lamban

BANDUNG, (PR).-
Jawa Barat belum mampu melepaskan diri dari deretan papan atas daerah dengan jumlah kasus korupsi terbanyak di Indonesia. Setelah 2005 menduduki peringkat keempat dengan 10 kasus korupsi yang terungkap, maka 2006 Jabar muncul sebagai peringkat pertama provisi dengan kasus korupsi terbanyak. Tercatat 18 kasus menjadi penanganan serius.

Hal itu terungkap dalam National Workshop dan Seminar Sekolah Antikorupsi, Auditing, dan Budgeting di Aula Timur ITB, Jln. Ganeca, Bandung, Rabu (17/1).

Namun, menurut Wakil Koordinator Indonesia Corruptions Watch (ICW), J. Danang Widoyoko, jumlah tersebut belum mencerminkan kondisi sebenarnya. “Berdasarkan data ICW, sejauh ini jumlah kasus korupsi di Pulau Jawa jauh lebih tinggi dibanding daerah lainnya,” ujarnya.

Berdasarkan data Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK), status Laporan Harta Kekayaan Penyelenggara Negara (LHKPN) Jawa Barat, 5.936 wajib lapor. Namun, dari jumlah itu hanya 4.296 (72,36 %) yang melapor. Sedikitnya 3.905 kasus telah diumumkan KPK dan 391 di antaranya masih dalam proses penyidikan.

Untuk seluruh Indonesia, sepanjang 2006 terdapat 6.879 pengaduan kasus korupsi, 6.236 kasus di antaranya dapat ditelaah. Namun, hanya 1.444 pengaduan yang diindikasikan tindak pidana korupsi. Dengan berbagai alasan, 4.792 kasus di antaranya tidak dapat ditindaklanjuti dan 527 kasus dikoordinasikan dengan instansi lain.

Kasus mandek

Staf Khusus Kementerian BUMN, Lendo Novo, mengeluhkan kinerja kejaksaan tinggi (kejati) yang dinilai lamban. ”Sepanjang 2006, kami banyak mengungkap kasus korupsi di tubuh BUMN dengan mudah. Yang saya sesalkan, ketika masuk ke kejati, kasus mandek dengan berbagai alasan,” katanya.

Hal itu tidak disangkal Kepala Kejati Jabar, Muzammi Merah Hakim. Dia menilai, rendahnya kinerja aparat kejati dalam kasus korupsi, akibat minimnya gaji aparat dan anggaran pemerintah untuk mengusut kasus korupsi. “Selain itu, kami juga dipusingkan dengan prosedural yang berbelit-belit. Untuk mengusut suatu kasus korupsi kami harus memiliki izin dari berbagai pihak terkait, seperti gubernur, mendagri, presiden, dll. Tanpa izin, kami sulit untuk berkutik,” katanya.

Sedangkan pakar hukum UNPAD Indra Perwira menilai, upaya pemberantasan korupsi di Jabar lebih sulit karena faktor kultural. “Nilai dalam budaya Jabar, merasa sungkan untuk mengawasi, mengkritik, atau menegur. Hal itu menunjukkan kontrol sosial yang lemah, karena kepedulian terhadap tataran sosial dengan nilai moral kurang menonjol,” ujarnya. (A-150/-158)***

Persentase Dukungan Calon Independen di Pilkada Jadi Polemik

2007-08-10 18:43:00

Muhammad Nur Hayid - detikcom

Jakarta - Persentase dukungan calon indepen dalam pilkada masih mengundang perdebatan antar fraksi di DPR. Tiap fraksi mengajukan persentase dukungan yang berbeda-beda.

"Bahwa ada keseimbangan kita setuju, tetapi ya jangan terlalu berlebihan, sekitar 5 sampe 10 persen saja," kata Sekjen DPP PAN Zulkifli Hasan di DPR, Senayan, Jakarta, Jumat (10/8/2007)

Zulkifli, yang juga menjabat Ketua FPAN ini menjelaskan, keseimbangan persentase dibutuhkan agar jalur ini tidak dijadikan mainan para petualang politik.

Sementara itu, PDIP menilai keseimbangan antar calon independen dengan calon yang maju dari partai harus dilakukan, karena syarat perseorangan itu lebih mudah.

"Kalau PDIP mengusulkan 15-20 persen dukungan pemilih," kata Ketua DPP PDIP Tjahjo Kumolo.

Sebelumnya Fraksi Partai Golkar mengusulkan agar calon independen yang hendak maju ke kancah pilkada, minimun memperoleh dukungan 15 persen pemilih. (nal/nvt)

(news from cache) - Reload from Original

http://www.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2007/bulan/08/tgl/10/time/184312/idnews/815816/idkanal/10

Trade and Investment News

THE COORDINATING MINISTRY FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

Main Building, Ministry of Finance, Jl. Lapangan Banteng Timur No.2-4 Jakarta Pusat

Tel: (021) 380-8384 Fax: (021) 344-0394 Website: http://www.ekon.go.id

Trade and Investment News[1], 6 August 2007

Highlights

Politics

· Indonesia ready to send police to Darfur mission

· Indonesia calls for declaration on nuclear weapons to include disarmament

Regions

· Jakarta readies for landmark polls

· Avian flu appears to be stabilizing, say experts

Economy

· Companies report strong first half results

· Government realizes Rp8 trillion from Bank Negara Indonesia offering

Business briefs

Macroeconomy

· Slightly higher inflation below expectations: central bank

· IMF says economic growth can be maintained at 6-7%

Investment

· Investors pledge $1.8 billion for Riau Islands SEZ projects

· Volkswagen to set up in Indonesia

State concerns

· Tourist numbers rise by 12% in first half

· Palm oil expansion to slow after 2010, says industry association

SOEs

· Garuda records first half profit

Private sector

· Firms report higher first half profits

· Car, motorcycle sales strongly up

Banks

· Bank Negara Indonesia float discounted on global concerns

· Foreign investors buy stake in Bank Mayapada

Power

· State utility PLN ready to operate nuclear plant

Oil & gas

· Indonesia looks to 50:50 split for deepwater exploration

· Government pushes for alternative final funding for Tangguh

Mining

· Two new smelters for Inco to cost $2.5 billion

· PT Aneka Tambang set to restart smelter

POLITICS
Troops Offered For Dafur

Indonesia, France and Denmark offered on Wednesday (1/8/07) to contribute to a joint UN-African Union mission for Darfur, a 26,000-strong force expected to be made up mostly of peacekeepers from Africa with backup from Asian troops.

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said Thursday Indonesia could offer between 100 and 150 police for the operation, the Associated Press reported from Manila, where he was attending the ASEAN summit.

The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the force - which, if fully deployed, would be the world's largest peacekeeping operation - to help end four years of rape and slaughter of civilians in the vast Sudanese desert region.

The peacekeepers are expected to be in Darfur by year's end, with major Western powers providing only limited manpower because of Iraq and other conflicts.

The new force will absorb and take over from the beleaguered 7,000-strong AU force now in Darfur and will be known as UNAMID, reflecting "a predominantly African character," as demanded by Sudan.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said UNAMID showed "a very new, very important
phenomenon, which is that Africans want to take care of African affairs." Speaking on RTL radio, he added that UN troops in the force "will come mostly from Asia."

Denmark's Defense Minister Soeren Gade said an international conference would flesh out the needs of the force, though he did not specify a time or location.

Jakarta Calls for Disarmament Clause

Indonesia on Thursday (2/8/07) called for a US proposal for a declaration demanding an end to the spread of nuclear weapons to be changed to include disarmament, The Jakarta Post reported.

During the meeting of 27 foreign ministers from Asia and the Pacific at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting in Manila, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda exchanged views with US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte on whether the forum could issue a declaration of non-proliferation without mentioning disarmament.

Wirayuda said later that Indonesia took the view that while something must be done to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, it should be done in parallel with nuclear disarmament.

"There's a slightly different approach in the sense that to us nuclear non-proliferation should be seen in the full context, not in separation with other elements, namely disarmament and cooperation on nuclear technology,” he explained. “That's why we suggested that perhaps we should add more elements in the area of cooperation if we're going to develop it in the context of ARF."

An official attending the meeting said the US then changed the wording of the proposal, but the proposal was dropped because Indonesia insisted the issue of disarmament be included.

Ex-Minister Indicted

The Attorney General's Office has named former industry minister AR Soehoed a suspect in the alleged misappropriation of Asahan Authority funds between 1988 and 1998, The Jakarta Post reported.

Director of investigations at the Office of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes, M. Salim, said on Wednesday (1/8/2007) Soehoed had used the funds for personal purposes. "We have asked him to hand over some documents related to the Asahan Authority," he told reporters.

Salim said the AGO had confiscated a total of 56 hectares of land in North Sumatra belonging to the Asahan Authority, which was established in 1976 to handle a hydroelectric dam and aluminum smelter.

The Development Finance Comptroller is currently determining state losses as a result of the case, he added.

Amendment for Independents

The House of Representatives on Wednesday (1/8/07) said it will amend articles in the 2004 law on local administrations to allow independent candidates to contest regional elections.

House Speaker Agung Laksono said the amendment, the consequence of a recent ruling by the Constitutional Court, will be passed before the end of the year.

He said political parties had weighed other options, including an emergency government regulation or having the General Elections Commission (KPU) to enact a regulation on independent candidates, but all felt amending the law itself was the best option.

"The government should start drawing up auxiliary regulations to support the implementation of the Constitutional Court ruling," Agung said, according to the Antara news agency.

REGIONS

Jakarta Ready for Landmark Poll

Supporters of Jakarta's two governor candidates took to the streets of the capital Friday (3/7/07), bringing much of the city to a virtual standstill on the final day of campaigning.

Supporters of Adang Daradjatun and running mate Dani Anwar, and Fauzi Bowo and his running mate Prijanto paraded through the city in decorated cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles, Jakarta took on a festive air, The Jakarta Post reported.

There were no reports of clashes between supporters, and when opposing convoys did converge everyone maintained the party mood.

Heavy traffic congestion was reported across the city with traffic moving at snail’s pace on all major routes.

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) supports retired police general Adang Daradjatun and the 19-party coalition backs Deputy Governor Fauzi Bowo. Fauzi picked retired Army general Prijanto as his running mate, while PKS put forward city councilor Dani Anwar as Adang's running mate.

Bowo topped a poll of eligible Jakarta voters late last month. The poll by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) says more than half of the 600 surveyed respondents -- all of them registered voters -- said they would vote for Bowo while only 22% would give their vote to Daradjatun. Another 22% of respondents said they were undecided.

Human Bird Flu Cases Stabilize: Experts

The bird flu epidemic appears to have stabilized as far as humans go but several developing nations have not been able to stem its spread amongst poultry and domesticated birds, experts said Friday (3/8/07).

"The number of human cases of bird flu appears to be stable when compared to the same period last year," Gregory Hartl, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman for bird flu told Agence France-Presse.

The UN health agency reported 56 new human cases of bird flu until July 25 this year, 34 of which were fatal. There were a total of 115 cases last year and 79 deaths.

The World Health Organization has so far recorded 319 cases of bird flu in humans worldwide, 192 of which were fatal.

Human Trafficking Ring Smashed

A police task force has busted a human trafficking syndicate based in a housing complex, South Jakarta, police revealed Thursday (2/7/07).

The police arrested six men in different locations in Jakarta on Tuesday. The men, identified as RT, RK, AM, IR, DW and DN are believed to be the masterminds of the trafficking ring.

Task force head Sr. Comr. Anton Carlian said that the team got a tip-off a week ago. "We are still questioning the suspects because we believe that this activity is related to an international trafficking syndicate," The Jakarta Post quoted him as saying.

The suspects arrested Tuesday had violated the 2007 Law on the Eradication of Human Trafficking and could face 10-year jail terms, Carlian said.

The newly established human trafficking team, comprising the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry and the National Police Headquarters, aims to address the plight of Indonesian workers overseas, among other goals.

ECONOMY

Strong First-half Earnings

First-half earnings figures from a range of companies showed strong growth, reflecting the improving economy.

Cigarette manufacturers were among companies to report better performances, with PT Gudang Garam reporting Monday (30/7/07) a 30.4% rise to Rp710.6 billion in first-half net profit. Rival PT HM Sampoerna reported a 9.5% rise in net profit to Rp2.07 trillion.

Consumer finance companies were also reaping in profits. Car dealer PT Tunas Ridean more than doubled its first-half net profit to Rp85.2 billion. PT BCA Finance reported Rp63.5 billion net profit in the first half, a 71.1% increase from Rp37.1 billion in the same period last year.

Consumer products company PT Unilever reported a more modest but still substantial improvement, with new profit for the half reaching Rp1.05 trillion compared to Rp877 billion a year earlier.

Banks were also turning in solid returns. State-owned Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) reported net profit of Rp2.358 trillion ($257 million) in the second quarter of 2007, up 17.43% from the same period last year.

PT Bank Permata, the country’s ninth largest bank by assets, said its net profit for the first six months to June rose 38% year-on-year to Rp193.63 billion. Fast-growing Bank NISP said its net profit in the first half to June rose 35% to Rp140.6 billion from Rp104 billion the previous year.

Meanwhile the government and the House of Representatives finally reached agreement to set a 2007 state budget deficit target at Rp56.3 trillion ($6.2 billion) or 1.5% of GDP.

The government, which proposed a deficit at 1.6%, had achieved a compromise with elements of the House that wanted a lower figure, according to Emir Muis, chairman of the House budget committee.

The government’s coffers were enriched by its share of Rp8.1 trillion received from the sale of nearly 26% of shares in Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI). The sale cuts the government’s holding in the bank from 99.1% to 73.3%. The government will share the proceeds equally with the bank.

Nevertheless, in a market environment troubled by a slide on Wall Street, the government was forced to accept a price at the bottom of its indicative range of Rp2,050 and Rp2,700 per share.

"We had a good response from investors although there was some disturbance in the market,” State Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil admitted. “But, it could have been better, if only we had privatized BNI a week ago, the price of the shares would have been higher,” he was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Post.

Moody’s confirmed that it was considering an upgrade of Indonesia’s foreign-currency credit rating, Bloomberg News reported

Moody's rates Indonesia at B1, four levels below investment grade and the same as the Philippines and Cambodia.

“The move may increase the attractiveness of Indonesian bonds amid the current turbulence,” said Aldian Taloputra, an economist at PT Mandiri Sekuritas Taloputra.

“Indonesia faces very good prospects for near-term growth in capital formation,” Aninda S. Mitra, a rating analyst for Moody's, said in a statement. ``Work may be needed on the structural reform front to improve labor regulations, tax administration and legal certainty.''

The International Monetary Fund also remained upbeat, praising progress in the economy in an assessment issued on Tuesday.

Indonesia has boosted output, tamed inflation and increased its international reserves over the past year, the IMF said in its annual Article IV review of the country's economy, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

Inflation rose slightly in July to 6.06% year-on-year after a single month rise of 0.72%. Central bank deputy governor Aslim Tadjuddin told Reuters the figure was in line with expectations.

Tadjuddin also said that a weakening of the rupiah was purely due to global factors and was not a cause for concern.

"Our economic fundamentals are quite strong . . . there's nothing to be worried about the domestic economy," he said.

The Jakarta Stock Exchange composite index closed the week at 2,269.79, a fall of 28.61 points or 1.2% for the week. The rupiah was at 9,270/9,275 to the dollar.

Indicators:

	May	June	Jan-June 07/ Jan-June 06	Trade surplus First semester
Total exports	$9.71 billion	$9.42 billion	14.29%	$19.99 billion
Non-oil & gas exports	$7.93 billion	$7.61 billion	20.35%	$19.61 billion
	June (y-o-y)	June (m-o-m)	July (y-o-y)	July (m-o-m)
Inflation	5.77%	0.23%	6.06%	0.72%
	Full year 2005	Full year 2006	1Q 2007
GDP growth	5.60%	5.5%	5.97%
Tourist arrivals	May	June	Growth/loss (m-o-m)	Growth/loss (y-o-y)
	366,137	411,264	12.33%	12.22%

Source: Central Agency of Statistics

BUSINESS BRIEFS

MACROECONOMY

July Inflation Below Expectations: BI

Headline inflation last month was "below expectations," and the country is on track to achieve its 5.0%-7.0% inflation target for the whole year, Bank Indonesia spokesman Budi Mulya told reporters Friday. The consumer price index rose 6.06% on year in July.

"The year-on-year July inflation of 6.06%, historically speaking, is below Bank Indonesia's expectations," he said, adding that the recent weakness of the rupiah is due to global factors and the central bank hoped it would be temporary, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

The dollar was trading at Rp9,260 on Friday, from Rp9,075 just over a week earlier.

Over July, the central bank and the government had logged capital outflows of Rp11 trillion comprised of one-month Bank Indonesia paper and government treasury bonds, Mulya said.

Analysts said faster inflation in July and the weakening currency could persuade the central bank to halt its campaign to loosen monetary policy and leave its benchmark rate unchanged this month.

But they added that Bank Indonesia (BI) could continue to cut borrowing costs later this year, pointing to data showing the trade surplus widened in June, comments by a government official characterizing the inflation rise as seasonal, and the temporary nature of the rupiah's recent weakness against the US dollar.

The consumer-price index in July rose 6.06% from a year earlier and 0.72% from the previous month, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) said, according to Dow Jones.

The price rises were also faster than June's year-to-year inflation rate of 5.77% -- the slowest in seven months – and its month-to-month rate of 0.23%.

BPS chief Rusman Heriawan attributed July's inflation reading to the seasonal increase in educational costs associated with the beginning of the new school term in June, which he said caused the most significant inflationary pressure last month.

Analysts said the rising inflation figures would likely prompt BI to stop cutting its benchmark rate, at least for this month.

Indonesia to Maintain Growth - IMF

Indonesia can maintain economic growth in the 6% to 7% range and the value of its currency does not look out of line with fundamentals, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday (31/7/07).

"While some estimates of equilibrium exchange rates suggest a modest undervaluation, and although the performance of manufacturing exports has been moderate relative to many competitors, the real effective exchange rate is broadly in line with fundamentals," the IMF said in a statement, according to Reuters.

The IMF said in a regular review of the country's economic health that future surges in capital inflows should be tackled by letting the currency appreciate, tempered by intervention to prevent excessive moves, while cutting interest rates. It urged care when loosening monetary policy.

"While the rupiah appreciation and moderating core inflation have opened room for limited interest rate cuts, the BI (Bank Indonesia) needs to exercise caution, keeping in mind the lags in monetary policy transmission," it said.

The currency rose 3% against the dollar in May on the back of strong foreign investment into the country but these gains were pared in June, the IMF noted.

The economy has grown strongly; the IMF gave an upbeat assessment of the performance and noted it was yielding improvements in unemployment and measurements of poverty, "where progress to date had been sluggish".

Forex Reserves at $51.88 Bln

The country's foreign exchange reserves stood $1 billion higher at $51.88 billion on July 31 compared to the end-June figure of $50.9 billion, thanks mainly to a balance of payments surplus, Asia Pulse reported.

Bank Indonesia Governor Burhanuddin Abdullah said recently that there was a balance of payments surplus of $3.7 billion in the second quarter of 2007 thanks to improved capital balance, which recorded a surplus of $2.3 billion.

INVESTMENT

Investment Boost for Riau SEZ

Investors pledged to plough almost $1.8 billion into Indonesia's Riau islands on Friday (3/8/07) at a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony witnessed by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Business Times reported.

Twenty companies from the oil and gas, marine, logistics, hospitality and other sectors, including six Singapore firms, signed MOUs with the local governments of Batam, Bintan and Karimun.

Four other investors, including Indonesian businessman Kris Wiluan, signed MOUs to fulfil export contracts worth another $100 million in Batam.

The combined investments, to be made over the next few years, will generate more than 50,000 jobs, according to Ismeth Abdulah, governor of Riau Islands province.

Investor confidence in the islands has improved since June 2006 when the Singapore and Indonesian governments agreed to cooperate and establish a special economic zone (SEZ) on Batam, Bintan and Karimun, known collectively as BBK.

So far, there are about 1,200 foreign companies in BBK, representing more than $8 billion of investment, Ismeth said.

The biggest project signed on Friday is a $500 million shipyard on Batam, to be built by Fabtech International and Dubai Drydocks World from the United Arab Emirates.

Other projects include a $350 million investment by Vopak Asia in storage and handling work for the petrochemical sector on Karimun.

Resort builders also committed millions of dollars to Bintan. One company, PT Bintan Resort Cakrawala, plans to build a $200 million Lagoi Bay Village Resort that is expected to generate
more than 20,000 jobs.

Wiluan, whose company PT Citra Tubindo will build oil and gas vessel projects in Batam, said the Riau islands will complement Singapore and Johor's Iskandar economic zone to turn the region into an oil and gas hub.

Volkswagen to Set Up Plant: Report

Volkswagen plans to build an assembly plant in Indonesia next year to build a small car, the Investor Daily reported on Monday (30/7/07), citing a government official.

The plant would manufacture vehicles with an engine size smaller than 1.5 liters and a van, Industry Department director general Budhi Dharmadi said, according to the daily.

Last month, French carmaker Renault was reported to be planning to set up an Indonesian base to produce a van model with an annual capacity of 150,000 to 200,000 vehicles.

Vehicle sales dropped by about 40% last year, hit by weak consumer spending after the government hiked domestic fuel prices in late 2005. Volkswagen only sold 150 vehicles last year out of Indonesia's domestic sales of 318,883 units in 2006.

However, sales volumes are expected to recover to more than 400,000 units this year.

Shoe Industry Still Attracting Investors - BKPM

Investor interest in the country’s shoe industry remains high despite the fact that many shoe companies have closed their businesses, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) chairman M Lutfi said Tuesday (31/7/07).

"The number of new companies investing in the shoe industry exceeds that of companies that have withdrawn their investment," Lutfi was quoted as saying by Antara.

He said at least nine new companies were coming to invest in the shoe manufacturing business in 2006-2007, spending a total of $78.9 million.

Lutfi said six companies closed their businesses from 2003 to 2006. They had a production capacity of 44 million pairs of shoes annually and employed 24,996 workers.

The BKPM chief said there are 15 to 20 large shoe factories in the country, employing more than 5,000 workers, and another 100 medium and small firms.

Indonesia exported 146 million pairs of shoes in 2006 worth $1.6 billion. Some 50 million to 60 million pairs were exported for Nike Inc worth about $600 million to $700 million per year, with the number of workers reaching 80,000.

STATE CONCERNS

H1 Tourist Arrivals Up 12%

The number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia rose 12% to 2.14 million in the first half of 2007 from a year ago, the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) said on Wednesday (1/8/07), led by higher arrivals at Bali.

The government expects foreign tourist arrivals to increase by 25% to 6 million this year, bringing in around $5.5 billion in foreign exchange earnings, up 22% from a year ago, Reuters reported.

Tourist arrivals in Bali rose 34% to 781,059 in the first half from the same period last year due to an improving security situation and political stability.

The bureau also said that a series of cultural events, including the annual Bali Arts Festival featuring traditional dance and music in June and July, also boosted tourist arrivals.

Slower Palm Oil Expansion from 2010

Indonesia expects palm oil output to grow sharply in the next two years, executive chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association, Derom Bangun said on Monday (30/7/07).

Indonesia is set to take over from Malaysia as the world's top palm oil producer this year because of rapid expansion in the last five years.

"We expect to see output grow by 8% to 9% until 2009. But we have yet to see if we can sustain the growth beyond that period," Bangun told Reuters in an interview.

Crude palm oil output is projected to hit 17.4 million tons in 2007, up from 15.9 million tons in 2006. "Expansion plans have been hampered by uncertainties in the legal status of the available land," he said, adding that the government is now checking that existing plantations are not located inside protected forests.

"Acquiring land is getting more difficult. From 2010 onwards, output will depend on the state of (palm oil) investment in 2007 to 2008," said Bangun.

Palm oil producers have asked the government to clearly define forest areas that need conserving.

Environmental groups are concerned that rapidly expanding palm oil plantations, partly due to ambitious biofuel plans, are damaging rain forests and driving out rare species.

Indonesia, which currently has 6 million hectares of palm oil plantations, may also restrict expansion by holding companies despite record-high crude palm oil prices.

"The government doesn't want holding companies to own too much land. Land has become a rare commodity," he said.

Bangun also expects the country’s palm oil exports to slow down in 2007, mainly because of the growth in biodiesel demand. Exports reached 12.1 million tons in 2006.

"We have expected output to reach 17.4 million tons this year, but part of it could be used for biodiesel. So, we may only export 13.1 million to 13.2 million tons this year," he said.

"In 2008, output may rise to more than 18 million tons. Exports may hit around 14 million tons but it will also depend on the growth of the biodiesel industry," he said.

SOEs

Garuda Moves to Profit

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia turned to profit in the first semester of this year on the back of an increase in passenger numbers and higher fares, coupled with an efficiency program, the airline’s president director, Emirsyah Satar, said.

The airline booked a net profit of Rp148 billion ($15.93 million) in the first half of the year, compared to a net loss of about Rp361 billion in the same period last year.

"Our profit in the first half was partly the result of an increase in passenger numbers to 4.36 million from 4.07 million in the corresponding period last year," he was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Post.

Other factors contributing to the turnaround in the airline's balance sheet were the rise in airfares and an improvement in the utilization rate of its aircraft.

Garuda had managed to fly more passengers during the first semester despite the reduction in the size of the company's fleet to 49 aircraft from 56 previously, he said, adding that the leases on seven aircraft had not been extended.

"We managed to accommodate more passengers in fewer airplanes due to an improvement in the utilization rate of each plane from an average of 8 hours and 45 minutes to 9 hours and 17 minutes a day," he said.

In the first semester, the company booked revenues of Rp5.8 trillion, an increase of 12% from the Rp5.2 trillion it earned last year.

Garuda suffered a loss of Rp811 billion in 2004, Rp688 billion in 2005 and Rp167 billion in 2006.

He said the airline's yield -- unit price per seat per km -- rose from $0.67 to $0.72, up 8% year-on-year. "The seat load factor grew from 70% to 76% in the first half," he added.

Garuda also reduced the number of its loss-making routes from seven to four in the first semester, said Satar.

Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said Thursday that Garuda has passed an audit conducted by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority on Civil Aviation (GACA) on safety flight procedures and maintenance.

PRIVATE SECTOR

Firms Report Higher Profits

The country’s second largest tobacco company, PT Handaya Mandala Sampoerna, reported a 9.5% rise in its first-half net profit, benefiting from a recovery in consumer spending, Reuters reported.

Sampoerna booked a net profit of Rp2.07 trillion ($224.9 million) in the January-June period, up from Rp1.89 trillion a year ago. The profit growth came despite its sales revenue slipping by about 1% from a year ago to Rp14.4 trillion.

Sampoerna's main rival and the country’s largest tobacco company, PT Gudang Garam reported a 30.4% rise in its first-half net profit, thanks partly to lower operating expenses.

The company, which has been badly hit by rising costs and tough competition, managed to bring down its operating expenses by nearly 1.5% year on year, pushing its operating income up by 9.5%.

Gudang Garam booked a net profit of Rp710.6 billion ($77.32 million) in the January-June period, up from Rp545 billion a year ago. The firm saw its sales revenue climb to Rp13.4 trillion from Rp12.67 trillion in the first half of 2006.

Telephone carrier PT Bakrie Telecom said its net profit for the first half rose 196.2% year-on-year to Rp42.62 billion from Rp14.39 billion, aided by stronger sales.

Sales rose 64.4% to Rp583.84 billion and operating profit gained 234% to Rp106.59 billion, according to Thomson Financial.

Palm oil company PT Sampoerna Agro said its net profit for the first six months to June fell 33% to Rp39.59 billion, as it spent more for separation pay and interest expenses.

It said sales rose to Rp541 billion in the half from Rp491.96 billion a year earlier, while operating profit rose to Rp140 billion from Rp101.45 billion previously.

Net income was hit by additional spending of Rp37.72 billion on separation pay and a rise in interest charges to Rp46.03 billion from Rp18.54 billion the year before.

Car dealer PT Tunas Ridean said its net profit in the six months to June grew 242% year-on-year to Rp85.2 billion, owing to strong sales.

The company said sales rose 12% year-on-year to Rp2 trillion while operating profit surged to Rp87.68 billion from Rp19.9 billion previously.

Company president Anton Setiawan said overall sales were boosted by increased sales at all business units, particularly in the automotive and financing units.

Setiawan said net profit at the company's automotive unit increased three-fold to Rp49 billion, while net profit at the financing unit rose 10-fold to Rp26 billion.

Indonesia's largest poultry company PT Charoen Pokphand Indonesia meanwhile said its net profit in the first six months of the year grew 2.2% year-on-year to Rp95 billion on the back of stronger sales.

However, foreign exchange gains, which had helped offset financing charges and boosted the previous year's net profit, were lower in the first half this year, limiting profit growth.

The company said sales rose 18% year-on-year to Rp3.71 trillion while operating profit increased 12.5% to Rp185.67 billion.

Toyota July Sales Up 20%, Yamaha Up 22.3%

Toyota Motor Corp's vehicle sales rose 20% in July on the back of a recovery in the automobile sector due to falling interest rates.

The company sold 12,927 units in July, up from 10,781 a year ago but lower than June's 13,300 units as a supply chain problem slowed down production, said Jodjana Jody, head of sales at PT Toyota Astra Motor.

"We have a slight problem in our supply chain, but it will recover soon," Jody told Reuters by telephone on Thursday (2/8/07). He estimated Indonesia's total domestic sales from all makers were about 38,000 units last month compared to 21,891 units in July 2006.

Yamaha Motor Co Ltd meanwhile sold 161,016 motorbikes in the country last month, up 22.3% from a year ago and taking it ahead of long-time market leader Honda Motor Co, industry officials said on Friday (3/8/07).

Honda sold 143,233 motorbikes in July, down 23% from a year ago and losing its top spot for the second time this year as competition between the two intensified.

Yamaha overtook Honda in terms of monthly sales volume in March for the first time after Honda had dominated the country's sector for decades.

Despite the increased competition, senior executives at PT Astra Honda Motor, the distributor of Honda motorbike, had said that the company is optimistic that it can maintain its 50% market share in the country.

In the first half of the year, Honda controlled 43.6% of the total market, down from 52.9% for 2006.

Motorcycle sales dropped by around 13% last year to 4.43 million units from a record high of more than 5 million units made in 2005.

Industry experts and analysts expect motorbike sales to recover this year and to top the 5 million mark again.

BANKS

BNI Stake Sale Raises Rp8t

The sale of a 26% stake in Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) raised Rp8.1 trillion ($881 million), the Office of the State Minister for State Enterprises said on Tuesday (31/7/07).

The share sale via a secondary public share offering was the biggest privatization since the government sold a minority stake in telecommunications giant PT Telkom in 1995.

"The transaction has been successfully accomplished although the market has not been really conducive. It reflects investor confidence in the Indonesian economy, the banking sector and BNI's prospects in the future," the office said in a statement, according to Reuters.

The government sold BNI share at Rp2,050 a piece, a 23% discount to the stock's last traded price on July 30.

BNI ended 7.5% down at Rp2,475 on Tuesday as speculation about the steep price discount was already floating around. The sale cut the state's stake in the bank to 73% from 99%.

The government plans to use around half the funds to help plug the state budget deficit and the rest to strengthen the bank's capital base.

The bank, which has a strong presence in corporate and retail banking, had total assets of about Rp175 trillion in the first quarter.

Foreign Investors Take Bank Mayapada Share

Three foreign investors have acquired 34.55% of Bank Mayapada International at a price of $60 million.

Avenue Luxemburg SARL, Dubai Ventures Ltd and Harmony Indonesia Investment Pte Ltd became shareholders of the bank after a rights issue last month, Bank Mayapada president Hendra Mulyono said, according to an Antara report on Monday (30/7/07).

US-based Avenue Luxemburg acquired 23.03% of the bank, Dubai Venture 7.68%, and Harmony from Singapore 3.84%, Mulyono said after a recent bank shareholders meeting.

The bank reported a 40% increase in net profit to Rp30 billion ($3.33 million) in the first half of the year, compared to the same period last year.

This year, the bank plans to open up to 80 new branches in major cities across the country and has set its net profit target at Rp90 billion. By June, the bank had Rp2.7 trillion in outstanding credits, which it expects to rise to Rp3.5 trillion by the end of the year.

Bank Danamon Sees Jump in Mortgage Lending

Bank Danamon aims to increase its mortgage lending by 50% by the end of the year from current levels driven by an improving economy, senior vice president in charge of retail banking Stefano Ridwan said Thursday (2/8/07).

Danamon expects its outstanding mortgage loans to increase to Rp3 trillion ($322.7 million) by the end of the year from about Rp2 trillion currently, Reuters reported.

The bank expects an agreement signed recently to provide credit facilities to the country's 15 major developers to build houses and apartments would help accelerate its expansion in the mortgage loan sector. The amount of the credit facility has not been set yet.

"We believe the improving macroeconomic situation such as relatively low inflation and stronger purchasing power in the last six months have set a very good outlook for the property market," Ridwan said.

Danamon's total loans grew 20% to Rp46.4 trillion as of the end of June from a year ago, the company has said. But Ridwan said growth in its mortgage loans had been largely flat over the period.

State-owned housing bank, Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN), and other major lenders such as Bank Niaga and Bank Mandiri currently have a strong presence in the country's mortgage loan market.

BRI Gets Moody’s Rating Review

Moody's Investors Service said it has assigned an 'Aaa' long-term national scale rating with a stable outlook to Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), reflecting the standing of the bank's credit quality relative to its domestic peers, Thomson Financial reported on Friday (3/8/07).

The rating is underpinned by the bank's financial fundamentals, arising from its focus on its traditional core micro-lending and small retail businesses, the ratings agency said.

The ratings agency added that the bank’s 'Ba3' foreign currency subordinated debt and 'B2' foreign currency long-term deposit ratings are on review for possible upgrade.

Financially, the bank enjoys the highest net interest margin among its Indonesian peer group, above-industry average asset quality and sufficient capital to absorb the potential risks evident on its balance sheet, Moody's said.

These factors, however, are mitigated by the challenge the bank faces in protecting its market share in the longer term as other banks attempt to penetrate the micro and retail segments, it said.

POWER

PLN Ready to Manage Nuclear Plant

State-owned electricity company PT PLN has reportedly expressed its readiness to become owner of the first nuclear power plant in Indonesia, to be constructed in Muria Peninsula, Central Java, Antara reported on Monday (30/7/07).

President director of PT PLN Eddie Widiono said at the end of last month that his company had the competency to manage the $3 billion power plant. "We hope that such a nuclear power plant will be managed by a highly-competent company and we have the competency," he told Antara.

Should PLN be included in the nuclear power plant project, it would certainly reduce the risk and the production cost would also be lower, he said.

However, Widiono stressed that at present PLN was still emphasizing the importance of the presence and use of the nuclear power plant to the people living in the vicinity of the designated area.

OIL & GAS

Indonesia Considers 50-50 Oil Split

Indonesia may give a 50-50 oil production split to investors drilling in deep sea areas in an effort to boost reserves, a senior mines and energy official said on Monday (30/7/07).

Indonesia has been offering new exploration rights and financial incentives for oilfields in a bid to stem a steady decline in production as the country has failed to tap new oilfields fast enough to meet domestic demand.

Some deep areas have a 35% production split for investors and 65% for the government but investors say this is not conducive.

"There are many deep water areas that have not been explored. We need to give new incentives so investors are encouraged to explore in those areas," Reuters quoted Director General of Oil and Gas, Luluk Sumiarso, as telling reporters.

"We will carefully evaluate giving a better split. We are considering whether the government will still benefit if we give investors a 50-50 split," he added.

Indonesia says it has 8.6 billion barrels of proven and potential oil reserves and about 182 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves.

Govt. Wants Alternative Funds for Tangguh

The government has instructed the Tangguh gas consortium to seek alternative financiers for a $880 million loan for the project as a deal with Chinese bankers appears to have failed, a government official said Tuesday (31/7/07).

Eddy Purwanto, deputy chairman for Finance and Marketing at upstream oil and gas regulator BP Migas, said the consortium is expected to secure the loan in October.

Last year, the project last year got loans totaling $2.6 billion from a consortium of international banks at an interest rate of 0.25 basis point above the London Interbank Offered Rate. "This is quite a low interest, and we expect the remaining $880 million loan will also carry an interest around the same level," Dow Jones quoted Purwanto as telling reporters.

A consortium led by BP Plc is developing the $6.5 billion natural gas liquefaction project in Papua. The plant is due to start operation in 2008.

Govt. Urged To Monitor Oil, Gas Cost Recovery

The government must increase its monitoring of oil and gas production sharing contracts to rationalize expenses that contractors can claim as cost recovery, Platts Commodity News reported.

Inspector General for Energy and Mines Suryantoro said Thursday (2/8/07) that one of the recommendations proposed by a committee on cost recovery set up by the government was to improve efficiency in the implementation of the production sharing contract as well as cost recovery. He did not elaborate how this was to be achieved.

Under Indonesia's production sharing contract system, after the contractor recovers costs, the remaining output -- the profit -- is split between the government and the contractor in a predetermined ratio, typically 85:15 for oil and 70:30 for gas.

As an incentive to upstream investors, the government has allowed recovery of some expenses incurred during the exploration phase, though these can be claimed only after the start of commercial production.

BP Migas to Recommend Chevron's Gas Plan

Upstream regulator BPMigas said Thursday (2/7/07) it will recommend the government approve Chevron's development plan to produce 800 million cu ft/d of gas by 2010-2013 from the company's five deepwater gas fields offshore East Kalimantan, the regulator's chairman, Kardaya Warnika, said.

"We will recommend to the minister to approve the plan, as it...will increase our gas production," Platts Commodity News quoted him as saying.

Separately Suwito Anggoro, the president director of Chevron Pacific Indonesia, confirmed Thursday that the company has submitted a development plan for offshore East Kalimantan, including the Gehem and Gendalo gas fields, to BP Migas. He did not give further details.

The Sadewa field in the East Kalimantan PSC is now estimated to contain gas reserves of around 50 billion cu ft to 60 Bcu, far below the original estimate of 500 Bcf to 600 Bcf, planning deputy chief of BP Migas Achmad Luthfi has said.

Chevron plans to invest at least $6 billion to develop its deepwater areas in Indonesia's Makassar Strait in East Kalimantan until 2012, the company has said.

PGN Starts Using New Sumatra Pipeline

Gas distributor PT PGN has started using its new pipeline linking Sumatra and Java, the company said Monday (30/7/07).

PGN's corporate secretary Widyatmiko Bapang said in a written statement to Thomson Financial that the new pipeline would increase the volume of gas that it takes from the province of South Sumatra for its distribution network in the province of West Java to around 150-177 million standard cubic feet per day in August from 60 million at present.

He said the gas would be distributed to 160 buyers here and in the towns of Bekasi, Karawang and Bogor.

MINING

Inco to Build New Nickel Smelters

PT International Nickel Indonesia (Inco) said it will build two nickel processing plants with an investment of $2.5 billion, Antara reported on Friday (3/7/07).

The factories will be built in Soroako in South Sulawesi and Pomalaa in Southeast Sulawesi, where the subsidiary of Canada's Inco Limited has large nickel mines.

PT Inco President Arief Siregar said construction of the new plants is needed to meet an increase in its nickel production estimated to reach 200 million pounds in 2010 from around 160 million pounds this year.

For that purpose PT Inco has planned to build a new hydroelectric power plant with an investment of $285 million to increase its power supplying capacity to 365 MW to support the operation of its smelters.

The company expects to produce 165 million pounds of nickel in matte this year, a 4.5% increase from last year's 157.9 million pounds.

Antam to Restart FeNi III Smelter in September

PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) said it will restart the furnace at its FeNi III smelter in September after completing repairs following a metal leak in June, Metal Bulletin News reported on Thursday (2/8/07).

No schedule was given for the ramp up to full power load as Antam will increase the load only if the furnace is stable and running well, it said.

The leak that shut down the furnace lasted one and a half hours and damaged two waffled coolers nearby as well as the refractory bricks surrounding the coolers.

Antam was forced to lower its 2007 production target for nickel contained in ferronickel to 16,000 tons from 20,000 tons as a result of the accident.

The company said it may be able to supplement its production volume by 400-2,000 tons depending on the outcome of negotiations for third party toll smelting arrangements.

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[1] This Trade and Investment News is a publication of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. Readers are welcomed to forward it in its original form but no reproduction is allowed without permission