August 19, 2014 edition
Small advertising booths display packs of A Mild Limited Edition cigarettes at 7-Eleven outlets around Jakarta. These days, Sampoerna, the A Mild manufacturer, offers them in a little tin rather than the usual cardboard box. The tin is plain, free of pictures of oral cancer, blackened lungs or that ubiquitous shirtless man puffing smoke before a pair of floating skulls. "Many customers are looking for the cigarettes in the tin, but we are out of stock," Herdiansyah, an employee at a 7-Eleven outlet in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, said last week.
As far as Herdiansyah could recall, his 7-Eleven had begun selling the limited edition A Milds one week before the Health Ministry law came out, that required cigarette packs to brandish graphic health warnings, which took effect on June 24. The 7-Eleven outlet ran out of supply a month ago. Since then there has been no new stock. "Usually we order every three days. Each order is for 100 packs," he said.
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August 12, 2014 edition
A security guard stopped the black Pajero Sport Exceed SUV right before it entered the Pertamina gas station on Jalan Abdul Muis in Central Jakarta and initiated a brief exchange. Upon hearing what the guard had to say, the SUV's driver turned around and sped away. This station did not sell subsidized diesel fuel. "It happens a lot," station employee Agung said last week.
On August 1, all gas stations in Kalimantan, Sumatra, Java and Bali stopped selling subsidized diesel between 8am-6pm, with stations along toll roads entirely prohibited from offering it. Downstream oil and gas regulator BPH Migas had issued a decree on the matter on July 24.
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August 5, 2014 edition
The lawsuit hearing over the import of white sugar lasted only a quarter of an hour at the East Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN). On Tuesday two weeks ago, presiding judge Haryati merely read a challenge by the defendant's legal team, appearing for the Trade Ministry.
The lawsuit had been filed by 10 sugarcane farmers from Kudus and Pati in Central Java. They were challenging a policy allowing the import of 328,000 tons of white sugar. The plaintiffs, members of the Indonesian Sugarcane Farmers' Association (APTRI), blamed the policy for a fall in the price of sugar. The farmers' sugar was being traded at around Rp8,250-8,551 per kilogram at several sugar refineries, far below the government's benchmark price of Rp8,791.
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January 1, 1970 edition
The small room in Terminal 3 of Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta Airport was empty and unkempt. Two long chairs were stacked near objects that were beginning to gather dust. A plane replica with 'Mandala' inscribed on it faced the corner of the room. Signs of announcements of ticket refunds and a call center number were affixed on the glass room divider. The words 'Tigerair Mandala' were no longer present.
The scene nearby presented a contrasting view. The offices of Lion Air and Batik Air were crowded with people. Likewise at the AirAsia ticketing office, where visitors went in and out to buy tickets.
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January 1, 1970 edition
LANNY Bambang took several Muslim garments off the rack at the Dian Pelangi boutique in Kemang, South Jakarta, on Thursday three weeks ago, and held them up against herself before a mirror. The wife of the former East Kalimantan Police chief finally decided on several long gowns and a blouse. "That comes to Rp9,600,000," the cashier said.
It was a busy day for Dian Pelangi. Dozens of customers were browsing through their racks. The period ahead of the Lebaran holidays usually sees a five-fold increase in visitors. Lanny likes Dian Pelangi because of its diverse offerings. "It's a one-stop shopping place," said Lanny, who has been a loyal customer since 1995.
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July 15, 2014 edition
The Indonesian Navy's seizure of the Bina Marine 75 tugboat as it towed a barge loaded with illegal tin exports caused Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi to make an unscheduled trip to Batam, Riau Islands. Sitting in Sriwijaya Air economy class, Lutfi was accompanied by the director-general of international trade, Bachrul Chairi; the president commissioner of the Indonesia Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (ICDX), Fenny Widjaja; the head of the Commodity Futures Trading Supervisory Agency and a representative of the directorate-general of customs.
It was late March, and Lutfi had only been minister for two months. Upon arrival in Batam, he was met by the commander of the Western Fleet, Vice Admiral Arief Rudianto, and the commander of the Navy Staff and Command School, Rear-Admiral Desi Albert Mamahit. Lutfi and the group were taken directly to the Palm Springs Golf & Beach Resort. Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Commander-in-Chief of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) General Moeldoko, Navy Chief of Staff Laksamana Marsetio and National Police Chief General Sutarman were already waiting for them at the resort.
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January 1, 1970 edition