Indonesia to Further Develop its Coffee Plantations

Jakarta (ANTARA News – Djakarta News) - To maintain its position as the world`s biggest coffee producer, Indonesia is to reverse a decline in production by seriously developing its coffee plantations starting next year.

"Coffee is also a strategic commodity in our rural economy. Therefore, we will include coffee in the plantation revitalization program next year," Agriculture Minister Suswono said on Saturday.

In an effort to develop and increase coffee production in the country, the Ministry of Agriculture will include coffee as one of the commodities to be prioritized in the plantation revitalization program next year.

So far, only three agricultural commodities have been included in the country`s plantation revitalization program, namely oil palm, rubber and cacao.

The inclusion of coffee in the plantation revitalization priority program, is expected to raise coffee farmers` income and the country`s earnings from coffee exports which of late have been declining. According to Minister Suswono, coffee is one of the commodities which are seen to have a good chance to be developed. After all, 90 percent of coffee plantations in the country belong to smallholders.

Based on data provided by the directorate general of plantations, national coffee productivity was still low, namely only about 700 kg per hectare per annum. This figure constituted 60 percent of the real productivity potential.

The ministry of agriculture recorded that Indonesia`s coffee plantation area this year was 1.31 million hectares, consisting of 1.07 million hectares (82 percent) planted with robusta and 241,548 hectares (18 percent) with Arabica coffee.

Of the total plantation acreage, about 96 percent belonged to smallholders, two percent to private firms and the other two percent to state firms.

As Indonesia`s Arabica coffee is quite popular in the world market, the government will focus on the development of Arabica coffee. This type of coffee had contributed 30 percent to national coffee production so that it is expected to increase in the future.

"It is also expected to increase national bio diversity and natural resources," the minister said.

So far, according to Suswono, Indonesia`s Arabica coffee had already been popular and liked in the world market with various types of products such as Toraja coffee, Gayo coffee, Mandailing coffee, Kintamani coffee, Flores coffee or Java coffee.

Yet, the government will also continue to develop its other coffee type, namely Robusta one, whose plantations are mostly cultivated by smallholders. The efforts must be made to improve the quality of smallholders` Robusta coffee. Among the efforts to be made included rejuvenation, diversification and integration of coffee plantation and cow farming.

All this will be made as Indonesia`s coffee production is declining at home due to various reasons. Yet, the Indonesian Coffee Exporters Association (AEKI) expressed optimism that Indonesia`s coffee export target set at 325,000 tons worth US$650 million could be achieved even though coffee production in coffee producing provinces is declining.

"In the middle of this year, the volume of Indonesia`s coffee exports reached 200,000 tons with a value of US$325 million. I am confident the export target is achievable," AEKI executive secretary Rachim Kartabrata said recently.

However, he said, Indonesia`s coffee export volumes this year were expected to drop from 400,000 tons worth US$773 million per annum to 325,000 tons valued at US$650 million.

Kartabrata said that the decline of Indonesia`s coffee exports was due to the fact that coffee production in the region was declining while stocks gathered last year were not exported.

Indonesia`s traditional coffee export markets for Robusta included Japan, Latin American countries, South Africa and Europe, while for Arabica was exported to Germany and the United States.

Indonesia`s competitors for Robusta are Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Costa Rica and El Salvador. Its competitor for Robusta is Vietnam. "Vietnam is the biggest Robusta coffee exporter in Asia while the Latin American countries were big exporters of Arabica coffee because they grow coffee plantations 1,000 meters above the sea levels," Karbarata said.

Indonesia`s Robusta coffee is produced by the provinces of Bengkulu, South Sulawesi and Lampung while the Arabica type by Aceh and North Sumatra. "About 80 percent of Indonesia`s coffee exports are those of the Robusta type while the remainders are Arabica," Kartabrata said.

In efforts to expand its coffee export market, Indonesia has asked Germany to jointly develop common markets, especially for technological and agricultural products such as palmoil, coffee and cocoa.

Indonesian Deputy Agriculture Minister Bayu Krisnamurti made the statement after speaking before more than 150 German businessmen in a seminar held as part of an "Indonesia Business Day" recently.

He emphasized the importance of partnership as a key to cooperation between Indonesia and Germany. "As one of the strongest economies in Europe with increasing consumers` demand Germany needs the right partner to cooperate with," he said.

Indonesia with more than 225 million population has been known as one of the three countries that made a positive growth in 2009 and could be one of the right partners for Germany, he said.

The world most populous country China is also a target for the country?s coffee exports. Indonesia recently took part in the Shanghai World Expo 2010, where, during the promotion event, it organized a drink coffee ritual program to attract Chinese consumers.

"We have chosen a special stand for Indonesian original coffee and it has attracted quite many numbers of buyers. Hundreds of glasses of coffee could be offered every day," Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said.

According to trade ministry data, Indonesia`s coffee exports to China from January to April 2010 reached US$0.53 million, up 31.3 percent from the same period last year.

In 2009, the country`s total coffee exports to China reached US$2.3 million.

Deputy Finance Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi said that Indonesia was aiming at young Chinese coffee consumers whose market share was expected to reach 350 million people.

Source: antaranews.com

Rute Busway Koridor 8 dari Mal ke Mal

Jakarta (Djakarta News)- Busway Transjakarta koridor 8 rute Harmoni – Lebak bulus  ternyata koridor yang menghubungkan mal – mal besar dan pusat perbelanjaan di Jakarta, terutama Jakarta Barat dan Jakarta Selatan. Rutenya sendiri adalah sebagai berikut:

Dari 23 shelter busway koridor 8,  9 shelter di antaranya merupakan shelter strategis ke kawasan Mal dan pusat perbelanjaan. Dari yang pertama Harmoni Central Busway terletak di dekat Pusat perbelanjaan Duta Merlin dan Gajah Mada Plaza, kemudian shelter RS Tarakan tidak jauh dengan pusat perdagangan ponsel ITC Roxy Mas, meskipun ada yang lebih dekat ITC Roxy Mas yaitu shleter busway RS Sumber Waras (koridor 3). Selanjutnya shelter busway Tomang terletak di dekat Mal Taman Anggrek dan Central Park. Dekat dengan Shelter Grogol 2 yaitu Mal Ciputra. Sedangkan ITC Permata Hijau ada shelter Permata Hijau. Tidak jauh dari shelter PS Kebayoran Lama terdapat Mal Gandaria City. Dilanjutkan ke shelter busway Pondok Indah 2 dan Pondok Indah 1 terdapat Mal Pondok Indah, bahkan shelter ini terintegrasi dengan jembatan penghubung Mal Pondok Indah. Dan yang terakhir tidak jauh dari shelter busway Lebak bulus  terdapat pusat perbelanjaan seperti Carrefour dan yang lain.

Penumpang bus Transjakarta akan lebih nyaman seandainya semua shelter yang berdekatan dengan mal diintegrasikan seperti di Mal Pondok Indah.

Source: transjakarta.co.id

Istiqlal to distribute meat to 5,000 for Idul Adha

Jakarta (The Jakarta Post – Djakarta News)- The Istiqlal Grand Mosque will slaughter 17 cows and 318 goats for Idul Adha, or Islam’s Day of Sacrifice, and distribute the meat to the needy using vouchers, the mosque’s manager said Wednesday.

More than 5,000 vouchers would be distributed to the needy on Wednesday after evening prayers, mosque manager Mubarok said on Wednesday as quoted by tempointeraktif.com newsportal.

"We will be distributing meat packages [Thursday] morning after predawn prayers.”

He said that the mosque decided to impose new regulations to avoid possible stampedes.

The mosque previously distributed meat immediately after the animals were slaughtered, which led to unruly behavior in awaiting crowds.

"We will mark those who have received packages so that no one will get two," he said.

One voucher will entitle the bearer to one kilogram of meat.

The Istiqlal Grand Mosque said it would also donate Rp 92.4 million (US$10,348) to aid victims of Mount Merapi’s ongoing eruption in Central Java and the tsunami which struck Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, last month.

Source: thejakartapost.com

Jakarta Peringkat 38 Indeks Persepsi Korupsi Indonesia 2010

Jakarta (Djakarta News) – Korupsi ternyata masih menjadi masalah paling utama bagi para pelaku bisnis dalam menjalankan usaha di Indonesia. Hal ini terlihat dalam survei Indeks Persepsi Korupsi Indonesia, dimana korupsi menjadi masalah paling utama dalam menjalankan usaha di Indonesia, mengalahkan infrastruktur yang tidak memadai, birokrasi yang tidak efisien, dan ketidak stabilan politik. Survei IPK Indonesia juga menunjukkan bahwa bagi kalangan usaha, lembaga kepolisian, pajak, dan pengadilan serta kejaksaan merupakan lembaga-lembaga publik yang perlu menjadi prioritas dalam pemberantasan korupsi.

Dalam situasi pemberantasan korupsi di Indonesia yang tidak jelas arah strateginya ini, nampaknya kehadiran instrumen pengukuran yang bisa dipertanggungjawabkan metodenya, bisa memberikan arah dalam menyusun skala prioritas  pencegahan maupun penindakan korupsi. Setelah Transparency International meluncurkan Corruption Perception Index (CPI), dan Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) mengeluarkan hasil Survei Integritas 2010, Transparency International-Indonesia (TI-Indonesia) menyampaikan pada publik Indeks Persepsi Korupsi Indonesia (IPK Indonesia).

IPK Indonesia adalah instrumen pengukuran tingkat korupsi di kota-kota Indonesia. IPK Indonesia dibuat berdasarkan survei yang metodenya dikembangkan oleh TI-Indonesia. Survei dilakukan dengan cara wawancara tatap muka terhadap 9237 responden pelaku bisnis, antara bulan Mei sampai dengan Oktober 2010. IPK Indonesia mengukur tingkat korupsi di 50 kota di seluruh Indonesia, meliputi 33 ibukota propinsi ditambah 17 kota lain yang signifikan secara ekonomi. Rentang indeks antara 0 sampai 10. 0 berarti dipersepsikan sangat korup, 10 sangat bersih. TII menyasar responden pelaku bisnis. Para pelaku bisnis dibagi menjadi 3 kategori yakni perusahaan besar (22 persen), menengah (40 persen), kecil (38 persen).

Indeks Persepsi Korupsi (IPK) Kota Jakarta hanya 4,43. Berdasarkan survei Transparency International Indonesia (TII) dari skala 0-10 nilai Jakarta masih di bawah standar. Jakarta belum bebas dari korupsi, malah jauh dari angka sempurna. Kota Denpasar mendapat skor tertinggi (6,71) disusul Tegal (6,26), Solo, (6,00), Yogyakarta dan Manokwari (5,81). Sedang dua kota yang mendapat poin terendah yakni Cirebon (3,61) dan Pekanbaru (3,61). Kota Jakarta berada di peringkat 38 dari 50 kota yang dinilai.

Kota-kota dengan skor tertinggi mengindikasikan bahwa para pelaku bisnis di sana menilai korupsi mulai menjadi hal yang kurang lazim terjadi, dan usaha pemerintah dan penegak hukum di sana dalam pemberantasan korupsi cukup serius. Sebaliknya, korupsi masih lazim terjadi dalam sektor-sektor publik, sementara pemerintah daerah dan penegak hukum kurang serius dalam pemberantasan korupsi, menurut persepsi para pelaku bisnis di kota-kota yang mendapat skor rendah

Untuk Kota Denpasar, skor IPK Indonesia 2010 sejalan dengan hasil Survei Integritas Pelayanan Publik 2009 yang dikeluarkan Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi, yang menempatkan Denpasar sebagai salah satu kota dengan skor terbaik. Kota Solo dan Jogjakarta memang saat ini sedang menunjukkan prestasi di bidang reformasi birokrasi yang terefleksi dari skor IPK Indonesia yang cukup tinggi. Hal ini sejalan dengan prestasi kedua kota yang baru-baru ini juga mendapatkan Bung Hatta Anti Corruption Award. Sementara di kota dengan skor terendah, Pekanbaru dan Cirebon, pemberitaan media lokal maupun nasional memang dipenuhi oleh kasus-kasus korupsi yang dilakukan oleh aparat di sana (infokorupsi.com). Hal ini tentunya sangat mempengaruhi persepsi para pelaku bisnis di sana.

IPK Indonesia nampaknya juga sangat berpengaruh sebagai efek “cambuk” bagi pemerintah daerah kota yang mendapatkan skor rendah. Sebagai contoh Kota Tegal dan Kupang, yang pada tahun 2008 mendapatkan skor rendah, selama satu tahun ini menunjukkan inisiatif-inisiatif reformasi birokrasi yang berdampak pada meningkatnya skor kedua kota ini secara signifikan. Kota lain yang menunjukkan peningkatan skor yang signifikan dari 2008 ke 2010 adalah Manokwari, Kendari, dan Manado.

Dengan dikeluarkannya hasil survei ini, Pihak pemerintah DKI Jakarta agar menggunakan IPK Indonesia sebagai indikator kepercayaan para pelaku bisnis terhadap penerapan transparansi dan akuntabilitas di Jakarta, dan menjadi “cambuk” untuk melakukan reformasi birokrasi dalam pelayanan publik, terutama yang berkaitan dengan usaha, dan bekerja lebih serius dalam usaha pencegahan maupun pemberantasan korupsi.

Source:  www.ti.or.id

Obama visit to proceed despite volcanic ash concerns

Jakarta (RRI News – Djakarta News)- Obama will visit Jakarta as scheduled despite concern that volcanic ashes from Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta could dash the plan, a spokesman for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said.

Yudhoyono`s special aide for international affairs, Teuku Faizasyah made the statement here Monday in response to reports that seven international airlines on Sunday (Nov 7) cancelled their flights to Jakarta`s Soekarno-Hatta international airport citing concern that volcanic ashes from Mt Merapi could endanger aircraft engines. "We haven`t heard any news about Obama`s visit being canceled. Therefore, preparations for his arrivel in Jakarta are still on," Teuku Faizasyah said here on Monday.

During his two-day visit in Jakarta, Obama is scheduled to meet with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, witness the signing of an Indonesia-US Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (CPA), visit Istiqlal mosque in Central Jakarta and give general lecture at the Univeristy of Indonesia.

A total of 10.232 police personnel will be deployed to secure Obama`s visit in Jakarta. President Obama`s visit to Indonesia will be part of his 10-day Asian tour and takes place after he has been to India and before he goes to South Korea for the G-20 summit and Japan for an APEC meeting.

A White House official said that US President Barack Obama`s visit to Asia would underscore his Asia strategy of renewed engagement.

US engagement in Asia is "founded upon our core alliances in the region, and of course South Korea and Japan are at the top of that list," Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, told reporters at a briefing on the visit. He said the visit to Indonesia was meant to "deepen partnership with emerging powers," adding that Obama would deliver a speech there on his outreach effort to the Muslim world on Nov. 10.

Due to a variety of reasons, Obama had postponed visits to Indonesia three times, which had somewhat angered the Southeast Asian country which construed it as a sign of "lack of respect." In September, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono did not attend a summit between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in New York, citing "domestic reasons."

Even so , Rhodes stressed Indonesia`s importance to the US as the largest Muslim-majority country and the biggest economy in ASEAN, saying it was the intersection of a lot of key American interests. "We see this as a partnership that is very important to the future of American interests in Asia and the world," he said.

Obama`s visit to Indonesia and the speech he plans to deliver there were designed to continue his efforts to improve America`s tarnished image in the Muslim world.ant.elf

Source: rri.co.id

Foto: bbc.co.uk

Tempat Parkir Sepeda Sangat Dibutuhkan di Jakarta

Jakarta (Djakarta News)- Kemacetan di Jakarta terjadi saat jam-jam berangkat dan pulang kerja, ditambah cuaca yang ekstrim akhir-akhir ini dengan hujan yang cukup lebat, membuat kemacetan semakin parah. Penyebab kemacetan sebenarnya begitu kompleks, dari membludaknya pemakai kendaraan pribadi seperti mobil dan motor, hingga kurang layaknya sarana transportasi umum massal. Tujuan utama yang harus dilakukan adalah peningkatan pelayanan transportasi massal yang aman, nyaman, murah, dan terintegrasi dengan kawasan strategis.

Salah satu kebutuhan pendukung transportasi massal yang sebenarnya sangat diperlukan di Jakarta adalah tersedianya lahan parkir untuk sepeda. Dengan adanya tempat-tempat parkir sepeda di tempat yang strategis seperti di terminal bus, stasiun kereta api, bandar udara, halte-halte bus, mal, pasar dan lain-lain, akan meningkatkan pengguna sarana transportasi massal. Contoh kecil, misalnya orang yang tinggal jauh dari jalan protokol, terminal,  stasiun, halte bus, atau rute transportasi massal, bisa menggunakan sepeda dengan tujuan ke sarana transportasi massal terdekat, dengan tidak harus menggunakan kendaraan pribadi seperti mobil atau motor. 

Seperti di Tokyo Jepang, untuk mengatasi massalah parkir sepeda, tempat parkir dengan sistem robot (robotic parking) telah diciptakan untuk memarkir sepeda secara cepat, aman dan efisien. Dengan populasi besar di Tokyo, ada ribuan orang yang naik sepeda untuk bekerja, ke stasiun kereta api karena sarana transportasi di Tokyo murah, praktis dan efisien. Karena terdapat begitu banyak sepeda di jalanan, ada peningkatan kebutuhan tempat parkir yang layak untuk sepeda .

Jika anda memikirkan kota yang penuh sepeda, pertama mungkin Amsterdam atau sebuah kota di Cina. Tapi Tokyo memiliki keunikan sendiri dengan jumlah pengendara sepeda yang besar. Dengan 90 persen komuter di Tokyo menggunakan kereta api , 30 persen diantaranya mengandalkan sepeda untuk mencapai tujuan akhir mereka. Begitu banyak sepeda, mulai menjadi massalh untuk menemukan tempat  parkirnya. Satu solusi yang aman, ramah lingkungan, robot tempat parkir telah ditemukan dengan sistem otomatis penyimpanan bawah tanah.

Memang, untuk pengendara sepeda di Tokyo, solusi ini tidaklah sederhana. Sistem ini menggunakan kartu keanggotaan yang biaya ¥ 2.600 (sekitar $ 29 atau € 21) per bulan, ada juga yang sekitar $ 18 sebulan. Tiap orang memiliki akses ke garasi parkir sepeda selama sebulan. Ketika mereka tiba di tempat parkir tersebut, mereka menempatkan sepeda mereka di tempat tertentu, gesek kartu magnetik anggota mereka, dan robot datang mengambil sepeda untuk disimpan selama satu hari (atau lebih).

Tangan robot datang menjemput sepeda dan menyimpannya di bawah tanah dengan ribuan sepeda lain. Biasanya berlangsung sekitar 10 detik untuk mengambil sepeda mereka ketika kembali. Ini adalah ciptaan yang indah yang sangat efisien  karena bawah tanah.

Untuk di Jakarta tidak usah terlalu muluk dulu, yang penting disediakan tempat parkir sepeda yang memadai walaupun sederhana, sambil memberikan solusi yang hebat untuk penumpang transportasi massal di Jakarta. Hal ini bisa membantu mempromosikan penggunaan sepeda sebagai pendukung terwujudnya sarana transportasi massal dengan menciptakan solusi yang praktis, murah dan mudah.

Source:

• walyou.com
• green.autoblog.com
• break4fun.zarke.net

RI should make ASEAN more economy-oriented

Jakarta (ANTARA News – Djakarta News) - Under Indonesia`s leadership, ASEAN should be made more economy-oriented in preparation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)`s platform without abandoning its traditional three pillars, an observer said. "As chairman of ASEAN, Indonesia will have a big opportunity to determine the direction of ASEAN cooperation," Adriana Elisabeth, a researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), told ANTARA News in an interview, on Monday.

She was asked for her comments after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at a press conference when he was in Hanoi attending 17th ASEAN Summit last week that Indonesia would work on a declaration on ASEAN`s commitment on world affairs and play a more active role in the creation of a fair and prosperous new global order. The declaration will be brought to the 18th ASEAN summit in Bali, said President Yudhoyono after Vietnam handed over the ASEAN chair to Indonesia.

Elisabeth said ASEAN member countries had set themselves the target of realizing the ASEAN community by 2015, therefore the three pillars of ASEAN, namely politics-security, economy and socio-culture, needed optimum and simultaneous progress in their implementation as they were interconnected. "However, in my opinion, based on the president`s explanations yesterday, Indonesia should prepare a master plan for ASEAN`s economic development as a way for realizing the ASEAN Economic Community," Elisabeth said, adding that the plan should include revitalizing the sub-regional cooperation schemes such as the Sijori (Singapore-Johor-Riau) growth triangle.

This approach would need an integrated land and sea infrastructure to accelerate economic relations between the member states and their communication, she said. Elisabeth said there were several growth triangles, besides Sijori, namely Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand (IMT-GT), Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippine East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). In facing global challenges, Elisabeth said, ASEAN needed to revise its elitist character and make itself popular among its own peoples. This could be done through making down-to-earth programs aimed at elevating the prosperity levels in the region.

Elisabeth said Indonesia, as chairman of ASEAN, could help Papua New Guinea to become a full member of ASEAN and be able to make considerations bearing in mind the diversity of interests, political-cultural system and level of economic growth and threats faced by ASEAN member countries. She said if Papua New Guinea could get full membership, ASEAN would ethnically become more diversified.

Source: antaranews.com