Finally, Hollywood Movies "May" Back to Indonesia

Elisabeth Oktofani & Dion Bisara | July 15, 2011 

In the clearest sign of hope yet, Indonesian officials signaled on Thursday that Hollywood blockbusters — including the last Harry Potter film — could be back on screens within a fortnight.

Djonny Sjafruddin, head of the Indonesian Cinema Companies Union (GPBSI), told the Jakarta Globe that almost all film importation issues were now solved.

“Particularly the ones related to customs, royalties and income tax,” he said. “We’re now only dealing with technical issues.”

This meant Hollywood films might arrive here in as little as 10 days, he said. “It will still take time for the films to go through customs, censors and adding the subtitles,” he explained.

A key priority is getting “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” he said, which premiered in London last week and began showing in Asia this week, to the chagrin of Indonesian fans.

The turn of events on Thursday was made possible by the Customs and Excise Office clearing newly registered film importer Omega Film to bring in movies.

Susiwiyono, the director of customs and excise information, confirmed the news in a text message but did not explain why.

Omega was given a film import license on May 3, but a freeze was imposed as officials sought to clarify its relationship with Indonesian film giant Cineplex 21.

Cineplex 21 is affiliated with Camila and Satrya, two major film importers banned by the Finance Ministry pending payment of Rp 22 billion ($2.6 million) in back taxes and interest.

Omega was the only company given an import license among the six that applied, as four appeared to have the same address as Omega. It was not clear why the fifth was rejected.

Syamsul Lussa, head of the film department at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, explained that companies in the film industry were not allowed to have businesses that could create “vertical integration, whether directly or indirectly.”

Vertical integration refers to a company going into businesses that form part of its supply chain or production path.

“So, if there is dodgy data about Omega Film, we are going to investigate it and revoke its business permit if necessary,” he said.

Tourism Minister Jero Wacik has said that the Motion Picture Association of America, the umbrella group for six major Hollywood studios that boycotted Indonesia from February over a royalty dispute, only wants to deal with importers it is familiar with, understood to mean Camila and Satrya and the Cineplex group.

In the clearest sign of hope yet, Indonesian officials signaled on Thursday that Hollywood blockbusters — including the last Harry Potter film — could be back on screens within a fortnight.

Djonny Sjafruddin, head of the Indonesian Cinema Companies Union (GPBSI), told the Jakarta Globe that almost all film importation issues were now solved.



“Particularly the ones related to customs, royalties and income tax,” he said. “We’re now only dealing with technical issues.”

This meant Hollywood films might arrive here in as little as 10 days, he said. “It will still take time for the films to go through customs, censors and adding the subtitles,” he explained.

A key priority is getting “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” he said, which premiered in London last week and began showing in Asia this week, to the chagrin of Indonesian fans.

The turn of events on Thursday was made possible by the Customs and Excise Office clearing newly registered film importer Omega Film to bring in movies.

Susiwiyono, the director of customs and excise information, confirmed the news in a text message but did not explain why.

Omega was given a film import license on May 3, but a freeze was imposed as officials sought to clarify its relationship with Indonesian film giant Cineplex 21.

Cineplex 21 is affiliated with Camila and Satrya, two major film importers banned by the Finance Ministry pending payment of Rp 22 billion ($2.6 million) in back taxes and interest.

Omega was the only company given an import license among the six that applied, as four appeared to have the same address as Omega. It was not clear why the fifth was rejected.

Syamsul Lussa, head of the film department at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, explained that companies in the film industry were not allowed to have businesses that could create “vertical integration, whether directly or indirectly.”

Vertical integration refers to a company going into businesses that form part of its supply chain or production path.

“So, if there is dodgy data about Omega Film, we are going to investigate it and revoke its business permit if necessary,” he said.

Tourism Minister Jero Wacik has said that the Motion Picture Association of America, the umbrella group for six major Hollywood studios that boycotted Indonesia from February over a royalty dispute, only wants to deal with importers it is familiar with, understood to mean Camila and Satrya and the Cineplex group.

Source : www.thejakartaglobe.com/15July2011/hollywoodmoviesmaysoonbebackonscreen

Wirjawan Says Indonesia's Fiscal Health (another 'non-crucial priority' issue)

I don't think Indonesian citizens really could buy what Gita Wirjawan said : "country's fiscal health and government's efforts to reduce corruption".. (like it could lower credit rating when it comes to Public Finance *coughing) and how local governments are benefiting from using Fiscal Health diagnostic *coughing again. How it could reduce the corruption then? How about it's another way to create corruption while using Indonesian citizen's money? We are talking about prioritization budgeting here, unless the government take responsibility by in charge to cover up the whole expenses. 

As PBB Center mentions : The process also (supposed to) brings together government finance officers, civic leaders, and community citizens to make decisions that better align the community's resources with what the community and its leaders value the most. Accomplish this and you've attained Fiscal Health and Wellness©. 

* I'm not sure how this 'could work' in Indonesia? ; but if this 'non-crucial priority' issue being progress, may the government leaders 'allow' community citizens to get involve.  

Anyway either we're talking about non profit organization or profitable one, whatever government says about 'for the sake of Indonesia' is I really don't buy it. 

-N.G- 

June 13 (Bloomberg) -- Gita Wirjawan, chairman of Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board, talks about the country's fiscal health and government's efforts to reduce corruption. Wirjawan speaks from Jakarta with Susan Li on Bloomberg Television's "First Up."  
(Source: Bloomberg via www.washingtonpost.com)

Gayus Indicted for Passport Forgery

By Heru Andriyanto | May 31, 2011 - www.thejakartaglobe.com

#Tax Corruption Case #Bribery #Indonesia #Politic

Prosecutors on Tuesday indicted graft convict Gayus Tambunan  for forging a passport that he used to travel overseas when he was supposed to be in prison.

Prosecutors accused Gayus of creating and using a forged passport since January 2010 with the help of American John Jerome Grice, who has fled the country, and Arie Nur Iwan, aka Arie Kalap.

The fake passport, under the name of Sony Laksono, was used by Gayus for jaunts to Macao, Hong Kong and Singapore. The fake passport itself was created using a passport belonging  to Margaretha Ingrid Anggraeni, who never claimed the passport at the East Jakarta Immigration office.

The indictment stated that Gayus's wrongdoing has hurt the Immigration Office for causing “a decline in the public trust towards the Immigration Office.”

It also caused material losses for using a passport number owned by someone else who had paid for the document, the indictment stated.

Gayus said that he didn't understand the indictment, claiming that he was not the one who forged the passport.

“I don't understand with the indictment stating that I 'took part in forging the document' because I never knew who put the name and the data into the passport,” he said. 

Source : www.thejakartaglobe.com

Related news :

• 2010,May3rd - Gayus Judge ‘Entrapped’ Into Making Bribery Confession, Lawyer Claims - www.thejakartaglobe.com 
• 2010, June2nd - Police Suspect Four-Way Bribe In Gayus Case - www.jakartaglobe.com 
• 2010,Nov8th - Prosecutors Seek Light Term for Judge in Gayus Tambunan Bribe Case - www.thejakartaglobe.com 
• 2011,May4th - Gayus Prosecutor a Step Closer to Bribery Trial - www.thejakartaglobe.com 
• 2011,May10th - Gayus’s Former Lawyer Gets Two More Years - www.thejakartaglobe.com 
• 2011,May24th - Evidence Lacking to Probe Companies Linked to Gayus Fortune, Police Say - www.thejakartaglobe.com 
• 2011,May26th - Gayus Saga: Trader's Jail Time Stretches to 10 Years - www.thejakartaglobe.com 
• 2011,May27th - Six-Year Prison Term Sought For Warden in Gayus Scandal - www.thejakartaglobe.com

RI-Malaysia MoU fails to provide needed safeguards for migrant workers

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 06/01/2011 10:38 AM 

A revised agreement between Malaysia and Indonesia provides some benefits for migrant domestic workers but fails to provide some needed safeguards linked to low wages and high recruitment fees, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday (Wednesday, Jakarta time).

 A series of high-profile abuse cases led Indonesia in June 2009 to ban new recruitment of Indonesian domestic workers for jobs in Malaysia until new protections were put in place.

Indonesian Manpower and Transmigratio Minister, Muhaimin Iskandar and the Malaysian Human esources Minister Datuk Dr. S. Subramaniam signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on May 30 in Bandung, Indonesia after two years of negotiations.

The agreement included positive changes, Human Rights Watch said. It allows domestic workers to keep their passports instead of having to surrender them to their employers, and guarantees them a weekly day off. But the agreement does not set a minimum wage, as Indonesia had wanted, and perpetuates recruitment fee structures that leave workers indebted.

“Malaysia and Indonesia have missed an important opportunity to make changes that would truly protect women who take on tough jobs far from home,” said Nisha Varia, senior women’s rights researcher for Human Rights Watch. “Indonesian domestic workers will still be handing over the first several months of their salaries to repay recruitment fees, and they will still be laboring long hours for pitiful wages.”

The new agreement has been finalized as governments, trade unions, and employers’ groups around the world are about to meet in Geneva about global labor standards for the estimated 100 million domestic workers, mostly women and girls. Members of the International Labor Organization (ILO) will begin negotiations on June 1 to finalize a text and vote on adopting this treaty.

The draft ILO Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers would require countries where they work to provide them with employment conditions no less favourable than for other workers under the country’s laws. It would also require written contracts for migrant domestic workers, freedom to leave the workplace during rest periods, and guidance on issues specific to domestic work, such as in-kind payments of room and board. In 2010, both Indonesia and Malaysia were among a minority of governments that opposed adopting the ILO Convention, although Indonesia has indicated it may support it this year.

“Governments around the world have been recognizing the need to end the discrimination and neglect of workers who care for children, clean homes, and cook meals,” said Varia. “This is a landmark moment for protecting workers’ rights, and Malaysia and Indonesia should fully support strong protections at home and abroad instead of falling further behind.”

Until the 2009 recruitment freeze, Malaysia had 300,000 domestic workers, most from Indonesia. Since the freeze, Malaysia has faced a shortage of domestic workers that has partially been met by a sharp increase in domestic workers from Cambodia.

Malaysia’s Employment Act excludes domestic workers from key labor protections such as weekly limits on hours of work. Domestic workers have reported thousands of complaints of abuse in Malaysia in recent years. Most involved excessively long working hours and unpaid wages, but they also included forced confinement in the workplace, physical and sexual violence, and forced labor.

In the absence of government regulations, employment agencies and employers typically set domestic workers' salaries based on their country of origin instead of their education and experience. Indonesian and Cambodian domestic workers often work for monthly wages of 400 to 600 ringgit (US$133 to 200). Filipina domestic workers in Malaysia earn the highest salary, at US$400 a month, because of requirements imposed by the Philippines government.

Malaysia has no national minimum wage, but has been considering introducing one for private sector workers. The Malaysian Trades Union Congress advocates a minimum wage of 900 ringgit (US$300), and the Malaysian government considers earnings less than 750 ringgit (US$250) to fall below the national poverty line.

“Migrant domestic workers are often desperate for jobs and have such little bargaining power that there is a strong case for government intervention,” Varia said. “It is a real disappointment that after such prolonged negotiations, Malaysia refused to set a minimum wage for these easily exploited workers.”

The two governments also agreed to cap recruitment fees at 4,511 ringgit (US$1,500). Employers must pay the entire amount up-front but are permitted to reclaim up to 1,800 ringgit (US$600) by cutting several months of the domestic worker’s salary. The new agreement stipulates that no more than 50 percent of the worker’s salary can be deducted each month. Current regulations on recruitment fees are widely ignored.

Human Rights Watch has documented cases in which employers restrict a domestic worker’s freedom of movement to prevent her from running away before the debt is repaid. In other situations, domestic workers may be under such intense financial pressure that they endure abusive employment conditions so they can ultimately send money home.

Malaysia’s neighbor, Singapore, capped salary deductions at the equivalent of two months of wages for domestic workers earlier this year, lower than in the Indonesia-Malaysia agreement.

“Deducting several months of a domestic worker’s salary to repay recruitment fees contributes to grave abuses, including forced labor, trafficking, and conditions akin to slavery,” Varia said. “Malaysia should have followed the lead of a number of countries in the Middle East that prohibit salary deductions altogether.” 

Source : The Jakarta Post