Govt cuts tax obligations for oil and gas companies

In a bid to bolster oil production at a time of dwindling reserves, the government is trimming down the tax obligations of petroleum companies. Oil and gas contractors would be exempt from import duties, value-added tax (PPN) and luxury-goods sales tax as of April this year under the new Finance Ministry’s regulation PMK 70/2013. Upstream regulatory task force SKKMigas’ risk management and tax chief Bambang Yuwono said over the weekend that the new regulation would be applied to companies actively exploring new sites as well as contractors at the exploitation stage. “The new regulation is expected to boost exploration activities and production,” he said in a statement. Indonesia quit the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 2008 after aging oil fields and a lack of large, profitable reserves meant it was no longer a net importer. In the first-three months of this year, the regulator claimed average daily oil output reached 830,900 barrels per day (bpd) — much less than the 1 million bpd produced in the early 2000s. In addition, investment for the sector remains low. Of the US$26.2 billion investment expected this year, only $2.7 billion would come from a total 200 contractors for the exploration and drilling of 75 oil and gas wells. Given this fact, SKKMigas secretary Gde Pradnyana said the government’s most recent move would be appreciated. “The risk of failure in oil exploration is very high. Therefore, they [the investors] should not be burdened further with taxes,” he said. Research by the Wood Mackenzie Group earlier this year showed that Malaysia had surpassed Indonesia in 2012 as the key player in the upstream hydrocarbon industry in Southeast Asia. The Edinburgh-based global energy oil and gas research specialist noted that while Malaysia discovered 1.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) last year — or 72 percent of the total discoveries in the region — Indonesia only discovered 13 million boe of new reserves in 20 new oil and gas fields — a mere 14 percent. This year, SKKMigas plans to drill 258 exploration wells, 1,178 development wells and 1,094 work-over wells in addition to a 18,751-kilometer 2-D seismic survey and a 22,298-square-kilometer 3-D seismic survey. Last year, only 80 new wells were discovered, far below the annual target of 250. Only 51 turned out to be promising — continuing the trend of previous years. In addition, SKKMigas proposed that the government lowered the average daily output target to 840,000 bpd from the previous target of 900,000 bpd under the 2013 state budget. With the Cepu block in Central Java (operated by US-based ExxonMobil) projected to produce 165,000 bpd by October 2014, the effort to boost production to 1 million bpd is more realistic. Separately, the Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA) deputy chairman Sammy Hamzah said the association appreciated that the government had shown commitment to the oil exploration sector. Sammy, also president director of coal bed methane (CBM) contractor PT Ephindo, said the previous tax obligations — on top of high costs and the risk of exploration activities — had further lowered investment.

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Never-ending clash unfolds

A clash of genders, human will, cultures, theater, music and dance swirls across the stage in a heady mix of tradition and contemporary exploration as the tale of Calonarang continuously unfolds.

An artistic collaboration between Bulantrisna Djelantik, with her classic Balinese dance roots, and Retno Maruti, with her passion for classical Javanese dance, the presentation done for the 30th anniversary of The Jakarta Post was a contemporary take on the ancient legend of the cosmic dichotomy of good and bad within human interaction, long existing in both cultures.

On April 25, Calonarang, Courage in an Age of Deceit, a special presentation of the Calonarang legend emerging from the converg
ence of the Javanese dance form known as bedaya and the legong dance genre of Bali, brought the old into a new context at the Jakarta Theater at Taman Ismail Marzuki.
Calonarang tells of power, magic, love and deceit within the setting of intrigue between King Airlangga, of what is now known as East Java, and the widow Walunateng Dirah (played by Bulantrisna Djelantik), whose knowledge of magic brought her power but also distrust and loathing.
When a plague breaks out decimating the population, the widow, who is better known as Witch Calonarang, is blamed. King Airlangga then resolves to find a way to put an end to the power Calonarang wields through a magical heirloom. He sends his trusted aid, Baradah (played by Retno Maruti), to find a way to wrench the heirloom from Calonarang’s grasp. Baradah approaches Calonarang with an offer of marriage for her beloved daughter Ratna Manggali (played by Adrienna Hamida Wallis). Mother and daughter are immediately drawn into this web of intrigue. Ratna Manggali is wooed into purloining the heirloom and giving it to Baradah. Once the heirloom is in his hands, Baradah returns to his king, disappointing the daughter and enraging her mother. A massive clash ensues between the forces of King Airlangga, depicted by dancers subtly and powerfully performing with the sedate, steady, inexorably persistent movements of the Javanese bedaya tradition, and the followers of Calonarang, depicted by dancers exploiting to the fullest the emotionally charged dynamic, almost explosive, dance maneuvers of the Balinese legong. The battle unfolds as expected; with Baradah using the knowledge he has gleaned from Calonarang’s heirloom to lead King Airlangga’s forces against the much weakened sorceress. In the end good prevails over evil, and both sides diverge once again, while it remains clear the larger cosmic struggle between light and dark is not over. Throughout the performance, in which the Javanese and Balinese dancers entered and exited the stage in a tension creating point-counterpoint format, the bedaya dancers’ movements were informed by the calm, repetitive tones of the Javanese karawitan gamelan orchestra led by Lukas Danaswara, accented with the lilting narration of sinden songstresses, and, in stark contrast, the legong dancers’ movements by the sharper, staccato melodies and deeper vocals of the Balinese karawitan musicians led by I Gusti Kompyang Raka. Then as the battle escalated, eventually transforming into an uneasy semblance of victory and defeat, the orchestras, singers and dancers of both artistic traditions, assisted by the culturally knowledgeable artistic design of Sonny Sumarsono, brought the profoundly classical elements together in a merged art form conveying significant messages from the past into the present in a masterful contemporary work of dance-theater. Calonarang, Courage in an Age of Deceit was a profoundly moving presentation, a true anniversary gift, reflecting the lessons to be learned from the past by not only the performing art community, but also by the public, including the mass media, and the nation’s leaders in all sectors.

For the art community, the resounding message from the merging of divergent classical traditions into a dynamically harmonious contemporary format is that the apparent dichotomy of traditional art and contemporary art is simply a matter of perspective and asking the right questions about format and context. Seen within the classical context, Calonarang, Courage in an Age of Deceit, faithfully presented an ancient story within traditional format. Seen within the contemporary context, two strict artistic formats were contrasted starkly to stir the awareness that, as is the case of female and male within the human sphere, there are more similarities than differences, and it is this “likeness” that imbues the old with the new and creates a fresh understanding of the story and the art. For the public, perhaps in particular the journalistic community, there is the message that even traditional thinking on past events is never completely black and white, that there are decided shades of grey to be explored, analyzed, comprehended and shared to inform a larger social context within the contemporary understanding that if a people cannot learn from their history they will repeat the often destructive entrenched cycles of the past. For the nation’s leaders, the core message may be the same — learning from the past is imperative for the creation of a brighter future for the people of this vast archipelago. As well, there is the lesson that art and culture are not valid just within the realm of tradition, but are also of vital import in the informing of dynamic, innovative and creative thinking within the contemporary context of nation building.

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underground in monas

Monas to have underground parking lot The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Jakarta | Fri, May 03 2013, 7:51 AM A- A A+ The city administration plans to build an underground parking lot in the National Monument (Monas) compound. Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Thursday that the plan, which will be included in the city budget for 2014, was expected to curb illegal parking in the Monas area. "We're going to build an underground parking lot beneath the IRTI parking lot next year so there will be no more illegal parking," he told reporters at City Hall, referring to the parking lot at South Merdeka Park, inside the Monas compound. Jokowi added the administration would start working on the design engineering detail this year. However, the governor could not give an estimation of the budget required for the project. The governor came up with the plan after meeting with National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas) governor Budi Susilo Soepandji, who complained over illegal parking near the Lemhanas building area, which is located next to the City Hall compound.

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how to make fried rice

Fried Rice is Indonesia traditional food. It is very popular food. It is easy to make it. It doesn't take too long time to make. The ingredients are easy to get.

How to make Fried Rice? The following is the procedure text how to make fried rice. 

Ingredients:
2 cloves of Garlic 
2 onions cut into small pieces 
1 table spoon of vegetable oil 
a plate of rice some salt 

Steps how to make it  :
First, pound garlic and 2 pinches of salt. 
Second, heat vegetable oil on a frying pan. 
Third, put the pounded garlic and salt, and onions into the hot vegetable oil. 
Fry them a while. 
Fourth, put one plate of rice. Fry and mix them around 3 menit. 
Fifth, add two pinches of salt. Continue frying until the rice is hot enough. 
Finally, put the fried rice on a plate. Serve with a sunny-side up.

source : sekolahoke.com

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Bermuda Triangle Mystery

Do you know bermuda triangle? It so terrible, right?

Bermuda triangle so terrible because more than 1000 ships and planes have disappeared in the triangle area over the past five centuries and continue to do so. Strangely, the ships and aircraft vanish and disappear when everything seems to be okay. This vehicle like vanish and disappear in the air, no detected about this vehicles. It so complicated. Whereas vehicles which pas this bermuda triangle are in good condition. Do you can imagine about this situation? And until now vehicles which disappear and vanish in there not found, and no trail at all. Many people believe that in bermuda triangle there are many devil in there, so that bermuda triangle called as devil's triangle. But in my opinion not devil causes vehicles disappear and vanish but is big magnet so that ship, plane, etc can drag of them.

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Le botz 6.6 free download

Maybe if you want to do'' cheating'' by autoplay, you can use the le bot. But because le bot you might have dispensed confused. But you do not need to be confused anymore because le bot 6.6 version has come out. More Advanced, More Cool, More simple (maybe).

in le bot 6.6 is a more attractive appearance, there are features fast paced, open shop without having to go to that place, and many more.
in le bot is also not so slow as le bot earlier, there is also a lag killer.
you can not wait??

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attention:
not sold, this item free

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KPK slams rampant graft in prisons

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Abraham Samad said on Thursday that many wealthy and powerful graft convicts could still breathe the air of freedom while serving their prison time.

Speaking during a seminar on corruption in Jakarta, Samad said that some graft convicts were able to sleep in their houses even when they were supposed to spend their nights in prison as they bribed officers at the penitentiaries.

“They pay the law enforcers so that they don’t have to spend a single night at the prison,” he told the seminar at Hotel Borobudur in Central Jakarta.

According to Samad, the wealthy graft convicts “vanish” after daily sunset prayer (sholat magrib). “After a routine check in the evening, the wealthy graft convicts return to their houses and go back to the prisons at dawn,” he said.

“Just stay in front of some prisons during the night and you will see cars exiting the penitentiaries after the prayer.”

Therefore, the prison bars have failed to scare people, especially the rich ones, from committing graft, Samad said. “They’re just like regular people who commute to their offices in the morning and in the evening. They can even go to shopping malls,” he said, declining to mention any names of the specific convicts. “After they have served their prison time, they can still enjoy the immense amount of illicit money they obtained.”

Besides bribing their way out of jail, some convicts use other methods to avoid having to sleep behind bars, according to Samad.

“You can see that some of them pretend to be ill,” he said.

With corruption rampant within correctional facilities, the KPK decided to build their own detention centers, one in the basement of the antigraft body’s headquarters, and another one at the newly-renovated military prison facility in Guntur, South Jakarta, said Samad.

The detention centers, however, were only for graft suspects. Those who had been convicted had to be transferred to penitentiaries, he added.

The corrupt practices at some penitentiaries had been acknowledged by the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Samad said.

“Law and Human Rights Deputy Minister Denny Indrayana called me yesterday and said that he was overwhelmed in handling such cases because it was difficult to monitor the convicts,” he said.
And thus, Denny asked the KPK to send back some graft convicts, including former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin, to the antigraft body’s detention centers, said Samad.
Denny, however, refuted Samad’s allegations. “If his words are true then I want to ask him, which convicts? Which prisons?” he told The Jakarta Post. “I doubt that he has solid data [to back up his allegations].”

He also called on Samad to submit data and proof on the allegation to the ministry. “We will surely follow up on the reports. And if the reports are true, then we will impose a heavy penalty on the corrupt staffers,” he said.

It is believed that corruption has long plagued the country’s prison system. A number of graft convicts have been revealed to be enjoying some freedom while they were supposed to be behind the bars.

Gayus H. Tambunan, a former tax official convicted in a large-scale corruption scandal, allegedly bribed a chief prison warden to be temporarily released for trips to Bali and abroad in 2010.
Nazaruddin, meanwhile, allegedly abused sick notes from the National Police Soekamto Hospital to get out of Cipinang Penitentiary where he was imprisoned and spend a week at Abdi Waluyo Hospital earlier this year.

source : jakarta post (http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/05/10/kpk-slams-rampant-graft-prisons.html)

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UN high commissioner raises concerns over violence in Papua

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has visited Indonesia and has raised concerns over the “ongoing suppression of freedom of expression and excessive use of force in Papua.”

The UN official said she was informed that the police had conducted crackdowns on mass demonstration across Papua since April 30 as Papuans were preparing to mark the 50th anniversary of Papua becoming a part of Indonesia.

“I urge the government of Indonesia to allow peaceful protest and hold accountable those involved in abuses,” she said in a statement released on Friday. “After my official visit to Indonesia last November, I was disappointed to see violence and abuses continuing in Papua.”

Two Papuans were reportedly shot dead during a clash between protesters and police officers in the city of Sorong on April 30, a day before the commemoration of Papua’s integration into Indonesia on May 1. The victims have been identified as Abner Malagawak, 22, and Thomas Blesya, 22.
Following the clash in Sorong, the police also arrested six people in Ibdi Village in Biak regency for raising the Morning Star flag, a pro-independence symbol that is often used by the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM). The protesters were drawing attention the day Indonesia annexed the resource-rich region, according to the police.

West Papua Legislative Council deputy speaker Demianus Jimmy Idjie deplored the use of violence by the police in dispersing the group attempting to hoist the Morning Star flag. “Seeing these people’s wounds, the shooters were not trying to disperse the rally, they were actually aiming at the protesters,” he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Papua Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya denied allegations that the police had shot Abder and Thomas during the rally. The police, however, would investigate the allegations, he added.

He said that a team of police officers led by Papua Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw had been assigned to conduct the investigation.

“It’s a hasty conclusion to condemn the police or the military as responsible for the deaths. There wasn’t any dead bodies found so we have sent an investigative team to clarify such reports,” Gede told the Post on Friday.

According to the police, the clash was inevitable after a group of local residents attacked a joint police-military patrol in Aimas at 00:30 a.m. local time (02:30 a.m. Jakarta time) as the patrol was securing the area due to the plan of a separatist group led by Isak Kalaibin to raise the Morning Star flag on May 1. Gede said that the officers fired warning shots before the clash.
However, according to a local resident, the security forces were to blame for the clash as they provoked the residents into defending themselves.

The UN’s Pillay called on the Indonesian government to conduct a thorough, prompt and impartial investigation into incidents of killings and torture in Papua and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“There has not been sufficient transparency in addressing human rights violations in Papua,” she said. “I urge Indonesia to allow international journalists into Papua and to facilitate visits by the Special Rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council.”

House of Representatives Caucus on Papua chairman Yorrys Raweyai said suspicions between Papuans and security forces marked serious, ongoing injustices in Indonesia’s easternmost province.

“The problems will never be solved unless the government grants authority to local residents to build their land,” said Yorrys.


from : JakartaPost

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