The government has called for the speedy conclusion of parliamentary discussions on the bill on acquisition of land in the public interest to ensure the smooth implementation of its infrastructure development plans.
"Unless the law is passed, we will not be able to speed up infrastructure development," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa said at the parliament building here on Monday.
Therefore, he said, he hoped that an agreement could be reached soon as discussions of the bill so far had already gone on for eight months.
"I wish my friends in the House factions could finish it this year because they have been talking about for the past eight months," he said.
He said the slow progress in the bill’s discussions would cause delay in the implementation of projects included in the master plan for the acceleration of Indonesian economic development and expansion.
"I have not been invited by the DPR (House of Representatives) to discuss the bill. If I have , we will certianly discuss it."
The government had earlier said it was ready to issue a government regulation (PP) if the discussions of the bill in parliament dragged on and could not be finished by the end of 2011. The chief of the National Economic Commission (KEN), Chairul Tanjung, said the President was ready to issue a PP to ensure legal certainty for ongoing or future projects.
"He hopes the discussions of the bill could be completed by the end of the year. But if they are not, he is ready to issue a PP," he said.
Chairul said that the government and the DPR leadership had actually made an agreement to finish the discussion of the bill in October 2011. But if the plan fails the President will issue a PP as a temporary regulation so that "investors will not question ’how we can invest in infrastructure if we do not have land.
If the law on land acquisition is passed it is hoped the need for land for infrastructure development will be easily met. Land acquisition has so far been the main obstacle hindering many infrastructure development projects in the country such as toll roads, airports and seaports.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Just Hangin' by The Pool
Catch me if you can: One participant in the latest craze leisure diving takes a beer down with him
They call it the 'leisure dive' - and it's coming to a pool near you this summer. Following the craze of planking which swept the internet, a website has flourished after compiling hilarious pictures of divers striking a comedy pose in mid-air before they hit the water. With the motto, 'live and let dive', the site recommends just how to get the most out of your split-second posing.
The ideal position is achieved with a diving board, giving swimmers enough height to get their hips parallel to the waterline. If successful then it's a shot worthy of the family album or at the very least, Facebook.
The people behind LeisureDive.com encourage originality but there seems to be a couple of recurring favourite looks. The most common is the hand on the hip, with a quizzical look and grasping a beer, book or bizarrely a croquet mallet.
Leisure diving looks set to take the place of planking - a phenomenon which involves lying face down in a public place, the weirder the better, and posting photos on social networking sites.
The favourite pose is to lie expressionless with a straight body, hands by the side and toes pointing towards the ground. The website founders ask for the best leisure dives to be sent to them - http://www.leisuredive.com/index.php - to be ranked against other competitors in the new craze.
And although it could make you incredibly popular on the internet, it's unlikely to do so with other holidaymakers relaxing at the hotel pool.
The ideal position is achieved with a diving board, giving swimmers enough height to get their hips parallel to the waterline. If successful then it's a shot worthy of the family album or at the very least, Facebook.
The people behind LeisureDive.com encourage originality but there seems to be a couple of recurring favourite looks. The most common is the hand on the hip, with a quizzical look and grasping a beer, book or bizarrely a croquet mallet.
Leisure diving looks set to take the place of planking - a phenomenon which involves lying face down in a public place, the weirder the better, and posting photos on social networking sites.
The favourite pose is to lie expressionless with a straight body, hands by the side and toes pointing towards the ground. The website founders ask for the best leisure dives to be sent to them - http://www.leisuredive.com/index.php - to be ranked against other competitors in the new craze.
And although it could make you incredibly popular on the internet, it's unlikely to do so with other holidaymakers relaxing at the hotel pool.
In Face of Fasting Month
In the face of the fasting month of Ramadhan in the next two weeks, the government is preparing steps to ensure that Muslims in the country will be able to carry out their rituals solemnly without facing shortages of basic needs and security disturbances.
In order to meet the need of people for basic necessities and other things during and in the post-fasting month festivities, the government is taking steps to ensure the availability of food, the smooth distribution of staples, stabilize commodity prices and ensure enough energy supplies. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday ordered his ministers to ensure the stability of basic commodity prices, and food availability across the country in the run up to and during the fasting month.
According to Chief Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa, the government has prepared four steps in the economic field to anticipate the worst possibilities during the fasting month and during the post-fasting Idul Fitri festivities. In a coordination meeting last week, the relevant ministers formulated the government steps to be carried out in the fasting month that would likely start on the first day next August.
"The first thing is that food must be available in all places," Hatta said.
Food was an essential element during Ramadhan and Lebaran and all people in the predominantly Muslim country must have access to food under whatever conditions, he said. In this case, National Logistics Agency (Bulog) has assured that it has a stock of 1.6 million tons of rice which are enough until the end of the year.
"Stocks are enough for six months ahead. Our supplies are estimated at 1.6 million tons. God Willing, we will have no problems in the post-fasting month festivities," Head of Bulog Sutarto Alimoesa added.
"We can even guarantee that rice stocks are enough until the end of 2011," he added.
The second thing was that the government would ensure smooth distribution of staple foods and other basic necessaries to all regions in the country. Therefore, transportation facilities and infrastructures must be in good condition, Hatta said.
"It must run smoothly. We have decided to anticipate it," he said.
The third strategy is that the government would try its best to stabilize the prices of commodities. After all, the government would tolerate any price hike if it did not go beyond the limits of propriety. Though now prices have begun to spiral up, yet the government sees that it is still within the reasonable level. Director General for Internal Trade of the Ministry of Trade Gunaryo said prices of commodities at present were still within the stable level so that market operations were not yet needed.
"Prices at present are relatively lower than those in the past year," he said. The director general said that market operations would be launched if prices were too high while stocks in the market were running short. "Market operations will be launched if price increases exceeded 15 percent. This is because we have to protect small traders," he added.
Basically, according to Hatta Rajasa, market operations will be carried out if prices are on the rise. "In case of a price surge we will intervene in the market by launching large-scale operations," he said.
For market operations, Bulog is preparing 800,000 tons of rice to be released into the market. Of the amount, 500,000 would be for market operation and 300,000 tons of commercial rice.
Actually, Bulog has now begun conducting market operations at a number of locations to stabilize the fluctuation rice prices. With the government step, the people should not be worried about shortage of stocks in the face of the fasting month and the festivities thereafter.
The fourth strategy was ensuring energy supplies, particularly electrical power and fuel oils. Therefore, there must be a good distribution system to ensure that energy supplies would reach all parts of Indonesia, the minister said.
But food is the most essential element during the fasting month. Therefore, Director General for Internal Trade Gunaryo inspected on Monday the bubulak abattoir in Bogor as part of the government efforts to assure the availability of food stocks, including meat. .
He said that food stocks, including meat, are enough in the face of the fasting month next August. He guaranteed the availability meat until the post-fasting Idul Fitri festivities. "We have secure stocks of food stuff such as rice, meat, chicken and others. They are enough until Lebaran (Idul Fitri)," he said.
In the meantime to ensure security during the fasting month in the capital city of Jakarta, the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Command is planning to field around 20,000 personnel.
"We have 29,000 personnel and we will field up to 20,000 or two thirds of them for Ramadhan," Jakarta Metropolitan Police Command spokesman Senior Commissioner Baharudin Djafar said.
The police personnel would be assigned until seven days after the Idul Fitri post-fasting holiday. Their operations would include monitoring possible sweeps by community elements on entertainment centers.
In order to meet the need of people for basic necessities and other things during and in the post-fasting month festivities, the government is taking steps to ensure the availability of food, the smooth distribution of staples, stabilize commodity prices and ensure enough energy supplies. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday ordered his ministers to ensure the stability of basic commodity prices, and food availability across the country in the run up to and during the fasting month.
According to Chief Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa, the government has prepared four steps in the economic field to anticipate the worst possibilities during the fasting month and during the post-fasting Idul Fitri festivities. In a coordination meeting last week, the relevant ministers formulated the government steps to be carried out in the fasting month that would likely start on the first day next August.
"The first thing is that food must be available in all places," Hatta said.
Food was an essential element during Ramadhan and Lebaran and all people in the predominantly Muslim country must have access to food under whatever conditions, he said. In this case, National Logistics Agency (Bulog) has assured that it has a stock of 1.6 million tons of rice which are enough until the end of the year.
"Stocks are enough for six months ahead. Our supplies are estimated at 1.6 million tons. God Willing, we will have no problems in the post-fasting month festivities," Head of Bulog Sutarto Alimoesa added.
"We can even guarantee that rice stocks are enough until the end of 2011," he added.
The second thing was that the government would ensure smooth distribution of staple foods and other basic necessaries to all regions in the country. Therefore, transportation facilities and infrastructures must be in good condition, Hatta said.
"It must run smoothly. We have decided to anticipate it," he said.
The third strategy is that the government would try its best to stabilize the prices of commodities. After all, the government would tolerate any price hike if it did not go beyond the limits of propriety. Though now prices have begun to spiral up, yet the government sees that it is still within the reasonable level. Director General for Internal Trade of the Ministry of Trade Gunaryo said prices of commodities at present were still within the stable level so that market operations were not yet needed.
"Prices at present are relatively lower than those in the past year," he said. The director general said that market operations would be launched if prices were too high while stocks in the market were running short. "Market operations will be launched if price increases exceeded 15 percent. This is because we have to protect small traders," he added.
Basically, according to Hatta Rajasa, market operations will be carried out if prices are on the rise. "In case of a price surge we will intervene in the market by launching large-scale operations," he said.
For market operations, Bulog is preparing 800,000 tons of rice to be released into the market. Of the amount, 500,000 would be for market operation and 300,000 tons of commercial rice.
Actually, Bulog has now begun conducting market operations at a number of locations to stabilize the fluctuation rice prices. With the government step, the people should not be worried about shortage of stocks in the face of the fasting month and the festivities thereafter.
The fourth strategy was ensuring energy supplies, particularly electrical power and fuel oils. Therefore, there must be a good distribution system to ensure that energy supplies would reach all parts of Indonesia, the minister said.
But food is the most essential element during the fasting month. Therefore, Director General for Internal Trade Gunaryo inspected on Monday the bubulak abattoir in Bogor as part of the government efforts to assure the availability of food stocks, including meat. .
He said that food stocks, including meat, are enough in the face of the fasting month next August. He guaranteed the availability meat until the post-fasting Idul Fitri festivities. "We have secure stocks of food stuff such as rice, meat, chicken and others. They are enough until Lebaran (Idul Fitri)," he said.
In the meantime to ensure security during the fasting month in the capital city of Jakarta, the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Command is planning to field around 20,000 personnel.
"We have 29,000 personnel and we will field up to 20,000 or two thirds of them for Ramadhan," Jakarta Metropolitan Police Command spokesman Senior Commissioner Baharudin Djafar said.
The police personnel would be assigned until seven days after the Idul Fitri post-fasting holiday. Their operations would include monitoring possible sweeps by community elements on entertainment centers.
US Stars Accept YouTube Marine Ball Invites
Hollywood stars Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis have accepted YouTube invitations from two US marines, one serving in Afghanistan, to accompany them to military balls.
And singer-turned-actor Timberlake and “Black Swan” star Kunis are having fun with the invitations by a male and female Marine, which went viral on the video-sharing site last week.
“Marines have a lot of balls,” Kunis told the Today show on MSNBC on Monday, confirming that both of them had accepted their invitations to separate balls in November.
“We want to pay honor to our country and embrace their balls,” added Timberlake, who starred in last year’s Oscar-winning Facebook movie “The Social Network.” The story started when a Marine Sgt. Scott Moore, stationed in Musa Qala, southern Afghanistan, posted a video on YouTube inviting Kunis to the Marine Corps Ball on November 18 in Greenville, North Carolina.
Kunis, who co-starred with Natalie Portman in last year’s sexually-charged hit movie “Black Swan,” was asked about the invite during a press interview and spontaneously said she would go. That prompted female marine Corporal Kelsey De Santis to issue an invitation to Timberlake — co-starring with Kunis in a new movie “Friends With Benefits” — to a Marine Corps Ball on November 12 in Washington DC.
“So Justin you wanna call out my girl Mila, well I’m gonna call you out and ask you to go to the Marine Corps Ball with me,” said De Santis, who is stationed in Virginia and is a martial arts expert. Timberlake confirmed he will attend, quipping: “I don’t get asked out, ever. So, I was very flattered by that. And I hear that she’s trained in martial arts, so I’m hoping we can tussle at some point.
“That last bit was a joke,” he added.
And it doesn’t stop there: on Friday veteran US comedy actress Betty White, 90, was invited to a marine ball by Sgt. Ray Lewis, who has served in Afghanistan and Iraq. “She’s funny, she’s sweet, she’s mature, she’s the all around perfect woman,” Lewis says in the YouTube video invitation.
But the 89-year-old declined, diplomatically. “I am deeply flattered and truly appreciate the invitation, as everyone knows I love a man in uniform,” she said, in a statement forwarded by her publicist.
“But unfortunately I cannot accept, as I will be taping an episode of ’Hot In Cleveland,’” she said, referring to her hit show about three ageing showbiz veterans who find renewed fame when they unexpectedly land in Cleveland, Ohio.
And singer-turned-actor Timberlake and “Black Swan” star Kunis are having fun with the invitations by a male and female Marine, which went viral on the video-sharing site last week.
“Marines have a lot of balls,” Kunis told the Today show on MSNBC on Monday, confirming that both of them had accepted their invitations to separate balls in November.
“We want to pay honor to our country and embrace their balls,” added Timberlake, who starred in last year’s Oscar-winning Facebook movie “The Social Network.” The story started when a Marine Sgt. Scott Moore, stationed in Musa Qala, southern Afghanistan, posted a video on YouTube inviting Kunis to the Marine Corps Ball on November 18 in Greenville, North Carolina.
Kunis, who co-starred with Natalie Portman in last year’s sexually-charged hit movie “Black Swan,” was asked about the invite during a press interview and spontaneously said she would go. That prompted female marine Corporal Kelsey De Santis to issue an invitation to Timberlake — co-starring with Kunis in a new movie “Friends With Benefits” — to a Marine Corps Ball on November 12 in Washington DC.
“So Justin you wanna call out my girl Mila, well I’m gonna call you out and ask you to go to the Marine Corps Ball with me,” said De Santis, who is stationed in Virginia and is a martial arts expert. Timberlake confirmed he will attend, quipping: “I don’t get asked out, ever. So, I was very flattered by that. And I hear that she’s trained in martial arts, so I’m hoping we can tussle at some point.
“That last bit was a joke,” he added.
And it doesn’t stop there: on Friday veteran US comedy actress Betty White, 90, was invited to a marine ball by Sgt. Ray Lewis, who has served in Afghanistan and Iraq. “She’s funny, she’s sweet, she’s mature, she’s the all around perfect woman,” Lewis says in the YouTube video invitation.
But the 89-year-old declined, diplomatically. “I am deeply flattered and truly appreciate the invitation, as everyone knows I love a man in uniform,” she said, in a statement forwarded by her publicist.
“But unfortunately I cannot accept, as I will be taping an episode of ’Hot In Cleveland,’” she said, referring to her hit show about three ageing showbiz veterans who find renewed fame when they unexpectedly land in Cleveland, Ohio.
Indonesia's Export to Egypt Up 63.8 Pct
The Egyptian revolution that ousted former president Hosni Mubarak last February did not hamper Indonesia’s non-oil/non-gas exports (to that country) and even rose by 63.8 percent, an Indonesian embassy official here said.
"In the January-March 2011 period, our exports to Egypt even increased by 63.8 percent compared with that in the same period a year earlier," Walther S. Kariodimedjo, acting trade attache at the Indonesian Embassy said on Monday. Walther referred to the Indonesian Trade Ministry’s data which were compiled by the embassy’s trade section.
Based on the embassy’s trade section data, Indonesia’s exports to Egypt in the January - March 2011 period were recorded at 261.8 million US dollars, higher that that in the same period in the previous year which were 159.8 million, or an increase of 63.8 percent.
In the meantime, Indonesia’s imports from that country in the January - March 2011 period declined 26.3 percent to 44.9 million US dollars from 61 million dollars in the same period in 2010.
Indonesia’s imports from Egypt were dominated by among others phosphate, aluminum, cotton, fruit, carpet and textile. The two-way trade values of the two countries in the January - March 2011 period were 307.7 million US dollars, or an increase of 38.8 percent from that in the same period last year which were 220.8 million US dollars.
Walther S. Kariodimedjo said that Indonesia’s main commodity in its exports of about 700 goods to Egypt was crude palm oil (CPO).
According to the Egyptian Central Bureau of Statistics (CAPMAS), Egypt’s CPO imports in the January - March period increased to 86.7 million US dollars compared that in the corresponding period i 2010 which were recorded at 70.5 million US dollars.
Walther said that Indonesia’s exports to Egypt since 2008 continued to increase from year to year and were in favor of Indonesia. In 2010, the two countries’ two way trade values totaled 1.07 billion US dollars, up 18.4 percent from 802.5 million US dollars in 2009.
CAMPMAS recorded that Indonesia had 50 main commodities exported to Egypt, which included CPO, rubber, car tires, papers, motor vehicle spareparts, computers, electric utensils, food stuff and drinks.
BI Aims to Boost Domestic Islamic Finance Industry
Bank Indonesia is aiming to raise the Islamic finance industry's share of the country's total financial market to 10-15% from around 3% at present, a deputy governor said Monday.
To that end, Bank Indonesia Deputy Gov. Halim Alamsyah said in a seminar that the central bank will continue to educate the public about Islamic finance.Alamsyah also said Indonesia's domestic Islamic finance industry was $10 billion to $12 billion in size as of June 30.
The Islamic finance industry is still in its infancy in Indonesia compared with neighbour Malaysia, despite the former having the world's largest Muslim population.
But now the government is keen to develop the local market to diversify sources of funding to help finance its budget deficit.
Indonesia, US Intend to Convene Entrepreneurs, Innovators
Indonesian Ambassador to the US Dino Patti Djalal
Indonesia and the United States are looking forward to an opportunity to bring together innovators and entrepreneurs from the two countries to exchange ideas, an Indonesian official said. "Both Indonesia and the US have a lot of talented people in the science and business sectors. Bringing them together will hopefully unleash great potentials for our future relations," Indonesian Ambassador to the US Dino Patti Djalal said here on Friday at a dialog titled "The Ups and Downs in Indonesia-US Relations".
Speaking through a teleconference from Washington, the ambassador said there was a need to change the mindset in terms of promoting more contacts between both countries and promoting more people-to-people relations was one of the keys.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel who also attended the discussion at the US Cultural Center in Jakarta expressed agreement to the idea to connect Indonesian innovators and entrepreneurs with their American counterparts.
"Relations between Indonesia and the US had turned into a new direction, especially since the signing of the Indonesia-US Comprehensive Partnership Agreement in 2010. I believe when we get our innovators and entrepreneurs together, there will be a lot of excitement on both sides," Dino said.
Speaking through a teleconference from Washington, the ambassador said there was a need to change the mindset in terms of promoting more contacts between both countries and promoting more people-to-people relations was one of the keys.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel who also attended the discussion at the US Cultural Center in Jakarta expressed agreement to the idea to connect Indonesian innovators and entrepreneurs with their American counterparts.
"Relations between Indonesia and the US had turned into a new direction, especially since the signing of the Indonesia-US Comprehensive Partnership Agreement in 2010. I believe when we get our innovators and entrepreneurs together, there will be a lot of excitement on both sides," Dino said.