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Ani Hasanah
January
The number of Chinese tourists to Bali reached 1.37 million people during the January-November 2017 period, up 467,292 people, or 51.52 percent during the same period last year. Adi Nugroho, Head of the Bali statistics office, said in Denpasar, Bali, on Thursday, most of them arrived at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport by direct flights, and only 164 Chinese came by cruise ships. China is the number one source of visitors to Bali. The significant increase of Chinese tourists to Bali was thanks to the sound bilateral relations between the Chinese and Indonesian Governments. Besides, Garuda Indonesia has also served direct flights connecting the Bali provincial capital of Denpasar with Chinese cities. I Made Badra, head of the Bali tourism office, earlier expressed his please that the Chinese Government has revoked its travel warning concerning the eruption of Mount Agung in Bali, following the Indonesian Government's assurance that Bali was safe for tourists despite the increased volcanic activities. He hoped that more Chinese tourists would spend holidays on Bali Island during the Chinese New Year celebration in February 2018.//ROL
January
Indonesia Encourages the Establishment of Extradition Agreement in ASEAN
The government of Indonesia will encourage the establishment of extradition agreement in ASEAN. Director General of ASEAN Cooperation Jose Tavares said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the government of Indonesia considered that with the increasing of cross border in ASEAN it should strengthen law cooperation among ASEAN countries, including extradition cooperation. According to Jose Tavares, Indonesia will encourage discussion on the formation of extradition treaty in the next ministerial meeting of ASEAN this year. But, the establishment is a big work in ASEAN. Therefore, according to Jose Tavares, Directorate General of ASEAN Cooperation and Directorate General of Law and International Agreement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must cooperate with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (HAM) to encourage the agreement. He added the agreement can assist law enforcement inrespective ASEAN member countries.//trans-yati//ant.11.1’18.mar/ahm
January
Government Opens Rice Import Option
The government through the Ministry of Trade stated that it opened the option of importing special rice to strengthen the stock.
Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita asserted at his office in Jakarta on Wednesday that if the imports is carried out by the government, then the rice to be imported is not that of the medium quality, but special rice and is done in an effort to strengthen government stock.
The emergence of the rice import option is a response to the statement of Vice President Jusuf Kalla who asked state-logistics board Bulog to review rice import option to bring down rice prices at the consumer level. In recent times, the price of rice, especially that of the medium quality, has climbed and above the Highest Retail Price (HET) set by the government.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla has asked for studies of import option of medium-grade rice to stabilize prices which continue to increase in the market.//antara
January
President Joko Widodo Hopes for Land Acquisition Acceleration to Support Development Project
President Joko Widodo said the Indonesian government is determined to catching up with infrastructure development. This effort, according to the President, is often constrained by land acquisition issues that often hamper government-run development projects.
Therefore, the President hopes that the land acquisition measures are implemented so as not to hinder the government's development program. Moreover, according to the President, currently the legal umbrella has been available to support the development efforts that are currently being promoted.
“Related to national strategic project support especially infrastructure, we are concentrated, we want to catch up in the construction of toll road, Special Economic Zone (KEK), power plant. This infrastructure is carried out to lower logistics costs. It is impossible to compete with other countries if our infrastructure is still like this. Complaints from investors, our SOEs who have the duty from the government in the land acquisition. I think the legal umbrella already exists. We only need to speed up by cooperating with related agencies such as the National Land Agency, regional government and others,” the President said.
Furthermore, in his remarks at the opening of the National Working Meeting of the Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/the National Land Agency, on Wednesday in Jakarta, the President also said that the relevant ministries should pay attention to the land disputes that are still found in some areas in Indonesia.
Related to that, the President has asked the Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning to pay attention to the certificate of land that has been distributed. He hopes that there will be no overlapping certificate that will trigger the dispute, including on the customary land. (Ndy/ahm)