PRESS DIGEST-Indonesian Newspapers - April 17
Following are some leading stories in the main Indonesian newspapers on April 17.
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JAKARTA POST
- GOVERNMENT SPENDING REMAINS SLOW IN Q1
Government spending in the first quarter was only 11.3 percent of the 988.1 trillion rupiah ($92.34 billion) full year's budget, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Sri Mulyani Indrawati said, adding the government would boost spending in the second and third quarter to help cope with global downturn. - GOLKAR EYES SECOND-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH YUDHOYONO
Top officials of the Golkar party are considering maintaining the party's partnership with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democrat party, Aburizal Bakrie, a member of Golkar's advisory board said, after a drop in the party's support reduced its hopes for a presidential bid.
- GOVERNMENT ASKED TO ALLOW VOTERS TO USE ID
Poll watchdogs have urged the government and the General Election Commission (KPU) to issue a regulation that allows unregistered voters to vote using their ID cards in the July 8 presidential election following problems with voter lists, director of the Centre for Electoral Reform Hadar N Gumay said.
- GOVERNMENT TO LAUNCH 'I LOVE INDONESIA' LOGO
Indonesia is set to launch an "I Love Indonesia" logo on April 22 as part of moves to encourage appreciation of locally made goods and services since the global economic downturn has hit local industries, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pengestu said.
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JAKARTA GLOBE
- GOVERNMENT TO CUT STATE ENTERPRISES' DIVIDENDS
The government plans to cut the dividend payout ratio of several state-owned enterprises to between 25-50 percent of profit in a bid to help them cope with their foreign debt liabilities amid currency volatility, State Enterprises Minister Sofyan Djalil said. - - - -
INVESTOR DAILY
- BANK ICB BUMIPUTERA TO ISSUE MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE BOND
Indonesian lender, PT Bank ICB Bumiputera Tbk (BABP.JK), said it plans to issue a 150 billion rupiah ($14.02 million) mandatory convertible bond to increase its working capital.
- FORESTRY MINISTRY TO PREPARE REHABILITATION STRATEGY
Indonesia's forestry ministry plans a 15-year forest and land rehabilitation strategy to better manage the funding of reforestation efforts, said Indriastuti, forest and land rehabilitation director at the ministry.
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BISNIS INDONESIA
- OIL PRODUCTION IN CEPU BLOCK SUSPENDED
Oil production in the Cepu block in Central Java, which is one of Indonesia's biggest oil finds in a decade, has been suspended as the development of a production facility by Mobil Cepu Ltd, a unit of ExxonMobil (XOM.N), is not yet finished, an official at oil watchdog, BPMIGAS, said.
- GOVERNMENT REJECTS MANDIRI SECONDARY OFFERING PLAN
The government will not include Indonesia's biggest lender PT Bank Mandiri Tbk (BMRI.JK) in its privatisation programme this year as the government wants to maintain a majority stake, State Enterprises Minister Sofyan Djalil said.
- INDONESIA'S BERLIAN TANKER EYES RIGHTS ISSUE
Indonesian shipping firm, PT Berlian Laju Tanker Tbk (BLTA.JK), is considering a rights issue of 500 billion rupiah ($46.73 million) this year to help fund ship purchases.
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