NTB Province Government Reject Newmont's state-owned Sell

The fight fighting over shares 'tasty' rest divestment of PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (nnt) between central and local governments increasingly fierce. Government of West Nusa Tenggara Province (NTB provincial government) to object to form a consortium with the divestment of state-owned shares in the company executing the mine. That is because they believe even without berkonsorsium with state-owned, local governments can also get stock.

NTB Governor Zainul Majdi said it would prove his seriousness by writing Coprporation Newmont management. In the letter it will convey a readiness to buy 14 percent stake in PT nnt released for divestment program in 2008 and 2009.

"Never in the history, the central government participating foreign companies to buy shares in the process of divestment obligations," he said. One proof of the central government has handed the right purchasing 10 percent stake in Newmont, which was released in 2006 and 2007 on local governments.

He also explained if it had been agreed with Multicapital (affiliated with the company of Bakrie Group) to make purchases 31 percent stake in PT nnt the didivestasikan until 2010. "So if there are state enterprises that are interested, let's join this consortium," he explained.

The struggle for the divestment of shares of Newmont's exciting. In addition to creating a rivalry between central and local governments, it also confused the authorities determine who Batu Hijau mine, Newmont whether multinational companies from the U.S. or switch to indigenous groups Bakrie.

Pertaruangan two "elephants" is also Finance Minister Sri Mulyani dragged across the street from his colleagues the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro. Finance minister thinks that the right to purchase only the state, namely PT Aneka Tambang or consortium. While the Government insists NTB Purnomo also be involved.

Dry season to start early, with ‘no extremities’

Any potential drought in Indonesia this year would most likely occur due to environmental damage rather than a prolonged or extreme dry season, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said Sunday.

“This year will not see any extremities in the dry season, besides a rather early start,” agency head of the climatology division Soetamto told The Jakarta Post.

“Environmental damage, such as deforestation, will most likely be the culprit for any drought cases that may hit the country.”

According to the agency’s report, in some areas the country’s dry season will begin as early as late March or early April. This is premature when compared to the average season commencement times between 1971 and 2000.

“However, the country displays a wide variety of climates, so certain areas will enter the dry season earlier than others,” Soetamto said.

The areas most likely to enter the dry season early will be Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara and South Sulawesi.

For those five areas, Soetamto said, the dry season would most likely reach its peak in August.
“Some areas will experience longer periods of dry weather than others. In East Nusa Tenggara, for example, the hot weather could extend for up to eight months, while some areas in Sumatra will likely experience less than a month of the season,” he said.

The country had been through several severe droughts. In 1997, droughts triggered a national food crisis that forced the government to import five million tons of rice. Five years later, another drought led to the failure of more than 500,000 hectares of crops.

“Environmental damage, especially deforestation, will most likely be the cause of any drought or water crisis that may occur,” Soetamto said. In Jakarta, for example, water shortages normally occur when there has not been adequate rain for around a four-month period.

“However, nowadays just two months of dryness can cause the city to scream for water.”

Hydrologist and water resources engineer from the Public Works Ministry Agung Bagiawan Ibrahim said after a seminar on climate change earlier this week that the country’s water supply was being threatened by deforestation, especially along riverbanks.

“Deforestation along riverbanks decreases the crucial impact of water catchments, causing water crises,” Agung said.

In Java the water supply is traditionally scarcer in the eastern parts of the island compared to the west.

“The authorities responsible for managing riverbank areas must take necessary steps, such as replanting trees, to ensure better water management systems in the future,” Agung said.

Education grants for needy students in West Nusa Tenggara

Mahendra Linus Topa, a fifth grader at SDN Punia State Elementary School in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, was overjoyed when he received a study grant of Rp 90,000 (US$8.00) provided for needy local students.

"I'll use the money to buy some books and a pair of shoes," the son of Muhali and Lilis said.

Although the quarterly education grant is distributed by the provincial administration, the province's eight regencies and municipalities are also required to support the program.

This is because the provincial education budget covers only half of the 330,000 needy students in the province.

Head of the West Nusa Tenggara Education Youth and Sports Agency Ma'shum said the other half would be provided by the respective regencies and municipalities from their own budgets.

"The education grant program will use the budget sharing pattern - 50 percent from the provincial administration and 50 percent from the regional administrations," he said.

Ma'shum said the assistance funds from the provincial administration would be channeled to the respective regency and municipal education agencies according to the number of needy students.

The provincial administration has provided the grants to at least 160,000 students from elementary, junior high and senior high school levels throughout the province. Governor Zainul Majdi and Vice Governor Badrul Munir symbolically presented the scholarships to 20 students from less privileged families in a ceremony held at the Graha Bakti Praja Hall in the gubernatorial office complex over the weekend.

The students will receive a monthly grant of Rp 30,000 for elementary school, Rp 40,000 for junior high school and Rp 65,000 for senior high school.

During the ceremony, which was attended by provincial officials, as well as religious and community figures, Majdi also distributed a copy of Gubernatorial Decree No. 160/2009 on education assistance allocation for needy students to each of the eight regents and mayors.

This initial assistance is part of the education grants for January, February and March this year, which total more than Rp 20 billion ($1.8 million). The provincial administration has allocated Rp 80.56 billion from its annual budget for the program.

Based on the gubernatorial decree, the funds were aimed at assisting students in Mataram city (8,491), West Lombok (24,710), North Lombok (9,281), Central Lombok (30,653), East Lombok (35,464), West Sumbawa (4,327), Sumbawa (12,141), Dompu (12,858), Bima (21,260) and Bima city (5,770).

In his inaugural speech, Majdi said that the provision of education scholarships was part of his administration's commitment to the implemention of free education for needy students, the eradication of illiteracy and the implemention of 12-year mandatory education in line with the 2009-2013 strategic program.

"The basic reason for substandard level of education is people's lack of ability to pay for their children's education," he said.

"It is the responsibility of the administration in accordance with the State Constitution and National Education Law to take over the responsibility of parents of needy students to provide for their schooling."

According to Majdi, the education program will cover students from less privileged families from state, private or Islamic schools equally.