The early history of the discovery of biogas in Europe originally appeared on the continent. Biogas is produced from anaerobic digestion processes found in a scientist named Alessandro Volta who conducted research on the gas which issued the swamp in 1770. Gas from the swamp are identified as methane gas.

In its development, in the year 1875 is that biogas is a product of anaerobic digestion processes. Subsequently, in 1884 a scientist named Pasteour other biogas challenged conduct research using animal waste mediation. Pasteour research that is the foundation for research into biogas to the present.

Development of biogas have ups and downs, like in the late 19th century Germany and France recorded utilizing agricultural waste into several units of power from biogas. During World War II, many farmers in the UK and other European continent makes small digesters to produce biogas. However, during its development because fuel prices are becoming less expensive and easy to obtain, in the 1950s the use of biogas in Europe is becoming obsolete.

If the era of the 1950s, Europeans began to leave and switch to fuel biogas, the opposite is actually happening in developing countries like India and China who need cheap and available energy. China’s use of biogas technology with the scale of households that have been utilized by nearly a third of households in rural China. Biogas development in China can be said to experience significant growth, in 1992 approximately five million households use biogas installation of biogas into fuel so that the main portion of the population of China.

As expressed by Prof. Li Kangmin and Dr. Mae-Wan Ho, director of the The Institute of Science in Society, biogas is the heart of the growing eco-economy in China, but several obstacles must be resolved to achieve greater potential.

Similar developments also occurred in India, in 1981 began to develop biogas installations in India. Technique used together with biogas biogas technique developed in China that is using the model and the well wall with the drums as well as raw material with cattle dung and agricultural wastes. Carrying about three million households in India use biogas installations in 1999.

Stepping into the 21st century when aware of the need for replacement of fossil fuel energy, in various countries began to use as a new renewable energy, one of biogas. There was also a superpower like the United States showed particular concern for the development of biogas. In fact, the United States Department of Energy provided funds amounting to U.S. $ 2.5 million for the development of biogas in California.

While in Indonesia, signed in biogas technology in the 1970s which begins in rural development. Nowadays biogas is one of a new type of renewable energy is a concern for the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, as indicated by the Minister of Energy Darwin Zahedy Saleh took to conduct a working visit to the village of Self-Energy in the village Haurngombong, Sumedang. Minister of Energy promised to provide assistance to develop the energy potential which although looks small, but the impact is very big for the fulfillment of energy in Indonesia, particularly for rural communities Haurngombong.

“At the moment the government strives to reach out electricity to remote villages, it is expected that villages that have not been able to enjoy the flow of electricity can also take advantage of and use of renewable energy such as biogas technology”, said Minister of Energy Darwin Zahedy Saleh. (AND)

Source : www.esdm.go.id

Acceleration of infrastructure development has become an important issue for almost all countries, including Indonesia. To that end, the government made a comprehensive steps to accelerate the process of participation of private enterprises in infrastructure provision in Indonesia, namely by preparing a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of PPN / Head of Bappenas, the Ministry of Finance and Head of BKPM about Facilitation Coordination and Support Implementation of Acceleration Actual Public Private Partnership Projects in the Provision of Infrastructure.

This Memorandum of Understanding is basically to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms with the Government in the Provision of Infrastructure in Indonesia, so that the parties agreed to coordinate the implementation of facilitation and support cooperation with the Government in the Provision of Infrastructure.

This MOU aims to provide support to the Government and Private Partnership projects (PPP) in infrastructure that are offered can be realized quickly. The scope of this MoU is to strengthen coordination and clarify the division of tasks and harmonize measures and activities in the facilitation of the implementation of PPP projects in infrastructure that are offered. It is expected that all the problems and delays in the process of preparation and supply of infrastructure projects to the business entity can be carried out smoothly and quickly.

In this memorandum of understanding agreed division of tasks from each side where the Ministry of Finance would be more in charge of facilitating government support and guarantees to the project; Ministry PPN / Bappenas responsible for project planning with the preparation of the PPP PPP Book to integrate them into national development planning system in addition capacity building of stakeholders; BKPM will package the information of the project is ready to offer so attractive to investors and marketing programs with an attractive, besides it also facilitated the issuance of BKPM Provisions concerning procedures and requirements in the implementation of PPP projects including the formation of business entities implementing PPP projects through Integrated Services One Stop (PTSP) in the field of Capital Investment.

MoU also stipulates the establishment of the Coordination Team Facilitation and Project Implementation Support KPS (KPS Project Acceleration Team) in charge of packing and preparing a Master Plan and the Plan of Action for the accelerated realization of PPP projects in the fields of infrastructure and PPP projects identified in priority handling (showcase).

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was held at the National Planning Board on August 18, 2010 by inviting the ministries / institutions concerned, private parties and Financial Institutions that support PPP projects.

Source : www.bappenas.go.id

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan are extending a $3 million grant to Bhutan to rebuild damaged schools using earthquake-resilient materials and designs which could potentially be replicated around the country.

The grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction for the Upgrading Schools and Integrated Disaster Education Project will be used to reconstruct four primary schools which were severely damaged in a devastating earthquake that struck the country in September 2009. Funds will also be used to train district engineers in earthquake-resilient building design and construction quality management, and to teach disaster risk management skills to community members.

“By introducing a seismic resistant structural design into the Ministry of Education’s standard school design, the project will enable the Government to easily replicate it when building other schools,” said Makiko Watanabe, Rural Development Specialist in ADB’s South Asia Department

Bhutan lies in one of the most seismically active zones in the world and the 2009 earthquake was the most damaging natural disaster the country has experienced in recent times, with 12 people killed and thousands left without proper shelter. Among the worst hit areas were the districts of Mongar and Trashigang, two of the most remote and impoverished areas in the country. The Government of Bhutan and development partners provided swift assistance in the immediate aftermath of the calamity but without longer term support, including the rebuilding of damaged schools and other public facilities, there are concerns that already poor communities will be plunged even deeper into poverty.

The project is taking a ‘build back better’ approach which will see the four target schools restored using earthquake-resilient materials and design. Where possible, local materials will be sourced while private contractors doing the construction work will be encouraged to hire members of the affected communities, including women. Participating community members will also be taught earthquake resilient construction techniques that could potentially be applied to communal buildings or their own homes. Disaster risk management skills will be taught to district government officials and teachers and school administrators, who will in turn provide community training aimed at increasing awareness and ensuring effective responses to calamities.

“By providing disaster risk management training, communities will be prepared to proactively cope with future disasters,” Ms. Watanabe said.

The project is expected to benefit about 880 students and teachers at the affected schools and around 9,000 residents of neighboring communities.

Along with the ADB-administered grant, the Government of Bhutan will make an in-kind contribution of almost $824,000 with target communities providing $14,400 in-kind, for an overall investment cost of almost $3.84 million. The Ministry of Education is the executing agency for the project which is expected to be completed by August 2013.

Source : www.adb.org

June 18, 2010

Today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr RM Marty M Natalegawa Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia witnessed the signing ceremony for the transfer of Indonesian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) Chairmanship

From Dr Arifin M. Siregar to Mr Joop Ave as Chairman of the Governing Board
and from Mr Atmono Suryo to Mr Ibrahim Yusuf as Chairman of the Executive Board.

Present at the event were Ambassadors, Senior officials of the Ministry, and members of ICWA.

9:56 PM June 10, 2010

Indonesia’s economy will grow by 6 percent this year and a little more than 6 percent next year, thanks to an improving investment climate and sound management of fiscal and monetary policies, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday.

The IMF said it believes recent capital outflows from Indonesia are temporary and the European debt crisis poses a small downside risk to the country’s growth, although it said the central bank may need to adjust its monetary policy if price pressures increase.

“Indonesia’s economic growth is expected to accelerate to 6 percent in 2010, as recovering credit and surging capital inflows point to a robust outlook for private investment,” Thomas Rumbaugh, the IMF’s division chief for Asia and the Pacific, told reporters after meetings in Jakarta with central bank and other officials.

The domestic economy expanded 4.5 percent in 2009, making Indonesia one of three countries in Asia to have grown during a period of global recession, thanks largely to large domestic demand. The government has forecast 5.8 percent GDP growth this year in the revised 2010 budget, and 6.2 percent to 6.4 percent next year.

Attracted by the prospect of strong growth, investors have flocked to Indonesia’s bond, stock and currency markets in the past year. As a result, the stock market is up nearly 10 percent this year, making it one of the better performers in Asia.

Credit has also grown by almost 18 percent over the first five months this year, the central bank said on Wednesday, and is expected to continue the upward trend with an estimated growth of 17 percent to 20 percent this year, compared to just 10.9 percent last year.

Meanwhile, the government announced on Wednesday that it had eased restrictions on foreign investment in a range of sectors, including construction, health care and electricity generating.

“I think it’s a very important step in improving the investment climate. This is the one of the areas that Indonesia must improve in if it is going to receive investment-grade status and move forward with other emerging markets,” Rumbaugh said.

Rumbaugh added that the country’s limited exposure to European markets in the past has served to protect it from being hurt too badly by the European debt crisis.

“We’ve seen a bit of market reaction over the last month in terms of some capital outflows, but we think they [Indonesia authorities] have the tools to manage that,” Rumbaugh said, alluding to the new team of Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo and Darmin Nasution, who has been nominated as governor of the central bank by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. “We don’t have any concerns about their ability to coordinate.”

Rumbaugh did warn that strong demand could result in price pressures on commodities and could lead to slight inflation if not managed properly.

“We don’t see the need for it yet, but if it comes to it later in 2010 Bank Indonesia should be prepared to adjust monetary policy if inflationary pressures increase,” Rumbaugh said.

The annual inflation rate hit 4.16 percent in May, its highest level in a year, led by increasing food prices, but the rise was in line with expectations.

Analysts, however, expect rate hikes by the third quarter this year and some fear Bank Indonesia might already be behind the curve.

Bank Indonesia deputy governor Hartadi Sarwono said late on Wednesday in Vienna that the central bank is aware that it may need to raise interest rates to 7 percent next year after keeping them at a record low of 6.5 percent so far this year.

The comments are the first by the central bank on the timing and scale of any rate hikes aimed at cooling inflation, and are at odds with the finance minister’s statement last month that rates could stay at 6.5 percent through 2011.

Hartadi said economic output was already close to full capacity, but added that the limit is mitigated by capital inflows which could mean a small raise in policy rates is indeed on the way next year.

“Our range maybe is 6.5 to 7 percent for 2011,” he said on the sidelines of a financial industry conference.

“I believe inflation pressure is still benign, and hope that we can keep interest rates flat at 6.5 percent,” he added.

Bank Indonesia cut the benchmark interest rate by a total of 3 percentage points between December 2008 and August 2009 to shield the economy from the financial crisis.

Source: The Jakarta Globe

The acronym BRIC — which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, and China — was coined in a 2001 Goldman Sachs paper about quickly growing economies that could overtake the world’s wealthiest nations by 2050.

Almost a decade after the original report, the group has performed true to forecasts by outpacing the growth of industrialized nations by a wide margin.

Could it be time to add a new country to the set? Today there’s a case being made for Indonesia.

According to Bloomberg:

“’Indonesia’s potential is dramatic,’ says Hugh Young, who helps manage $260 billion, including Indonesian shares, at Aberdeen Asset Management Plc in Singapore. ‘It is resource- rich, has lots of people and some of its companies are as good as any you will find in Asia.’

“Indonesia’s $514 billion economy, the biggest in Southeast Asia, will grow at 6 percent this year, up from 4.5 percent in 2009, the International Monetary Fund forecast in April. That would make the nation of 240 million the best-performing economy after China and India among the Group of 20 countries — outpacing both Brazil and Russia, the two other emerging giants grouped with China and India as the so-called BRIC economies.

“Now, both Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley say Indonesia is a contender to be included in the BRIC club. Yet analysts disagree on exactly when the acronym will get an extra I. Chetan Ahya, a Singapore-based managing director at Morgan Stanley, says Indonesia should be considered for BRIC status if gross-domestic-product growth nears 7 percent next year.”

The 17,500-island archipelago nation has an economy that’s well positioned for growth from a geographic and natural resource perspective. It’s situated between China and Japan, which are its two largest export markets. In terms of commodities, it has a massive gold mine and copper reserve, and it’s a top global exporter in coal, palm oil, and natural gas.

However, the inventor of the BRIC term, Goldman Sachs’ chief global economist Jim O’Neill, believes that the Indonesian economy is probably too small to join the group quite yet. The current BRICs each make up about 3 percent of world GDP, whereas Indonesia is still only about 1 percent.

Source: The Daily Reconing