EFFORTS TO REPATRIATE INDONESIANS FROM YEMEN STEPPED UP By Fardah

Jakarta, March 31, 2015 (Antara) -- The Indonesian government is intensifying efforts to repatriate its citizens from conflict-ridden Yemen, following the military airstrikes launched by a coalition led by Saudi Arabia against Houthi rebels.

         Violence in Yemen escalated after the Yemeni president and prime minister resigned on January 22 and rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi gained power in the country.      
   Indonesia has expressed concern over the prolonged conflict in Yemen, and urged every party to refrain from committing violent acts and to be mindful of the safety of civilians in Yemen, both locals and foreigners.

         Some 4,159 Indonesian citizens currently live in Yemen, of which 2,626 are students, 1,488 are professional workers in oil and gas companies, and 45 are embassy staff and their families.

INDONESIA STARTS RECEIVING FOREIGN LEADERS' CONFIRMATION OF PARTICIPATION IN AAC by Fardah

   Jakarta, March 31, 2015 (Antara) - In less than three weeks, Indonesia will host the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Asia-Africa Conference (AAC) and so far at least 25 heads of state and government have  confirmed their attendance, claimed Presidential Chief of Staff Luhut Panjaitan.

        The Government of Indonesia will organize the Asia-Africa Summit 2015 to mark the 60th commemoration of the AAC and the 10th anniversary of the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership in Jakarta and Bandung, West Java, on April 22-24.  
    The AAC was first organized in Bandung in April 1955, at the initiative of Indonesia, Myanmar (Burma), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India, and Pakistan.

        It was viewed as a symbol of freedom from colonialism, besides being a symbol of the resurgence of Asian and African nations. Some 29 countries representing more than half of the world's population had sent their delegates to the conference.

WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT NOW UNDER STATE CONTROL by Fardah

     Jakarta, March 30, 2015 (Antara) -- Two important court rulings were issued in Indonesia earlier this year that established water accessibility as a basic right of the public, rather than giving water the status of a business commodity. 
    In mid February, the Indonesian Constitutional Court (MK) revoked the 2004 Water Resources Law, which paved the way for the state to take over full control of water resources from the private sector and for concessions on water resources for companies that sell water-based products.

         The court has considered law number 7/2004 not in line with the constitution (UUD 1945), taking into account the rights of the state to control the use of water. Therefore, law number 11/1974 on agrarian affairs will be made valid again.

         The MK revoked law number 7/2004 on water resources because it does not meet the six basic principles of water management restrictions.

INDONESIA, JAPAN STRENGTHEN ECONOMIC AND MARITIME COOPERATION by Fardah

   Jakarta, March 26, 2015 (Antara)- Before leaving for Tokyo on March 22, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) expressed hope that more concrete bilateral cooperation can be established between Indonesia and Japan.

         The state visit was the follow up to the talks held in November last year with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Jokowi remarked at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, prior to his departure to Japan for a visit until March 25, 2015.

        Jokowi stated that the state visits are related to Indonesia's development agenda to accelerate the construction of infrastructure and to boost the manufacturing industry and attract investment.

        He noted that several Japanese manufacturing companies are operating in Indonesia and hopefully, the number will increase in the future.

INDONESIA SETS AMBITIOUS TAX REVENUE TARGET FOR 2015 By Fardah

 Jakarta, March 25, 2015 (Antara) -- The Indonesian government has set an ambitious tax revenue target of Rp1,489.3 trillion in total, including Rp1,244.7 trillion only from non-oil/gas taxes, for 2015, hoping for support from a better taxation system.

        President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo received the parliament's approval mid-February for a 2015 budget that includes considerable increases in infrastructure expenditure and tax collection. It calls for a 14 percent increase in total revenue and a 30 percent rise in tax collection.

        The government will have to rely heavily on higher non-oil/gas revenue, including from value-added tax (VAT) and corporate income tax, to finance infrastructure projects.

INDONESIAN GOVT ENCOURAGES YOUNG PEOPLE TO JOIN ENTREPRENEURSHIP by Fardah

    Jakarta, March 18, 2015 (Antara) - The Indonesian government is concerned that the number of entrepreneurs in Indonesia is only 1.65 percent of the country's population, compared to that in Singapore which is seven percent, and Malaysia as well as Thailand five percent respectively.

    Supported by state-owned Bank Mandiri, the government has launched a National Entrepreneurship Movement (GKN), expected to be a strategic move to boost entrepreneurship in the country, since 2011.

    "The movement is expected to increase the number of entrepreneurs to at least two percent," Cooperatives and SMEs Minister A.A.G.N. Puspayoga stated recently.

NEWS FOCUS - INDONESIA GEARS UP FOR BALI AND BEYOND TRAVEL FAIR 2015 by Fardah

         Jakarta, March 18, 2015 (Antara) - Indonesia is set to hold the Bali & Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF) in Nusa Dua, Bali, from June 10 to 14 this year to introduce the country's tourism to the world.

        The BBTF 2015, which is being organized for the second time this year, will promote not only the famous tourist resorts in Bali, but also those in other Indonesian regions such as Papua, Yogyakarta, Padang, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Sulawesi and Sumatera.

      The world's best island of Bali was selected to host the BBTF because the island is known as the gateway of Indonesia that attracts foreign tourists to visit other regions of the country.  

INDONESIAN FURNITURE EXPORTERS SHOULD BOOST EXPORTS AS RUPIAH TUMBLES by Fardah

     Jakarta, March 15, 2015 (Antara) -  The rupiah touched a low of Rp13,150 against the U.S. dollar on Saturday noon (March 14, 2015), its lowest level in the last several years, but the Indonesian government has viewed the weakening of the country's currency as a good momentum to boost furniture exports.

         When opening the International Furniture and Craft Fair Indonesia (IFFINA) 2015 at the Eco Green East Park in Senayan, on March 14, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said the rupiah weakening  was positive as it would automatically benefit Indonesia's furniture exports.

         "(The value of) exports will automatically surge, but it will take time and adjustment," President Jokowi, who is also the Chairman of the Indonesian Furniture Association's Advisory Council, stated.

PHINISI PAVILION EARNS AWARD FOR INDONESIA IN ITB BERLIN By Fardah

    Jakarta, March 12, 2015 (Antara) -  Phinisi ship again brings lucks to Indonesia as its pavilion featuring the Indonesian legendary seafaring icon has won the Best Exhibitor Award for the Asian, Australian and Oceania region in the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) Berlin held in Messe Berlin, Germany, on March 4-8, 2015.
    The phinisi tall ship is a sea transportation means since time immemorial for Indonesian sailors who live in the archipelagic country, particularly South Sulawesi, which is dominated by water areas.    
    As one of Indonesia's cultural heritages, Phinisi boat has been included in the Borobudur Buddhist Temple's reliefs since the 9th century.

RI GOVERNMENT CONDUCTING SEARCH, INVESTIGATION FOR MISSING CITIZENS IN TURKEY by Fardah

Jakarta, March 11, 2015 (Antara) - Of the twenty-five Indonesians that arrived at the Ataturk International Airport by a Turkish Airline flight TK-67 on February 24, 2015, on a tour organized by Smailing Tour travel agency, 16 have gone missing.

       No suspicions arose when 16 of them informed their tour leader that they wanted to visit other locations and promised to join the group again in Pamukkale, on February 26, 2015.

       Since then, they have disappeared and could not be contacted. Finally, the group leader decided to report the incident to the Indonesian embassy, which later informed the Turkish security authorities about the disappearance of the Indonesian citizens.            
  Until now, the 16 people comprising eight adults, a teenager, five children, and two infants hailing from Surabaya (East Java) and Surakarta (Central Java), have not turned up, and their whereabouts still remain a mystery.

ASIA-AFRICA CONFERENCE TO REAFFIRM SUPPORT FOR PALESTINE'S INDEPENDENCE by Fardah

  Jakarta, March 10, 2015 (Antara) -  The Asia-Africa Conference (ACC) was first organized in Bandung, West Java, on April 18-24, 1955, at the initiative of Indonesia, Myanmar (Burma), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India, and Pakistan.

        It was seen as a symbol of freeing countries from colonialism, besides being a symbol of resurgence of Asian and African nations.  
   Some 29 countries representing more than half of the world's population had sent their delegates to the conference.

        The conference resulted in the "Dasasila" Bandung, or the 10-points Bandung Declaration, on the Promotion of World Peace and Cooperation.

INDONESIA AIMS TO PRODUCE COMPETENT HUMAN RESOURCES IN MARITIME FIELD by Fardah

 Jakarta, March 7, 2015 (Antara) - It is the ambition of the Joko Widodo administration to develop the nation into a maritime axis and revive the country's past maritime glory.

        One of the keys to realize this ambition is by building competent and professional human resources in the maritime field.    
  Education and Culture Minister Anies Baswedan and Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Indroyono Susilo have agreed to improve some 900 maritime and fisheries vocational schools to prepare Indonesia's human resources for maritime development.

        The quality of vocational schools will be improved to meet the standard of certification set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Chief Minister noted in a statement recently.

        The two ministers have also agreed to name 10 to 20 maritime vocational schools in regions including West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, East Kalimantan, Maluku, Tual, and North Sulawesi as role models.

BOROBUDUR TEMPLE BEING PROMOTED HEAVILY TO LURE MORE FOREIGN TOURISTS By Fardah

    Jakarta, March 7, 2015 (Antara) - The image of the huge mountain temple of Borobudur has been popular worldwide particularly after UNESCO included the world's largest Buddhist temple in its World Heritage list in 1991.

         The temple was built during the reign of a king belonging to the Saliendra dynasty between AD 750 and 842 and is located about 42 kilometers from the city of Yogyakarta, at the center of the Java Island.

         UNESCO and the Indonesian government had undertaken a complete renovation of the monument as part of a massive project from 1975 to 1983.

         Borobudur is surrounded by beautiful rice fields, and four active volcanoes: Merapi, Sindoro, Merbabu and Sumbing, from which the building stones of the temple were produced.

INDONESIA RENEWS COMMITMENT TO CLOSER TIES WITH PACIFIC COUNTRIES by Fardah

    Jakarta, March 6, 2015 (Antara) - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi has made her first official trip to Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Solomon Islands, and Fiji, seeking to renew Indonesia's commitment to closer relations and cooperation with them.

       The minister commenced her visit to PNG on Feb. 26 and proceeded to the Solomon Islands on Feb. 29, continuing forward to Fiji on March 1.

       Economic cooperation is the main focus of talks with these Pacific nations' officials. "Although the value of economic ties with these countries is relatively low, the trend has been improving over the past few years," the ministry's spokesman, Arrmanatha Nasir, said recently, prior to the minister's visit.

        The minister focused in particular on developing greater cooperation between the private sector companies of Indonesia and these Pacific countries to explore wide-open opportunities for trade and investment.

        The visit is also expected to improve connectivity between the Pacific nations and Indonesia, which acts as a gateway to the ASEAN countries for them.

SEARCH FOR AIRASIA'S VICTIMS OFFICIALLY CEASED By Fardah

Jakarta, March 4, 2015 (Antara) -- The large-scale search and rescue operation to find the bodies of the remaining 59 victims of the AirAsia Q8501 crash was officially ceased on March 3.

         Massive search efforts that were carried out for more than two months successfully recovered 103 bodies of the total 162 victims.

         "The victims' relatives and I agreed to officially end the search and rescue operation at 1:45 p.m. local time today," Chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Vice Marshal F.H.B. Soelistyo said in Surabaya, East Java, on March 3, 2015.

         He made the announcement after conducting a closed-door meeting with relatives of the ill-fated Malaysian plane's victims.

         However, they also agreed that Basarnas will conduct additional operations for seven days, starting March 9.