Month: July 2011

Ministries Disagree Over Film Import Priorities

The Jakarta Globe

With major movies still missing from Indonesia’s screens, the Finance Ministry and the Culture and Tourism Ministry are at odds over whether or not the to address the lack of competition in the import of films.


Bambang Permadi Brodjonegoro, the head of fiscal affairs at the Finance Ministry, said the near-monopoly held by the country’s main film importers needed to end.

“Two film importers handle six major studios,” Bambang said. “We should ask the major studios, such as Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox to open a representative office in Indonesia.”

He added that an alternative solution would be to make sure all major studios use a separate local business partner.

The Finance Ministry’s Directorate General of Customs recently granted a new foreign-film importing license to Omega Film. However, that company is believed to be related to major cinema chain 21 Cineplex.

Omega Film is also said to be linked to two film importers banned from bringing Hollywood films to Indonesia after they were ordered by the state to pay a total of Rp 31 billion ($3.6 million) in unpaid taxes. That demand was made shortly after the Motion Picture Association of America decided to stop exporting movies to Indonesia over a dispute on royalty calculations.

Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik said on Wednesday that the specifics of the business model were less important than the problems currently preventing foreign films from entering the Indonesian market.

He added that a wider variety of film importers would not fix the royalty row, and that if a monopoly on importing would give the people access to blockbuster movies, then that option should not be rejected.

Culture Ministry Honors 24 for Preserving Indonesia’s Fading Arts

The Jakarta Globe
Culture Ministry Honors 24 for Preserving Indonesia’s Fading Arts

The government on Wednesday honored traditional artists, including the last living performer of a sacred Central Javanese dance, for preserving the dying cultures of their regions.


Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik recognized 24 individuals, including six “maestros” aged between 69 and 89, who had worked since their youth to keep their traditions alive.

One of them was Dariah, 83, from Banyumas, Central Java, whom the minister said was the only surviving person knowledgeable in the Lengger Lanang dance, which she performed at the awards ceremony.

“Indonesia has so many artists who have dedicated themselves to preserving and reviving their culture,” Jero said. “They do it simply because they love it.

“Therefore, it is the government’s duty to give them a reward for what they have done to the country.”

Another maestro, 75-year-old Katija, was awarded for preserving the kakula , a traditional brass percussion instrument from Central Sulawesi.

Throughout her years promoting the artifact, however, she has used a wooden version of the instrument because the metal version was expensive, according to Katija’s nephew.

“She only learned to play a homemade kakula, which is made from the wood of ketapang [or Indian almond tree],” the nephew told the minister on behalf of Katija, who does not speak Indonesian.

Prizes — a certificate and Rp 1.5 million ($175) in cash for each winner — were also handed to six famous artists, including poet Gerson Poyk and Sundanese puppeteer Asep Sunandar Sunarya.

Singer Franky Sahilatua and actress Tuti Indra Malaon were honored posthumously.

In another category, six art enthusiasts from across the archipelago were noted for their work in preserving a variety of art forms, from batik to the metal instrument Gong Sibolong.

The remaining winners were high school students who “contributed to dance and music.”

“[Their examples] show that in order to establish and preserve their own culture, they need to have strong passion and they must never be too tired to share their knowledge to young generations,” the minister said.

Jero added that no price could be put on the winners’ contributions to society.

“Even though they do not get paid as traditional artists, they have continued doing so,” he said. “Hopefully, this award can motivate the younger generation to get involved in preserving Indonesian culture because our country is rich in it.”

Jakarta Suggests Fees Range for Road Pricing Plan

The Jakarta Globe

A Jakarta official said on Wednesday that the tariff for the planned citywide electronic road pricing system was still yet to be finalized, as was the necessary regulations for its implementation.


Udar Pristono, head of the Jakarta Transportation Office, said it was considering an ERP rate of between Rp 6,500 and Rp 21,000 (75 cents and $2.50).

“However, we have not made the final decision yet because we need to consider the ERP rate based on the toll roads fee, the cost of hiring jockeys to get around the three-in-one carpool rule and also motorists’ ability to pay it,” he said.

The Jakarta administration should also consider the 2009 Regional Tax Law when deciding the ERP rate, he added.

The transportation office hopes to be able to complete all of the necessary regulations on the ERP later this year so it can be ready for implementation in 2012.

One possibility floated by the city has been to start with a higher rate of Rp 21,000 per vehicle and then revise the price after implementation following the response from the public.

“If the ERP rate is too expensive, then we will reduce it,” Udar said. “But if us too low, then we will increase it.”

Udar said that aside from the new ERP system, the government would also improve public transportation by adding more busway routes and launching a feeder system.

“There will be two feeder busways from the SCBD and Senayan areas that will take passengers to the Gelora Bung Karno busway stop, and also from Tanah Abang and Gambir to the Medan Merdeka Barat stop,” he said.

The city is also planning to buy 23 more buses and create five more busway corridors.

Asked to comment on the ERP system, Sudaryatmo, from the Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI), said it would help to reduce the use of private vehicles, but consumers still needed to be consulted before a price was set.

“The ERP rate needs to be decided based on the results of a survey on people’s willingness and ability to pay the tariff,” he said. “I don’t agree with a rate of Rp 100,000, because that would just be plain robbery.”

The Jakarta Police had earlier called for a fee high enough to discourage private car use — at between Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000.

Sudaryatmo said the revenue from the ERP system should be used to improve the city’s pubic transportation facilities.

“Although the implementation of ERP is necessary to reduce the use of private cars, the government needs to also improve the availability of public transportation so that people have alternatives,” he said.

Outside of Jakarta, the government has also decided to implement ERP systems in Medan, Surabaya, Bandung and Makassar.

Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi said the central and regional governments were working on regulations and bylaws to support a law passed last month on traffic management that governs the implementation of the ERP system.

Govt Urged to Promote Use of IUD Contraceptive

The Jakarta Globe

Govt Urged to Promote Use of IUD Contraceptive

Medical experts on Tuesday urged the government to heavily promote the use of intrauterine contraceptive devices as they were best suited for most Indonesians.

Djajadilaga, head of family planning and abortion at the Indonesian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (POGI), said that IUDs were one of the most effective forms of birth control available, but were not being promoted heavily enough.

“IUDs have no contra-indications like other forms of birth control, such as the pill or injections,” he said at a discussion on the use of contraception to reduce the nation’s maternal mortality rate.

More women die as a result of childbirth in Indonesia than in any other nation in Southeast Asia. According to the Health Ministry, some 229 women died for every 100,000 births in 2009.

Some medical experts hope that a rise in birth control will reign in the nation’s maternal mortality rate.

According to Unicef statistics, only 57 percent of the nation’s women use contraception.

Todd Callahan, the country director for DKT Indonesia, a nonprofit organization that focuses on family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention, said IUDs had never gained popularity as a form of birth control here because of a lack of promotion.

“The Indonesian government has tended to promote the use of short-term birth control methods such as pills or injections,” he said at the discussion.

IUDs have a failure rate under typical-use conditions of just 0.8 percent. Condoms fail 15 percent of the time, studies have shown.

Djajadilaga said that to raise public awareness about IUDs, doctors would have to explain the benefits to patients.

“It’s very important that a doctor explains all there is to know about IUDs because there are so many different types and everyone has different needs,” he said.

“We also need to counter the myths about the pluses and minuses of IUD use, including the misconception that it causes vaginal bleeding.”

Another benefit of using IUDs, he said, was that couples using it could still conceive anytime after removing the device.

“Unlike with the pill or injections, the use of IUDs will not delay the time to conception,” he said.

Sugiri Syarief, chairman of the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN), agreed that IUDs were the ideal form of contraception for Indonesians, not least because of their low price.

“IUDs range in price from Rp 15,000 to Rp 2 million,” he said.

“This it might appear expensive at first, but it works out much cheaper when you consider that it’s for long-term use. The government currently runs a program offering IUDs to the public at a subsidized cost of Rp 15,000.”

The lack of awareness aside, Callahan said the initial expense of buying the device and getting it fitted was one of the factors that may be putting many people off using IUDs.

“But the thing that makes IUDs appear more expensive is the [fee for the] doctor’s service, which is sometimes more expensive than the IUD itself,” Callahan said.

Now Jakarta Plans Color-Coding for Cars to Beat Jams

The Jakarta Globe

Three-in-one. Truck bans. Electronic road pricing. With the capital’s traffic woes continuing unabated, the police are now considering a radical new scheme to restrict car use: color.


Sr. Comr. Royke Lumowa, the Jakarta Police’s traffic chief, said they were studying a plan to only allow cars of particular colors on the streets each day.

“If the study is completed this month, then in August it might be publicized and hopefully by the end of August it can be implemented,” he said, adding a trial period would last until October.

The scheme has gained favor with the police after they dropped an earlier plan to restrict cars based on whether their license plates ended in odd or even numbers.

“For the odd and even numbered plates, it would have been difficult to implement because not only are they small, they can also be faked,” Royke said.

Nonetheless, the color restriction scheme would only go ahead if the public approved of it, the traffic chief said.

“If this study is accepted by the public, then we will go ahead with it. If not, then we won’t,” he said, adding that the restriction would only apply to private vehicles.

Royke said the classification of cars would be dark and light colors, although he added the police were yet to determine which colors belonged to which group. “Where multiple colors are concerned, we will see which color is dominant,” he added.

Royke said a list of colors for each category would be announced during the introductory period. Where and during which times the restriction would apply would also be determined at a later date, although the scheme would most likely cover major thoroughfares that also accommodated busway lanes, including Jalan Gatot Subroto, Jalan M.H. Thamrin and Jalan Sudirman, as well as the Kuningan, Warung Buncit, Daan Mogot and Pondok Indah areas.

He also said the restriction would initially only be utilized two days a week and only during rush hour.

Meanwhile, Royke said his office was still working with the city on a study to determine the appropriate price for an electronic road pricing system.

He said the police wanted the fee to be high enough to discourage private car use. “Between Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000 should be the ideal range,” he said, adding that it should not be cheaper than traffic fines otherwise “it would be nonsense.”

Royke said both schemes should be accompanied by better parking facilities and improved public transportation.

Jakarta’s deputy governor, Prijanto, said the city was looking to expand the busway network with as many as 44 buses to be purchased this year.

The city is also awaiting the first stage of a rail-based mass rapid transit system, he said. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with the system expected to be in operation by 2016.

Danang Parikesit, chairman of the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI), a nongovernmental group, told the Jakarta Globe that the planned restrictions should only come into effect after adequate, comfortable and reliable public transportation was made available.

“There are about 20 million commuters, but only 4.8 million seats available on public transportation in Greater Jakarta every day,” he said.

Danang said it was important for the government to improve public transportation, particularly the busway network, by adding more routes, more vehicles and increasing capacity.

Udar Pristono, head of the Jakarta Transportation Office, said they were looking at Singapore’s ERP system to help determine an appropriate price. They will also consider toll road fees and the cost of hiring “jockeys” to get around the 3-in-1 carpool rule, he said.

Zaky Pawas & Elisabeth Oktofani

In a Bind, Govt Begs Hollywood For Films

The Jakarta Globe

In a Bind, Govt Begs Hollywood For Films

Underscoring the fact that the ball was no longer in its court, the government said on Friday that it had asked the Motion Picture Association of America to resume sending films to Indonesia.

“I met with US government representatives three days ago to discuss the import of films from MPAA,” Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said on Friday.

“We have clarified that Indonesia has nothing against the American government, exporters or producers.”

Films from MPAA members — which include Disney, Paramount, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. — have not been screened in the country since Feb. 17 as a royalty dispute prompted a foreign-film boycott.

The MPAA’s international counterpart, the MPA, had said the decision to include royalties in its import-tax calculation had a “detrimental impact on the cost of bringing a film into Indonesia.”

Last month, the Finance Ministry announced a new scheme that would see importers pay only a “specific tax” on movies, rather than an ad valorem tax, which was based on each film’s ticket sales.

The measure was meant to resolve the dispute and head off the drastic slump in ticket sales since the Hollywood film boycott started.

With two of three accredited film importers refusing to settle unpaid royalties totaling Rp 22 billion ($2.6 million) and locked in a court battle with the state, though, Agus said one recourse was for the MPAA to seek other domestic distributors.

The third company, which deals mainly with small and independent films, has paid Rp 9 billion in back taxes.

Agus said he had set up a special team under the Directorate General of Customs to spearhead the initiative. The directorate has granted a new foreign-film importing license to Omega Film and is considering requests from five other importers.

“There are other importers to work with,” Agus said. “If that can be realized, it will make Indonesians happy and American producers will see good growth.”

Likewise, Ukus Kuswara, a Culture and Tourism Ministry official, said the state should help other import firms to forge deals with Hollywood companies.

“We are helping importers establish [links] and hopefully make agreements with major studios,” he said.

Nine importers are allowed to bring in films, but most of those only distribute second-rate movies.

Elisabeth Oktofani& Dion Bisara

Courts Lets Smuggling Case Teens in Australia Walk Free

The Jakarta Globe
Courts Lets Smuggling Case Teens in Australia Walk Free

An Australian court has dropped charges against three Indonesian teenagers accused of people smuggling after being arrested in Australian waters, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta said on Friday.


“The prosecutor decided not to pursue the case against them after their lawyers presented evidence such as their school diplomas and birth certificates to prove that they are indeed minors,” Michael Tene said.

The Brisbane Magistrates Court dismissed all charges against Ose Lani, 15, Ako Lani, 16, and John Ndollu, 17. The three were arrested in January of last year during a raid on a boat carrying Afghan and Iranian asylum seekers to Australia. They were facing up to five years in prison.

The three were held at a detention center for asylum seekers before being transferred to a high-security prison for adults in Brisbane. They were released two weeks ago and put up by a local welfare agency.

The teenagers are now free to return to their homes in East Nusa Tenggara. The Indonesian Consulate in Sydney is in talks with Queensland immigration officials to arrange for the minors’ repatriation to the village of Manamolo on Rote Island.

“We expect to fly them home as soon as possible,” Michael said.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the charges against the three were dropped just hours after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard to discuss the issue.

A defendant is considered a minor until 18 years of age in Australian courts. Australian regulations stipulate that illegal aliens believed to have committed a crime can be sent home without being tried in court.

There are currently 29 cases where Indonesian minors are being detained in Australia, Michael said.

News of the arrests prompted criticism from nongovernmental organizations like the Human Rights Working Group, which accused the Australian government of violating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The convention states that minors should only be imprisoned as a last resort, and then, only for a short period of time.

“We urge the Australian government to uphold the international practice in accordance with the child rights convention by releasing them from any immigration detention facility [or prison],” the HRWG said in a statement.

Nur Cholis, the deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), hailed the Brisbane court’s decision to release the three minors.

Ismira Lutfia & Elisabeth Oktofani

Passengers Air Anger at New Commuter Trains

The Jakarta Globe

As the trial run of a new commuter railway operating system entered its second day, many users on Friday aired irritation and annoyance with what they said was a lack of safety, efficiency and comfort.


On Thursday, state railway company Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) launched a trial run before the new operational system debuted today.

Under the new system, KAI is no longer running more expensive express trains. Now, all commuter trains plying the same route will be air-conditioned but will cost the same fare and stop at every station on the way.

Under the old system, KAI had operated three classes of commuter train services between Jakarta and its satellite cities of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi. Tickets for the air-conditioned express trains ranged from Rp 4,500 to Rp 11,000 (53 cents to $1.30) depending on the route, while the economy-class train cost between Rp 1,500 to Rp 4,500.

Lodevica Retna, 43, a commuter from Bekasi, said it used to take her 20 minutes by train to get to Gondangdia Station in Central Jakarta. The trip now takes 40 minutes.

“For express commuter train passengers, our transportation cost might appear reduced, but our comfort has been reduced at the same time,” Lodevica said.

She complained that trips were much longer since trains had to stop at every station and that the trains were more packed than express trains.

“Other than that, passengers also have to face safety concerns because the possibility of there being pickpockets on board the train is greater,” she said, referring to the packed carriages.

Lodevica also said the new system negated one of the reasons the express trains were popular: shorter trips.

“We just want to get to Jakarta as fast as possible, but it appears there is no other choice for us now than taking this commuter line,” she said.

Novieta Tourisia, 23, a commuter from Depok who uses trains to travel to Juanda Station, which is also in Central Jakarta, said her commuting time had doubled from 25 minutes to 50 minutes.

“The implementation of the one-system commuter line was so messy during the trial run because many passengers were not well-informed about the new schedule, causing passenger accumulation in some stations,” she said.

Novita said that since trains were now packed, seat numbers were not respected and many passengers even went as far as bringing their own folding chairs.

She also pointed out that there were no ticket checks conducted during the two days.

“Will we no longer have comfortable and efficient public transportation?” she asked.

Nurcahyo, the moderator of KRL Mania, a train commuter community, said many passengers had not been well-informed about the new system, fares and schedules.

“KAI needs to add more trains and more schedules to reduce the accumulation of passengers in some stations,” he said.

Maintenance Work Set To Cause Pipes to Run Dry in East Jakarta

The Jakarta Globe
Maintenance Work Set To Cause Pipes to Run Dry in East Jakarta


Twelve urban wards in East Jakarta may experience water shortages over the next couple of days as planned maintenance is carried out on a major pipeline.

Rika Anjulika, a spokeswoman from private water operator Aetra, told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday that Kampung Baru, Cibubur, Cijantung, Ciracas, Dukuh, Kelapa Dua Weta, Kalisari, Susukan, Cipayung, Gedong and Pekayon would be affected but customers would ultimately receive a better service.

“In order to provide a better water supply, we are rehabilitating and changing the main water pipeline,” she said.

Rika said the 1.4 kilometer-long pipeline was originally built by the Dutch in 1922, and was in urgent need of upgrading.

The maintenance works, she said, would be conducted during the night from 9 p.m. and would hopefully be completed by Saturday morning.

“We have decided to do it during the night because we assume that there will be less people using water at that time,” she said.

“Hopefully, we will have it done by 3 a.m. as many customers will be waking up to conduct the morning prayer.”

Rika said Aetra would be providing free water to customers experiencing problems with their supplies, bringing in water by truck during the maintenance period.

“We are opening a 24-hour call center, at [021] 577 2010, for our customers who need water. We will send a water tank to them,” she said.

However, supplies from water tanks would have to be coordinated with local communities because they each carried about 4,000 liters, she added.

Tulus Abadi, managing director of the Indonesian Customer Protection Foundation (YLKI), said water operators should provide compensation to customers if there were service disruptions due to maintenance works.

“They must provide their customer with a free water supply while the maintenance is being done because if they don’t, they will be in violation of the 1999 Consumer Protection Law,” he said.

He said Aetra should also provide discounts to affected customers’ monthly bills.

Rika, meanwhile, said Aetra had informed its customers about the upgrade via SMS, in local media and through local officials.

Sutardi, head of the Cipayung urban ward, however, told the Globe on Thursday that he was yet to receive any notification of the planned works and resulting supply problems.

One Cipayung resident, Evi Rahayu, said that while she appreciated the attempt to improve services, she had doubts.

“Will it be any good?” she said.

In the past, she said, repairs just meant water supplies being shut off. Elisabeth Oktofani

More Nail-Biting Over Films as Court Rejects Importers’ Fee Pleas

The Jakarta Globe


The tax court has rejected the appeal filed by two major foreign film importers against the government’s demands for unpaid royalties, which could mean a longer wait for the return of Hollywood blockbusters to Indonesian screens.

“Unless they pay all [outstanding] royalties, they are banned from bringing foreign films into Indonesia,” Widhi Hartono, head of auditing at the Customs Office, said on Thursday.

The two distributors, largely responsible for bringing in major Hollywood movies, are among three firms that were ordered by the state in February to pay a total of Rp 31 billion ($3.6 million) in unpaid taxes since 2009.

The demand was made shortly after member studios of the Motion Pictures Association decided to stop exporting movies to Indonesia over a dispute on royalty calculations.

The third film importer, believed to deal mostly with small and independent films, has already paid the government Rp 9 billion in back taxes.

The Ministry of Finance last month announced a new scheme that would see importers pay only a “specific tax” on movies, rather than an ad valorem tax, which was based on each movie’s monetary value — mainly ticket sales.

The new plan was meant to be a simple solution to the long-running dispute over royalties that foreign studios said had “a detrimental impact on the cost of bringing a film into Indonesia.”

According to the new rules, importers only have to pay Rp 21,000 to Rp 22,000 per minute for each copy of the movie they screen. With a viewing time of 100 minutes, the tax on the average feature would be as little as Rp 21 million per copy.

Djonny Sjafruddin, the head of the Indonesian Cinema Companies Union (GPBSI), said local movie houses had run out Hollywood film stocks, which caused a 60 percent dip in ticket sales since the foreign-film boycott started in February.

“We have not heard any news from [MPA] and we now only screen independent films in our cinemas,” he said. “Last January, the cinema industry could earn Rp 3.9 billion [a month], but now we only earn a collective Rp 1.9 billion.”

Currently, there are nine foreign film importers allowed to bring foreign films into the country, but most of these firms only distribute B movies.

Widhi said on Thursday that six new film importers had applied for permits with the customs office. “But I don’t know what kind of films that they are going to bring [here],” he said.