Public Transportation

ECONOMIC VS ECONOMIC AC 

Railway plans to remove the economics class train is not very relevant to society because of the existence of economically weak economic to help residents in the incomes barely move. While the economic train freight train which is also called the people/ million people in great demand by the public, unless the economic train air-conditioning, people (passengers) at least glanced at it once a year even "try". If the clerk does not want to jostle them will choose the departure time for the sake of convenience.

The existence of economy-class trains are still loved by the users of railway has a mediocre income, while the presence of AC for the economic train railway users who do not want to sweat, not to be disturbed hawkers and buskers. No wonder when they choose a more cozy. It appears that many enthusiasts are also economic train is operated while the AC when they have to spend more money from their wallets.

A railway train was operated either economics, economic air conditioning, etc. Need to keep its existence and needed officers to warn/ giving sanction to the passenger who made a scribble on the body of the train, checking tickets of passengers, sits on the roof of the train and who deliberately the train doors.

The existence of economy-class train does not need to be deleted, because it will make a lot of disappointed passengers plus a car but need to maintain passenger comfort during the journey or additions to the schedule departure time trains need to be reviewed. Railway officials and Poluska (railway police) are directly involved if need be one officer in each carriage. Increase in railway fares in economy class there should be no increase, but to train air-conditioning needs to be reviewed and disseminated to the public. Ticket examiners must act decisively when there are passengers who do not have tickets for whatever reason.

Business English 2

Public Transportation

 ECONOMY CLASS TRAIN AGE NOW
 

Transport is used to enable people in running their daily activities. The type of transport used consisted of land, sea and air, transportation is the most common and most widely used is a train carrying passengers. Railway transportation which is not experiencing congestion as experienced generally two-wheeled vehicles and four wheels, that's what makes many people use it. Economic train the most popular because of low ticket prices compared to other trains.

Unfortunately however, when viewing the current condition of the train. Where his condition is not well maintained or not maintained as the condition of rolling stock of concern, fan and lights are not burning (burning only slightly), there are also cracks in the glass even with no glass windows, full marks on the body and roof of the train, the doors that never closed, etc. Not to mention the crime rate high because of the lack of cigarette smoke guard officer and disturbing the other passengers, things are very much different when compared to previous years.

Economy-class train passengers would also like to fell the comfort to their destination, but is may still make the passengers do not fell comfortable having to jostle and many sellers who peddle their commercial goods on the train. Not a bit too naughty passengers who do not comply with the rules is do not buy a train ticket and sit on the train roof that endangers his life.

In order for the passengers to feel comfortable while flying in a train is to the strict vigil of the officers, checking passenger's tickets so there is no wild passengger who was on the roof of the car and driver space, it can be harmfull because they self-harm passengers and PT Kereta Api. Sanction provided no half measures, but to be firm so that passengers can make the deterrent naughty. Improving the facilities owned railway economy, taking action againts traders who sell at the train and passenger capacity not exceeding the limit by the addition of carriage and setting back the economic train schedules, etc.

   

Business English 2

Complaint Letter

To: 

Mr. Jenny

Customer Service Manager

Ref: defective product

Dear Mr. Jenny

In connection with the sale / purchase of goods that has been agreed with a good quality, then I need to tell you that the goods that we received does not match the quality or the quality of orders. Of the orders which I have as many as 70 orders are simply there is a defective product as much as 15 orders.

Order that the defective goods will be returned to you with a way to replace your defective product with a quality product with my order, or you can replace them with money for goods that are defective or damaged in accordance with our previous agreements.

Thus this letter I have to say.

Yours Sincerely

Ristayuni Herawaty

Letters Offering Congratulations

Congratulations to open new branches

Dear Mr. Robin,

I heard the news that you have opened a new branch and I'm glad to hear the news, hopefully we can build closer cooperation for mutual success again and hopefully the new branch of your company is more advanced and successful.

I will contact you when I disni affairs has been completed and I hope we can meet to celebrate this good news.

Yours Sincerely

Ristayuni Herawaty. N


Promotion Congratulations

Dear Didit,

I heard the news that you have been promoted to a new position as marketing manager. I am very happy to hear such happy news and I congratulate you. I hope you are more motivated to achieve the next goal.

I hope we will meet and celebrate this good news after my return to Jakarta.

Yours Sincerely


Ristayuni Herawaty. N

PIIGS: The new fiscal flu infecting Indonesia’s financial market

Andry Asmoro ,  Economist, PT Bahana Securities   |  Thu, 02/11/2010 12:02 PM  |  Business 

The performances of regional stock markets over the past few days have been volatile to say the least, impacted by the so-called European PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain) group, which caught the fiscal flu — as seen in their ballooning budget deficits (see table for details).

This is well above the recommended threshold level of 3 percent, and it is worth pointing out that the sub-prime problem in Europe started in Southern Europe, with Spain.

All financial markets’ eyes are now focused on the sovereign debt problems faced by the PIIGS group, particularly since the debt to GDP ratios of Greece and Italy have reached 113 percent and 115 percent.

Some analysts have argued that the GDP of these countries are small, with Greece at US$343 billion, smaller than Indonesia’s $500 billion. However, this situation should not be taken lightly, because European countries’ economies are interwoven in a single currency. Note that PIIGS countries’ GDP of $4,317 billion constitute around one-third of the Eurozone’s total economy.

Some have also argued that industrial production in the PIIGS group has shown a recovery, with November 2009 figures for Greece, Italy and Spain reaching -6 percent, -8 percent, and 4 percent. This was up from October’s -9 percent, -12 percent, and -13 percent.

However, because the improvement was a result of the government’s fiscal stimulus, unemployment rates in the PIIGS areas continued to deteriorate (see table for details), which is a cause of concern.

Now, the question would be the impact of this situation on Indonesia’s financial markets, which we believe would occur more through the global economic recovery story, adversely affecting commodity prices. Coupled with concerns about the China bubble (resulting in the Chinese government’s holding back spending) this could mean commodity prices remain unexciting for the next two to three months.

This is likely to weaken both Indonesia’s currency and equity markets in our view. As money is taken out of the Indonesian stock market, the Indonesian rupiah is likely to weaken. Thus far we have seen the currency depreciating more than 2 percent from around the Rp 9,150 level in the beginning of the year to Rp 9,400 at present. Going forward, on the back of the PIIGS group’s fiscal problems, we expect global risk premium, including Indonesia’s, to remain at elevated levels for awhile. And this is bad news for equity markets in general. In Indonesia, this coupled with the deteriorating political landscape could mean profit taking in the stock market in the short-term.

It is also worth highlighting that global Credit Default Swap (CDS) has risen in general. However, we expect minimal impact on the Indonesian bond market. While Indonesia’s CDS has risen from 193 to 216 at present, we expect continued foreign interest as our bond yields provide substantial spreads relative to the rest of the region.

Back to the local equity market, with 32 percent of the total Jakarta Composite Index market capitalization in commodity-related stocks, we expect both the equity and currency markets to be feeling under the weather in the short-term, impacted by the latest financial flu from PIGS.

Sumber:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/11/piigs-the-new-fiscal-flu-infecting-indonesia%E2%80%99s-financial-market.html


Business English 2

City should set more efficient parking rates system: Groups

Indah Setiawati ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 02/11/2010 12:23 PM  |  City 

Damantoro of the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) said parking operators did not have clear reasons for setting overpriced fees.

“Why should parking fares hike?” he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. “Operators must reveal how they are increasing fares.”

Recently, many parking operators in dozens of locations in the city reportedly breached the 2004 gubernatorial decree regulating amounts.

They allegedly take illegal fees from the overpriced fares because the amount of retribution fees they pay is based on regulated prices.

Damantoro said parking areas in commercial buildings such as shopping centers were always crowded with vehicles, which should provide enough revenue for paying outsourced parking companies and receive profit.

He said providing a parking area in a commercial building was the building owner’s obligation. Investment on building the parking area, he said, was included in the rent fees paid by tenants. “Building owners cannot include investment in the parking fare,” he said.

The Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation said the city should set standard guidance of parking fees by gathering public input.

Foundation chairwoman Husna Zahir said consumers were unfairly treated by the recent parking policy and fees set by parking operators.

“Some parking operators count a minute on the second hour as one hour, which is annoying for customers.”  She added that customers who regularly parked in buildings or malls suffered the most from the recent overpriced fees.

Husna said the city should not set high parking fares because the administration had not provided decent public transport.

“Using private vehicles is not a choice for people, but a force resulting from poor public transportation,” she said.

The City Council decided to invite the Association of Shopping Center Managers of Indonesia (APPBI) next week to explain the one-sided parking fee hike.

On Wednesday, councilors of Commission B overseeing economy met with parking operators who stated that they were forced to raise the fare because building owners demanded higher revenue from parking.

Toni, a representative official of Secure Parking, admitted that the price his company set breached the 2004 gubernatorial decree.

“We raised the fees on Feb. 1 because the building owners asked. The official parking fares cannot accommodate to the rising operational cost and annual increase of provincial wages,” he said.

He suggested that the city review the parking fee regulation once every two years.

A request to raise the parking fares, he said, was submitted in June to the administration to no avail.

Head of Commission B Selamat Nurdin blamed the city’s parking unit for not providing proper information to the public on the official parking fees, which made them unaware of the overpriced fares set by operators.

He said the revision on the bylaw on retribution would focus on improving the supervision matter. 

According to the regulation, a parking fee inside buildings and multi-story parking lots for cars and minibuses is Rp 2,000 (US 21 cents) for the first hour and Rp 1,000 for each following hour.

Fares for buses is Rp 2,000 for the first hour and Rp 2,000 for each following hour, while motorcycles are charged Rp 750.

Sumber: 

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/11/city-should-set-more-efficient-parking-rates-system-groups.html


Business English 2

Rural Economy Micro-credit scheme helps women’s businesses thrive in Aceh

The Jakarta Post ,  Nanggroe, Aceh Darussalam   |  Mon, 02/08/2010 11:39 AM  |  Business

Ernis, a 47-year-old homemaker, made a second business expansion earlier this month under a

scheme aiming to heighten economic activity in rural areas and targets businesses that have the

potential to grow.

The scheme is called the Women’s Savings and Loan (SPP) and is  provided by a government community empowerment program called the PNPM Mandiri.

Ernis applied for a loan, amounting to more than double the one she had for the first expansion, and added to her stock clothing for her store at the front of her house in the Koto hamlet of Kluet Tengah district, South Aceh.

“I mostly added T-shirts for boys to my stock,” she told The Jakarta Post.

“Many of my customers have been asking for T-shirts.”

She opened her store with Rp 2 million (US$215) in hand back in 2005.

It was then mostly filled with affordable batik dresses and earned her around Rp 100,000 in sales a day.

The business took a leap last year, when Ernis received a Rp 2 million loan under a scheme.

Soon, the outfitter was adding more expensive gamis — long Muslim dresses — to her collection.

Her daily earning has grown to around Rp 200,000 and Ernis said she could receive up to Rp 1 million in sales every market day once a week.

The mother of three also managed to put aside some of her income to buy two PlayStations
and computer games and is now renting them for Rp 2,000 an hour.

Early in January, she took another Rp 5 million SPP loan and traveled to Medan in North Sumatra for stock for her store.

She is one loan recipient in the district.

Under the SPP scheme, women in poverty-stricken villages in many places across the country can apply for loans to fund their businesses.

In Kluet Tengah, SPP was first implemented in 2007 and has so far reached 504 women in the district.

“There is no limit to the amount of money that the women can borrow.

“If we think that a business has the potential to grow, we are more than happy to lend Rp 20
million or more,” said Irwami, a facilitator of the PNPM program for Kluet Tengah.

At 12 percent a year, the interest rate for the loan is lower than the 14 to 22 percent charged by the government’s micro credit loan.

For many borrowers, especially those whose businesses are not as successful as Ernis’, paying the interest of that amount is a burden.

“We’ve been having a hard time repaying our loan every month,” Tamzalika, a merchant from Lawe Melang hamlet told the Post.

His wife applied for a Rp 2 million loan in 2008 to fund the family’s business selling pecan nuts and fuel.

Repayment of the SPP loan, however, has been running smoothly, according to Irwami.

He said residents in the district had seen an increase in their daily income to an average of Rp 40,000 currently from Rp 30,000 before the PNPM Mandiri programs were introduced in 2006.

The PNPM Mandiri mostly funds infrastructure projects and many SPP beneficiaries now have thriving businesses.

Adrawati, 49, lives one-hour’s drive from Ernis. The resident of Pulo Kambing hamlet in Kluet Utara district earns her money making bed covers, draperies and pillow cases.

She now earns Rp 500,000 to Rp 600,000 a month, up from Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000 before she expanded her business through a Rp 2 million loan in 2007.

The loan gave her enough money to buy garments of better quality, making her able to set higher selling prices.

Adrawati has purchased two sewing machines and one embroidery machine since she began her business in the 2000s using only one old sewing machine, she said.

“I can now hire a worker to help me when I have many orders flowing in, or when a job needs to be done quickly,” Adrawati said, adding that she paid the worker Rp 20,000 for every set of bed covers produced.

She also said that she was looking forward to taking Rp 10 million of the SPP loan “to buy more and better garments”.

“I think my business can grow even bigger if I can take the amount of that loan,” she added. (adh)

Sumber:

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/08/rural-economy-microcredit-scheme-helps-women%E2%80%99s-businesses-thrive-aceh.html


Business English 2