Holcim, Mortar join forces to expand horizons

JAKARTA (Jakarta Post) : The third largest cement manufacturer in the country, PT Holcim Indonesia, signed a cooperation agreement Friday with local instant cement manufacturer PT Cipta Mortar Utama.

"We've had a long relationship with Mortar and with this co-branding cooperation I hope we can expand our markets by combining our distribution networks," Holcim president director Tim Mackay said before signing the agreement.

Mortar generally focuses on commercial construction projects, such as the Ritz Carlton and ITC Permata Hijau, while Holcim mainly works in the country's retail sector, especially on housing projects.

Mortar's general marketing manager Jun Suryo Wardhana said the instant cement market was still small in Indonesia, making up only 20 percent of the country's entire cement market.

The primary components in instant cement include silica sand, cement and filler.

Jun said one of the benefits of using instant cement was that people did not have to add sand.

Holcim's production capacity currently stands at 7.9 million tons per year, while Mortar's annual capacity is 600,000 tons.

The Indonesian Association of Cement Producers (ASI) said domestic cement consumption rose last year by 6.6 percent to 34.17 million tons from 32.05 million tons in 2006. (ndr)

More talking needed: Urban observers

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Every year evictions are carried out in Jakarta in the same way they have been carried out for years.

As part of this process, the administration decides to clear an area and sends in public order officers and bulldozers to make sure residents and traders leave.

Most of the time the process is far from satisfactory, achieving none of the administration's desired results.

The Jakarta Post recently spoke with traders and residents who had experienced being evicted from two areas in the capital.

On Jl. Urip Sumoharjo in East Jakarta, vendors were blamed for causing constant traffic jams. Once they were evicted from the area, the traffic congestion eased slightly.

However, eventually many of the evicted residents decided to return to the area, remaining there until this day.

On Jl. Pancoran in Glodok, West Jakarta, an eviction a few years ago also proved to be a waste of time, with many vendors continuing to trade in the area.

Two urban observers also shared their opinions on evictions in Jakarta with the Post. Parwoto is a housing and community development specialist at the World Bank and Azas Tigor Nainggolan is the head of the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta).

While Jakarta is constantly changing, the administration never seems to change its stance on forced evictions.

The city is still a long way from embracing participation when it comes to urban development, urban observers say.

Housing and community development specialist with the World Bank, Parwoto, said one of the administration's shortcomings was that it failed to ensure the quality of meetings.

He said the administration often invited people claiming to represent market traders to meetings, without involving the majority of traders in the decision-making process.

"The psychological aspect is important. Street vendors, for example, are seen as being clueless, so in meetings they are not encouraged to speak," Parwoto said.

He said among groups of traders there was usually an elite few who did not represent the interests of their peers.

Parwoto said in many cases, traders or squatters representing the majority could be "bought", after which they would agree on whatever the city or developers wanted.

However, he said even the participatory process of involving a group's representatives in the decision-making process was rare in the city.

"Last time I attended a meeting with city officials regarding urban development was in 2007. They still had the same perspectives about development," Parwoto said.

Separately, Azas Tigor Nainggolan, the head of the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta), spoke of similar experiences when dealing with city officials.

"At one stage there were a few mayors who were willing to talk to me. Fakta once spoke with an East Jakarta mayor about improving conditions for sidewalk vendors. The mayor said okay and told me to talk to his subordinates. But the subordinates could not understand what the mayor wanted them to do," Azas said.

Due to such misunderstandings, forced evictions occur again and again, he said.

Parwoto said urban development involved many complicated issues, especially when streets or riverbanks were being cleared. Consequently, the participatory process required skilled, independent facilitators to achieve the best results, he added.

"This process is faster than forced eviction as it draws less resistance," he said.

As an example, he cited a case in Surakarta, Central Java, where local authorities wanted to evict residents from 47 densely populated villages.

"We managed to get residents from one village involved in the participatory process. We held meetings and the residents were willing to take part in new plans for the area," Parwoto said.

Residents from the remaining 46 villages are still engaged in an ongoing conflict with the administration, he said.

"The participatory process takes time. But it is still often faster than forced eviction, especially when land prices are being negotiated. The process is also more sustainable," Parwoto said.

'Lack of coordination hampers growth'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

There is a visible lack of coordination between the central government and local administrations in the development of the real sector and micro, small and medium businesses, a minister says.

The government, through last year's policy package under Presidential Decree No. 6/2007, plans to accelerate growth in the real sector and strengthen small and medium enterprises, which is expected to boost the country's economy.

However, while most of the programs and measures in the policy package have been wrapped up according to the government's target, the implementation has not gone as planned.

"We acknowledge that there is an information gap between the national and local levels. For instance, when the central government finishes formulating a measure, local administrations still do not know the details," Coordinating Minister for the Economy Boediono said Thursday.

"We will soon address the issue. In this case, we will send a copy of each new measure to local administrations to solve the problem," he said.

Of the 159 measures in the policy package, the government had finished 109 of them as of December last year. It has wrapped up 40 out of 49 measures on investment, 28 out of 36 on the financial sector, 28 out of 34 on SMEs and 13 out of 40 on infrastructure development.

According to Jannes Hutagalung, an expert adviser to the coordinating minister, the government has not been able to finish formulating more measures on infrastructure development because it is waiting for several draft laws to be endorsed by the House of Representatives.

Some bills related to infrastructure, including those on income tax, shipping, public transportation, aviation, electricity and energy, are still being deliberated at the House.

Infrastructure development is seen as a key component of the country's economic growth, as infrastructure projects will create jobs and reduce transportation costs, which will lower the prices of goods.

This year, Jannes said, the government would discuss a new policy to further support the development of infrastructure and the growth of SMEs.

He also said the Finance Ministry hoped by the end of 2008 to roll out nationally the "national single window system" currently in use at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta.

Under this system, which was introduced in December, port officials can provide quicker customs service and cargo clearance because all documents are processes electronically.

The government expects the national single window system to be integrated in 2009 with the ASEAN single window system to facilitate trade between ASEAN countries. (adt)

Ciputra plans new Rp 7t project

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Publicly listed property company PT Ciputra Property plans to invest Rp 7 trillion (US$747.36 million) on an integrated shopping mall, hotel and apartment project in Jakarta.

President director Candra Ciputra said Tuesday the project would underline the reputation of the Ciputra Group as one of the country's main property companies.

"The total investment for the project is realistic as we have in our possession some Rp 2 trillion in internal cash, and assets worth Rp 8 trillion," said Candra during a groundbreaking ceremony for the project.

He said the firm would only seek Rp 230 billion in loans for the development.

The project, dubbed "Ciputra World", is expected to be completed in 2010, with the company spending some $300 million for the first phase of construction.

Located on Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio in South Jakarta, the project is expected to be wrapped up in three phases.

According to the firm's director, Artadinata Djangkar, some Rp 400 billion will be spent this year on the development.

"Through an initial public offering back in November last year, our company raised 2.1 trillion in proceeds. Some Rp 1.6 trillion of that will be used to finance the project," he said.

As a result of the new project, the company expects to triple its revenue to some Rp 750 billion this year, up from Rp 280 billion last year and Rp 268.87 billion in 2006, he said.

"Our revenue is mainly from leasing apartment units, mall outlets and hotel chains. Our average annual growth revenue is around 6 percent. But this year we're expecting more revenue from this new project," said Artadinata.

Ciputra World, which will be built on 5.5 hectares of land, will consist of a six-floor shopping mall, 290 apartments, a 200-room hotel, with 80 luxury apartments on its top floors, as well as office space and a five-story parking lot.

"One hundred and fifty of the apartment units are for leasing, and 140 units for selling. The price tag for will be around Rp 2 billion each," said Artadinata.

Ciputra Property owns Ciputra Mall & Hotel in West Jakarta and Semarang, and Apartment Somerset Grand Citra in South Jakarta.

The company recorded a profit of Rp 41.47 billion last year, up by 21.6 percent from Rp 34.09 billion in 2006.

Around 51.05 percent of the company's shares are owned by PT Ciputra Development, 0.01 percent by PT Ciputra Graha Mitra and 48.94 percent by the public. (nkn)

Mimika struggling to empower locals

Markus Makur, The Jakarta Post, Timika

With its vast gold and mining resources, the world may look at Mimika regency in Papua as rich, but the indigenous people who live there don't see it that way.

Outside of the infrastructure supporting the operations of PT Freeport Indonesia's massive mining operation and development concentrated in Mimika Baru district and Timika City, little progress of any sort can be seen in the regency, home to some of Papua's least rich.

They live in huts made of palm fronds, have no paved roads or public transport and schools are small and far between, not to mention the dearth of health facilities.

The indigenous Amungme and Kamoro people from mountain villages and other remote areas of the regency are among the poorest. They have no jobs. They eke out a subsistence living scavenging for gold among PT Freeport Indonesia tailings.

Mimika regent Atanasius Allo Rafra said in order to improve conditions throughout the regency the administration had allocated funds from the 2008 regional budget so that each of the regency's 80 villages would receive Rp 100 million (US$11,100) for infrastructure development.

Besides the administration, help is coming from the People Empowerment Institute, working to assist the Kamoro and Amungme tribes who live in 67 undeveloped villages in Mimika.

The organization's executive secretary, John Nakiaya, said each of the 67 villages would get another Rp 100 million from the organization. The organization has already handed over the funds to the Mimika regental administration for disbursement.

"The Mimika administration will distribute the funds to all 67 villages over the region. We hope that all villages can apply the funds properly in order to gain a better life," Nakiaya said.

Nakiaya added that all Amungme and Kamoro villages were poor. "That's why we are only concerned with helping those villages, where those two tribes live. We hope that Papua's indigenous tribes will be able to survive," he said.

Regent Rafra added that the regental administration had also allocated funds from its 2008 budget to buy a plane and a ferry for public transportation in Papua, especially Mimika. The two vehicles will arrive in March.

"By providing public transportation, we hope that residents here, especially those who live in remote areas, can find easier ways to travel."

City wants prison terms for safety violators

Mustaqim Adamrah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city property management and control agency said Tuesday it wanted to amplify punishments from fines to imprisonment, for owners of buildings which failed to meet safety standards.

The agency's head Hari Sasongko said the agency was preparing a set of regulations to deter violators and others involved in the making of faulty building designs, following a string of cases pertaining to building safety standard requirements.

"I want violators, including the professionals who are responsible for building designs, to be subject to imprisonment," Harry told reporters at City Hall.

Imprisonment, he said, would be a bigger source of embarrassment for violators since fines had failed to prevent violators from repeating their mistakes.

The agency reported that approximately 80 percent of around 700 buildings in Jakarta at least eight stories high, were yet to receive mandatory safety clearance.

Hari said a regulation on building safety standards already carried both prison terms and fines as punishment.

Until now, however, no violators had ever been imprisoned, he said. In the past, whenever prosecutors had demanded imprisonment for violators, he said, the court had put the case 'on the back burner'.

"In the end, such cases vaporize and disappear from the courts," he said.

The most recent case that came under the agency spotlight occurred Dec. 11, 2007 when 19 employees of a Carrefour hypermarket in South Jakarta were rushed to hospital after inhaling excessive amounts of carbon monoxide (CO).

The incident had been caused by a problem with the power supply which caused the shop ventilation system to fail.

The following day, the city administration ordered the closure of the France-based retailer outlet and its basement parking area below Ratu Plaza on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta.

The agency later found the two generators used to back up the power supply at the hypermarket could supply up to 1,000 kilo volt ampere (kVA) each "but the actual output was only 300 kVA each".

"If the machines were working properly the power supply and ventilation would be fine," Hari said.

The agency have sealed the parking lot beneath the hypermarket indefinitely, until the store purchases replacement generators.

Another incident involving building safety standards occurred Dec. 6 last year when a sedan smashed through a one-meter-high concrete barrier on the spiral ramp of Permata Hijau International Trade Center parking garage, in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.

The sedan was on the fourth floor of the garage when the driver reportedly lost control and the car rolled backwards through the wall.

Half of the car protruded from the ramp, four stories up, and sent a shower of debris onto the windshield of a sport utility vehicle below.

The incident, which did not result in injuries, was the second of its kind after a similar fatal accident May 17 last year. The May accident killed a family of three, whose car plummeted from the sixth floor of the same parking garage, after breaching another faulty barrier.

Storm-hit regency in rehabilitation

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA: The rehabilitation of 278 damaged buildings in Thousand Islands regency after a tropical storm early this year is near completion, Antara reported Monday.

Regent Djoko Ramadhan said 60 percent of the work had been completed in 20 days.

"The reconstruction will all be complete next week," he said at City Hall.

Djoko said the rehabilitation work received support from private companies donating building materials.

"The donations cover three-fourths of the total needed building materials," he said.

The private companies also lent the regency 20 construction workers to expedite rehabilitation, he added.

The storm on Jan. 5 damaged residents' houses in Kelapa and Harapan islets and uprooted several electricity poles and trees.

Swamp conversions trigger floods

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra (Jakarta Post) : Recurring floods in Palembang are caused by widespread and excessive conversion of wetland areas around the city, an official in Palembang said Tuesday.

"As much as 70 percent of Palembang's wetlands have been reclaimed, which means many parts of the city now become flooded when it rains. This is a disaster waiting to happen," South Sumatra Wetlands Data Center specialist Momon Sidik Imanuddin said.

He said Palembang's wetland terrain had a high tendency to flood after rain, especially since the Musi River was silted up, which caused its waters to overflow and flood low-lying areas.

Momon said the ordinance on water resources had not been effectively implemented. The ordinance stipulates that people should reserve at least 20 percent of their land when building in wetland areas and build retention pools to contain water seepage.

"There is a strong indication that many developers have not followed these rules just to make more money," Momon said.

Momon said the administration should limit the issuance of wetland reclamation permits.

Experts from eight countries formulate post-disaster management

Surabaya (ANTARA News) - Experts from the Netherlands, Britain, Belgium, Srilanka, Germani, China, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia have formulated post-disaster management.

The post-disaster management was formulated in a two-day symposium at Surabaya Sepuluh November Institute of Technology (ITS) from January 9-10 which was was concluded with a field trip to mud-hit area in Porong, Sidoarjo, on Thursday.

The experts who spoke in the symposium were Dr Emilia van Egmond of TU Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Dr Francis Edum Fotwe of Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, Prof George Ofori the National Univesity of Singapore, Prof Ananda Jayawardhane of the University of Moratuwa in Srilanka, Prof Jouke M Post of TU Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Prof Sc Techn. Christian Brockmann of Hochscule Brement in Germany, Prof Mohan Kumaraswamy of the University of Hong Kong, Prof Stephen O Ogunlana of Asian Institute of Technology, and Prof Johan Silas of ITS in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Frof Ananda Jayawardane of the University of Moratuwa in Srilanka said wooden houses were the temporary models of post-disaster management.

"Wooden houses are better in quake-prone areas, although woods are expensive and difficult to find in our country," Jayawardane said.

He said Srilanka was also hit by the deadly tsunami on December 26, 2005 but the country`s National Disaster Management Plan had been applied there since 2005.

Meanwhile, ITS Rector Prof Priyo Suprobo said he would design a house module for tsunami, earthquake, flood, and landslide victims.

"We used to design knock-down houses for Aceh tsunami victims," he said, adding that construction of such a kind of house could be completed in nine hours.

He added that one of the primary models in post-disaster management was the efficient, environmentally friendly and easy-to-construct houses.

Priyo Suprobo said ITS was currently designing a model of house which could be built in four hour.

"We are preparing the module, and the experts from various countries have given us input so we will recommend the result to the government," he said.

Sunspot is harbinger of the new solar cycle

Spaceflight Now, January 7, 2008

A new 11-year cycle of heightened solar activity, bringing with it increased risks for power grids, critical military, civilian and airline communications, GPS signals and even cell phones and ATM transactions, showed signs it was on its way last week when the cycle's first sunspot appeared in the sun's Northern Hemisphere, NOAA scientists said.

First official sunspot belonging to the new Solar Cycle 24. Credit: NOAA

"This sunspot is like the first robin of spring," said solar physicist Douglas Biesecker of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. "In this case, it's an early omen of solar storms that will gradually increase over the next few years."

A sunspot is an area of highly organized magnetic activity on the surface of the sun. The new 11-year cycle, called Solar Cycle 24, is expected to build gradually, with the number of sunspots and solar storms reaching a maximum by 2011 or 2012, though devastating storms can occur at any time.

During a solar storm, highly charged material ejected from the sun may head toward Earth, where it can bring down power grids, disrupt critical communications, and threaten astronauts with harmful radiation. Storms can also knock out commercial communications satellites and swamp Global Positioning System signals. Routine activities such as talking on a cell phone or getting money from an ATM machine could suddenly halt over a large part of the globe.

"Our growing dependence on highly sophisticated, space-based technologies means we are far more vulnerable to space weather today than in the past," said Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "NOAA's space weather monitoring and forecasts are critical for the nation's ability to function smoothly during solar disturbances."

Last April, in coordination with an international panel of solar experts, NOAA issued a forecast that Solar Cycle 24 would start in March 2008, plus or minus six months. The panel was evenly split between those predicting a strong or weak cycle. Both camps agree that the sooner the new cycle takes over the waning previous cycle, the more likely that it will be a strong season with many sunspots and major storms, said Biesecker. Many more sunspots with Solar Cycle 24 traits must emerge before scientists consider the new cycle dominant, with the potential for more frequent storms.

The new sunspot, identified as #10,981, is the latest visible spot to appear since NOAA began numbering them on January 5, 1972. Its high-latitude location at 27 degrees North, and its negative polarity leading to the right in the Northern Hemisphere are clear-cut signs of a new solar cycle, according to NOAA experts. The first active regions and sunspots of a new solar cycle can emerge at high latitudes while those from the previous cycle continue to form closer to the equator.

SWPC is the nation's first alert for solar activity and its affects on Earth. The center's space weather forecasters issue outlooks for the next 11-year solar "season" and warn of individual storms occurring on the sun that could impact Earth. SWPC is one of NOAA's nine National Centers for Environmental Prediction and is also the warning agency of the International Space Environment Service (ISES), a consortium of 11 member nations.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.

Massive tank solution for village waste in Malang

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Malang

"I only want to see the people in this village live healthy lives, with soil and water pollution eradicated so they can enjoy a clean environment," said Sunaryo, 50, a resident of the remote village of Boro Utarae in Curungrejo subdistrict of Malang regency.

Sunaryo, who only graduated from elementary school, said this was the reason he had generously donated some of his own land to a sanitation project.

"I want to let everybody use my land, provided they all benefit," he said as he accompanied The Jakarta Post to witness the construction of a giant septic tank in the backyard of his home.

Sunaryo donated a 12-by-22 square-meter garden block located behind his home to a community project.

Until the end of the 1980s, residents depended on the Brantas River for their water supply and as a place to dispose of human waste.

When people wanted water or needed to go to the toilet, the Brantas River was usually their destination. The community group head said 103 family households, or around 400 inhabitants in the village, did not have their own household toilet facilities.

"It was easy; when residents wanted a bath or needed to do their washing or go to the toilet, they would just head for the Brantas River," said Aspali, 42, a villager who supported the project.

Aspali said if the villagers were too lazy to walk to the river they would use the nearby fields.

These unsanitary habits were assumed to be the cause of polluted well water, as the wells absorbed harmful organisms that caused outbreaks of diarrhea and vomiting in the area.

As well as the resident's lack of awareness for the need for proper sanitation facilities, the geographical features of the land prevented easy access to clean water, Sunaryo said.

So, the villagers found it difficult to obtain water to fulfill their daily needs.

"It wasn't just a matter of building toilets, as villagers also had difficulty in finding clean water to drink," he said.

A few people attempted to search for water by drilling and building bathing, laundry and toilet facilities.

However, not many were successful. They had to dig more than 35 meters into the soil to find water and spent millions of rupiah on building the facilities.

Others who were less fortunate could not afford to build such facilities.

This situation caught the attention of the Environmental Services Program (ESP), a USAID project working on the development of community-based sanitation facilities in poor areas.

Together with the Malang Regency government, the ESP made funds available for a cost-sharing project to build a proper sanitation system that could be used by the whole community. The overall fund reached Rp 475 million (US$52,000), with Rp 200 million provided by the local government.

"There are many other locations proposing similar developments but we saw Curungrejo as the most prepared area, both in terms of the community's attitude and available land," said Bintoro W Prabowo, ESP's public outreach/communications specialist.

In November 2006, construction of a massive septic tank designed to handle waste from 200 households began. The project was scheduled for completion in January 2008.

The local government and ESP contributions were used to fund the construction of a giant septic tank measuring 5-by-15 meters and with a depth of 3.2 meters. The money was also used to build toilets for 103 households.

"Every family will get a water closet. Every closet will be connected to the main system through PVC piping. Then the waste will flow to the massive septic tank," said Aspali, pointing to a stack of toilet pedestals still wrapped in packaging.

Aspali said he was happy, as his home, and around 103 other households, would soon have their own water closets.

The residents' spirits were raised even higher after learning the regional water company in Malang Regency would guarantee a supply of clean piped water to their homes, as part of the sanitation program.

"Currently, almost half of the family water closets are functioning and the installation of the plumbing system is ongoing," said Ristine Aprilia, a community-based water supply and sanitation specialist with ESP.

Ristine said the residents were asked to participate in the project by donating money, so they would have a sense of ownership of the plumbing system and help maintain the community septic tank.

A total of Rp 5 million was collected from the residents.

"The money was given back to the villagers to be managed by themselves, so they felt a sense of ownership. They then used the money to pay a security guard and a maintenance man to run the septic tank," Ristine said.

"The residents are also able to benefit through selling waste collected from inside the septic tank ... which can be used as fertilizer."

Bintoro said data collected by the ESP revealed around 100,000 toddlers in Indonesia died every year due to diarrhea; this figure breaks down to 273 infants per day, or 11 deaths per hour.

The cause of diarrhea is the e-coli bacteria, which is transmitted from human feces to toddlers' stomachs through contaminated food and water.

Over the past 30 years, the Indonesian government has only been able to supply around US$840 million in aid to build sanitation systems across the country.

"This means the state allocation for sanitation was only Rp 200 (US$ 0.02) per year per person. This is far from ideal. For Indonesia, it is estimated the allocation should be around Rp 47,000 (US$5) per citizen per year," said Bintoro, citing ESP data.

ESP is now actively campaigning for the initiation of community-based sanitation projects in the greater Malang region (Malang City, Malang Regency Malang and Batu City), and is working together with local regency and city governments. Construction is underway in two other locations."This work will continue.

The most important thing is for the community to be aware of their needs. At least, there has to be someone like Pak Sunaryo."

Waste law 'will reduce floods'

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government expects a bill threatening fines and jail time for those who dispose of garbage in rivers can help prevent recurring flood problems.

State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar said the absence of regulations on garbage disposal was behind current flood disasters in several regions.

He said garbage-clogged rivers triggered flooding, especially in urban areas.

"It is common for people to dump garbage into river," he said at a press conference on Friday.

"That's why, once we have the waste management law, I promise to implement it seriously. There won't be any compromise as regards violators."

A first-ever bill on garbage is expected to be passed this year.

Rachmat said he would "urge the House of Representatives to pass it into law within two months" and that implementation would follow as soon as possible thereafter.

The draft bill submitted by the government deals with reduction and disposal of garbage and covers the daily activities of the general public. It prohibits dumping and burning garbage in open areas.

The law would require households to separate organic and non-organic garbage.

Garbage in the country's urban areas, most of which comes from households, has long been a sensitive issue.

The sanctions available for improper garbage disposal will be further elaborated within regional ordinances.

As a basic outline, the law provides that bringing waste into Indonesian territory is punishable with a fine of up to Rp 2 billion (US$212,000) or five years in prison.

Fines of Rp 1.5 billion or a three-year sentence would apply to those operating recycling and other waste businesses without permits from the ministry.

The ministry reported that garbage disposed into the country's 36 largest rivers contributes to their severe pollution.

The recent floods and landslides that struck Central and East Java killed over 100 people while the overflowing of Java's longest river, the Bengawan Solo, displaced tens of thousands.

The ministry said Java would remain prone to landslides during rainy seasons.

According to a ministry count, there are some 600 flood and landslide high risk areas in East Java, 531 such areas in Central Java and 430 in West Java.

It is estimated that Indonesia produces some 21,000 tons of household waste daily.

The Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) suggested the bill also include provisions on recycling in connection with the production of consumer goods to help reduce household garbage.

Meanwhile, lawmakers suggested the government promote the use of high-tech waste treatment plants to deal with rising waste.

The bill currently provides that regions producing 1,000 tons or more of daily waste have waste treatment plants.

Clean water flows again after years of shortages in remote Bantul hamlet

Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Bantul

Ending many years of water shortages with the opening of a new fresh water facility, December 29, 2007 was an important day for villagers in the remote hamlet of Sanan, some 20 kilometers to the south of Yogyakarta in the regency of Bantul.

For the first time, that day the villagers were able to get fresh spring water on tap in their homes, following the official launch of a newly built water supply facility.

The project was jointly conducted by villagers in cooperation with local NGO Yayasan Komunitas Yogyakarta, with financial support from U.S.-based NGO AmeriCares.

"I don't need to walk three kilometers down the hill to get water any more," said a villager, Sunarto, 65, as he turned on the tap at his home to wash his hands and face.

"Now I can spend that time and energy doing something else."

Sunarto's house is situated highest in the village, which is some 1,350 meters above the sea level, not far from the newly built main water reservoir.

"I can take a bath twice a day now," Tarmuzi, another elderly Sanan villager, said.

Previously a person of his age had only been able to bathe once a day in his village, he said.

The nearest water spring, he said, was in the neighboring hamlet of Kedungpring, some three kilometers down a hill. He used to walk there to wash and often had to queue before being able to do so, he said.

After bathing he would fill a plastic container, that he had carried with him from home, with water, and then carry back home for his home water supply.

"By the time I got home I would normally be sweaty again," Tarmuzi said.

Head of Bawuran village Suripto said clean water supply had been a big problem for years in Sanan, one of the three highest hamlets in his jurisdiction facing shortages.

The other hamlets were Sentulrejo and Jambon, with populations of 300 and 400 consecutively.

"The May 2006 earthquake made conditions worse," Suripto said, "Ever since then, the wells dried up quickly."

Thanks to the US$95,000 project, some 320 of Sanan's 450 families are now able to enjoy fresh water piped straight to their homes -- that is some 1,000 of the hamlet's total population of 1,500, AmeriCares country director David Prettyman said.

The project was initiated in September 2006, as part of AmeriCares' post-earthquake relief program in Yogyakarta, with the construction of a 120-meter-deep bore in Sanan. Some two kilometers away, the highest reservoir was then built.

Water was then pumped into seven reservoirs built in the upper areas of the hamlet, each with an average capacity of 12,000 liters, to be piped to people's houses.

All the construction work was done on a voluntary basis by the whole Sanan community including housewives, chairman of Sanan's Water Supply System Network Sugeng Widodo said.

"We did not mind working hard day-and-night," Sugeng said.

"The results are worth every bit of it."

The whole community were proud to have been actively involved in the project right from the start, he said.

Gotong royong or mutual social cooperation, Prettyman said, was the key to the project's success.

At each step, starting with project planning, its implementation and future maintenance, he said, the community were actively involved.

"I think this is a good model solution for a population in need of clean water supply," Prettyman said.

Prettyman claimed to have been working with various NGOs in Indonesia for the last 20 years.

Yayasan Komunitas Yogyakarta director Didit Abdul Majid echoed Prettyman, saying in developing the project, the two NGOs had not only involved the community but allowed them to take charge of the entire project.

"We are now preparing a village meeting to further discuss how the facility should be best managed and maintained," he said.

Tangerang plans satellite city

TANGERANG (Jakarta Post) : The Tangerang regency administration is planning to transform three coastal districts in the northern part of the regency into a new satellite city which is expected to boost the regency's revenue.

"We have commenced the plan by revising the spatial layout and the master plan to develop Kosambi, Teluk Naga and Sukadiri districts into a new business center in the northern part of the regency," the head of the regency's planning body, Benyamin Davnie, said over the weekend.

He said the administration will build residential housing complexes, industry and service areas, trading and shopping centers and hotels, apartments and recreational resorts on eight hectares of land along the coast.

However, he said the construction of the new satellite city would need Rp 20 trillion (US$2.1 billion) in investment, including the construction of an export-import sea port, infrastructure and other supporting facilities.

"If we rely merely on the regency budget, such a plan is only a dream and therefore we are offering the plan and the development concepts to some foreign and domestic investors," he said.

Benyamin said several local companies as well as foreign investors from the Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore had indicated an interest in the project.

Floods cause Rp32.7 billion in infrastructure damage in Sukoharjo

Sukoharjo, Central Java (ANTARA News) - Floods in Sukoharjo District, Central Java, have caused infrastructure damage totaling Rp32.7 billion, according to a local official.

The inundations had damaged a number of infrastructure facilities such as roads, bridges, irrigation works, dams and houses, the head of Sukoharjo Public Works Service, Haryanto, said here on Monday.

The floods, triggered by the overflowing of Bengawan Solo River, had inundated a total of 1,887 houses, especially in Grogol, Mojolaban, Polokarto and Sukoharjo town, he said. Four bridges in Bendosari and Polokarto sub districts were also damaged by the deluges.

Minimizing the mosque

Zenin Adrian, The Jakarta Post

A couple of years ago, I attended a seminar on Islamic architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The seminar discussed specifically the development of mosque architecture in different regions and how it had adapted to local context.

The discussions were circled around how Western African mosque design influenced design throughout the world. With its dome and minaret (tower/lighthouse) configuration, it was decorated to fit in with the local traditional architecture style. Towards the end of the seminar, there was a critical discourse to rethink the use of dome and minaret elements and their relevance in practical modern mosque architecture.

Traditionally, domical form has been used in many religious buildings other than mosques because of its geometrical characteristic. A dome has centralized geometry and provides an edgeless ceiling. These embedded characteristics enhance our sense of upward direction, which is why the ceiling of a dome is usually perceived as a representation of the sky or, most of the time, heaven.

On the other hand, the use of the minaret is believed to have traces of the ancient concept of male (tower) and female (dome) symbols. In most cases, especially in modern times, the minaret is perceived as a symbol of establishment rather than religious value.

This application of symbolic forms was the core of the discussion that the modern mosque architecture should move away from symbols and extravagant decoration and focus on creating a more meaningful prayer space.

Some contemporary architects in Indonesia have been struggling to propose modern ideas in mosque design, and most of them have to be confronted with the rooted perception and strong preference for the dome and minaret configuration typical of mosques in the Middle East.

However, some struggles come with victories. The Ar-Royan mosque in Galaxy Bumi Permai, Surabaya, was designed to accommodate the need to have a meaningful praying space. Designed by Jakarta-based architect Ahmad Djuhara, the mosque does not apply the traditional dome.

As opposed to the dome ceiling, which enhances the mosque's verticality, Djuhara designed a compressing curve ceiling which increase the feeling of horizontality.

The curved ceiling accommodates the two stories of prayer space where the upper floor is reserved for females. Although the mosque is square in plan -- 15 by 15 meters -- the ceiling gives a strong directionality towards the Qibla wall.

The prayer space is minimally decorated with inscriptions of the 99 names of Allah on the Qibla wall. Small openings at the bottom of the wall provide a glimpse of the fish pond behind the Qibla wall which inherits a poetic meaning within the sound of the flowing water from the pond.

I perceive these design gestures as an effort to emphasize the quality of self-revelation and social interactions. The embedded values seemed to contrast with traditional mosque design where distractive symbolic representation and unnecessary decorations dominate the prayer space. Djuhara's minimalistic and functional approach shows us that religious space can be built upon modernity and still maintain our religious practice and commitment.

Zenin Adrian has a website www.zadl.net and can be reached at zenin.adrian@zadl.net

Palyja warns of water shortages

JAKARTA (Jakarta Post) : City water operator Palyja has warned its customers to anticipate water shortages until Jan. 9 while it completes technical maintenance.

Palyja's public relations manager Meyritha Maryanie said the work was being carried out in an effort to improve the company's services.

"In relation to the maintenance work, water supplies in several areas will be affected. These areas include Jatibaru, Musi, Petojo, Tanjung Selor and several surrounding areas. To anticipate possible water shortages, we advise costumers to fill water tanks and use water wisely," Meyritha said.

She said for further information, customers could contact Palyja's call center on (021) 57986555.

Palembang to have compost plant soon

Palembang, S Sumatra (ANTARA News) - PT Organic Recovery Group Indonesia, a subsidiary of an Australian company, will soon build a compost plant in Palembang, capital of South Sumatra province, at a cost of US$1.5 billion.

The plant, to be built on two hectares of land near the Sukawinatan landfill, was expected to start operating in July 2008, the company`s director, Richard Lee, said Thursday after signing a memorandum of understanding with Palembang Mayor Eddy Santana Putra on the construction of the project.

Lee said the plant would have a production capacity of 40 tons a day or 12,000 tons a year in the early days of its operation.

The company would sell most of its products to local farmers, he said adding it would also cooperate with state fertilizer company PT Pusri in marketing the products to the rest of the country.

Villagers commit to saving forest and water sources

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Batu, East Java.

A small mosque sits atop a spring in Toyomerto hamlet, Pesanggrahan village, Batu district in Batu city, East Java. It is used for religious activities and also as a meeting place for local villagers.

The water source is one of 11 spread around the village, located between 900 to 1,000 meters above sea level, on the slopes of Mount Panderman.

According to community figure Syaifuddin, better known as Gus Udin, thanks to the small mosque, 277 household heads have united in a mission to save 11 water sources at risk of being exploited by outside parties.

Local residents are aware of the importance of reforestation and protection of the production forest area owned by the Perhutani state forestry company, spanning 21,640 hectares around the village, from illegal loggers.

According to Gus Udin, people initially opposed the conservation effort, which began in 1997. Farmers and firewood sellers depended on the trees in the production forest, which they felled and sold to make a living.

The forest is a catchment area which feeds 11 springs that people rely on for their daily needs.

The slopes of Mount Panderman at one point appeared barren due to uncontrolled logging, which triggered floods and landslides during the rainy season in 1998 and 1999. Recurrent droughts occurred during the dry season, thus affecting water quality in the 11 springs.

Residents also became prone to illnesses, such as diarrhea.

"The situation is better now. The residents have found other ways to make a living, such as raising dairy cows and cattle for meat, the results of which are starting to show," said Gus Udin.

In 1997, a rumor that a prominent businessman from Jakarta was interested in purchasing the village, including the 11 springs, prompted the local community to protect the forest and water sources in their village. They eventually formed an environmental study group called Yayasan Iqro.

"I also heard that a significant amount of gas was located in the ground below our village," said Gus Udin, who also heads the foundation.

During meetings, residents were made aware of how to preserve the surrounding environment. They were taught to change their habit of felling trees in the forest, shown how to live a more healthy lifestyle through planting trees and learned the importance of preserving their water sources. Even children were taught to cherish the environment by planting trees in the forest.

After three years, the group imposed stiff regulations in the form of customary law, which residents mutually agreed on.

The punishments are quite stern; anyone caught felling a tree is required to pay a fine of a truck-load of sand, while those found felling five trees are fined 100 sacks of cement.

"Harsh punishments have been cast on the community," added Gus Udin.

The customary law is currently effective and acts as a deterrent to those who destroy the environment in the village. So far, residents have been able to protect the 11 water sources, which each supply four liters of water per second.

Each family pays a monthly fee of Rp 7,500 (approximately 83 U.S. cents) toward operational funds to manage the springs. From each fee, Rp 1,000 is set aside to fund the building of schools, roads, houses of worship and other community facilities.

To help improve people's welfare, the foundation offers credit for dairy cows and cattle. It has so far distributed 600 heads of cattle to residents without collateral.

This scheme has somewhat been able to change the look of Pesanggrahan village, which is evident from the 3,600 dairy cows and cattle already raised by the villagers.

The residents can now even fulfill their household energy needs by turning cattle dung into butane biogas to light their stoves and lamps.

"Residents can finally save on fuel and electricity," said Gus Udin.

A villager, Lasmi, 50, said she was able to make use of biogas from cattle manure after receiving a grant from the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) for a pilot project in 2005.

Gas is channeled through a small pipe to her stove and lamps from the back of her home, which is directly next door to a cattle shed.

Two structures resembling septic tanks are stored inside the cow shed; one is used to store the manure, which is connected to the other that collects gas.

"We no longer buy kerosene because we can use biogas derived from cattle dung," Lasmi said.

Experts promote new ways to fight deforestation

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Researchers from the Development Center for Bogor Forest Products recently completed the construction of 10 houses near Cifor forest in Bogor's Sindangbarang Jero village.

The stilt houses, made from coconut and sengon trees, form part of the team's research into wood preservation methods.

The head of the development center's research evaluation unit, Suhariyanto, said public knowledge about timber varieties was extremely limited, which contributed heavily to deforestation.

"People are only familiar with teak, meranti and ramin wood, which they use to build their houses with or make furniture from, and supplies are becoming less and less.

"Indonesia has 4,000 types of timber, including trees that commonly grow near homes such as coconut, mango, durian, sengon and acacia mangium trees. These types of timber are good for building houses that would last for at least 50 years if the timber was preserved properly," he told The Jakarta Post recently.

He said some types of timber, including sengon, were resistant to termites.

Researcher Efrida Basri, who specializes in wood drying, said if proper preservation methods were used, common types of wood could become reliable substitutes for conventional types of wood taken from endangered forests.

"People only collect fruit from common types of trees. This type of mind-set needs to change if we want to see our forests last," she said.

Efrida said the use of better preservation methods could make the export of commonly found trees in Indonesia quite lucrative.

She said traditional methods of preserving wood, such as drying it under the sun, resulted in Indonesian wood continuing to be of a low quality.

"But wood-steaming machines are relatively expensive for small-scale plantation owners," she said.

Efrida said the center had designed wood steamers for the wider community to use.

Home-industry businesses in Bogor and other areas of West Java, Papua, Aceh and Central Java already use wood steamers in their day-to-day production.

Despite infrastructure, CBD still good property investment

The Jakarta Post

Andhika Suryadharma, Analys,

For the average Indonesian, prices of land in the Jakarta CBD already seem sky-high. However, they are relatively cheap compared to other CBDs in the region, and there is potential yet to be unleashed.

We are at the start of 2008, a year most market analysts regard as likely to be a turbulent one. With a slow-down in the world's major economies forthcoming, emerging markets may become a safe haven. So why not invest in emerging market property?

To get a feel for the land situation in Jakarta from an international perspective, consider property prices in the CBDs of other major Asian cities.

According to the latest Asian property report from Jones Lang LaSalle, Tokyo's CBD holds the most expensive price per square meter among Asian countries, going for as much as US$34,000 (approximately Rp 310 million) per square meter.

Among cities in developing countries, the report puts the price of CBD land in Chengdu at $1,380, Delhi at $7,426, Bangkok at $2,513 and Makati City at $1,655.

Where does Jakarta fit in? Jakarta CBD is the cheapest of them all, at $1,340 (approximately Rp 12 million) per square meter.

Last year, the CBD in Jakarta experienced only a 3.1 percent year-on-year increase in prices, below Bangkok, which experienced a 3.5 percent gain, Delhi (72 percent) and Makati City (19 percent).

It is interesting to note that land in the CBDs of the latter two cities has a higher capital value than land in Jakarta, while Indonesia ranks higher than both the Philippines and India in GDP per capita (based on recent ADB data). This raises some questions about what factors determine the property value of CBDs.

Location, certainly, is among the main factors. The closer an area is to the center of day-to-day activity, the more expensive it becomes. However, that alone does not determine the price of capital value.

There are also factors such as supporting facilities, which involve accessibility to the CBD area. Examples are the CBD areas in Singapore and Hong Kong; one reason those areas are among the most expensive in the world today is the transportation facilities they offer.

You can easily reach the CBD in both cities using a variety of transportation modes, including Mass Rapid Transportation, buses, taxis, and even by bicycle or on foot. It is comfortable to get to your office by foot in Hong Kong, and it is also safe.

Another factor is tenants. Most of the high-ranking CBD areas are filled with major financial institutions and multinational companies. In Hong Kong, for example, major banks and brokerages line the Hong Kong area where the stock exchange resides. The more exclusive the area becomes, the higher the value of the land.

So what is the Jakarta CBD lacking? The tenants here are prestigious enough; it's the facilities that fall short. In terms of transportation, the busway is a good start but obviously it's not enough; a city railway system is also needed to build a transportation system accessible to everyone, in which safety for commuters is a priority.

Apart from that, there are also risks in obtaining land. Besides the difficulties in land clearance, the licensing of land ownership has been an issue, given the many reported cases in which more than one certificate is issued for a single piece of land. Hence there is the need to reduce regulatory uncertainty in order to make investments in CBD property less risky.

So, all in all, is land in Jakarta a good investment? We would say yes. Obviously a lot needs to be done, and this will need time. Transportation facilities should be upgraded, clogged traffic should be relieved and land ownership uncertainties should be minimized.

But land here is still cheap relative to the region, and with economic growth at above 6 percent and reforms underway, Jakarta should eventually catch up with other Asian cities in terms of capital values.

The writer is an equity analyst at PT Bahana Securities.

PLN may spend $1.5b for power-for-all project

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

State-owned electricity firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) plans to invest up to US$1.5 billion this year to finance a project aimed at providing electricity to every citizen nationwide by 2020, a company executive said.

The project would include the construction of new power plans and the development of 26,000 kilometers of transmission cables and networking facilities in Sumatra and Java.

PLN president director Eddie Widiono said Monday the company would invest up to 25 percent of the $6 billion needed to realize the project, while the other 75 percent would come from other parties, including the private sector.

"We will also ask the government and city administrations to provide funds for the project so that people across the country can have access to electricity," said Eddie.

Currently, about 44 percent of the country's total population of more than 220 million lives without electricity, mostly those who reside in remote areas.

To solve this matter, PLN said it has intensified efforts to boost power supplies in the country, including by constructing new power plants that would provide an additional 10,000 megawatts power supply by the end of 2009.

It is building 10 coal-fired power plants with a total capacity of 6,900 megawatts in Java and 25 power plants outside Java with a total capacity of 3,100 megawatts.

The country now produces a total of 29,000 megawatts.

Eddie said PLN will spend up to Rp 139 trillion (US$14.78 billion) for the company's operations budget this year.

From that amount, he said 60 percent will be used for fuels which will fire around 78 percent of its power plants.

PLN said it planned to save Rp 1.7 trillion on fuel expenditure next year by reducing the use of high speed diesel (HSD) and switching to the cheaper medium fuel oil (MFO).

Eddie also said PLN expected to gain Rp 149 trillion revenue from the company's operations in 2008, mainly from electricity usage and the government's subsidy.

PLN said it was upbeat about doubling its net profit of Rp 2 trillion this year from last year -- the first profit in the last eight years.

The company said at the end of last year it expected to book a net profit of Rp 1 trillion.

PLN currently has a Rp 16 trillion debt to state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina.

The payment method was being discussed with the Capital Market and Financial Institutions Supervisory Agency (Bapepam-LK) and the Finance Ministry, Eddie said. (adt)

Singapore invests Rp79 billion in clean water project in Bangka

Pangkalpinang, Bangka Province (ANTARA News) - A Singaporean company, Darco Corporation, has invested Rp79 billion in a clean water installation project in Pangkalpinang, Bangka Province, Sumatra with a capacity of 350 liters per second.

Pangkalpinang Mayor Zulkarnain Karim said here on Tuesday the water plant would be able to supply 350 liters per second to the public. The plant, expected to be completed in May 2008, would get water from water sources in Kacang Pedang, Mangkol and Pedindang.

The Bangka provincial administration had allocated Rp8 billion and the Pangkalpinang city administration Rp15 billion for the city`s water supply plant for the 2008 budget.

Telco regulators need to keep up with changes

Andi Haswidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With its high population but low telephone penetration rate, Indonesia remains among the most lucrative telecommunications markets in the world.

However, the lack of clear regulations has created confusion among operators and the public. The controversial anti-monopoly ruling recently issued by the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) indicated that there are some things wrong in the business.

The KPPU found Singapore investment firm Temasek Holdings guilty of violating the anti-trust law by having ownership in two mobile phone operators, Telkomsel and Indosat, which jointly controlled more than 50 percent of the market.

The ruling also found the largest mobile phone operator, Telkomsel, guilty of abusing its dominant market position through a price-leadership arrangement involving Indosat that led to the excessive pricing of mobile communication services. The high prices cost consumers between Rp 14.7 trillion (about US$1.56 billion) and Rp 30.8 trillion between 2003 and 2006. The court told the company to lower tariffs by a minimum of 15 percent.

The ruling has yet to be tested in the courts, but appeals are on their way. The KPPU blamed the government in part, saying that the abuse of power would never have happened if the government had exercised its authority to safeguard competition.

The government's power in the telecommunications industry is two-sided. First, it is a market player through state-owned PT Telkom, which holds 65 percent of Telkomsel's shares, and through a golden share ownership in Indosat, which entitles it to veto power over all major decisions by the company. Second, it is a market regulator through the Communication and Information Ministry, the Directorate General for Post and Telecommunication and the Indonesian Telecommunication Regulatory Body (BRTI).

As a player, the government has been blamed for its inability to act in the interest of the public, generally by turning a blind eye to possible abuses of dominant power.

On the other hand, as a regulator, it has been known for adapting slowly to changes in the market, and often being trapped by its interest in the industry when implementing regulations.

Speaking as an analyst, Telkom's independent commissioner Arif Arryman recently raised his voice, urging the government to act faster so as to put the right policies and rules in place to prevent abuse of dominant market positions.

"The available policies and regulations have failed to keep pace with the development of services and equipment," Arif said.

For him, there is nothing wrong with companies such as Telkom having a dominant position as long as the government exercises tight control so as to avoid abuses. He said such control was currently lacking.

Also echoing Arif's concern, Indonesian Telecommunications Society (Mastel) chairman Mas Wigrantoro said that the government had made a mistake by failing to introduce a floor price for mobile phone services.

"A new player entering the industry usually seeks to grow its subscriber base by setting the lowest price possible, while ignoring the question of profitability. If minimum prices are not set, this could destabilize the industry," he said.

On the implementation front, the government has issued various warning letters to industry players this year, including to Telkom for the delay in opening its exclusive rights over long-distance calling to other players, especially Indosat, which has also entered into fixed telephone services.

Indosat received a warning for the late development of its fixed telephone network, but the government could not impose any sanctions due to a loose network development contract.

The government's weakness as a regulating body also shows in the fact that operators get away with misleading TV commercials, which, in some cases, offer cheap rates without making the terms and conditions clear.

The one piece of good news for the public this year was when the BRTI said last month that it would introduce a new set of rate formulas to cut the average cost of mobile telecommunication services by 20 to 30 percent as soon as Jan 1.

BRTI member Heru Sutadi explained that call rates here were the second highest in the Asia-Pacific region due to the variable interconnection cost for calls between operators. After considering the performance of the operators, he said, it was time to adjust rates.

Another noteworthy move by the government this year was the launch of a consortium for the ambitious Palapa Ring project in November that consists of seven companies: Telkom, Indosat, Excelcomindo Pratama, Bakrie Telecom, PT Powertek Utama Internusa, PT Infokom Elektrindo and PT Macca System Infocom.

The project, estimated to involve $300 million for the first of two implementation phases, aims to link the entire archipelago through a fiber optic network in order to bridge the digital divide in 40,000 villages that are yet connected to the country's telecommunication networks.

One setback in the effort to bridge the digital gap came when the Directorate General of Post and Telecommunication announced earlier this month that none of the tender participants for a Universal Service Obligation (USO) project surpassed the required criterion.

The USO projects, which mostly include the development of telephone networks in remote areas, are financed by funds raised from existing telecommunications operators' contributions.

The program was introduced at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held by the United Nations in 2003, which aimed to increase Information and Communication Technology (ICT) penetration by 50 percent globally by 2015.

The country's telecommunication sector has rapidly developed during the past several years with the entry of new operators in the highly competitive mobile phone market.

The government therefore needs to review existing policies keep up with the rapid changes in the industry.