Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP) rose 6.5 percent in the fourth quarter from a year ago, slightly above expectations to take full year 2011 growth to the strongest in 15 years at 6.5 percent, statistics bureau data showed on Monday.

“Communication and transportation led the sectoral growth with 10.7 percent pace last year, followed by trade, hotels and restaurants with 9.2 percent. Manufacturing, which employs millions of workers, grew 6.2 percent last year”

The economy grew 6.5 percent last year, its biggest expansion since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, as domestic consumption helped shield the country from the global economic turmoil.

“There was growth in almost all sectors,” Suryamin, the acting chairman of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), said at a press conference on Monday.

Last year’s growth topped 2010’s 6.1 percent and was the strongest since 1996, when the economy expanded 8 percent, International Monetary Fund data showed.

Along with the expanding economy, per capita income rose 18 percent to Rp 31.8 million ($3,560) last year from Rp 27.1 million in 2010.

The size of Indonesia’s economy was Rp 7,427.1 trillion at the end of 2011.

Despite the global economic turbulence, household consumption, which makes up 56 percent of the nation’s economy, rose 4.6 percent in 2011, helped by low interest rates and easing inflation. It was 4.7 percent in 2010.

“Overall, domestic demand provided the growth cushion even though exports slowed down in the fourth quarter of 2011 and the external balance was a drag,” Deyi Tan and Seen Meng Chew, economists at Morgan Stanley in Singapore, said in a report released on Monday.

The central bank trimmed its key interest rate by a total of 75 basis points in October and November, bringing the rate to a record low 6 percent.

Investment and government spending also accelerated in 2011, rising 8.8 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively. The 2010 figures were 8.5 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively.

Communication and transportation led the sectoral growth with 10.7 percent pace last year, followed by trade, hotels and restaurants with 9.2 percent. Manufacturing, which employs millions of workers, grew 6.2 percent last year.

Economists and businesspeople warned of a less rosy 2012 as a possible global economic slowdown threatens to cut demand for Indonesian exports. Among the country’s key export commodities are crude palm oil, rubber, tin, nickel and coal.

“Our markets overseas are suffering,” said Sofjan Wanandi, chairman of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo).

He called on the government to focus its attention on the economy, improve the business climate, build more infrastructure and spend less time on politics if it wants to achieve another high growth rate this year.

“Please, don’t get embroiled too much in politics. Get it done and move on,” he said.

Indonesia needs $160 billion through 2014 to develop much-needed infrastructure such as roads, airports, seaports, bridges and toll roads to support an average growth rate of 6.6 percent over the next two years. But graft, an uncertain and unwieldy bureaucracy and overlapping regulations are among the factors keeping investment away.

Despite the strong growth, critics have voiced concerns over Indonesia’s massive wealth gap and rising economic inequality.

The government released a report in January that said the number of poor people in Indonesia fell 130,000 to 29.89 million in September.

However, Hamonangan Ritonga, BPS’s director for social resilience statistics, said the reduction was insignificant and that it was still the rich who were benefiting the most from the growth.

United Nations. Indonesia on Monday formalized ratification of the nuclear test ban treaty at the United Nation and its foreign minister called on eight key holdout nations to take a “calculated risk” and sign on.

Indonesia is the 157th country to adopt the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) but eight more nations in a core group of 44 nuclear countries — China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Russia and United States — must still ratify to bring the global ban into force.

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said a “trust deficit” over the intentions of other nuclear states often held back countries.

“These countries must have the courage to step out of their comfort zone and to take some kind of a calculated risk that their positive moved will be reciprocated,” Natalegawa told reporters after formally handing over Indonesia’s ratification documents to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Indonesia had resisted ratification for many years but the minister said the government saw “a window of opportunity to advance the disarmament agenda” and so parliament unanimously agree to adopt the treaty in December.

Natalegawa said Indonesia hoped its ratification of the CTBT “will propel others to do likewise.”

“I guess we need to communicate with the countries concerned to be able to listen what it is that is holding them back.”

The 44 countries which must ratify the treaty to bring it into force all have nuclear weapons or atomic programs.

Natalegawa also said he hoped a Southeast Asian nuclear arms free zone would come into force this year.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) completed its talks on the regional weapons free zone last year and the 10 member states are now completing ratification of that treaty.

The Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone treaty commits ASEAN’s 10 member states “not to develop, manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or have control over atomic weapons.”

It also prohibits the storage or transit of nuclear weapons in the association’s zone. The treaty prevents the testing of any nuclear device and dumping of radioactive waste in the region.

The declared nuclear powers — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — co-sponsored a resolution on the Southeast Asian zone in the UN General Assembly last year, giving implicit recognition to the initiative.

Domestic consumption from the world’s fourth-largest population, where an emerging and youthful middle class is snapping up cars and smartphones, makes up over half of the economy.

“The Indonesian figures show the G20 economy is being shielded from a global slowdown by domestic demand from the world’s fourth largest population and the cap a year during which Indonesia won a return to investment grade status.”

Indonesia’s economy expanded 6.5 percent in the fourth quarter over a year earlier, as surging domestic consumption and investment offset weakening exports growth, giving the central bank room to hold rates steady this week.

The rise in gross domestic product (GDP) was slightly above the median forecast in a Reuters poll of 6.4 percent. It marked the fourth straight quarter of 6.5 percent expansion.

The data also showed the economy shrank 1.3 percent from the previous quarter, a slightly smaller contraction than the 1.5 percent forecast.

Full-year 2011 growth of 6.5 percent, the strongest pace since 1996 when the economy expanded 8.0 percent, IMF data shows.

The Indonesian figures show the G20 economy is being shielded from a global slowdown by domestic demand from the world’s fourth largest population and they cap a year during which Indonesia won a return to investment grade status.

“Indonesia is one of the least exposed economies in the region, with a vast domestic market and a relatively small share of exports to GDP, so is anyway insulated from volatility in the global economy,” said George Worthington, economist for IFR in Sydney. IFR is a unit of Thomson Reuters.

“In that context, the steady pace of growth and core inflation both argue for similarly steady policy settings from the central bank this week.”

Economists expect full-year growth to slow to 6.1 percent in 2012, below a central bank forecast ranging from 6.3 percent to 6.7 percent.

Opinions are divided on whether Bank Indonesia will cut rates again in coming months to shore up growth. The central bank has kept its benchmark overnight rate steady for the past two months, after slashing it by 75 basis points in October and November to a record low 6 percent to shield the domestic economy from the chill of the euro area debt crisis.

It meets to review policy on Thursday, and will weigh the risks to growth from a sluggish global economy against rising inflation expectations.

The quarterly contraction came after exports grew an average 9 percent in the fourth quarter, sharply down from growth of about 40 percent in the third quarter.

Exports such as coal, coffee and palm oil make up a quarter of the economy.

The last quarter-on-quarter contraction was in the last three months of 2010, when GDP shrank 1.4 percent. Despite a slowdown in exports growth, domestic consumption and investment grew at a double-digit pace in the fourth quarter.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) surged 25 percent, while commercial bank loan growth rose 26 percent in the latest figures for November.

Domestic consumption from the world’s fourth-largest population, where an emerging and youthful middle class is snapping up cars and smartphones, makes up over half of the economy.

Retail sales grew an average 27 percent in the fourth quarter, though growth moderated throughout the quarter and retailers now see rising prices because of government plans to lift subsidised fuel costs later this year.

“Looking ahead, we would still be cautious to be too exuberant at this stage,” said Gundy Cahyadi, an economist at OCBC Bank in Singapore.

“The recent plunge in export growth is a clear indication that the economy is far from immune from the global economic slowdown and we expect this to remain prevalent in 2012.”

“In the vast majority of cases, successful applicants will now receive their visas within just a few working days after submitting their passports and supporting documents,” the delegation said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post.

However, the statement did not detail how many working days it would take to acquire a Schengen visa.

Schengen visas allow travel to 22 out of 27 EU countries, as well as some non-EU countries, includingNorway andSwitzerland.

“People-to-people links are a vital part in the relationship between Europe and Indonesia. We are delighted to see more Indonesians visiting our countries in recent years,” the statement said.

The service may vary at peak times, and applicants should ask for further information when they apply for a visa.

“In my opinion, its human resources are

Jakarta. Indonesia`s strongest asset in its working relations with foreign investors is the quality of its human resources, a foreign businessman said.

“In my opinion, its human resources are Indonesia`s strongest point in attracting foreign capital to work and do business in this country. People here are great and valuable,” Gerard Guillouet, vice president of Accor Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore said here Thursday.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the takeover of Nikko Hotel Jakarta`s management by Accor Group, Guillouet who has worked with Accor since 1992 in Indonesia said Accor had always been satisfied by the work performance of Indonesian employees.

“Up till now, we have around 25 Indonesian general managers, and we do not ever want to replace them with expatriates because to me they are quite professional,” he said.

According to Guillouet, Indonesia could be the only country in the world where the group had local general managers

“They have good skill, are professional and honest, and the most amazing thing is the people`s smile. It is a genuine smile. Your get a different smile in other countries,” he said.

Indonesians` genuine hospitality was somehow being smartly used by Accor to persuade foreigners to come to Indonesia.

“We see Indonesians are very friendly and we turn it into a service. However, it is not always the most efficient service but it is given with heart,”

But Guillouet also admitted there were some weaknesses with Indonesian human resources who work especially in Accord hotels.

“Indonesians do not like to work under pressure. They can not be pressured. If we do that, Indonesians are likely to lose their confidence,”

Besides, as an investor who had been working in Indonesia for a long time, Guillouet said he would advise the Indonesian government to improve the infrastructure, and create more environmentally-friendly public transport facilities.

“The government has to solve these problems quickly. Or else, the tourism industry in this country may lose its long term prospects,” said Guillouet.

“The remaining 55 percent of Kalimantan island

Jakarta. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has signed a regulation that 45 percent of Kalimantan island must be used for biodiversity conservation and tropical rainforest vegetation reserves to make the island the world`s lungs, a report said.

Under the presidential regulation signed on January 5, 2012, the government would take a number of steps to declare the island the world`s lungs by among others preserving areas which had biodiversity for endemic plants and animals and developing ecosystem corridors among conservation areas, the Cabinet Secretariat said in its official website on Thursday.

According to the presidential regulation No. 3 of 2012, the government will also make an effort to prevent activities that may disturb the reserve areas.

The remaining 55 percent of Kalimantan island can be used to support the government`s program to achieve energy self-sufficiency and national energy barns for electrical power and develop the island into a mineral, coal, oil and gas mining center, the regulation said.

In addition, it can also be used for sustainably developed oil palm and rubber plantations and timber estate; front veranda and gateway of the country bordering Malaysia; water-based national urban area development center; tropical forest-based ecotourism and Kalimantan culture tourism; inter-mode transportation networks; and food self-sufficiency and national food barn.

Source: ANTARA News – January 20 2012

Sementara sejumlah 27 ABK WNI yang masih tertinggal di penampungan di kota Grosseto telah dipindahkan ke Roma dan menginap di Hotel Garden Inn. Seorang ABK lainnya, Nyoman Juniarta masih memerlukan perawatan di rumah sakit Santa Maria Alle Scotte di kota Siena.

Pihak perusahaan kapal menemukan 37 paspor ABK WNI dan telah dikembalikan kepada pemiliknya. Ditemukannya sebagian paspor mereka ini akan mengurangi jumlah pengeluaran buku surat perjalanan laksana paspor (SPLP) dan akan mempercepat proses pengeluarannya. KBRI sedang berusaha menyelesaikan pengeluaran SPLP dan surat keterangan lainnya yang diperlukan oleh ABK.

Para ABK WNI siang hari ini (17/1) dijamu makan siang oleh KUAI bersama staf KBRI Roma. KUAI Roma menyampaikan pesan agar semua ABK merasa bersyukur, karena semua wni dapat diselamatkan, bersabar karena musibah ini tidak dikehendaki oleh semua pihak, dan agar berdoa karena dengan pertolongan Tuhan semua urusan akan dimudahkan. Wejangan serupa telah disampaikan pada malam hari sebelumnya sewaktu KUAI menemui para ABK di Hotel Hilton Garden, Fiumicino. Selain itu KUAI juga mengingatkan para ABK untuk tetap bersikap santun agar mereka dan kolega lainnya dapat menjaga citra baik demi memperoleh perhatian dan prioritas untuk mempermudah dipekerjakannya kembali oleh perusahaan kapal di kemudian hari.

Pada kesempatan makan siang tersebut hadir juga Staf Khusus Menteri Tenaga Kerja dan Transmigrasi, Dubes Abdul Wahid Maktub, dan menyampaikan kepada ABK bahwa Pemerintah Indonesia menyatakan sangat prihatin dengan musibah ini dan ABK diminta bersikap arif.

ABK WNI yang sudah tiba di Roma

Sebanyak 142 orang ABK WNI kapal Costa Concordia pada hari ini (16/1) telah dipindahkan dari beberapa hotel di kota Grosseto ke hotel Hilton Garden Fiumicino yang terletak sekitar 28 km dari kota Roma dan merupakan bandara udara internasional untuk kawasan Roma. Hal ini dilakukan oleh pihak perusahaan pelayaran untuk mempermudah proses pemulangan para awak kapal ke tanah air. KBRI Roma berkoordinasi dengan KBRI Berlin dan KBRI Den Haag tengah mempersiapkan SPLP untuk seluruh ABK WNI.

KUAI RI Roma, Priyo Iswanto menyerahkan bantuan tambahan kepada ABK WNI

KBRI Roma akan membantu ABK berunding dengan pihak perusahaan kapal guna memastikan para ABK WNI mendapatkan hak-haknya sesuai dengan klausul yang tercantum pada kontrak kerja. KBRI Roma telah memberikan santap malam hari ini (16/1) kepada para ABK WNI, dan akan menjamu mereka pada esok malam (17/1) di Wisma Indonesia KBRI Roma. KUAI RI Roma juga telah mengunjungi para ABK WNI yang saat ini berada di hotel Hilton Garden Fiumicino.

Roma, 16 Januari 2012

Kepala Fungsi Protokol Konsuler, June Kuncoro bersama para ABK WNI di Grosseto

Roma. Sejumlah 170 WNI yang bekerja sebagai kru pada Kapal Costa Concordia telah berhasil diidentifikasi oleh KBRI Roma, semuanya dalam keadaan sehat kecuali 2 (dua) orang ABK WNI yang masih memerlukan perawatan lanjut di Rumah Sakit yang berbeda. Seorang WNI a.n. Sdr. I Kadek Agus Wijaya saat ini masih berada di Rumah Sakit San Giovanni di Dio di Orbetello, Grosseto, namun telah dinyatakan sehat dan masih menunggu  surat-surat yang dikeluarkan oleh pihak Rumah Sakit. Sementara seorang lagi a.n. Sdr. I Nyoman Juniarta dirujuk ke Rumah Sakit Siena setelah memperoleh perawatan di Rumah Sakit San Giovanni di Dio di Orbetello, Grosseto akibat cidera patah tulang punggung dan patah kaki.

Para ABK WNI yang semula terpencar, saat ini ditampung di 3 (tiga) hotel di kota Grosseto, kurang lebih 200km dari kota Roma, dengan rincian sejumlah 99 orang WNI berada di Hotel Fattoria La Principina Grosseto, 34 orang WNI berada di Hotel Nuova Grosseto, dan 34 orang WNI berada di Hotel Leopoldo Grosseto. Dari jumlah tersebut terdapat 6 orang perempuan, dan sisanya sebanyak 164 orang pekerja laki-laki.

Kepala Fungsi Protokol Konsuler menemui para ABK Costa Concordia

KBRI Roma sejak kemarin (14/1) telah mengirim Tim bantuan untuk verifikasi dan memberikan bantuan seperlunya. Tim pertama tersebut diperkuat dengan Tim kedua yang berangkat pada pagi hari tanggal 15 Januari 2012 untuk memberikan bantuan makanan tambahan, pakaian baru dan pakaian bekas layak pakai serta bantuan kekonsuleran lainnya. Selanjutnya, KBRI Roma akan terus melakukan hubungan dengan pihak perusahaan kapal pesiar Costa Crociere yang bermarkas di kota Genoa untuk memastikan bahwa hak-hak para ABK WNI dapat terpenuhi.

Kapal Pesiar Costa Concordia karam pada tanggal 13 Januari 2012 di pesisir pantai Pulau Giglio, dekat Porto Santo Stefano, Toskana, Italia, setelah menabrak karang. Saat terjadinya peristiwa naas tersebut, Kapal Costa Concordia membawa 4234 penumpang dan 1020 ABK.

Sumber: KBRI Roma – 15 Januari 2012

Daftar 170 ABK WNI Pada Kapal Costa Concordia Yang Selamat

]]> http://embassyofindonesia.it/seluruh-abk-wni-pada-kapal-costa-concordia-selamat/feed/ 0 http://embassyofindonesia.it/foreign-investment-in-2012-predicted-at-19-2-billion-us-dollars/ http://embassyofindonesia.it/foreign-investment-in-2012-predicted-at-19-2-billion-us-dollars/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:06:44 +0000 Embassy of Indonesia http://embassyofindonesia.it/?p=13484 Jakarta. Bank Indonesia has estimated that foreign investment (PMA) in 2012 would continue to increase due to the improved investment climate in Indonesia which was marked by the increase in Indonesia`s rating to investment grade.

“We estimate it may reach 19.1 – 19.2 billion US dollars, higher than last year`s 18.7 billion US dollars,” Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia Halim Alamsyah said in Jakarta Thursday.

In the meantime foreign investment in portfolio like shares and bonds may decline from 5.8 billion US dollars to 3.7 billion US dollars, in relation to the worsening economic condition in Europe and risk factor relating to Indonesia`s condition which has not reached the AAA category.

“While already reaching an investment grade, at the portfolio foreign investors would not dare to come to Indonesia,” Halim said.

Bank Indonesia Governor Darmin Nasution said that the growth of world economy would be lower than consumption in the advanced countries which would be stagnant and unemployment would be high.

This will effect the exports of developing countries, while the global financial market is still in a confusion with the continued crisis in Europe causing liquidity in the financial market to continue to remain tight with increasing risks.

In addition, the global financial market is also facing possible rating declines in a number of countries in Europe triggering negative sentiments.

With regard to prices, global inflation pressures have been declining along with declining international commodity prices.

Under such developments, in anticipation of the effects on the weakening global economy amidst the declining inflation, global monetary policy responses had been accommodating.

Domestically, Darmin believed Indonesia`s economy growth in 2011 had been quite firm in line with the well maintained macro-economic stability and financial system.

Economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2011 may reach 6.5 pct, with the support of the still strong household consumption and investment with exports still being maintained although rather sluggish. In the entire 2011, economic growth may still reach 6.5 pct, higher than the previous year`s 6.1 pct.

Production wise, the sectors which may function as the main boosters of economic growth are industry, transportation, communications, trade, hotels and restaurants.