PRESIDENT JOKOWI INVITES SINGAPOREAN BUSINESSMEN TO INVEST MORE IN INDONESIA by Fardah

    Jakarta, July 30, 2015 (Antara)- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) made his first state visit to Singapore on July 28-29, 2015 although he had visited the neighboring country on several occasions since he was installed as Indonesia's seventh president in October 2014.      
    The president's state visit to Singapore was aimed at advancing economic cooperation between the two countries.

         So far, Singapore has been one of Indonesia's chief partners in the fields of trade, investment and tourism.

         Besides hoping to strengthen the existing sound bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries, Jokowi also tried to convince Singaporean businessmen to invest more in Indonesia.

TOURISM SET AS PRIORITY FOR SOUTH SUMATRA'S DEVELOPMENT by Fardah

  Palembang, S Sumatra, July 30, 2015 (Antara)- South Sumatra Province has several tourism attractions that have the potential to further develop its economy.

        Some three million tourists visited South Sumatra last year, and the province has set a target to attract five million tourists this year.
   The province is intensifying efforts to develop its tourism industry in a bid to boost its economy and improve the public's welfare.

        Tourism just needs better management and will not deplete like natural resources, Irene Camelyn Sinaga, the acting head of the South Sumatra provincial cultural and tourism office, stated in Palembang, on July 29, 2015.

         The South Sumatra administration is optimistic that the province's beautiful natural panorama, abundant cultural attractions and historical remains can lure many domestic as well as foreign tourists.

OVER 700 TICKETS TO PARTICIPATE IN SIMULTANEOUS REGIONAL HEAD ELECTIONS by Fardah

   Jakarta, July 30, 2015 (Antara)-   The Indonesian government is scheduled to hold simultaneous regional head elections (Pilkada) on December 9, 2015, to elect governors in nine provinces, district heads in 224 districts, and mayors in 36 cities.

        Indonesia has 34 provinces, 420 districts, and 94 cities. A province is headed by a governor, a district by a district head, and a city by a mayor, according to data published in early 2014.

        The first round of the registration period for regional head candidates took place in 269 regions across Indonesia on July 26-28, 2015, and has run smoothly and peacefully, in general.

       The General Election Commission (KPU), as the executor of the elections, received 705 pairs of candidates contesting for the regional head elections during the three-day registration period.

          Of the total, 576 tickets are supported by political parties, and 129 tickets are independent candidates. Of the total candidates, 650 are men and 55 women.

RIAU CALLS FOR PRIVATE COMPANIES TO HELP FIGHT WILDFIRES by Fardah

   Pekanbaru, Riau, July 29, 2015 (Antara) --   It certainly is no easy task to break the vicious cycle of annual forest, peat land and plantation fires, which have affected Riau Province over the past 17 years.

        Despite the Joko Widodo administration's vow to end the misery of the people of Riau, who choke due to the smoke from haze caused by the wildfires, some 1,246 hectares of land, mostly peat land areas, was razed by fires over the last month.

        Earlier this week, the acting governor of Riau, Arsyadjuliandi Rachman, reported the wildfires and the haze shrouding the province's cities and villages to Forestry and Environmental Affairs Minister Siti Nurbaya in Jakarta.
   The acting governor has urged private firms, particularly those engaged in rubber and palm oil plantations, to help douse the forest, peat land and plantation fires affecting the province at present.

PM CAMERON IN INDONESIA TO OPEN DOORS FOR FUTURE TRADE by Fardah

 Jakarta, July 28, 2015 (Antara) - British Prime Minister David Cameron accompanied by a trade delegation comprising 31 business leaders has chosen Indonesia as the first stop of a 4-day trade mission that will include visits to Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam.

       The trip aims to open doors to future trade, as deals worth over £750 million will be inked, and 270 new jobs will be created across the United Kingdom this week.

        "As part of the government's efforts to increase the United Kingdom's yearly exports to £1 trillion and to get 100 thousand more UK companies exporting by 2020, the prime minister is taking the first trade mission of the new Parliament to a region forecast to grow at 5 percent this year and with the potential to unlock huge opportunities for jobs and growth in the United Kingdom," according to the British prime minister's office in a press release published on www.gov.uk on July 27, 2015.

INDONESIA CONSIDERS CHINA VERY STRATEGIC PARTNER by Fardah

Jakarta, July 27, 2015 (Antara)- Indonesia-China ties have been developing rapidly since the two countries initiated a strategic partnership in 2005.          The official visit of China's top political adviser Yu Zhengsheng to Indonesia from July 25 to 28, 2015, has confirmed the importance of the bilateral relations between Indonesia and China.          Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Yu Zhengsheng held meetings among others with Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Setya Novanto, President Joko Widodo and Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Zulkifli Hasan during the three-day visit.      House Speaker Setya Novanto when receiving Yu Zhengsheng at the Parliament Building on July 27, stated that Indonesia considers China as a significant strategic partner, with bilateral ties established 65 years ago.

IDUL FITRI EXODUS IN 2015 SEES DROP IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS By Fardah

     Jakarta, July 25, 2015 (Antara) -- Latest data from the National Police Headquarters revealed that the number of traffic accidents that occurred across Indonesia during this year's Eid al-Fitr, locally known as Idul Fitri, exodus dropped marginally. 
    As many as 2,985 cases of traffic accidents took place, claiming 628 lives, seriously injuring 1,028 people and slightly injuring 3,808 others, according to the police's data.

         However, the number of traffic accidents declined 4 percent from that in the same period of 2014. In addition, casualties decreased 8 percent; the number of people who sustained serious injuries dropped by 0.1 percent; and the number of people who suffered minor injuries reduced by 3 percent.

CHILD PROTECTION IN INDONESIA NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED By Fardah

    Jakarta, July 24. 2015 (Antara) -- Since 1986, the Indonesian government has commemorated National Children's Day on July 23, to strengthen their commitment to fulfill their rights, particularly with regard to their protection.

        However, the government has yet to organize a national event to celebrate Children's Day this year.

         A possible reason for this could be that there was not much good to celebrate this year, with the media having reported several cases of child abuse, maltreatment and even murder.

         The most tragic news was regarding the murder of 8-year-old Angeline, who was allegedly killed by her foster mother, identified as M, in Denpasar, Bali, in May.

SWIFT RESPONSE AND ALERTNESS PREVENT ESCALATION OF TOLIKARA INCIDENT by Fardah

    Jakarta, July 23, 2015 (Antara) - Tolikara, which is located in Papua Province's remote area, was hardly known until the district grabbed media headlines following a sectarian incident that occurred on Eid al-Fitr Islamic holiday on July 17, 2015.    
    On that morning, hundreds of people attacked and pelted stones at Muslims performing outdoor Eid al-Fitr prayers at the military office's yard in Karubaga sub-district, Tolikara district, forcing the worshippers, who are Muslim minority in the area, to flee to a nearby local military office for protection.

         The mob set fires that burnt down more than 50 kiosks and houses, as well as the Baitul Mutaqqin mosque.

         The attack prompted security officers to open fire at them. Some 11 perpetrators, who are members of the Evangelical Church in Indonesia (GIDI), were injured, while one was killed in the shooting.

AMPEL MOSQUE IS SURABAYA'S RELIGIOUS TOURISM LANDMARK by Fardah

Jakarta, July 22, 2015 (Antara) - Surabaya, East Java's capital and the second-largest city of Indonesia, offers a blend of both religious and historical tourism attractions, as the metropolitan city was an important Dutch Indies port town since the 16th century.

        Surabaya has a large modern port of Tanjuk Perak and a traditional harbor of Kali Mas, which are both located in North Surabaya. As a result, the city has a multiethnic population, with Javanese as the majority and others including people of Madurese, Chinese, Arab, and Indian descents.
   Its old city area is located in North Surabaya, specifically around the Red Bridge (Jembatan Merah), where one can find several of the best historical buildings include structures with colonial Dutch architecture and Chinese temples.

        The most striking landmark in Surabaya's old city area is the 15th-century Ampel Mosque (Mesjid Ampel), which stands within the vibrant Arab quarter.

GOVT NEEDS TO IMPROVE PREPARATIONS FOR UPCOMING LOCAL ELECTIONS By Fardah

   Jakarta, July 15, 2015 (Antara) -- Indonesia is set to hold 269 regional head elections (pilkada) simultaneously on December 9, including nine gubernatorial elections, 224 district head elections, and 36 mayoral elections.

        On July 13, some four months before the elections, the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) reported to the parliament the 10 results of its inspection on the planned implementation of the pilkada.

        The audit was carried out following a request made by Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR) to the BPK in May.

        The BPK found that the budget allocation for the pilkada was not in line with existing regulations; Regional Grant Agreement documents on the pilkada had either not been prepared in several regions or were not in accordance with regulations; and the plan on the utilization of the pilkada's grant budget was not compliant with existing regulations.

MT RAUNG ERUPTION PARALYZES BALI AIRPORT by Fardah

     Jakarta, July 10, 2015 (Antara) - The eruption of Mount Raung has forced temporary closure of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, since July 9, with the ash cloud drifting towards one of the world's most famous tourist islands.

     Besides Ngurah Rai Airport, four other Indonesian airports, mainly Lombok International Airport, and Selaparang Airport in West Nusa Tenggara Province, Blimbingsari Airport in Banyuwangi, East Java Province, and Notohadinegoro Airport in Jember, East Java, were also shut down temporarily due to the eruption of the volcano located on the borders of Banyuwangi, Bondowoso and Jember Districts, East Java Province.

     Directorate General of Air Transportation of the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation has issued a notice to airmen (Notam) regarding the closing of the five airports in anticipation of the hazard from the Mount Raung volcanic ash.

     But Bali, which is packed with tourists spending their summer holidays, is the worst affected by the natural disaster.

GOVT GEARS UP TO SECURE IDUL FITRI EXODUS by Fardah

    Jakarta, July 9, 2015 (Antara) - After fasting during the entire holy month of Ramadan, Indonesian Muslims, who account for nearly 90 percent of the country's population, will celebrate the Eid Fitr, locally known as Idul Fitri, Islamic festival, on July 17 or 18 this year.

        Most Indonesian Muslims follow the tradition of celebrating the Idul Fitri, in their hometowns with their families. As a result, there is an exodus of travelers, particularly from cities to villages, during this time of the year. 
    The transportation ministry has forecast the number of homecoming travelers to increase by 1.9 percent to reach 20,002,724 from 19,618,530 recorded in 2014.

          Due to the increase in the number of travelers, traffic jams may possibly occur, and the crime rates may increase

INDONESIA TURNS TO DOMESTIC MANUFACTURERS TO ACQUIRE MORE SHIPS by Fardah

    Jakarta, July 7, 2015 (Antara) - The government is now turning to domestic shipbuilding industries to meet the demands for various kinds of ships needed to support its sea toll road development program.

         In line with the Joko "Jokowi" Widodo administration's vision of  transforming Indonesia into a global maritime axis, a crucial step toward this idea is enhancing inter-island connectivity and increasing the number of ships to serve the Indonesian archipelago, which comprises more than 17 thousand islands.

         Indonesia has 250 shipbuilding industries, including over 100 shipbuilding industries in Batam that are able to produce large-scale ships with a capacity of 17,500 deadweight tonnage, the same as those of cargo ships, tankers, and commercial vessels.

         President Jokowi in June 2015 visited  Batam to see shipbuilding industries and found out that domestic industries are able to build ships.  

INDONESIA TO PRIORITIZE UTILIZATION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ENERGY SOURCES by Fardah

  Jakarta, July 6, 2015 (Antara) - Indonesia as a tropical country is blessed with various sources of alternate energy such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and biomass, which have so far not been utilized optimally.       
   With a plan to build new power plants with a total capacity of 35,000 megawatts (MW) until 2019, the government is currently amending its energy development policy from relying on coal to clean and renewable sources of energy.         
    "Our country is categorically located in the ring of fire, where there is abundant geothermal energy. It is a blessing in disguise. We must manage it," the president wrote on his Twitter account @Jokowi on July 5, 2015.

          President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) affirmed that his government will prioritize the development of environmentally friendly power plants in its program to increase the country's power generation capacity in the next five years.          

HOMEBOUND MOTORCYCLISTS OFFERED FREE RIDES TO MINIMIZE TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS By Fardah

 Jakarta, July 4, 2015 (Antara) -- Most Indonesian Muslims follow the tradition of celebrating the Islamic festival of Eid Fitr, known as Idul Fitri in the country, in their hometowns with their families. 
   As a result, there is an exodus of travelers, particularly from cities to villages, during this time of the year.

        In 2015, the government has estimated that the number of homebound travelers will reach some 20 million, an increase of around 2 percent from that last year.

        While they usually use sea, land, or air means of transportation, some choose to travel by private vehicles, including motorcycles.

        Over the last few years, the number of homebound travelers opting to use motorcycles has increased as it allows for a cheap and speedy commute.

        However, traveling long distances on motorbikes with two or more family members riding pillion and carrying baggage is highly unsafe.

GOVT SEEKS PERMANENT SOLUTION FOR MOUNT SINABUNG REFUGEE CRISIS By Fardah

  Jakarta, July 3, 2015 (Antara) -- Located in Karo district in North Sumatra province, Mount Sinabung had been inactive for 400 years, but since coming back to life in 2010, it has erupted sporadically.

        Thousands of villagers have been displaced following Mount Sinabung's eruption in August 2010, in September and November 2013, in January, February and October 2014, and as recently as in June 2015.

         More than 30,000 people across 34 villages were displaced from September 2013 to February 2014, as a result of the eruptions of the 2,600-meter-high mount.

HOTSPOTS AND HAZE RETURN AS DRY SPELL HITS SUMATRA ISLAND by Fardah

Jakarta, July 2, 2015 (Antara)- Hundreds of hotspots indicating the presence of wildfires have been reported in some provinces on Sumatra Island, which is currently experiencing a dry spell, with temperatures soaring up to 35 degrees Celsius.

         Based on the NOAA-18 Satellite monitoring data, a total of 1,470 hotspots were detected across Sumatra Island during the period between January 1 and June 16, 2015. Of the total hotspots, 621 were found in Riau Province.

         The Indonesian government is gearing up to face the effects of the predicted weak to moderate El Niño, which could reduce precipitation by 40 to 80 percent.

         This natural phenomenon will affect the provinces of Sumatra, East Java, Bali, West and East Nusa Tenggara, and Papua in particular, from June to November this year.

INDONESIA SHOULD RELY ON DOMESTIC DEFENSE INDUSTRY TO MODERNIZE WEAPONRY by Fardah

Jakarta, July 2, 2015 (Antara) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has renewed his commitment to changing the procurement system of the military's primary weaponry defense system (Alutsista), following a plane crash that claimed 134 lives in North Sumatra, on June 30.

         Indonesia must rely on its domestic defense industry in carrying out its weaponry modernization program.

         "The system to procure Alutsista must be changed. This is the momentum. We should not just buy any weapon but should work towards modernizing the weaponry systems," Jokowi noted on July 1, 2015.

         The head of state emphasized that Indonesia should strive to become self-reliant in procuring Alutsista by relying on its domestic defense industry.    

YUDHOYONO EMPHASIZES P2P CONTACTS TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN BEIJING-JAKARTA TIES by Fardah

    Jakarta, July 1, 2015 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's life after being the sixth president of Indonesia for two terms (2004-2009 and 2009-2014), is far from lonely or boring.

         Yudhoyono, popularly called SBY, was invited as an honorary guest and speaker at the fourth World Peace Forum (WPF) held in Beijing, China, on June 27, 2015.

         SBY shed light on the importance of security cooperation along with former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin and former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama in the forum themed "Overcome Difficulties: Understanding, Consultation, and Reciprocity."
    On the next day, the former Indonesian president gave a general lecture and held a dialog with students at the University of Tsinghua, Beijing.