NEWS ANCHOR SCRIPT

ECONOMY / BUSSINESS

Indonesia Palm Oil Group Wants Tax Changes to Counter Malaysia

Indonesia, the world’s biggest palm oil producer, should cut tax on exports to preserve its market share and counter the impact of lower tariffs proposed by Malaysia, a growers’ group said. 

Shipments to India, the world’s biggest buyer, may drop next year because of the Malaysian tax cut and as the South Asian country increases duty on imports of refined palm oil products, Susanto, head of marketing at the Indonesian Palm Oil Association, told reporters in Jakarta on Friday. 

Malaysia, the second-largest palm oil producer, will cut the tax on exports of crude variety and abolish the duty-free shipments quota from Jan. 1, a move that will increase competition with Indonesia. 

The tax reductions were announced on Oct. 12 after inventories in Malaysia surged to a record in September and futures slumped to a three-year low. 

Indonesia last year lowered its taxes, making local crude palm oil cheaper than in Malaysia, cutting costs for refiners. 

Palm oil for delivery in January fell 0.9 percent to close at 2,316 ringgit ($757) a ton on the Malaysia Derivatives Exchange. Futures have fallen 27 percent this year, heading for a second annual drop. 

The Indonesian association represents growers and refiners including PT Astra Agro Lestari, the biggest listed plantation company by market value, and PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology, a unit of the world’s second-biggest grower Golden Agri-Resources Ltd. 

Indonesia cut the maximum duty on refined, bleached and deodorized, or RBD, palm oil to 10 percent from 23 percent last year. The rate for RBD palm olein was cut to 13 percent from 25 percent, while the highest tax for crude oil was set at 22.5 percent. The tax on CPO was cut to 9 percent this month from 13.5 percent in October, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The duty on RBD palm olein was halved to 3 percent, while that on RBD palm oil was reduced to zero from 4 percent.

SOURCE : http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/indonesia-palm-oil-group-wants-tax-changes-to-counter-malaysia/555287

EDUCATION

East Jakarta School Roof Collapses During Renovation

Residents of Rawamangun, East Jakarta, were roused Tuesday night by the loud rumbling of a local elementary school roof collapsing into itself.

The incident took place at around 10:30 p.m., and though many people were already asleep, the noise reverberating from nearby SDN Rawamangun 03 Pagi was enough to draw people from their beds to investigate the source of the noise.

No one was injured in the incident.

Renovations on the school building have been ongoing for a month, during which students have been doing their learning in close by SMPN 74 Rawamangun junior high school.

The head of the primary education sector of the East Jakarta administration, Nasrudin, said the roof likely collapsed because of an old, vulnerable pillar that had yet to be replaced.

He stated that he would summon the contractor to question them about the incident and was considering blacklisting the company.

Nasrudin said, however, that he did not know the name of the contractor, but he mentioned that the renovation works cost Rp 1.2 billion ($124,500) and was funded by the 2012 city budget.

This is the second school roof to collapse in Jakarta this year: in June, the roof of SDN 20 Cipinangbesar Selatan elementary school, also in East Jakarta, caved in.

On Thursday, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo said he would soon check up on the school building in Rawamangun, adding he was aware many school buildings in Jakarta were in poor condition.

Source : http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/education/east-jakarta-school-roof-collapses-during-renovation/555040

SPORT

Champion Chris is looking ahead to unification fight

Chris John’s success in defense of his WBA featherweight belt on Friday is likely to pave the way for a unification bout with fellow champions from other associations that will bring more, bigger purses to the Indonesian 33-year-old.

Among the champions in this category are Daniel Ponce de Leon (WBC), Billy Dib (IBF) and Orlando Salido (WBO). The list includes fellow Indonesians Daud Yordan (IBO) and Celestino Caballero (WBA), who exceeded Chris John’s championship status after the Indonesian was elevated to “super” champion.

Chris dominated Thai Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo to emerge the winner by a unanimous points decision with the three judges scoring 117-111, 119-109, 119-109 as he defended his belt for the 17th time. 

In the undercard bout, Daud defeated Choi also on a unanimous points win, 117-111, 119-110, 118-110 in his title bout as champion.

Daud dominated the fight and knocked Choi down in the last round but the England-based Mongolian survived the onslaught up to the bell.

The victories were welcomed by Indonesian fans at ringside and millions back home.

Among the fans at the ringside was Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng. He stopped over from Macau en route attending the Asian Olympic Committee convention, where Indonesia failed to impress in its bid to host the 2019 Asian Games.

Source : http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/11/10/champion-chris-looking-ahead-unification-fight.html

CRIMINALITY

Footballer Diego Michiels Named Suspect in Jakarta Nightclub Assault

Naturalized Indonesian national footballer Diego Michiels, 22, along with five of his friends, has been named a suspect for the alleged assault of a man in a Jakarta nightclub.

Michiels and his five friends allegedly attacked Meff Paripurna, 21, a Bogor resident, during a brawl at the Domain Club in the Senayan City mall in South Jakarta early on Thursday morning.

Meff reported them to Central Jakarta’s Tanah Abang Police later the same day.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said the six men allegedly violated two Criminal Code articles on assault and are facing at least two years and eight months in jail.

Tanah Abang Police chief Comr. Widarto said on Friday that Michiels and his friends were named suspects based on results of medical examinations on Meff, along with evidence gathered from hidden camera records and witness testimonies.

Meff arrived at the Tanah Abang police office on Thursday sporting bruises all over his face.

Rikwanto explained that the incident supposedly started when a friend of Michiels bumped into one of Meff’s friends and accidentally spilled a drink on the latter, after which the two groups were involved in a heated quarrel. Meff stepped in to stop the fight.

However, Meff was punched and beaten. After the confrontation, he was admitted to Medika Permata Hijau Hospital in South Jakarta.

The manager of the Garuda national team, Habil Marathi, said his office has been appealing to police to allow Michiels to play in the upcoming 2012 AFF Cup in Malaysia, despite his status as a suspect.

He added that Michiels was still needed, despite the fact that the Dutch-born player committed two acts of indiscipline.

SOURCE : http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/football/footballer-diego-michiels-named-suspect-in-jakarta-nightclub-assault/555433

POLITIC

Jokowi rolls out universal health coverage

The Jakarta Post, Sun, November 11 2012

Pariyono Andri Winoto, 47, his wife Endang Hartati, 44, and their two teenage daughters were among the first few hundred Jakarta residents to receive a new card that will give them free access to medical services at Jakarta’s community health centers and municipal hospitals.

The family received the cards from Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo during a launch ceremony in the densely populated area of Pademangan Timur in North Jakarta on Saturday.

Pariyono and Endang — a security officer at a factory and a stay-at-home mother — were all smiles as they received their Jakarta Health Cards on a small stage set up among makeshift houses overlooking a small murky canal.

“I hope this will be really beneficial for our family. We have been relying on our local community health center for medical services,” Endang told The Jakarta Post in one of the neighborhood’s narrow alleys after the simple ceremony.

Jokowi said that besides providing accessible medical services to the people, the healthcare program was also aimed at promoting a better image of hospitals in the eyes of the poor. “The poor should no longer dread going to the hospital, because through this program all [medical services] are covered,” the governor said.

In order to obtain the card, citizens are expected to report to their local community health centers, or puskesmas, and show valid ID cards. “However, you don’t need to rush to the puskesmas now. It will take a while to provide and distribute the cards, please be patient,” Jokowi said.

Jokowi has been in office for less than a month after being inaugurated in the middle of October. “The reason I launched the program so soon is to try out immediately this healthcare system. We will have more time to optimize the system for better healthcare in the future,” he said.

In his plan, the governor expects that by 2013, about 4.7 million Jakartans, be they rich or poor, will have the cards that will entitle them to free health services in all community health centers or third-class facilities in hospitals across the capital.

At the launch, a total of 497 cards were distributed in Pademangan Timur, 502 cards in Bukit Duri and 505 cards in Manggarai in South Jakarta, 503 cards in Tanah Tinggi in Central Jakarta, 494 in Marunda in North Jakarta and 504 in Tambora in West Jakarta.

City Health Agency chief Dien Emmawati said that as of Saturday all 340 puskesmas and 88 hospitals in the city had begun providing free healthcare. The hospitals include six run by the city and private hospitals that are cooperating with the administration. “There will be no charge for registration, medical attention, medicine and inpatient services,” Dien said.

The Jakarta Health Card program is expected to serve as a model for the implementation of the central government’s plans for universal health coverage by 2014. The health card scheme was one of Jokowi’s campaign platforms that he promoted with running mate Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama during the gubernatorial race. He claimed the program had been a success in Surakarta where he served as mayor for about six years.

The new administration expects to spend about Rp 2.9 trillion (US$301 million) on health next year. Most of the funds will be used to finance the health card scheme, which is estimated to cost Rp 900 billion.