NEWS

The Embassy of Republic of Indonesia regularly updates the content of its website with current news that is useful for the readers. The articles are selected from various newspapers and sources of information that are available for the public. Though we select the articles that fit to the needs of our readers, the Embassy of Republic of Indonesia is not responsible for their content and the accuracy of data provided in the article.

The government plans to provide Rp 240 billion ($20.8 million) in assistance this year under an industrial retooling scheme to help some 200 textile and clothing manufacturers replace aging and obsolete machinery, a senior official said on Tuesday (31/03).

Anshari Bukhari, director general of metals, machine, textile and miscellaneous industries at the Ministry of Industry, said that loans would be provided to cover up to 10 percent of the cost of purchasing imported machinery and 15 percent of the cost of locally made machinery. State banks will also provide companies with state-guaranteed, low-interest loans to replace machinery.

Approximately Rp 213 billion of this year’s allocation of Rp 240 billion will be used to cover the first two types of loans, while Rp 27 billion will be used for the state-guaranteed loans, he said. more...

Armed Forces Chief Gen. Djoko Santoso dispatched the first ever Indonesian warship to join the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNFIL, on Friday (20/03).

The newly-acquired Sigma-class corvette KRI Diponegoro set sail from the Navy’s Sea Transportation Command headquarters in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, during a ceremony attended by the military’s top brass and Lebanese Ambassador to Indonesia Victor Zmeter.

“This is the first ever deployment of Indonesian Navy’s fleet to take part in the Unifil mission in Lebanon,” Djoko said, adding that the Garuda 28A-A/Unifil contingent would join European naval forces from Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Germany and Turkey. more...

On the 16 - 18 of April 2010, Indonesia took part in the World Holiday and Travel Fair 2010 held at the Coca Cola Dome in Johannesburg. The World Holiday and Travel Fair 2010 is the only fair of its kind in South Africa to showcase international tourist destinations and travel options. This year over 40 countries and tourism industries from all over the world took part in the World Holiday and Travel Fair. (Photo : The Indonesian Stand at the World Holiday and Travel Fair 2010)

During the course of the three day fair, the Indonesian delegation from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism supported by the Embassy of Indonesia in Pretoria and businessmen from Indonesia's Tourism Industry displayed Indonesia's potential tourist destinations to more than 10. more...

On April 15th 2010, the Embassy of Indonesia in Pretoria with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia held a Table Top Meeting for businessmen from the tourism industries of Indonesia and South Africa at the Southern Sun Convention Center, Johannesburg. The Indonesian tourism industry businessmen came from West Java, Bali and Lombok. South African tour operators and representatives from Airlines were there to take part in this event. (Photo : Left : Mr. I Gde Pitana, Right : H.E. Ambassador Sjahril Sabaruddin)

The meeting was opened by the Ambassador of Indonesia to South Africa, H. more...

Banda Aceh. A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Sumatra island early Wednesday, 7 April 2010, injuring at least four people, one of them critically, in Simeulue district, Aceh province. A tsunami alert was issued in the province and in Thailand, though both were canceled. There are initial reports of widespread panic as locals on Simeulue Island fled to higher ground. Damage has occurred to a number of government buildings. The quake struck at a depth of 46 kilometers off the northwest coast of Sumatra at 5:15 a.m., according to the US Geological Survey.

Indonesian geologists said it had a magnitude of 7. more...

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) forecasts Indonesia's economy to expand 5.6 percent this year and 5.9 percent in 2011, as the country continues to attract global investment interest.

Indonesia remains a key emerging market opportunity, harnessing a maturing democracy, a resilient domestic market and an attractive natural-resource-based story, Ross O'Brien, Economist Corporate Network's director, told a press briefing Wednesday.

"Yet while Indonesia is hitting its stride, there are many aspects to its development that need committed reform and restructuring if the country to meet 'stretch' goals – that is, to exceed the consensus view that Indonesia should be growing at 7 percent or more per year. more...

Bank Indonesia decided on Thursday to maintain its benchmark interest rate at 6.5 percent on expectations of mild inflation through the first half of this year. The central bank also said lenders continue to lower their lending rates to help push credit growth. Annual inflation edged up slightly in February, to 3.81 percent from 3.72 percent in January, mainly because of the effects of stubbornly high rice prices, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported on Monday.

“The decision was made after considering that the BI rate is still consistent with the inflation target in 2010 and 2011 at 4 percent to 6 percent and it is still conducive to strengthening the economic recovery, financial stability and banking intermediation,” the central bank said in a statement on Thursday. more...

The Tanjung Priok port car terminal on Thursday began offering new transshipment services in a bid to challenge rival regional ports. Richard Lino, president director of state-owned port operator PT Pelindo II, said the new service and the port’s strategic location would help it compete against ports in Singapore and Malaysia. “In the past, car exporters in countries like India and Thailand have used the transshipment service in those two countries, but Indonesia now has a similar service,” he said.

Transshipment is the shipment of goods to an intermediate destination for later shipment to another locale. more...

The Trade Ministry has lifted a ban on imports of swine, pork and derivatives that was issued last year because of concerns about the H1N1 virus. “With the new regulation, all regulations and decrees on the temporary ban of the swine products are automatically lifted,” Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said on Sunday. The decision to lift the import ban was made because there have been no cases of the virus spreading from swine or pork to humans, Mari said.

The government will scrap import duties on equipment needed to build power plants to encourage independent companies to build plants in the second phase of its “fast-track” electricity generating program.

A presidential decree to this effect, obtained by the Jakarta Globe on Thursday, was signed last week.

“The construction of power plants will be exempt from import duties and enjoy other facilities that will be regulated by the Finance Ministry,” the decree said.

However, one private sector energy firm interested in participating in the fast-track program said the government would need to offer more incentives to independent producers if it wanted them to build plants in the second phase of the program. more...

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia has the honor to inform with sorrow, the passing away of H.E. Abdurrahman Wahid, former President of the Republic of Indonesia, on Wednesday, 30 December 2009, aged 69, due to complications of kidney and heart problems.

The Embassy doors will be open for the signing of the book of condolences on 4 – 5 January 2010, from 10.00 to 15.00 and on 6 January 2010, from 10.00 to 13.00 at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, 949 Schoeman Street, Arcadia, Pretoria.

Abdurrahman Wahid (also known as Gus Dur) (born September 7, 1940) is an Indonesian Muslim religious and political leader who served as the President of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001. more...

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday ordered flags in the country to be flown at half-mast for the next week to mourn the death of former President Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, who will be accorded a state funeral in his hometown in East Java.

Wahid, who was the country’s fourth president, serving from October 1999 to July 2001, died from health complications at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Central Jakarta at 6:45 p.m., presidential doctor Aris Wibudi said. He was 69.

“I invite Indonesians nationwide to pay him their highest respects,” Yudhoyono said in a nationally televised address. more...