Bitung, N Sulawesi, Oct 16 (ANTARA) - A strong whirlwind ravaged the homes of people in Girian Indah village, Girian sub-district, Bitung, North Sulawesi on Sunday at 12.30 local time.
Girian Indah village head Us Langgori said in the disaster area practically nobody was really hurt by the whirlwind, by scores of local houses were badly damaged.
"According to reliable sources, 15 houses had been badly damaged and seven others seriously," Langgori said.
The disaster had already been reported to the sub-district chief of Matuari and even to the Bitung mayor.
The villagers said a huge ball of wind came from the South to the North and the strong whirlwind passed and ravaged the houses of the villagers, leaving nothing behind.
The strong wind even uprooted many strong standing big trees, making the situation worse.
It was estimated that the strong wind had caused some hundreds of millions of rupiah in losses.
Right now the victims are staying at close relatives while other are repairing their damaged homes.***4***
Sunday, 16 October 2011
PRESIDENT YUDHOYONO BRIEFS DEMOCRATIC PARTY MINISTERS ON RESHUFFLE
Jakarta, Oct 16 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono briefed ministers from the ruling Democratic Party on his idea of a cabinet reshuffle at his private residence at Puri Cikeas, Bogor, West Java, on Sunday.
"In essence, he briefed us on his idea of a cabinet reshuffle. (He spoke of) what he wants to do with the new lineup of the cabinet," Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng told the press at the Presidential Palace here on Sunday evening.
Andi said he, along with other ministers from the Democratic Party was asked to come to Cikeas on Sunday morning.
"We then reported to the President. All the six ministers from the Democratic Party left every thing to the President to decide. We will support whatever the President decided. And we know what the President thinks about to rearrange the cabinet," he said.
Four of the six ministers from the Democratic Party came to Cikeas on Sunday morning. They were Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, State Minister for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Syarifuddin Hassan and State Minister for Administrative Reform E.E. Mangindaan.
Andi said he did not know whether Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Darwin Zahedy Saleh and Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi also came to Cikeas on Sunday morning.
"I don't know. When we talked with the President this morning he did not inform us of what position we will take up. He only briefed the ministers from the Democratic Party on what he thinks about in the context of a cabinet reshuffle," he said.
"In essence, he briefed us on his idea of a cabinet reshuffle. (He spoke of) what he wants to do with the new lineup of the cabinet," Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng told the press at the Presidential Palace here on Sunday evening.
Andi said he, along with other ministers from the Democratic Party was asked to come to Cikeas on Sunday morning.
"We then reported to the President. All the six ministers from the Democratic Party left every thing to the President to decide. We will support whatever the President decided. And we know what the President thinks about to rearrange the cabinet," he said.
Four of the six ministers from the Democratic Party came to Cikeas on Sunday morning. They were Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, State Minister for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Syarifuddin Hassan and State Minister for Administrative Reform E.E. Mangindaan.
Andi said he did not know whether Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Darwin Zahedy Saleh and Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi also came to Cikeas on Sunday morning.
"I don't know. When we talked with the President this morning he did not inform us of what position we will take up. He only briefed the ministers from the Democratic Party on what he thinks about in the context of a cabinet reshuffle," he said.
Saturday, 15 October 2011
INDOFOOD USES RP4.065 TLN OF IPO FUNDS TO SETTLE DEBTS
Jakarta, Oct 15 (ANTARA) - Publicly-listed instant noodle producer PT Indofood CPB Sukses Makmur Tbk (ICBP) said on Saturday it had used 50 percent or Rp4.065 trillion of funds raised through an initial public offering (IPO) to settle its debts.
"The debt settlement accords with the plan to use a great chunk of IPO funds to settle debts," ICBP Director Hendra Wijaya said.
The company raised Rp6.086 trillion in funds from the IPO to settle debts and finance capital expenditure. However, according to the company's initial prospectus, the plan to use the IPO funds to finance capital expenditure expected to reach Rp2.021 trillion had yet to materialize.
"This means that we will use the remaining Rp2.021 trillion from the IPO to finance our capital expenditure," he said.
According to the company's prospectus published in December 2010, 67 percent or Rp4.1 trillion of the IPO funds would be used to settle debts. As such, the company's spending on interest expense would decline by 6-7 percent per year.
The company is expected to spend Rp954 billion on capital expenditure this year, while the amount of short-term debts to a number of banks reaches about Rp1.1 trillion.
ICBP saw its first-semester net profit surge 23.7 percent to Rp990 billion from the same period last year, fueled by rising sales which grew 5.7 percent to Rp9.42 trillion.
The instant noodle and dairy divisions respectively contributed 68 percent and 19 percent of the first-semester sales. ***5***
"The debt settlement accords with the plan to use a great chunk of IPO funds to settle debts," ICBP Director Hendra Wijaya said.
The company raised Rp6.086 trillion in funds from the IPO to settle debts and finance capital expenditure. However, according to the company's initial prospectus, the plan to use the IPO funds to finance capital expenditure expected to reach Rp2.021 trillion had yet to materialize.
"This means that we will use the remaining Rp2.021 trillion from the IPO to finance our capital expenditure," he said.
According to the company's prospectus published in December 2010, 67 percent or Rp4.1 trillion of the IPO funds would be used to settle debts. As such, the company's spending on interest expense would decline by 6-7 percent per year.
The company is expected to spend Rp954 billion on capital expenditure this year, while the amount of short-term debts to a number of banks reaches about Rp1.1 trillion.
ICBP saw its first-semester net profit surge 23.7 percent to Rp990 billion from the same period last year, fueled by rising sales which grew 5.7 percent to Rp9.42 trillion.
The instant noodle and dairy divisions respectively contributed 68 percent and 19 percent of the first-semester sales. ***5***
INVESTMENT IN INDONESIA TO GROW 16.6 PCT NEXT YEAR
Nusa Dua, Bali, Oct 15 (ANTARA) - The Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) has predicted investment in Indonesia will grow by 16.6 percent to Rp280 trillion next year from Rp240 trillion this year.
With the increase in investment, the Indonesian economic growth would remain stable, BKPM Chief Gita Wirjawan said after addressing a seminar on New Asia Rising here on Saturday.
"We are optimistic that the domestic economy will continue to grow well and will not be affected by the global crisis triggered by the sovereign debt crisis in the US and Europe," he said.
Asked about security conditions and natural disasters in Indonesia, he said the matter was one of the factors that investors needed to consider.
"Yet security conditions and natural disasters do not very much influence investors to cancel their investment plans in Indonesia," he said.
Indonesian permanent representative to ASEAN Ngurah Swajaya said on Thursday investment in the Southeast Asian region almost doubled to US$70.8 billion in 2010 from US$37.8 billion the year before.
The investment mostly went to the industrial sector in line with the aim of forming an ASEAN community by 2015 to turn the region into a competitive industrial hub for the world's industrialized countries such as Japan and Germany, he said.
With the increase in investment, the Indonesian economic growth would remain stable, BKPM Chief Gita Wirjawan said after addressing a seminar on New Asia Rising here on Saturday.
"We are optimistic that the domestic economy will continue to grow well and will not be affected by the global crisis triggered by the sovereign debt crisis in the US and Europe," he said.
Asked about security conditions and natural disasters in Indonesia, he said the matter was one of the factors that investors needed to consider.
"Yet security conditions and natural disasters do not very much influence investors to cancel their investment plans in Indonesia," he said.
Indonesian permanent representative to ASEAN Ngurah Swajaya said on Thursday investment in the Southeast Asian region almost doubled to US$70.8 billion in 2010 from US$37.8 billion the year before.
The investment mostly went to the industrial sector in line with the aim of forming an ASEAN community by 2015 to turn the region into a competitive industrial hub for the world's industrialized countries such as Japan and Germany, he said.
PERTAMINA TERMINATES AIRCRAFT FUEL SUPPLY TO MERPATI
Jakarta, Oct 15 (ANTARA) - State-owned oil/gas firm PT Pertamina has terminated its aviation turbine fuel (Avtur) supply to Merpati Airlines at Juanda and Hasanuddin aiports as of 00:00 October 15, 2001, Merpati's president director said.
"Consequently, we have to stop our flight operations from and to Surabaya's Juanda and Ujung Pandang's Hasanuddin's airports until an unspecified time," Merpati President Director Capt Sardjono Jhony told the press here on Saturday.
Marpati has imposed a limited termination of its Avtur supply to Marpati because the state-owned airlines had yet to settled its obligation to pay for the avtur to Pertamina.
"Based on the Pertamina letter, the balance of our unpaid aircraft fuels for the August 27, 2011 - October 13, 2011 period amounts to Rp2.7 billion and US95.6 thousands," the Merpati president director said.
Sardjono admitted that the problem had happened as a result of the fact that Merpati had been in financial troubles in the last several years and at present it was waiting for the disbursement of the government's financial assistance.
He said that actually, we have agreed to settle the debts during a meeting on February 12, 2011 with Pertamina and the Asset Guarantor Company (PPA) which was led by the state-owned enterprises (BUMN) minister.
The results of hour meeting on August 18, 2011 concluded that Marpati's accumulative debts amounting to Rp270 billion plus an avtur obligation would get payment priority when the government's capital participation worth Rp561 billion was disbursed.
"This means that institutionally, Marpati's obligation to Pertimina is guaranteed," he said.
"Consequently, we have to stop our flight operations from and to Surabaya's Juanda and Ujung Pandang's Hasanuddin's airports until an unspecified time," Merpati President Director Capt Sardjono Jhony told the press here on Saturday.
Marpati has imposed a limited termination of its Avtur supply to Marpati because the state-owned airlines had yet to settled its obligation to pay for the avtur to Pertamina.
"Based on the Pertamina letter, the balance of our unpaid aircraft fuels for the August 27, 2011 - October 13, 2011 period amounts to Rp2.7 billion and US95.6 thousands," the Merpati president director said.
Sardjono admitted that the problem had happened as a result of the fact that Merpati had been in financial troubles in the last several years and at present it was waiting for the disbursement of the government's financial assistance.
He said that actually, we have agreed to settle the debts during a meeting on February 12, 2011 with Pertamina and the Asset Guarantor Company (PPA) which was led by the state-owned enterprises (BUMN) minister.
The results of hour meeting on August 18, 2011 concluded that Marpati's accumulative debts amounting to Rp270 billion plus an avtur obligation would get payment priority when the government's capital participation worth Rp561 billion was disbursed.
"This means that institutionally, Marpati's obligation to Pertimina is guaranteed," he said.
KRISNAMURTHI NAMED DEPUTY TRADE MINISTER
Bogor, Oct 15 (ANTARA) - Deputy Agriculture Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi has been named deputy trade minister replacing Mahendra Siregar who has been reassigned as deputy finance minister in the cabinet now being reshuffled.
After meeting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono at the president's Cikeas private residence on Saturday Bayu told reporters that one of the tasks given to him was to reinforce the domestic economy.
The domestic economy will be reinforced through the development of trade and small and medium scale business products. "I hope that my experience in the agriculture sector will help me in my task to develop businesses," he said.
Development of the domestic economy is an important issue amid the uncertain global economic situation so that Indonesia should not depend on the export market only but also on its own domestic market.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, at his private Puri Cikeas residence in Bogor, West Java, on Saturday, continued summoning candidates for deputy ministerial positions in his ongoing effort to reshuffle the cabinet.
The summoning process on Saturday began at 1 pm Indonesian Western Standard Time (WIB) and the first to be summoned was Deputy Agriculture Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi.
Bayu who wore a red batik shirt walked past waiting journalists but he did not give any statement on his invitation to the president's residence.
While Bayu was still inside the president's residence, another candidate appeared, namely Mahmuddin Yasin, secretary to the minister for state enterprises.
During the summoning process on Saturday, Vice President Boediono was also present at the president's residence along with Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Coordinating Minister for Political, Law and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, and presidential staffs who were waiting in tha hall of the Cikeas mansion.
After meeting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono at the president's Cikeas private residence on Saturday Bayu told reporters that one of the tasks given to him was to reinforce the domestic economy.
The domestic economy will be reinforced through the development of trade and small and medium scale business products. "I hope that my experience in the agriculture sector will help me in my task to develop businesses," he said.
Development of the domestic economy is an important issue amid the uncertain global economic situation so that Indonesia should not depend on the export market only but also on its own domestic market.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, at his private Puri Cikeas residence in Bogor, West Java, on Saturday, continued summoning candidates for deputy ministerial positions in his ongoing effort to reshuffle the cabinet.
The summoning process on Saturday began at 1 pm Indonesian Western Standard Time (WIB) and the first to be summoned was Deputy Agriculture Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi.
Bayu who wore a red batik shirt walked past waiting journalists but he did not give any statement on his invitation to the president's residence.
While Bayu was still inside the president's residence, another candidate appeared, namely Mahmuddin Yasin, secretary to the minister for state enterprises.
During the summoning process on Saturday, Vice President Boediono was also present at the president's residence along with Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Coordinating Minister for Political, Law and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, and presidential staffs who were waiting in tha hall of the Cikeas mansion.
Monday, 10 October 2011
ONE DEAD FROM FREEPORT CLASH
Timika, Papua, Oct 10 (ANTARA) - A PT Freeport Indonesia employee was fatally shot in a clash between hundreds of police and thousands of the mining company's workers rallying to demand a pay raise here on Monday.
The fatality was identified as 36-year old underground mining worker Petrus Ayamseba who was among thousands of other PT Freeport workers rallying at Tmikia's Gorong-Gorong terminal.
A number of the demonstrating workers and police officers were injured in the clash between gun-toting police and rock-thowing demosntrators.
The incident happened after thousands of Freeport employees along with their spouses and children had marched from the All Indonesia Labor Union (SPSI) office at Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan Timika Indah to Gorong-gorong Terminal.
The employee group asks the management to temporarily stop its operation until the strike case is solved and demand for employee salary increase met.
Demand for temporary suspension of PT Freeport operations is contained in one of the Papuan People's Representative Council (DPRP) and the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) recommendation letter at a meeting in Jayapura on Friday (Oct 7).
Employees asked the patrolling police officers to allow them to enter once they have arrived at the Gorong Gorong terminal gate, but the request was denied by the police.
In fact, dozens of police officers with shields blocked the employee mass to enter the terminal.
Witnessing such ready to battle preparation by the police, the mass of employees was triggered to start throwing stones at the officers, and a warning shot was fired.
The warning shots in fact aroused the mass to be more violent by throwing stones at police who took cover behind the terminal gate.
Tear gas that was used by the police to control the rioting mass just escalated the situation.
Mimika Police Chief Adjunct Senior Deny Commissioner Edward Siregar along with Papua Police Mobile Brigade Detachment B commander and PT Freeport Security Task Force Commander Yustanto who were to have a dialog with the mass also became the stone throwing target.
Finally, the police issued to fire live ammunition into a crowd to disperse.
Most of the mass ran out of the scene to take cover from live ammunition fired.
Four cars were reportedly burnt by the mass who chopped down some pine trees to block vehicle access road entering Tembagapura from Portsite Amamapare.
At around 12:00 local time, the joint forces of Mimika Police Mobile Brigade and precinct marched to the vehicle burning site.
Rioting mass then planted a tree fitted with a red and white flag in the middle of conflicting area to separate the police from residents, they also put up tarp tents at the location.
Three local Representative Council members Nurman Karupukaro, Yanes Natkime and Jimmy Erelak then came to the scene to calm the angry crowd.
One resident Arnold Asso regreted the police action that fired PT Freeport employees.
"Police presence in the middle of the people is to protect the people, not to shoot them, it's just wrong," said Arnold.
He considered, the current PT Freeport clash was the Mimika government's mistake.
"Police chief and military commander must be deployed today, the local People's Representative Council must summons Mimika district officers Klemen and Trifena Tinal to solve this problem," Arnold said.
The fatality was identified as 36-year old underground mining worker Petrus Ayamseba who was among thousands of other PT Freeport workers rallying at Tmikia's Gorong-Gorong terminal.
A number of the demonstrating workers and police officers were injured in the clash between gun-toting police and rock-thowing demosntrators.
The incident happened after thousands of Freeport employees along with their spouses and children had marched from the All Indonesia Labor Union (SPSI) office at Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan Timika Indah to Gorong-gorong Terminal.
The employee group asks the management to temporarily stop its operation until the strike case is solved and demand for employee salary increase met.
Demand for temporary suspension of PT Freeport operations is contained in one of the Papuan People's Representative Council (DPRP) and the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) recommendation letter at a meeting in Jayapura on Friday (Oct 7).
Employees asked the patrolling police officers to allow them to enter once they have arrived at the Gorong Gorong terminal gate, but the request was denied by the police.
In fact, dozens of police officers with shields blocked the employee mass to enter the terminal.
Witnessing such ready to battle preparation by the police, the mass of employees was triggered to start throwing stones at the officers, and a warning shot was fired.
The warning shots in fact aroused the mass to be more violent by throwing stones at police who took cover behind the terminal gate.
Tear gas that was used by the police to control the rioting mass just escalated the situation.
Mimika Police Chief Adjunct Senior Deny Commissioner Edward Siregar along with Papua Police Mobile Brigade Detachment B commander and PT Freeport Security Task Force Commander Yustanto who were to have a dialog with the mass also became the stone throwing target.
Finally, the police issued to fire live ammunition into a crowd to disperse.
Most of the mass ran out of the scene to take cover from live ammunition fired.
Four cars were reportedly burnt by the mass who chopped down some pine trees to block vehicle access road entering Tembagapura from Portsite Amamapare.
At around 12:00 local time, the joint forces of Mimika Police Mobile Brigade and precinct marched to the vehicle burning site.
Rioting mass then planted a tree fitted with a red and white flag in the middle of conflicting area to separate the police from residents, they also put up tarp tents at the location.
Three local Representative Council members Nurman Karupukaro, Yanes Natkime and Jimmy Erelak then came to the scene to calm the angry crowd.
One resident Arnold Asso regreted the police action that fired PT Freeport employees.
"Police presence in the middle of the people is to protect the people, not to shoot them, it's just wrong," said Arnold.
He considered, the current PT Freeport clash was the Mimika government's mistake.
"Police chief and military commander must be deployed today, the local People's Representative Council must summons Mimika district officers Klemen and Trifena Tinal to solve this problem," Arnold said.
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