Archive for the ‘Focus’ Category

Indonesia’s Mining Sector Royalties Too Low: Hatta Rajasa

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Posted 22 Feb 2012 — by Mohamad Irfan
Category Focus, resource

Arientha Primanita | February 22, 2012

A senior minister on Tuesday called for a renegotiation of royalty fees paid to the government by US-owned mining giants Freeport Indonesia and Newmont Nusa Tenggara.

Hatta Rajasa, the coordinating minister for economic affairs, said royalty fees paid by mining companies, especially Freeport, were not big enough.

“Now, it is only at 1 percent, it is very small,’’ Hatta said, referring to the royalty Freeport pays the government on its total gross sales.

The government is in the midst of contract renegotiations with Freeport, and has said it wants to reassess contracts with other miners.

Freeport Indonesia, the local unit of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, the world’s largest publicly traded copper producer, operates the Grasberg gold and copper mine in Papua. Newmont Nusa Tenggara is the Indonesian unit of Newmont Mining.

NTT, which signed its contract with the government in 1986 to operate the Batu Hijau gold and copper mine in West Nusa Tenggara, pays royalties of 1-2 percent on its gold production.

Hatta did not disclose the royalty level the government was seeking from the two miners, saying that was still to be renegotiated. “We cannot say it now,” Hatta said. Read More

Winner or loser? Indonesia and the ASEAN Economic Community

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Posted 21 Feb 2012 — by Mohamad Irfan
Category Corner, Focus, resource

In 2003, under the Bali Concord II, ASEAN agreed to create the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. The AEC will establish ASEAN as a single market and production base that, in theory, will make the regional grouping more dynamic and competitive, leading to greater economic development.

The planned ASEAN single market and production base will comprise five principle elements: the free flow of goods, services, investment, capital and skilled labor. In theory, a single market has many benefits. Proponents believe that with the free flow of all factors of production between member countries, the allocation of all the factors of production will be more efficient, and thus lead to increased productivity.

Given that ASEAN member nations vary widely in their economic and sociopolitical development, however, applying a single market naturally has raised doubts among some. For Indonesia in particular, which is ASEAN’s largest country and boasts its biggest economy, will the AEC’s single market work for us?

The AEC spirit is deeply rooted in economic liberalization. However, as many have argued, economic liberalization has not always translated into equitable and balanced development and an improvement in people’s welfare. For Indonesia, there are at least three problems arising from the creation of a single market. The first concerns industrial relations policies, which also relate to manpower policies. Both of them are weak. Read More

Rising Water Spur Flood Fears for Jakarta

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Posted 20 Feb 2012 — by Mohamad Irfan
Category Corner, Focus, resource

Vento Saudale | February 20, 2012

Bogor. As rain continues to fall across Bogor and the upstream area of the Ciliwung River, water at the Katulampa Dam reached dangerous levels on Sunday, spelling disaster for Jakarta if it continued to rise.

Hendri Antoro, head of the data and information bureau of the Bogor Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), warned that Greater Jakarta was moving into high-intensity rainy season.

He said the peak of the rainy season, initially forecast for mid-January to mid-February, had been delayed and was estimated to end sometime in early March.

“The rain in the Greater Jakarta area has begun to rise to 42 millimeters and even up to 50 millimeters. This is before entering the peak of the rainy season,” Hendri said.

He attributed the increased rains to the rising temperature of the surface of the Java Sea, a phenomenon he said was expected to continue until early March

In Bogor and its surrounding areas, the extreme weather has already seen above-average wind speed, high levels of rain and also lightning, said Djabariah, a forecaster at the Bogor BMKG office.

Bogor has experienced rains for the past week. Strong winds also damaged houses in three villages in the Cibinong subdistrict of Bogor on Saturday, displacing 52 families.

Heavy rains also caused the banks of the Cijeruk River in Bogor to burst, inundating 57 houses with up to 50 centimeters of water, said Yous Sudrajat, who heads the Bogor Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD).

At the Katulampa floodgate in Bogor, the alert status is now Level 4, up one from normal, as the water has reached dangerous levels of 70 centimeters while flowing at 62 cubic meters per second, said Andi Sudirman, the operator of the gate.

The normal level of water at the gate is below 50 centimeters, but recent rains in Bogor have raised the level by 20 centimeters.

“Our staff is on alert, monitoring the water’s height,” Andi said. He said the water could still rise to above 90 centimeters and flow at 113 cubic meters per second if the rains continued to fall in the upstream area of the Ciliwung River.

“If rains continue over the Puncak area for the next two hours, we will enter the next alert level,” Andi said, referring to the upstream areas of the river. Read More

MENEROPONG KORUPSI PILKADA

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Posted 15 Feb 2012 — by hotnauli
Category Event, Focus

Seminar Korupsi Pilkada, Selasa (13/2/2012)

Fenomena Korupsi Pilkada makin banyak terjadi di Indonesia. Mengapa sampai saat ini korupsi masih bisa terjadi dalam pemilukada? Ini yang menjadi bahan pembahasan pada seminar korupsi pemilukada yang dihadiri oleh Silih Agung Wasesa (Praktisi PR&Dosen Univ. Paramdina), Danang Widyoko (Koord ICW) dan Wijayanto (Managing Director, Paramadina Public Policy Institute) diadakan di Auditorium Nurcholish madjid Universitas Paramadina. Peneliti ICW, Danang Widyoko mengatakan riset yang dilakukan menjelaskan bahwa latar belakang peserta pemilukada adalah politikus dan pengusaha lokal. Misalnya dari riset yang dilakukan ICW di Jayapura hubungan antar pewenang pemilukada (Benhur Tommy Mano) dengan Walikota sebelumnya (Kambu) dan pengusaha penyandang dana pemilukada (Rudi Maswe) adalah satu kepengurusan di PERSIPURA. Jadi ini jelas kali bahwa  pemilukada menjadi instrumen konsolidasi lokal dalam rangka memperluas kekuasaan.

Biasanya sumber modal dalam penyelenggaraan Pemilukada antara lain berasal dari calon kepala daerah atau keluarganya, dana APBD pun termasuk menjadi modal utama untuk dapat memenangkan pemilihan. “Bicara mengenai Pilkada sebenarnya banyak masyarakat yang optimis, namun setelah dilihat dari mikroskop dan secara detail dengan cepat masyarakat berubah menjadi pesimis” ungkap Wijayanto selaku Managing Director, Paramadina Public Policy Institute Selasa, (14/2/2012). Ia juga mengatakan bahwa partai politik tidak lebih dari sekedar rental mobil, yang menjadi supply barang bagus, dan demand masyarakat.

Seperti yang diketahui banyak berbagai macam cara untuk dapat memenangkan pemilihan suara dalam pilkada antara lain pembagian uang secara langsung, pembagian sembako, pemberian janji-janji, pemberian kerudung, sajadah, helm sampai mobilisasi massa melalui truk dan disebar ke sejumlah TPS dan masih banyak lagi yang dilakukan para kandidat sehingga terjadinya ketidaknetralan pada saat pemilukada berlangsung.

Faktor media merupakan salah satu syarat bagi kandidat yang ingin maju dalam Pilkada selain uang dan networking. Seperti contoh halnya Diky Chandra yang terpilih menjadi Wakil Bupati Garut, jelas masyarakat akan lebih memilih kandidat yang dimana mereka lihat sering bermunculan di media. Inilah yang disebut-sebut mahalnya biaya berdemokrasi. Jelas Wijayanto pada saat menjawab pertanyaan mahasiswi Paramadina.

Karena pedulinya akan korupsi, Universitas Paramadina menghadirkan mata kuliah bertajuk ANTI KORUPSI yang dimana sudah kurang lebih tiga tahun berjalan. ”Mata kuliah ANTI KORUPSI ini penting untuk dapat mencegah koruptor baru, karena semakin dilihat bahwa masyarakat makin kehilangan sensitif dengan korupsi” ungkap Toto A. Soefijanto selaku Deputi Bidang Riset dan Kemahasiswaan saat pembukaan Seminar Korupsi Pilkada di Universitas Paramadina.

Dengan adanya seminar bertajuk Korupsi Pilkada ini solusi yang ingin dicapai yaitu agar terciptanya transparansi dalam keluar masuknya biaya kampanye untuk selanjutnya dan pembentukan integritas bangsa dapat dimulai dari pelaksanaan pendidikan anti korupsi dengan target semua usia mulai usia anak-anak hingga dewasa. (Hotnauli)

 

UI ADAKAN PELATIHAN IT NETWORKING

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Posted 07 Feb 2012 — by Mohamad Irfan
Category Event, Focus

Suasana training IT Networking UI (Foto: Irfan-NPCI)

DEPOK – Lebih dari seratus mahasiswa dari berbagai universitas dan juga masyarakat dari kalangan umum antusias mengikuti pelatihan  Information Technology (IT) di perpustakaan Universitas Indonesia (UI), Depok.  

Pelatihan ini merupakan kerja sama Fakultas Ilmu Komputer (Fasilkom) UI dengan program Kajian Wilayah Amerika di kampus pascasarjana UI. Kegiatan yang digelar di Perpustakaan UI Depok  ini berlangsung selama lima hari, mulai dari tanggal 7 Februari sampai dengan tanggal 11 Februari 2012 dan menghadirkan para pakar IT dari Silicon Valley(AS), Bangalore (India) dan beberapa negara lainnya.
Acara pelatihan IT Networking ini dibuka oleh Wakil Rektor I UI Muhammad Anis dan public affair Kedutaan Besar Amerika Serikat (AS) Don Q Washington. Humas Fasilkom UI Penny Hutabarat mengatakan, acara ini digelar dalam upaya pengembangan teknologi para mahasiswa.
“Antusiasme mahasiswa bagus. Kami menargetkan 200 mahasiswa, tetapi yang mendaftar ada 220 mahasiswa. Mereka berasal dari berbagai fakultas di UI, bahkan ada juga dari universitas Andalas, Padang. Kegiatan ini gratis,” katanya kepada wartawan, Selasa (7/2/2012).

Para mahasiswa yang mengikuti pelatihan ini nantinya akan menjadi programmer dan mampu mengembangkan sistem IT. Hal itu sejalan dengan makin pesatnya perkembangan Information Communication and Technology (ICT) di Indonesia. Read More

New Report Highlights Government’s Failure to Protect Children in Southern Burma

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Posted 17 Jan 2012 — by Mohamad Irfan
Category Corner, Focus

By Women and Child Rights Project

 

Children in southern Burma continue to suffer from grave human rights violations at the hands of Burma Army soldiers, reveals a new report from the Woman and Child Rights Project (WCRP) released today. The report provides data from cases over the last 6 years, illustrating that the Burmese government has failed to live up to its international obligations to protect children in situations of armed conflict.

The report, entitled “Coercion, Cruelty and Collateral Damage”, presents evidence of the recruitment and use of child soldiers, killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, and the use of children as forced labor, all of which are prohibited under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1612 on Children and Armed Conflict, passed in 2005.

“Despite the implementation of a monitoring and reporting mechanism, in accordance with Resolution 1612, we have found that abuses in Burma have continued unabated. It is completely unacceptable that the Burmese government continues to flout its international obligations,” said Nai Kasauh Mon, Director of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM). Read More

Weekly Highlights 2012: A Year for Cautious Optimism

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Posted 09 Jan 2012 — by Mohamad Irfan
Category Corner, Focus

19 December 2011 – 8 January 2012

At the end of 2011, looking back at some of the initial steps taken towards progress in the country, 2012 looked more promising with the hope that real progress and substantive change would be coming to Burma. Only one week into the New Year, to our surprise, disenchantment has already set in.

On 2 January, President Thein Sein signed a clemency order marking this week’s 64th anniversary of independence from British colonial rule. Under the order, death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment and prisoners serving more than 30 years had their sentences cut to 30 years. Those serving 20 to 30 years had their terms reduced to 20 years, while those with less than 20 years had their sentences cut by one-fourth. Under this clemency, 6,656 people who had already served the time of their reduced sentences were released. However, as reported by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners – Burma (AAPP), at the end of the day on 3 January, only 34 political prisoners were freed. Those who have a critical role to play in the democratic transition and national reconciliation process will continue to remain behind bars for decades. Read More

Indonesia Mendapatkan Kembali Kelas Investasi Setelah 14 Tahun Dalam Fitch Raises Rating

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Posted 16 Dec 2011 — by Mohamad Irfan
Category Corner, Focus

By Novrida Manurung - Dec 16, 2011 12:00 AM GMT+0700
Indonesia kembali peringkat investasi grade untuk utang tersebut pada Fitch Ratings setelah 14 tahun, karena ekonomi terbesar di Asia Tenggara tahan goyah pertumbuhan global dan berisi pinjaman.
Hutang jangka panjang mata uang negara asing dan lokal dinaikkan menjadi BBB- dari BB +, Fitch mengatakan dalam sebuah pernyataan kemarin, prospek pada kedua peringkat stabil. Indonesia kehilangan peringkat investment grade pada Desember 1997, selama krisis keuangan Asia. Peringkat tersebut menempatkan Indonesia pada tingkat yang sama seperti India.

“The upgrade mencerminkan pertumbuhan yang kuat dan tangguh ekonomi negara, rendah dan menurun publik-utang rasio, memperkuat likuiditas eksternal dan kerangka makro kebijakan bijaksana secara keseluruhan,” kata Philip McNicholas, direktur di Asia-Pacific Ratings Sovereign Fitch, dalam pernyataan itu.

Di Indonesia, rating perusahaan telah meningkat.  Sebagai Presiden, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono menargetkan pertumbuhan sebanyak 6,6 persen rata-rata,
melalui sisa masa jabatannya yang berakhir pada tahun 2014, ia berjanji untuk memacu investasi dan mengurangi defisit anggaran perekonomian negara, untuk menghindari persaingan dengan negara tetangga Singapura, Malaysia dan Thailand yang menderita selama kemerosotan investasi pada tahun 2009 secara global. Akan tetapi telah berkembang lebih dari 6 persen pada tahun ini meskipun krisis utang Eropa mengancam ekspor Asia.

“Ini tidak memberikan kita kekebalan,” kata Helmi Arman, ekonom Citigroup Inc di Jakarta, setelah pengumuman dirilis Fitch. ”Tapi mereka akan memiliki basis investor yang lebih luas di pasar karena langkah ini. Ini tentu akan meningkatkan ketahanan kita. ” Read More

OPENING STATEMENT H.E. DR. SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO

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Posted 08 Dec 2011 — by Mohamad Irfan
Category Corner, Event, Focus, resource

PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

AT THE BALI DEMOCRACY FORUM IV NUSA DUA,

BALI, 8 DECEMBER 2011

Bismillahirrahmanirrahiim, Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

May Peace Be Upon Us, Om Swastyastu Your Excellency Sheikh Hasina [:shik has-sina], Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Co-chair of this Democracy Forum, Your Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah [:ha-sanal bol-kiah], Sultan Brunei Darussalam, Your Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa [:ma-hinda raja-paksa], President of the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Your Excellency Sukhbaatar Batbold [:suh-batar bat-bold], Prime Minister of Mongolia, Your Excellency Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani [:shik ha-mad bin ja-sim bin jaber al-thoni], Prime Minister of the State of Qatar, Your Excellency Xanana Gusmao [:shana-na gush-maow], Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste, Your Excellency Jejomar Binay [:je-jo-mar bi-nai], Vice President of the Philippines, Your Excellency Bülent Arınç [:byu-lent a-ranc], Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to extend a very warm welcome to all of you to Indonesia and to the fourth Bali Democracy Forum.

Indonesia is proud to once again host this important Forum. I thank all the leaders who have kindly joined us today, including the co-chair of this year’s Forum, Your Excellency Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. I also extend our gratitude to all delegations and observers for your active and valuable participation. Read More

Press Release, “Revitalisasi Pancasila untuk Bangsa” Generasi Muda FKPPI Bali

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Posted 05 Dec 2011 — by Mohamad Irfan
Category Corner, Event, Focus

Bali, 30 November 2011

Seiring dengan perubahan kondisi sosial politik di era reformasi, muncul gejala memudarnya nilai-nilai Pancasila sebagai asas kehidupan berbangsa dan bernegara. Pancasila yang sejak awal didirikan oleh para Bapak Bangsa sebagai asas kehidupan negeri ini   dan ‘tali pengikat’ persatuan Indonesia mulai kehilangan makna dan jatidirinya. Pancasila hanya sekedar menjadi sebuah simbol dan formalitas belaka. Nilai-nilai luhur yang terkandung dalam Pancasila, kini tidak lebih sebagai sebuah hapalan semata, atau ironisnya justru kita tidak tahu apa makna Pancasila itu sendiri, apatah lagi menjalankannya.

Justru yang muncul adalah kehidupan kebangsaan dan politik kenegaraan yang menihilkan nilai-nilai Pancasila, politik kekuasaan menjadi panglima dan kedudukan menjadi tujuan utama. Dampaknya, kehidupan politik terlihat sangat oportunistik dan hanya berpihak kepada elit kekuasaan, kepentingan rakyat-pun di tinggalkan atau bahkan di tanggalkan sama sekali. Sejalan dengan hal itu, ditingkat grassroot terjadi gesekan dan benturan antar kelompok masyarakat, arogansi kelompok menguat, rasa kebersamaan mulai memudar dan masyarakat tidak lagi peduli dengan kondisi negeri ini. Situasi ini sangat rentan karena bisa menimbulkan goncangan kehidupan politik kenegaraan dan apatisme kebangsaan masyarakat, bila di biarkan hal ini bukan tidak mungkin akan membawa dampak buruk bagi negeri ini. Read More

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