TOYOTA READY TO INVEST RP5.4 TRILLION IN INDONESIA

Jakarta (Antara West Kalimantan)- The Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) group is ready to invest Rp5.4 trillion in Indonesia this year, according to Industry Minister Saleh Husin.

Husin received the pledge during a meeting with TMC Executive Vice President Seiichi Sudo in Nagoya, Japan, on Thursday.

"Toyota is serious about doing business in Indonesia. This year, it will invest Rp5.4 trillion, following the Rp5 trillion worth of investment that the company made in 2015," he noted in a press statement received here, Friday.

This reflects that global investors still trust Indonesias investment climate and see prospects in the nations automotive industry, he noted.

The minister has lauded Toyota for its trust and continued investment in Indonesia, after selecting the nation as one of its investment destinations and a Toyota car production base so far.

He called on Toyota and its partners in Japan to increase investment in the automotive sector, particularly for the manufacturing of materials and spare parts.

The minister also invited the company to conduct research and development activities in Indonesia to strengthen the structure of Japans existing automotive industry in Indonesia.

Husin also urged Toyota to increase the production of cars in Indonesia, which has a population of over 250 million, including 74 million belonging to the middle class.

The Toyota brand dominates around 31-32 percent of Indonesias domestic market.

Within five years, from 2015 to 2019, Toyota has planned to invest a total of Rp20 trillion.

Until 2014, Toyota had invested Rp40 trillion in Indonesia.

Currently, the Japanese company is constructing an engine plant in Karawang, West Java. (*)

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VICE PRESIDENT OPENS 24TH GAIKINDO INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

Jakarta (Antara West Kalimantan) - Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla, on Thursday, officially inaugurated the 24th Gaikindo International Auto Show at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition in BSD City being held on August 11-21, 2016.

"I would like to laud this exhibition and express hope that the event is not intended to increase consumption but would help to boost the economy and technology," Kalla noted in his speech here on Thursday.

The vice president remarked that the automotive industry had become a driver of growth in several developed countries as the sector had upstream and downstream functions.

"There are multiple players in this industry. If its upstream industry is developing, its supporting or downstream industry is also growing. The supporting industry comprises dealers, workshops, spare parts manufacturers, and others," the vice president stated.

With regard to growth in the automotive industry today, the vice president was optimistic that the ownership of cars and houses would also become a benchmark of welfare in Indonesia.

The vice president also highlighted the theme of the exhibition that is green technology for a better future. The theme was considered sensitive to the demands of the times.

"Today, the world demands a car that not only has sophisticated technology and design but is also environment-friendly," he affirmed.

Therefore, the vice president has urged Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto to assess environmentally friendly cars that could be part of the industry and the superiority of Indonesian exports.

"The government should follow the developments in technology," he affirmed.

The event was also attended Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartanto, Banten Governor Rano Karno, and the ambassadors of friendly countries.

As many as 361 participants are showcasing 31 brands of cars, comprising 25 transport vehicles and six commercial vehicles at the exhibition.

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WEST KALIMANTAN POLICE FOIL ATTEMPT TO SMUGGLE METH FROM MALAYSIA

Pontianak (Antara West Kalimantan) - The Sambas Police in West Kalimantan Province have foiled an attempt to smuggle 6.46 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 39,730 pills of happyfive from Malaysia into the Aruk border crossing in Indonesia.

Two individuals identified as Ruston Nawawi alias Ujang and Deni Nursiansyah alias Denny, both inhabitants of Pontianak City, were detained in the smuggling attempt, Chief of the West Kalimantan Police Musyafak stated here, Wednesday.

Nawawi was paid Rp20 million for driving a Nissan X Trail SUV bearing registration number KB 1464 AK from Malaysia through the Biawak-Aruk border post, while Nursiansyah was also paid Rp20 million for carrying the drugs concealed within the sound system.

The duo were on the lookout for someone who could help them cross the border and were willing to pay Rp50 million.

After receiving the tip-off, the police on Sunday (June 26) sent an officer in disguise who made the arrest after crossing the border.

The two suspects said the drugs were to be sold in Pontianak.

"The suspects confessed that they had smuggled drugs from Malaysia into West Kalimantan through the Biawak-Aruk border crossing on two instances. They first smuggled the same quantity of drugs on June 11, 2016," noted the police.

Musyafak remarked that he had ordered border patrol officers to intensify security in the border areas of Sambas, Bengkayang, Sanggau, Sintang, and Kapuas Hulu to prevent the smuggling of drugs from Malaysia.

In line with the instructions of President Joko Widodo, who has called for imposing stringent punishment on drug offenders, Musyafak said he had ordered his officers to not hesitate to open fire on drug traffickers if they attempted to flee.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR)

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FISHERIES SECTOR NEEDS SIMPLIFICATION OF LICENSING PROCEDURE

Pontianak (Antara West Kalimantan) - General chairman of the West Kalimantan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Santyoso Tio said the fisheries sector needs simplification of licensing procedure.

Fishing companies complained about a number of regulations issued by the government that the regulations restricted their activities.

"The restrictive regulations hampered expansion of capture fisheries in West Kalimantan. Fisheries are potential economic sector in West Kalimantan as it is geographically close to the Natuna Sea, which is known to be the heaven for fishermen, Santyoso said here on Wednesday.

Santyoso said the local fishermen could not grow because of conflicting regulations, maki8ng it difficult to secure licenses.

The government does not want foreign fishing vessels in Indonesian seas but foreign fishing boats remain operating in our seas as we continue to given room for illegal operation, he said.

"If we have enough fishing vessels, it would not be easy for foreign fishing vessels to operate in our waters without being detected," he said.

The cause of the problem, therefore, is production of big fishing ships is restricted with regulations, with red tape in licensing procedure, he said.

He suggested the central government give the authority to regional administration in licensing the production and use of fishing vessels.

"It is not that we could not produce fishing vessels with capacity of more than 300 tons. Now we have to go to Jakarta to seek the license. It is no wonder that few people are interested in doing business in sea fishing," he said.

He called on the Marine and Fisheries Ministry to be focus on planning, expansion and strategy to develop the fishery sector in Indonesia including West Kalimantan.

"How to make it easier for our fishermen to go to the sea with competitive fishing boats and gears. If the traditional fishermen are given the facility, there would be no room for foreign fishing vessels operating illegally in Indonesian waters. Our sea would be full of our fishing vessels leaving no room for illegal operation by foreign ones," he said.

The Indonesian government hopes to develop the fisheries sector into a major contributor to the state income by launching a tough policy against illegal fishing.

In international forums, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has repeatedly called for war against illegal fishing .

In the recent ASEAN summit in Laos the president said illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has caused a loss of at least US$20 billion to Indonesia every year.

IUU fishing is not only a threat to the welfare of low income fishermen and but also to the environment, he was quoted as saying.

Cooperation in eradicating IUU Fishing needs serious addressing mainly with intensive exchange of information, he said.

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MALAYSIAN AUTHORITIES SUSPECTED OF NEGLECTING DRUG SMUGGLING INTO WEST KALIMANTAN

By: Andilala

Pontianak (ANTARA News) - Mayor of Pontianak Sutarmidji suspects that the Malaysian authorities are neglecting a large number of attempts to smuggle drugs into West Kalimantan.

"They say that Malaysia has advanced equipment, but then how can drugs in such large quantities be able to enter West Kalimantan by passing undetected through their official border checkpoints," Sutarmidji stated here on Tuesday.

Sutarmidji questioned how such large quantities of drugs could be smuggled out of Malaysia, even though it possessed highly sophisticated detection equipment.

"It could have been carried out for political reasons in order to weaken Indonesia. The matter should be raised with the Malaysian side," Sutarmidji remarked.

Sutarmidji suspected that Malaysians were deliberately importing drugs in large quantities.

"It can still be understood if the drugs were smuggled through illegal routes, but instead they are coming through border checkpoints," the mayor pointed out.

Malaysian Consulates Liaison Officer of the Malaysian Police in Pontianak ASP Muhammad Ibrahim had earlier noted that the border between Sarawak, Malaysia, and West Kalimantan, Indonesia, was vulnerable to drug smuggling.

"The issue of drug smuggling through border checkpoints is not only a problem in Indonesia, especially in Kalimantan, but also a serious concern for the Malaysian government," Ibrahim affirmed.

Ibrahim pointed out that the two countries still lacked sophisticated facilities to detect drugs, especially to foil smuggling attempts made through border checkpoints.

"We are constantly coordinating with the office in Kuching, and if anyone is found to be involved in drug trading activities, then we need to get to the bottom of this matter seriously, either in West Kalimantan or in Kuching," Ibrahim emphasized.

The state of Sarawak is one of the transit points for drugs before they are sent out. Drugs are mostly shipped through boats, which originate from neighboring countries, especially in Southeast Asia.

"Narcotics cases in Malaysia are handled seriously, and the possession of merely five grams of drugs alone can lead to the imposition of a death penalty," Ibrahim added.

Editor: Edi Supendri

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CHINA DONATES HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF BOOKS TO AL AZHAR UNIVERSITY IN JAKARTA

 

Photo document of Library of Al Azhar University, Jakarta. (perpustakaan.uai.ac.id)

Jakarta (Antara West Kalimantan) - China donated hundreds of thousands of books to and opened a library at Al Azhar University of Indonesia on Tuesday (Sept. 27) as part of efforts to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the educational field.

"The opening of the library is aimed at opening relations between the peoples of China and Indonesia. We hope these books will improve a knowledge of our country," counselor of the China Embassy in Indonesia, Sun Wei De said.

The donation comprised some 500,000 English literary works, 2,400 books of different subjects, 26.000 journals, 11,000 reference books, and 20,000 Chinese newspapers.

"Relations between the governments of China and Indonesia have been growing rapidly in the past few years. The opening of the library is aimed at increasing peoples knowledge," Sun said.

Sun said some 500 Chinese students are studying in Indonesia, while about 14,000 Indonesian students pursued higher education at different universities in China.

Meanwhile, rector of Al Azhar University of Indonesia Ahmad H. Lubis warmly welcomed the book donation and hoped it will help academics improve the quality of education and service to the public.

"This library is open to the public," he said.

The opening of Chinese library at the university is part of a series of Chinese cultural program held on September 27-28.

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U.S. ASTRONAUTS PERFORM SEVEN-HOUR SPACEWALK OUTSIDE STATION

NASA astronauts Jeffrey Williams (pictured) and Kate Rubins (reflected in Williams' visor). (nasa.gov)

 
Cape Canaveral (Antara West Kalimantan) - Two U.S. astronauts sailed through a seven-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station to pack up a spare cooling radiator and tackle other maintenance, a NASA TV broadcast showed.

In their second spacewalk in two weeks, Commander Jeffrey Williams and Flight Engineer Kate Rubins left the stations airlock around 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) as the station orbited 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.

"Its good to be out here," said Rubins, 37.

On Aug. 19, Rubins and Williams installed a docking system to enable commercial space taxis currently in development to park at the station, breaking Russias monopoly on crew transport.

Test flights of Space Exploration Technologys Crew Dragon capsule are expected to begin next year, followed by the debut of Boeings CST-100 Starliner in 2018.

It was not immediately known what impact, if any, the loss of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during a routine prelaunch test in Florida on Thursday (Sept. 1) would have on the companys other programs.

For Thursdays spacewalk, the astronauts headed to the far end of the station to retract a radiator that was last used in 2012.

Folding up the panel will protect it from strikes by micrometeors and orbital debris, NASA flight director Zeb Scoville told an Aug. 24 news conference.

"We really want to be able to get it retracted and covered up so we can count on it in the future, should the need arise," Scoville said.

Williams, making his fifth spacewalk, and Rubins then tackled several maintenance tasks, including installing a high-definition camera on the stations truss so ground controllers can better inspect the Russian Soyuz capsules that ferry crew members to and from the station, a $100 billion project in which 15 countries are participating.

Williams, along with Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka, are scheduled to climb aboard one of the two Soyuz capsules docked at the station on Tuesday, ending their 172-day mission.

Williams, 58, will return home as NASAs most-experienced astronaut. During his four spaceflights, including three stints aboard the space station, Williams surpassed the 520-day cumulative record of former U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly, with 534 days in orbit.

Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka holds the world record with 878 days in space.

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CHINESE COMPANY AGREES TO PROCESS GARBAGE TO GENERATE POWER

Kuching (Antara West Kalimantan) - The Pontianak city administration will cooperate with Shanghai Electric Group Co Ltd and Zhong Sheng Hua Tai International Energy Co Ltd, a Chinese state company, to process city garbage to generate electricity.

"A memorandum of understanding was signed here on Tuesday by deputy major of Pontianak, Edi Rusdi Kamtono and Zhi Qiang Gu representing Shanghai Electric here on Tuesday.

Under the initial agreement, a garbage fueled power plant (PLTS) would be built in the city`s garbage disposal place in Batu Layang, Edi said.

"We will have talks about details including on feasibility study (FS) of the project, which will have a capacity of 8-10 megawatts" he said.

If the project is carried out, the city would be clean of garbage and will have additional supply of power, he said.

President of Shanghai Electric, Zhi Qiang Gu, said the entire project would be handled by Shanghai Electric from design and construction.

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