Vol 2 No 34 - 28 OCTOBER, 2011

THE CREW at Smiling Hill willbe saying a sad farewell to ourpopular and effervescentMarketing star Miss Renny thisweekend.

After a year with us in BatamRenny is returning to Baliwhere she has an interest in atravel organisation.

She will be leaving behindmany friends and admirers whowill be wishing her well. If herefforts in Batam are anything togo by Bali might never be thesame again.

We will be having an informalpoolside farewell party forRenny this Saturday from 6.30with drinks, snacks and livemusic. All friends and regular(and irregular) GOODIEScustomers are invited.

THE irrepressible Miss Renny flying the flag for the mighty AllBlacks at last Sunday’s screening of the World Cup Rugby final

THE 2011 Melbourne Cup is due to be run and wonnext Tuesday 1 November. For our non-Australianreaders the Cup, run over two miles, is Australia’smost important racing classic and increasinglyearning international standing. The event is stagedthe first Tuesday in November which is declared asa State public holiday.

We will be screening the cup carnival live fromFlemington in Melbourne from 9am Batam time withthe big race due to start at 11am. Why not makeit lunch at GOODIES while enjoying this spectacularand colourful sporting event.

Doing businessIn Indonesiasupposed to beeasier - butranking stillgoing south -Page 3

A Barelang family adventure - pictures Page 11

2

WORLD CUP

AT GOODIES

YES! The arms go up as the All Blacks score

LAURIE Wine and Amber celebrated with champagne

BLACK jerseys and silver ferns dominated(above and below) but a stoic band ofFrenchmen were there to fly the Tricolore

THE FRENCH were clearly outnumberedeverywhere except on the field but thatwas where it proved to matter as the twogreat adversaries slogged out a tense andthrilling World Cup final.

New Zealand managed to put behind themthe disappointments of the past 24 yearsbut only by a single point in a match thatcould have tipped either way.

On form and performance throughout thetournament it was the right result andFrench fans at Smiling were generous inproferring their congratulations.

GoodiesRESTAURANTat Smiling Hill

is open earlyEVERY day (6.10weekdays and7.30 Sundays)

Goodies

YEP - you can evenwatch the SPORTwhile you enjoyyour meal!

Tel +62 778 450 533

Why not rock ondown for an

EARLY juice orale and a hearty

breakfast

3

IT IS GETTING easier to start abusiness in Indonesia but theimprovement is negated by the lackof reform in other business-relatedfields, including high electricity costsaccording to the World Bank’s latestDoing Business index survey.

Indonesia’s index of doing businessdropped three notches to rank 129thout of 183 economies covered by thereport, compared with 126th thisyear, although with positive notes inbusiness start-up, constructionpermits, property registration andinvestor protection.

“Indonesia made starting a businesseasier by introducing a simplifiedapplication process allowing anapplicant to simultaneously obtainboth a general-trading license and a

business registration certificate,”reads the report.

According to the “starting a business”index, in which Indonesia ranks155th, it takes 45 days to start up abusiness here with an average ofeight procedures.

The government claims to haverecently implemented a one-stopservice for investment, aiming toprocess licensing in as fast as fivehours or in seven days at the latest.

Local businesses, however, seemednot to agree with the claimedimprovement in starting a business.

“Getting a license, especially inregions, is getting harder. This needsto be fixed by the government,” saidSofjan Wanandi, chairman of theIndonesian Employers Association(Apindo).

Satria Hamid, an executive at theIndonesian Chamber of Commerceand Industry (Kadin), said lengthybureaucracy remained a “principalissue” to ease licensing for businessstart-up.

“For instance, 44 licenses are neededto be obtained for just one retailfirm,” he said. “There’s a one-stopservice now, but there are actuallymany other ‘stops’.”

The report also highlighted the issueof Indonesia’s high electricity costs,citing data that showed that the costof electricity for business was high at1.379 percent of the country’sincome per capita.

“Indonesia has made gettingelectricity more difficult by increasingconnection fees,” it said. Indonesiaranks 161st in the “gettingelectricity” index.

Sofjan hoped that the governmentwould not make things worse byraising base-electricity tariffs nextyear as planned, while Satria saidassociated “costs” could be evenhigher.

“In some cases, we were told thatthe electricity power was not

suitable, but it could be worked outafter a certain ‘negotiation’,” Satriaadded.

Ahmad Erani Yustika, an economistwith the Institute for Development ofEconomics and Finance Indonesia(INDEF), said a three-notch drop inrank was not worrying but should actas “an alarm call” to addressIndonesia’s classic issues ofelectricity supply, bureaucracy,infrastructure and human resources.

“There hasn’t been a meaningfulimprovement on these issues,” hesaid, calling for reforms by boostingelectricity projects, makinggovernment works more efficient andeasing land procurement.

Comparing regulations for domesticfirms, the report covers 10 areaswhich affect businesses, namely:starting a business, dealing withconstruction permits, gettingelectricity, registering property,getting credit, protecting investors,paying taxes, trading across borders,enforcing contracts and resolvinginsolvency or closing a business.

Singapore and Hong Kong rankedfirst and second in the index followedby New Zealand. Neighboringcountries in the top 20 are Thailand(17), Malaysia (18) and Japan (20).

‘Doing business’ rankslips - lack of reform

4

APARTMENTS for RENTTWO quality serviced and fullyfurnished 2-bedroom apartmentswill become available at SmilingHill from late October andapplications are now being taken.These properties are designed forlong-stay expat residents andcome with satellite TV (flatscreens), Internet, fully equippedkitchens and more. Rents arecompetitive, the Western management isresponsive and the estate location andfacilities are excellent.

Call DOUG - 0813 6470 3361

4

AS MANY as 115 solar power plantsbeing built across Indonesia this yearare expected to begin commercialoperations in the first quarterof next year, according to stateelectricity company PT PLN.

The company’s planning andtechnology director NasriSebayang says that once PLNhas completed thedevelopment of the 115 powerplants, it also will go aheadwith plans to build solar powerplants on 1,000 other smallislands.

PLN intends that constructionof all 115 projects will havecommenced by the end of thismonth. Six have alreadystarted operating in touristlocations in Bunaken in NorthSulawesi; Wakatobi and Tomiya inSoutheast Sulawesi; Banda inMaluku; Raja Ampat in Papua; andDerawan in East Kalimantan. Another

has begun operating in Miangas,North Sulawesi.

PLN is investing around Rp 9 billion

(US$978,792) to construct powerplants on each island, requiring atotal investment of Rp 900 billion.The solar power plants are designed

to have a total capacity of 18,150kilowatt-peak units (kWp).

Plants will be built in five locations inPapua with a total capacity of300 kWp; 18 locations in WestPapua (1,350 kWp); 18locations in Maluku (2,300kWp); 18 locations in NorthMaluku (2,400 kWp); 11locations in East Nusa Tenggara(2,200 kWp); and 10 locationsin West Nusa Tenggara (2,300kWp).

The power plants in the nextphase will be established inSulawesi.

The power plants are designedto supply power to 30,000 newcustomers, with each individualplant capable of supplying

around 300 customers.

Electricity produced by the plants issold at Rp 660 per kilowatt per hour(kWh), despite production costsamounting to Rp 4,800 per kWh.

5

Short stay andLONG stay

accommodationat

Where everyone belongsMore and more expats are finding Smiling Hill a pleasantand convenient place to stay when visiting or working inBatam. We have been running full but expect to haveplaces becoming available from around September 10.

Inquiries to DOUG - 0813 6470 3361

LOOKING to indulge yourself? Youcould be the envy of all yourneighbours and make your opticianrich with this new product from Sharp.

Electronics producer PT SharpElectronics Indonesia (SEI) hasunveiled a 70-inch LED TV, thebiggest flat screen TV ever to hit theIndonesian market.

SEI marketing general managerHerdiana Anita said the 70-InchAquos Quattron LED TV had built-inWi-Fi connectivity and Internetapplications such as YouTube, Skype,Twitter and Picassa. Consumerscould also connect directly to Sharp’swebsite, aquos.net.

“The TV is perfect for those dreamingof having a small home theater. Its70 diagonal inches provide a veryextensive viewing area,” she said.

With a price tag of Rp 50 million(US$5,649), Herdiana said that theTV was targeted at upper- andmiddle-class customers.

The TV would be available by the endof November and Sharp hopes to sellup to 100 units a month.

Herdiana said that SEI expected thenew jumbo-sized TV could contributeto total LED TV sales of up to 96,000units by the end of the year. Lastyear, LED TV sales reached 24,000units and SEI expects that next year,LED TV sales could reach 180,000units.

Sharp unveils70 inch flatscreen TV

FREE TRIAL

The English language expertsIn-house corporate training

100% free trial with no obligationFOR a limited time only Total English is offering freeEnglish lesson for all your training needs.

Allow us to demonstrate first hand the best and onlyway to improve the English of your workforce in aproductive, professional and friendly environment.

Our western teachers will come to your preferreddestination, and introduce you and your team to themost exciting new education company in Batam thatis improving communications across the island.

For more information please contact Phil Eagan

Call+62 8789 409 3811Emailpappa.phil@talk21.com

TotalEnglish

6

7

PUBLISHER Douglas Cole& EDITOR Email: douglas@smilinghillbatam.com

Handphone: +62 813 6470 3361

ASSOCIATE Phil EaganEDITORS Email: pappa.phil@talk21.com

Handphone: +62 878 9409 3811

Rob DraytonEmail: draytonrob@hotmail.comHandphone: +62 858 3605 8185

THE GOVERNMENT has nominated2013 as the likely commencementtarget for the building of a newairport in West Java to meet a surgein passenger numbers over comingyears.

Transportation Ministry spokesmanBambang S. Ervan said that thedevelopment of the new airport, tobe located around Cikarang andKarawang, West Java, was necessaryas the expansion of Soekarno-Hatta’sterminals at Banten could not besupported by the construction of athird runway, due to lack of space.

Currently, Soekarno-Hatta has threeterminals with atotal combinedcapacity of 22million passengers,while the number ofpassengers passingthrough the airporthas exceeded 30million over thepast year.

During the firsteight months of this year, the airportserved 11.44 million passengers ondomestic flights and 3.62 millionpassengers on international flights,according to Central Statistics Agencydata.

Soekarno-Hatta’s two runways are3,600-meters and 3,660-meterslong, and can accommodate 52flights per hour.

“Currently, we are conducting afeasibility study to determine thepossibility of developing multi-airports, which is expected to becompleted at the end of this year orearly next year,” Bambang told TheJakarta Post.

He added that the government wasstill calculating the investmentneeded for the project and assessingwhether to offer private firms someinvolvement via a public-privatepartnership (PPP) scheme, or todirectly appoint state airport operatorPT Angkasa Pura II through apresidential regulation.

“The new airport will significantlyhelp Soekarno-Hatta cope with thenumber of passengers, which rise by15 percent to 18 percent every year,”he said.

Bambang added the proposed airportwould be integrated with the plannedCilamaya international seaport inKarawang.

There are already three otherairports in the Greater Jakarta area:Halim Perdanakusumah InternationalAirport in East Jakarta, which is alsoan Air Force Base, and which catersfor general and charter flights;Pondok Cabe in Ciputat, South

Tangerang, which operates charterflights; and Budiarto in Curug,Tangerang, which houses flyingschools.

Besides the planned airport inKarawang, the government alsoplans to build the Kertajatiinternational airport in Majalengka,West Java, to serve domestic and

international flights, as well as cargoflights, replacing the HusseinSastranegara International Airport inWest Java’s provincial capital ofBandung.

Bambang added the governmentwould also build a railway system tosupport access to Soekarno-HattaInternational Airport.

Transportation to the airport wouldutilize commuter-line trains fromManggarai, East Jakarta, toSoekarto-Hatta via Tangerang, andexpress trains connecting Jakarta tothe airport via Pluit in the north ofthe city.

“The railway forthe commuterline will beconstructed atthe end of 2013or early 2014,” hesaid, adding thatthe expressrailway designwas still underreview by state

infrastructure fund PT Sarana MultiInfrastruktur and was yet to bescheduled for construction.

Recently, President Susilo BambangYudhoyono revealed that startingfrom next year, the governmentwould build 14 new airports invarious locations across Indonesia,as well as upgrading 116 airports.

Target of 2013 for start ofnew airport development

OIL AND GAS

8

PERTAMINA Hulu Energi North WestJava Offshore (PHE ONWJ) hasrevealed that it aims to produce35,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) in2012.

General manager Tenny Wibowo tolda media gathering the target was 9.3percent higher than this year’s targetof 32,000 bpd. He said the firmplanned to set aside a furtherUS$300 million for capitalexpenditure next year to achieve thehigher target.

“We also aim to produce some 225million standard cubic feet per day[mmscfd] of natural gas. To reachthe target, we will drill 25 new wellsat the North West Java offshore blockand apply electrical submersiblepump [ESP] technology in more than10 wells,” he said.

He said that PHE would facechallenges in meeting the higher oilproduction target as natural

production decline at the block hadreached 17 percent.

“Cranking up production by 3,000bpd is certainly not an easy job,” hesaid.

Company’s data shows that in thefirst nine months of 2011 oilproduction hit 31,800 bpd while gasoutput touched 194 mmscfd.

PHE initially aimed to produce only31,000 bpd, but then in its work planand budget (WPnB) submitted toupstream oil and gas regulatorBPMigas, the target was raised to32,000 bpd.

“Given the current production trend,we believe that we can produce32,000 bpd of oil by the end of thisyear,” Tenny said.

In June 2009, Pertamina acquired 46percent of shares at the North WestJava offshore block with a transactionsaid to be worth $280 million.

Pertamina assumed BP’s interest inthe block by purchasing 100 percentof BP West Java Limited, which wasthe operator of the block and held acontrolling 46 percent stake.

Tenny said that the preparation fora planned shutdown for maintenancewould begin next week. He addedthat not all parts of the block wouldbe shutdown, while the gasproduction decline had beenestimated to between 30 and 40mmscfd.

It was reported that state electricityfirm PT PLN might lose some 100mmscfd of supply due to the two-week shutdown. The block deliversgas to PLN’s gas-fired power plantsin Muara Karang, North Jakarta, andMuara Tawar, West Java.

With less gas, PLN has to burnexpensive oil-based fuels. PLN at therate of 28,000 liters of oil-based fuelfor every 1 mmscfd lost.

Pertamina Hulu Energi lifts production target

THE ENERGY and MineralResources Ministry hasannounced its approval of adelayed agreement to swap gassupply from the Gajah Baru fieldin West Natuna, Riau Islands,and the Grissik field in SouthSumatra.

In the agreement, Singapore willreceive 140 million standardcubic feet per day (mmscfd) fromGajah Baru, while stateelectricity company PT PLN’sMuara Tawar power plant in WestJava will get 40 mmscfd fromGrissik, which was previouslyallocated to Singapore.

“The additional supply for PLNwill reduce oil-based fuel importsby around 6,000 barrels per dayand cut operational costs bybetween Rp 2 trillion [US$225.98million] and Rp 3 trillion peryear,” Energy and MineralResources Minister Jero Waciktold a press conference at hisoffice.

The delivery of the gas toSingapore and PLN would startearly next month, he said. Theprice for Singapore was US$17per million British thermal units(mmbtu), while the price for PLNwas set at $9 per mmbtu, headded.

The Grissik field, operated byConocoPhillips, produces around1,000 mmscfd of gas. About 300mmscfd is delivered toSingapore, 340 mmscfd to stategas distributor PT PGN and theremaining 260 mmscfd is sent toPT Chevron Pacific Indonesia tosupport its production activitiesin Riau. In the agreement, thesupply to Singapore will bereduced to 260 mmscfd.

To compensate for the reduction,Singapore will get 40 mmscfdfrom Gajah Baru, operated by

Premier Oil Natuna. Prior to theagreement, Singapore had asupply contract of 100 mmscfdfrom the field, so next month thetotal supply would be 140mmscfd.

The 40 mmscfd from Gajah Baruwas previously allocated for PLNand would be delivered to Batam.However, due to PLN’s inabilityto construct a pipeline connectingthe field and Batam, the gaswould be shifted to Singapore.

The gas should have beendelivered on Oct. 1, but due todifficulties building a consensus,the delivery had to be delayed.According to the contract withSingapore, Indonesia must payRp 5 billion for every day thedelivery is delayed.

“We have completed the swapagreement. We’ll try to lobbySingapore to fully erase the finesor at least reduce the amount,”Jero said

Natuna gas swap now approved

9

Every Friday Arvo atGOODIES

FREE BEERFrom 4.30pm until 6.00pm

Sundowner @ Smiling

So grab your mates and come on down !

NOW ALSO HALF-PRICE

SPIRITS & FREE SOFTDRINKS

INDONESIA has set a new worldhigh in consumer confidence, or atleast so we think. We have no wayof being absolutely certain. Buthaving scoured the web, I know ofno other index in any other countrythat has ever touched 145, let aloneexceeded the mark.

The KADIN-Roy Morgan ConsumerConfidence index for Indonesia nowstands at 146.8, an all-time high. Injust a single month, September theindex saw a jump of 4 points.

The index is now 14.5 points higherthan it was a year ago. We are notalone. The Bank Indonesia index alsohit its highest level ever, up by thesame 4 points in the month ofSeptember.

There was more confidence in almostall components of the survey. Interms of the economy, now 84percent, up 5 percent, expectIndonesia will have ‘good times’financially during the next 12months. This is also a new recordhigh.

In contrast, 16 percent, down 5percent, say that we’ll have ‘badtimes’ financially. This is the lowestlevel for this indicator since theApril–June quarter of 2005.

A record majority of 91 percent, up3 percent, expect Indonesia will have‘good times’ economically over thenext five years compared to only 8percent, down 4 percent, who expect‘bad times’ economically. Again, thisis the lowest level seen since theApril–June 2005 quarter.

In terms of personal finances anotherall-time high of 56 percent, up 2percent, expect their family to be‘better off’ financially this time nextyear. Polarized as a tiny fraction, only3 percent, down 3 percent, nowexpect to be ‘worse off’ financially.This is yet another new record low.

The good news doesn’t stop there. Arobust 36 percent, unchanged, saytheir family is ‘better off’ financiallythan a year ago compared to just 12percent, down 2 percent, who saytheir family is ‘worse off’ than a yearago.

A majority of 51 percent, down 2percent, still say ‘now is a good time

to buy’ major household itemscompared to 45 percent, up 2percent, who say ‘now is a bad timeto buy’ big-ticket items. This is theonly indicator that has shown a dipin September, small as it is.

No wonder, the IndonesianChambers of Commerce and Industry(Kadin) chairman Bambang SuryoSulisto said, “September was anotherrecord breaking month for ourconsumer confidence index.

It is probably higher than any othersuch measurement in the world.

“The Indonesian consumer isignoring the negative signals sovisible in both the global economy aswell as local politics.

Their ever-growing self-confidence isshrugging off the fears emanating

from a sluggish Europe and astagnating America.

“Indonesians are telling theirgovernment that they do not reallycare what goes on in the corridors ofpower- they are carrying on withtheir daily business with moreenthusiasm than ever before.

“ From a Kadin perspective, we aredepending on Bank Indonesia to keepa firm hand on all their levers. Andon OPEC to keep oil prices reined in.If these two organisations maintainthe delicate balance of internal andexternal factors, Indonesia willremain a strong contender amongBRICIS with an investment climatesecond to none.”

“Remarkable Indonesia”, as theInvestment Coordinating Board(BKPM) would say. Or “WonderfulIndonesia”, as the tourism boardproclaims. You can take your pick ofeither slogan, they are bothappropriate to the national moodtoday.

But the question everybody isinclined to ask is for how long willthese good times roll. Bank Indonesiaand OPEC are two big factors forongoing stability. But each of us alsohas a role to play, in keeping themood buoyant. Anybody who islistening to the pundits and thetalking heads opine will know thatmost are clueless.

Everyday, you can see stockexchanges seesaw around the world,more often in different directionsthan in unison. That’s just becauseof knee-jerk reactions by interested

World record in consumer confidence?

Continued on page 10

The monthly KADIN-Roy MorganIndonesian Consumer ConfidenceRating is based on 2,020 face-to-face interviews conductedthroughout Indonesia, not just ahandful of cities. The surveyincludes the Top 21 cities, smallercities and towns as well as manymore villages in the ruralhinterland, reflecting all ofIndonesia. Men and women aged14 and over were randomlyselected during the month ofSeptember 2011.

The writer can be contacted atdebnath.guharoy@roymorgan.

10

parties to different stimuli in differentparts of the world, with the restfollowing like sheep.

As usual in times like these, thechatter more than ground realitieswill hang over our heads as darkclouds. Indonesia and Asia are wherethe action is.

We need to remain vigilant, and denythe doomsayers the predictions theyare prone to make. The best way todo that is to pay due respect to theIndonesian consumer. If we just domore of what we are doing, buoyedby their confidence, we will serveeach other well.

The one thing to remember is thosein the millions who may get leftbehind. We can only hope thatIndonesia’s growing numbers ofmillionaires will reinvest some oftheir fortunes right back in thecountry of their good fortune. Theyneed to acknowledge the “OccupyWall Street” phenomenon that issweeping across the world, not justthe US.

The oppressed in the West arebeginning to say they have hadenough of the inequality, disgustedby the ugly nexus between bigbusiness and politics.

For too long, the poor of the Easthave lived in hope and little else.More jobs and better wages are thecornerstones of a continuing successstory, creating new consumers forthe world to give and take from, inequal measure.

Old ideologies, old social structures,old ways of doing business are beingchallenged now, more than everbefore. The dictators who ignored thefirst light of the Arab Spring arepaying for their bravado with morethan their empty chairs. InIndonesia, remarkable andwonderful, we have nothing to fearbut ourselves.

Jakartans obsessed withthose big, flash MPV’s

JAKARTA has the largest number ofluxury MPVs in Indonesia due toincreasing demand from the newlyaffluent.

For many people the firstconsideration when choosing a newcar is whether it is practical enoughto navigate the city’s chaotic traffic.But for some, especially those whoare image-conscious and havemoney to burn, luxury multi-purposevehicles (MPVs) are the only way togo.

Tjahja Heru Priadi, who drives aToyota Vellfire, said it was the van’sspacious interiorand lavishappearance thatinfluenced him topurchase thevehicle back in2008.

The Vellfire is amodified versionof the ToyotaAlphard, one ofthe most popularluxury MPVs inIndonesia. Themodel boasts a more lavish bodyworkdesign, as well as some premiuminterior features.

Heru said that his Vellfire providedhim with extra comfort, especiallywhen he was stuck in traffic.

“Being in the Vellfire in the throes ofJakarta ’s chaotic traffic reduces thestress level,” he told The Jakarta Post.The on-the-road price for the VellfireV in Jakarta is Rp 930,000,000(US$104,000). The price for theAlphard ranges from Rp 688,100,000to Rp 1,034,500,000.

Despite the exorbitant price, there isstrong demand for both models. Datafrom the Indonesian AutomotiveIndustry Association (Gaikindo)showed that of 6,072 luxury cars soldin Indonesia between January andSeptember 2011, 1,135 were luxuryMPVs.

Sales of luxury MPVs came second toluxury sedans, of which 3,360 weresold during the same period. Sales of

all cars for the nine months totalled659,857.

Luxury MPVs have become a favoriteaccessory of political party bigwigsas well as celebrities from theentertainment industry.

It also has become commonplace tosee politicians and formergovernment officials beingchauffeured around in their luxuryMPVs on their way to questioningsessions by the CorruptionEradication Commission (KPK).

Owners of expensive MPVs are awareof this conno-tation.

Donny Hardono,a music producerliving in SouthJakarta, saidthat he wasaware that hisAlphard gavesome people thewrong imp-ression aboutwho he was.

“However, thebad image does not affect me.Instead it gives me and my familythe pride that I bought this carthrough legitimate and halal means,”said Donny.

He has had a 2,400-cc Alphard G inhis garage since 2005.

The desire for a taste of thelimousine lifestyle has prompted taxicompanies like Blue Bird Group andExpress to add luxury MPVs to theirfleets.

Blue Bird uses the Alphard, Vellfireand Mercedes-Benz Viano as part ofits Golden Bird limousine car service.

Spokesman, Teguh Wijayanto, saidcustomers could rent the cars on ashort- and long-term basis.

The Golden Bird limousine servicetargets upper-middle-class cust-omers, especially for businesspurposes.

“They usually use our limo serviceon long-term leases to cater for theneeds of expatriates,” Teguh said.

Indonesia’snew highin consumerconfidence

11

A DIFFERENT DAY OUT FOR

VISITING AUSSIE FAMILY

At first the localyoungster were a littleshy at meeting the Bulechildren But it wasn’tlong before all werefriends as shown by thewarm farewell

THE Anderson family have nowreturned to Perth after spendingsome three weeks at Smiling Hillvisiting Dad Adam who works atMcDermott.

During their last weekend we weredelighted to give them a glimpse ofouter Batam and the Barelang inparticular. The highlight was a boattrip from Bridge 2 to one of thenearby Island kampungs whereAdam, mum Karen and Angus,Oscar, Mackenzie and Charlize hada first hand introduction totraditional Malayu village life.

Everyone was made feel verywelcome, especially the children -the ice creams and lollies from thekampung store were a help.

12

ECONOMY WATCH

INVESTMENT rose in the thirdquarter on business confidence thatIndonesia’s economy will remainresilient amid global financial turmoil,with Singaporean investors takingthe lead.

The Investment Coordinating Board(BKPM) has announced that therealized investment of both domesticand foreign entities in Indonesiajumped 15.3 percent toRp 65.4 trillion (US$7.26 billion) inthe July-to-September period,driving total investment in the firstnine months of the year to Rp 181trillion.

Total investment between Januaryand September was up 20.9 percentfrom the same period last year,reaching 75.4 percent of the BKPM’sfull-year target of Rp 240 trillion.

“We are confident of reaching thetarget, or even surpassing it,” BKPMdeputy chairman Azhar Lubis toldreporters.

Foreign direct investment (FDI)comprised Rp 46.4 trillion, more than70 percent, of overall investment inthe third quarter, the BKPM said.

Singaporean investors accounted for$1.31 billion of overall investment,about 25 percent, while the UnitedStates, the Netherlands, South Koreaand Japan, boosted their spending inIndonesia by more than $400 million.

Most foreign investors increasedspending in transportation,telecommunications, mining, basemetals, machinery and electronics inBanten, Jakarta and West Java.

Domestic investors spent Rp 19trillion, accounting for a 30 percentshare of total investment, up from14.5 percent in the same period lastyear, and focused on the forestry,electricity, gas, water and paper andprinting sectors in East Java, Jakartaand West Java.

“Investors really don’t have anyother alternatives. Indonesia is theonly big market that has not yetsuffered overheating, as indicated byits declining inflation,” Aviliani, aneconomist at the Institute forDevelopment of Economics andFinance, said.

Indonesia, which relies heavily onconsumption driven by its population

of almost 240 million, saw inflationease to 4.61 percent in Septemberfrom 7.02 percent at the beginningof the year.

Despite growing interest from foreigninvestors overall, FDI growth in thethird quarter grew by 15.7 percent,slower than the 21 percent recordedin the second quarter, signaling apotential speed bump amid fears theeurozone debt crisis might affectglobal economy.

Bank Central Asia (BCA) economistDavid Sumual said the situationmight not be resolved quickly.

“There’s a possibility that foreigninvestors might go into a wait-and-see mode.

They are calculating whether thecrisis will continue or not.”

However, David said, Indonesiawould continue to attract FDI giventhe nation’s strong economicfundamentals.

“Investors are factoring inmacroeconomic stability, demo-graphics and political stability,” hesaid.

Investment soars as confidence in RI’s economy grows

THE GLOBAL Wealth Report,released by the Credit SuisseResearch Institute, has revealed thatIndonesia’s total wealth increased byUS$420 billion to $1.8 trillion fromJanuary 2010 to June 2011, and wasamong the top 20 highestinternational contributors of wealthgrowth.

The report finds that the Asia Pacificregion, including Indonesia,accounted for 54 percent of all globalwealth creation over the period withthe fastest global growth seen in theemerging markets of Asia, LatinAmerica and Africa.

A report table shows that China,Japan, Australia and India are amongthe top six contributors to globalwealth accumulation with Indonesiaand Singapore in 14th and 18threspectively.

The US stood out as the largestwealth generator in the world overthe 18 months, adding $4.6 trillion.

Global wealth has increased from$203 trillion to $231 trillion, or up by14 percent.

Total household wealth in the AsiaPacific region increased 23 percentfrom $61 trillion to $75 trillion in thesame period.

In the next five years, global wealthis expected to rise by 50 percent to$345 trillion and wealth per adult toincrease 40 percent to reach$70,700, led by growth in emergingmarkets.

Emerging economies are expected tocatch up with the developed.

Millionaires in Indonesia are expectedto increase from 112,000 in 2011 to242,000 by 2016. The report saysthe emerging markets haveconsiderable scope to increasepersonal wealth given their muchlower ratio of net financial assets toincome and a much lower debt-income ratio than found in matureeconomies.

A significant rise in household debtrelative to income has been evidentin all G7 countries since 1980, withthe ratio of financial to non-financialassets higher than in emergingeconomies.

The report argues that increasing lifeexpectancy and longer retirementwill drive the increase in the wealth-income ratio in emerging marketsover time.

“Credit Suisse believes this fastemerging wealth will drive newtrends in consumption andinvestment in Asia.

“The much higher debt per adult levelin Europe versus Asia, together withthe much higher wealth-growth ratein Asia versus Europe, suggest thatthere may be scope for significantmutual collaboration to help mitigatethe euro debt crisis,” Credit Suisseglobal head of research for privatebanking and asset management GilesKeating said.

RI among highest contributors to wealth growth

13

14

15

IT’S THAT TIME of year when scary orange faces being to appear all overthe place, not just because of bad spray-on tans!

Artist Ray Villafane creates weird pumpkin heads based on gargoyles andeven Vikings.

He makes each one in only two hours using spoons and scalpels.

The heads are a web hit and have been shown on US television. They willalso be at model Heidi Klum’s October 31 party in Las Vegas.

‘You need to pick the meatiest pumpkin,’ said Mr Villafane, a former artteacher who made models for DC and Marvel Comics.

‘I like a pumpkin with character.’

The 42-year-old, from Phoenix, Arizona, added: ‘One with nobbly ridges isgood, so I can utilise them in the carving procedure.”

ENGLISH DAIRY farmer Mark Baggshas grown a pumpkin that weighs asmuch as a small car.

The 28-year-old used his cows' manureto grow the 605kg (1,334lb) vegetable,which has taken top honours at a showin Hampshire, UK.

The super-squash eclipsed the man'sson Jack, two, who was plopped atopthe Halloween monster to give an ideaof its scale.

Specialist lifting equipment had to beused to move the pumpkin to the siteof the annual Pumpkin Festival.

Mr Baggs, who has also grown a worldrecord-breaking marrow in excess of140lb, grew the orange giant at hishome in Wareham, Dorset.

The pumpkin was sadly short of theBritish record of 1504lb, which is held by twins Ian and Stuart Paton.

The growers, from the New Forest, pocketed a £1,000 prize in 2010 for their astonishing vegetable.

The world's largest pumpkin was grown last year by Wisconsin man Chris Stevens, weighing in at a staggering1810.5lb. The average pumpkin weighs between ten and 20 pounds.

16

World of Sport

Premier LeagueRound Up

Everton v Man Utd 12:00Chelsea v Arsenal 12:45Man City v Wolves 15:00Norwich v B’burn 15:00Sunderland v Villa 15:00Swansea v Bolton 15:00Wigan v Fulham 15:00WBA v Liverpool 17:30

Tottenham v QPR 16:00

Stoke v Newcastle 20:00

ROBIN VAN PERSIE set the Emirates alight again with a barnstormingperformance after coming on as a substitute. He scored 2 goals for the secondconsecutive game as Arsenal continued their good runof form and put themselves up to seventh in the league.

The white half of North London also keep the pace upthe top, Van der Vaart of Tottenham Hotspurs put intwo fine goals to keep Blackburn in the relegation zone.

Bolton and Wigan also can’t seem to get themselvesoff the bottom either, both losing again, Wigan at thehands of 4th placed Newcastle, who are proving to bean extremely tenacious outfit so far this season.

Chelsea lost their heads and two players in a shock 1-0 loss to QPR. Bosingwa and Drogba were sent packing and 7 additionalChelsea players were booked in a bad tempered affair that is still rumblingon due to John Terry allegedly calling Anto Ferdinand a “****ing black ****!”The inquiry continues.

This week Everton, on the back of a fine 3 -1 away win at Fulham, will lookto pile on more misery to Man United when they open the fixtures at lunchtimeon Saturday. A tantalizing clash between Chelsea and Arsenal follows shortlyafter and is one that shouldn’t to be missed.

THE NOISY NEIGHBOURS tunedthe volume up to 11 last weekendand will leave the ears ringing on thered side of Manchester for manyyears to come.

Manchester United’s 6 - 1 defeat atthe hands of Manchester City isperhaps the most significant event inPremier League history since Chelsealifted the coveted trophy in 2005, thefirst time they had been crownedEnglish champions in 50 years.

Even before Johnny Evans got sentoff seconds after the restart therewas a sense that City would come out

on top. The fact that United couldcapitulate so spectacularly wouldpresumably have had Fergusonscreaming the paint off the walls inthe dressing room.

It’s certainly not the end of the worldfor United, nor is it the dawning ofan age of domination by City. But forthe remainder of this season at leasta massive gauntlet has been laiddown by Mancini and his veryexpensive and very talented side.

With City now 5 points clear at thetop, the mind games will surely beginwith Fergie throwing a few well

placed quotes and soundbites in thedirection of the Etihad Stadium.

Newcastle were 12 points clear in the1995/1996 season before a relativelyyoung and inexperienced side over-hauled that seemingly insur-mountable lead to take the title andleave Kevin Keegan a nerveshattered wreck in the process.

Mancini and his side may have a bitmore swagger and coolness aboutthem, but you wouldn’t bet againstUnited repeating history.

The Premier League season hasofficially lifted off.

Nightmare at the Theatre of Dreams

(Add 6 hours for Batam time)

17

BCD: Ocean Probe

Regs: Oceanic. CW Octopus

Console: SUNTO

Computer: Oceanic VT Pro

C/W Transmitter

Fins: Sherwood Trek Split Fins

ScubaPro Jet Fins

2 Masks Oceanic / Mares

Total Package - SGD$2,500

srselby@gmail.com

Dive Gear FOR SALE

POSTCARDfromTOMandJODIE

YES, Tom and Jodie did make it tothe Rugby World Cup and Eden Park.They have sent us some pictures toprove it. At left they are flying theflag in Dunedin and above is theexhibition relating to their cyclingtrip from London which theymounted at Ponsonby RFC inAuckland. They were due to returnto Melbourne on Wednesday.

They have passed on their thanksand best wishes to all who helpedalong the way, including the friendsthey made at Smiling Hill.

THE PUBLIC Housing Minister DjanFaridz says Batam has set goodexample in how to manage thehousing industry, particularly inproviding access to available land andaffordable public apartments.

Djan added that the management ofthe industry was in line with thegovernment’s efforts to providedecent housing for all people.

“Low-cost apartments are the answeras to how the government canprovide decent housing facilities,”Djan said told kompas.com.

Batam was also a recent recipient ofthe Adi Upaya Puritama Award for itsrole in providing affordable rentalapartments in the Mukakuning region.

Praise for Batam

18

“I’ve never turned blue in someoneelse’s bathroom. I consider that theheight of bad manners.”

KEITH RICHARDSAv a larf

The Agony of Dyslexia...

After Daylight SavingsTime ended I stoppedin to visit my dyslexicfriend.He was busy coveringhis private parts withblack shoe polish.I said to him, "Youidiot!  You'resupposed to turn yourclock back ...”

I asked a (Welsh/ New Zealand/other) mate of mine

how many sexual partners he’d had. Bizarrely, he

started counting and fell asleep!

TIGER WOODS drives his BMW into a petrol station in aremote part of the Irish countryside.

The pump attendant, who obviously knows nothing about golf,greets him in a typical Irish manner completely unaware of whothe golfing pro is.

‘Top of the mornin' to yer, sir' says the attendant.'

Tiger nods a quick 'hello' and bends forward to pick up the nozzle.As he does so, two tees fall out of his shirt pocket onto the ground.

'What are those? asks the attendant.

'They're called tees' replies Tiger.

'Well, what on the god's earth are dey for?' inquires theIrishman.

'They're for resting my balls on when I'm driving', says Tiger.'Wel oi’l be darned’ , says the Irishman, 'BMW thinks ofeverything.'

WANTING to go to aHalloween ball as Dracula, anAll Blacks supporter goes to aFancy Dress shop in Aucklandto order his costume.

Much to his dismay, theAssistant brings him the fullEngland Rugby World CupTeam’s new strip.

"Sorry, big misunderstanding,Love - I said I wanted to go asa Count......"

M - RATEDParental guidance advised forthis week’s offerings only.

19

TURKEY BURGER – A big pattie of turkey meattopped with salad, egg and cheese served withFrench fries

SCHNITZEL BURGER – Double layer ofcrumbed chicken with mozzarella topped withbacon, salad, cheese and egg. Served with fries

LEMON CHICKEN – Deep fried chunks oflightly battered chicken in zesty lemon sauceserved with rice (or fries)

MUI FUN – Braised Chinese stylevegetables with chicken servedwith rice

CHOW MIEN – Your choice ofchicken, beef or seafood stir fried withvegetables and served with noodlesHong Kong style

BACON WRAP – Grilled bacon stripswith fried egg in lettuce doused withmango salsa in a tortilla wrap, servedwith potato wedges

GOODIES STEAK SANDWICH – Sandwichsteak, egg, cheese, onion & mayo on burger bunor toasted bread served with chips

ROAST BEEF AND GRAVY ROLL - servedwith French Fries

NEW BEEF RISSOLES – Trio of beef pattiesserved with mashed potato, greens & oniongravy.

CHICKEN PARMIGIANA – Crumbed chickenbreast topped with rich tomato sauce, ham &

cheese, served with salad and chips

CREAMY PASTA – Your choiceof Pasta (Spaghetti, Fettucini, Penne)

in a light sauce of chicken, cream,parmesan cheese and chopped onions -

added mushrooms if you wish

CLUB SANDWICH – A classic triple-decker oftoasted bread, beef, bacon, chicken, cheese,lettuce, tomato and cucumber with mayonnaiseand served with fries

PIE AND CHIPS – Home-made chunky beef orground beef pie served with French fries

MINI DRUMSTICKS – Deep fried mini chickendrumsticks served with French fries

CALIMARI RINGS – Basket of deep friedcrumbed squid served with French fries

SEAFOOD BASKET – Selection of crumbedseafood served with French fries and tartaresauce

Goodies at SmilingLUNCHEON SPECIALS

Plus Tax

LUNCH MENU 1

- Call GOODIES on0778 450533

Unless otherwise markedALL lunch specials only

20

Goodies at SmilingLUNCHEON SPECIALS

Plus Tax

BUILD - A - SANDWICH

SANDWICHES to order of fresh ortoasted bread, cold cuts of roast

beef, chicken or ham, grilled bacon,curried egg or tuna topped with yourchoices of cheese, sliced boiled egg,lettuce, tomato and pickle, finishedwith mayonnaise and served with

French fries.

Rp 50,000 plus tax

FISH FINGERS – Crumbed and deep fried fingersof Red Snapper with salad, chips and tartare sauce

CHICKEN A LA REINE – Braised chicken piecesin a delicious creamy sauce poured over a base ofpuff pastry

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS – The authenticMexican favorite served with sour cream and garlicbread

CHICKEN QUESADILLAS – Chicken, capsicumand onion stir fried Mexican style with addedgrated cheese in a Tortilla wrap, served with sourcream

CHICKEN SALAD GREEK STYLE – Chickenpieces in a salad of lettuce, tomato, Feta cheese,Kalamata olives, onion, peppers and dressing

SATE STICKS – Your choice of beef, chicken orlamb skewers served with spicy peanut sauce andrice

GOODIES CURRY – Your choice of beef, chickenor seafood simmered in Goodies curry sauceserved with rice 50,000

LUNCH BURGER – A lunch sized beef pattietopped with bacon, onions, fried egg, salad andcheese with a pickle on top and fries 50,000

NASI GORENG – The classic Indonesian friedrice with chunks of chicken or seafood with a friedegg on top and pickles on the side 35,000

MEI GORENG – Indonesian style fried softnoodles with chicken or seafood with a fried eggon top and pickles on the side 35,000

QUICKIES

2LUNCH MENU

Unless otherwise markedALL lunch specials only

- Call GOODIES on0778 450533

21

www.smilinghillbatam.com

SMILING HILL and GOODIES

MOSQUE

PURI GARDENHOTEL

CHURCH

BANK

McDONALDS

Smiling Hill

Smiling Hill is just 1.4kmfrom Nagoya CBD

To BATU AMPAR

BUKITSENYUM

NAGOYAPARK

LUSY’S

SWISSBELHOTEL

NAGOYA HILLSHOPPING CENTRE

PLANET

Palm Hill BungalowsBlok A No. 18,Bukit SenyumBATU AMPAR 29456

+62 778 450 533

+62 778 450 183

+62 778 423 387

HOLIDAY

Palm Hill Bungalows

GOODIESRESTAURANT

Info@smilinghillbatam.com

FRIDAY October 28th

7.00 am (A816) NHL : Tampa v Buffalo

2.30 pm (Golf) Golf : LPGA Taiwan Championship

SATURDAY October 29th7.00 am (Golf) Golf : USPGA CIMB Malaysia Classic Day 2

12.00 pm (Golf) Golf : USPGA CIMB Malaysia Classic Day 3

12.25 pm (Star) Formula 1 : India Grand Prix Practice

3.20 pm (Star) Formula 1 : India Grand Prix Qualifying

5.55 pm (Goal 1) Scottish Football : Aberdeen v Rangers

5.55 pm (Star) Premier League: Everton v Man United

6.40 pm (ESPN) Premier League: Chelsea v Arsenal

7.00 pm (Golf) Golf : Andalucia Masters Spain Day 3

8.55 pm (Goal 2) Scottish Football : Celtic v Hibernia

8.55 pm (ESPN) Premier League: Man City v Wolves

8.55 pm (A817) Premier League: Wigan v Fulham

8.55 pm (Star) Premier League: Sunderland v Aston Villa

SUNDAY October 30th7.00 am (Golf) Golf : USPGA CIMB Malaysia Classic Day 3

12.00 pm (Golf) Golf : USPGA CIMB Malaysia Classic Day 4

2.00 pm (ESPN) Auto Racing : Achilles Formula Drift Jakarta

4.15 pm (Star) Formula 1 : India Grand Prix

7.00 pm (Golf) Golf : Andalucia Masters Spain Day 4

11.00 pm (A817) Premier League: Tottenham v QPR

VISA and MasterCard welcomeYES, you can now use your plastic to

pay for food, drinks and room chargesat GOODIES and Smiling Hill.

SMILING HILL

Wats on....Sports