Vice President Jusuf Kalla (photo: right) received Indonesian Teachers Union (PGRI) chairman Sulistiyo (center) and secretary general Sahiri Hermawan at the vice president's office in Jakarta on Friday.

During the meeting, the association asked the government to quickly issue a regulation to implement a 2005 law aimed at improving the professionalism and quality of Indonesian teachers and lecturers.

Kalla responded to the request by saying all heads of regional education agencies throughout the country must pass teacher certification tests.

"Pak Kalla has promised that in the future, education agency heads must first pass teacher certification tests," Sulistiyo was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.

Sulistiyo said some education agency heads did not have educational backgrounds. As an example, he cited one agency head who was formerly a fireman.

"The PGRI has suggested that to improve the quality of education, an education agency head must be a university graduate and pass a certification test. And the Vice President agreed with it," he said.

The PGRI also urged the government to provide students with free, high-quality textbooks.

"We also requested of the government that the 20 percent of the state budget to be allocated for education not be channeled to the education bureaucracy but (instead) to less privileged students," Sulistiyo said. --JP

08/24/08 06:22

Beijing, (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and China have similarities in their efforts to enhance the existing good trade ties for which many companies from the two countries have made trade contacts, a minister said.

"The two nations have similarities in their efforts to step up the long-standing trade relations," visiting Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said here on Saturday.

The minister was here to accompany Vice President Jusuf Kalla during a three-day visit August 22-24.

Mari said the main mission of her visit in Beijing was to hold talks with her Chinese counterpart, Chen Deming, on the plan of action to enhance trade and investment ties as well as multilateral issues such as the Doha Round.

The meeting would also focus on the two countries` food security which came under the spotlight a few months ago after they rejected each other`s imported goods, she said.

"The issue of food security will also be high in the agenda of the meeting although the issue has already been included in the ASEAN plus China`s program," she said.

The minister further said more and more Chinese furniture companies had established cooperation with their Indonesian counterparts.

Through the cooperation, Indonesia expected the Chinese furniture makers not only to import logs from Indonesia but also to produce furniture in Indonesia for exports to China and other countries, she said.

"With the cooperation, we hope Indonesian wood products will have special added value and attract foreign companies to invest in Indonesia," she said.(*)

COPYRIGHT © 2008

09/03/08 14:20

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The governments of Indonesia and Chili have agreed to set up a joint technical economic commission as a forum for increasing their bilateral ties and exploring new cooperation opportunities.

The Foreign Ministry in an official statement said here on Tuesday that the agreement was contained in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in Santiago, Chili, this week by Director General for American and European Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Retno L.p. Marsudi and Director General for Foreign Affairs of Chili, Juan Pablo Lira in Santiago.

The establishment of the joint economic commission is one of the results of a bilateral consultation by delegations of the two countries held in Santiago on September 1-2, 2008.

So far, the two nations have established good cooperation in the fields of economy, education, fishery and maritime. Both sides are committed to increasing cooperation in the trade, air communications and energy fields.

As part of the efforts to boost Indonesia`s exports to Chili, Indonesia will organize a solo trade exhibition in Mall Plaza Oeste, Santiago, on September 3-7, 2008 where about 25 Indonesian businesses will take part.

Indonesia will display its primary products such as furniture, handicraft products, household utensils, ornaments, footwear, garments, traditional cosmetics and herbal medicines.

Indonesia will also promote its strategic industry products from PT Pindad (state-owned ammunition company) and state-owned aircraft industry PT Dirgantara.
(*)

COPYRIGHT © 2008

Saturday, 06 September, 2008 | 13:46 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesian and Chinese business people yesterday signed a US$ 597 million trade agreement, comprising 20 contracts for 30 projects in the textile, furniture, electronics, mining, electricity and hotel sectors.

Trade minister Mari Elka Pangestu has called on the Guangdong-based entrepreneurs to build a factory in Indonesia. The collaboration is expected to reach a trade volume of US$ 30 billion by 2010.

The Guangdong delegation team leader, Wang Yang said his region experienced the most rapid economy growth in China. According to him, the Indonesia – Guangdong trade value in 2007 reached US$ 5.19 million or up by 32.8 percent compared to 2006. This figure is one fifth of the two countries’ total trade.

Indonesia exports coal, paper, food oil, components and electronic goods. Meanwhile Guangdong’s exports include textile and garment, furniture, shoes, ceramics, telephones, motorcycles, machines and electronic gods.

CORNILA DESYANA