<strong>Jakarta</strong>. Lion Air said on Monday that passenger numbers dropped by less than 5 percent in November compared to a year earlier after one of its Boeing 737 MAX jets crashed in late October, killing all 189 people on board. "There was a decline but it wasn't too significant," the airline's chief executive, Edward Sirait, told television network CNN Indonesia. "It was under 5 percent compared to the traffic at the same month last year." He said Lion Air did not "clearly understand" whether the crash was responsible for the fall in traffic in November, which he said was a low season for travel. The airline, Indonesia's largest, is privately owned and does not publicly release traffic statistics or financial results. Edward said last week that Lion Air was considering canceling orders for 737 MAX jets but it had not yet made a decision. Sources told Reuters that relations between the airline and Boeing had worsened in a spat over responsibility for the crash. The airline has 190 Boeing jets worth $22 billion at list prices waiting to be delivered, on top of 197 already taken, making it one of the largest US export customers. Bankers and some analysts say Lion Air and Southeast Asian rivals over-expanded and would be comfortable with fewer orders. Boeing has declined to comment on contractual matters but industry sources say aerospace companies rarely leave room for unilateral cancellations except in exceptional circumstances. The cause of the Oct. 29 crash into the Java Sea has yet to be determined. <em>Reuters</em>

<strong>Jakarta</strong>. State energy firm Pertamina said on Friday that it reached financial close for a $1.8 billion integrated gas-fired power station project on Dec. 5 with Japanese partners Marubeni and Sojitz. The project, located in Cilamaya, West Java, would be one of the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia, Pertamina said in an emailed statement. The consortium of lenders for the project includes the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Nippon Export and Investment Insurance, the Asian Development Bank, Mizuho Bank, MUFG Bank and Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation. "The next challenge will be ensuring that the construction phase can be implemented on schedule," said Ginanjar, president director of Pertamina Power Indonesia. The project will commence construction in the third week of December, and is targeted to begin commercial operation in December 2021, he said. The project includes the 1,760-megawatt Jawa-1 combined cycle power station and an accompanying 170,000-cubic-meter floating storage and regasification unit that will process shipments of liquefied natural gas. Civil engineering and construction of the plant will be carried out by Samsung C&amp;T Corp, turbines are to be supplied by General Electric and the floating storage and regasification unit is to be developed by Samsung Heavy Industries, Pertamina said. "Marubeni looks forward to supporting Indonesia's development by contributing to the supply of stable electricity in the country," Marubeni said in a statement. The project has a contract to supply electricity to state-owned power utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) for 25 years. <em>Reuters</em>

<strong>Jakarta</strong>. American technology giant Google announced a slew of new products and services that promise to benefit Indonesia's rapidly growing digital economy. <strong>WizPhone </strong> What surprised the audience most during the third annual "Google for Indonesia" event in Jakarta on Tuesday was the announcement of the WizPhone. The device, with styling reminiscent of the 1990's, is the first Indonesian-made mobile phone equipped with Google Assistant, the tech giant's artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant. [caption id="attachment_776266" align="aligncenter" width="525"]<img class="wp-image-776266 size-large" src="https://img.beritasatu.com/cache/jakartaglobe/909x605-0/2018/12/IMG_3331edit-807x605.jpg" alt="Scott Huffman, Google Assistant vice president of engineering, introducing the new WizPhone during Tuesday's event. (JG Photo/Joy Muchtar)" width="525" height="394" /> Scott Huffman, Google Assistant vice president of engineering, introducing the new WizPhone during Tuesday's event. (JG Photo/Joy Muchtar)[/caption] The WizPhone, which runs a lightweight mobile operating system known as KaiOS, will be sold at Alfamart convenience stores across Indonesia for only Rp 99,000 ($6.80). <h4><strong>AI for Indonesian </strong><strong>Translations </strong></h4> "More than half of online content is available in English, but only 1 percent of web content is available in Bahasa Indonesia," said Ken Tokusei, director of international search at Google. This means that most internet content may not be accessible to some Indonesians. Tokusei said Google was working with Wikimedia to deploy a neural machine translation system that uses artificial intelligence to translate Wikipedia content from English to Bahasa Indonesia. Relevant search items that only used to be available in English will now also be available in Bahasa Indonesia, he said. <h4><strong>Google Go </strong></h4> With the use of artificial intelligence, the Google Go application can now be used to narrate articles on your favorite news websites, which is particularly handy if you are on the go. Just press "play" on any website and Google Go will read the text out loud to you in real time. This feature even works with a slower 2G connection as it is designed to use less data. The app is already available in Google Play and will also come preinstalled with all Android Oreo Go edition devices. "Our applications, such as YouTube-Go, Google-Go and Assistant-Go, have been designed to only use 50 percent of the phone memory compared with traditional applications," Google Indonesia managing director Randy Mandrawan Jusuf said. <h4><strong>New Features</strong></h4> Bahasa Indonesia was added as an option in Google Assistant on all Android and iOS devices last April, which allows locals to set alarms or call people in their mother tongue. Scott Huffman, engineering lead for Google Assistant, said many people ask the application to tell them a joke to brighten up their day. [caption id="attachment_776263" align="aligncenter" width="525"]<img class="wp-image-776263 size-large" src="https://img.beritasatu.com/cache/jakartaglobe/909x605-0/2018/12/IMG_3323edit-807x605.jpg" alt="Huffman demonstrates Google Assistant's use of Bahasa Indonesia. (JG Photo/Joy Muchtar)" width="525" height="394" /> Huffman demonstrates Google Assistant's use of Bahasa Indonesia. (JG Photo/Joy Muchtar)[/caption] One of the new features available in Google Assistant helps you book online transportation. You can tell it where you want to go and the digital assistant will open the Go-Jek or Grab app for you. This feature is currently only available in English, but Bahasa Indonesia will be added soon. Go-Jek Indonesia chief executive Nadiem Makarim said his company is looking forward to enabling Google Assistant to directly book rides without the need on to open the Go-Jek app. Another new future is a partnership with Indosat, Indonesia's second-largest telecommunications service provider. Through Google Assistant, Indosat customers can now access their monthly bills and manage and monitor their quotas. A third new feature is the accessibility of news update, anywhere, anytime. All you need to do, is say, "listen to the news today," and your digital assistant will do the rest. <h4><strong>Advanced Google Maps Features </strong></h4> Krish Vitaldevara, director of product management at Google Maps, said the navigation feature now has new options to make your daily commute easier. It allows you to follow public bus locations in real time. It also allows you to share the progress of your journey in real time, so if your bus is running late, you can keep your friends or family in the loop about your expected time of arrival. Google Assistant will even be there to remind you when to get off the bus. [caption id="attachment_776270" align="aligncenter" width="525"]<img class="wp-image-776270 size-large" src="https://img.beritasatu.com/cache/jakartaglobe/909x605-0/2018/12/IMG_3348edit-807x605.jpg" alt="Google Maps now allows you to follow bus locations in real time. (JG Photo/Joy Muchtar)" width="525" height="394" /> Google Maps now allows you to follow bus locations in real time. (JG Photo/Joy Muchtar)[/caption] <h4><strong>Business Application</strong></h4> Google My Business is designed to help business owners connect with and attract more customers. Think of it as a social media platform for your business. Business entities now can make posts that will appear on their business profiles on Google Search and Maps, and share updates about products, offers and even events. It also allows customers to follow and interact with businesses. [caption id="attachment_776271" align="aligncenter" width="525"]<img class="wp-image-776271 size-large" src="https://img.beritasatu.com/cache/jakartaglobe/909x605-0/2018/12/IMG_3350edit-807x605.jpg" alt="Krish Vitaldevara, Google Maps product management director, discussing updates to the tech giant's business app. (JG Photo/Joy Muchtar)" width="525" height="394" /> Krish Vitaldevara, Google Maps product management director, discussing updates to the tech giant's business app. (JG Photo/Joy Muchtar)[/caption] According to a Deloitte study, businesses can experience revenue growth of up to 80 percent by having an online presence. Based on this, Google has made it its mission to help Indonesian companies grow their online presence. "This country is full of determined and enthusiastic people; people who are ready to take over the world," Randy said.

<strong>Jakarta.</strong> Lion Air is considering canceling orders for Boeing 737 MAX jets following the crash that killed 189 people in October, but has not yet made a decision, the budget carrier's chief executive, Edward Sirait, said on Thursday. Edward told a briefing that Lion Air was examining the legality of canceling orders but had not yet communicated with the manufacturer about the prospect. The airline has 190 Boeing jets worth $22 billion at list prices waiting to be delivered, on top of 197 already taken, making it one of the largest US export customers. Reuters reported on Monday that Lion Air was reviewing Boeing airplane purchases and had not ruled out canceling orders as relations worsen in a spat over responsibility for the crash, according to sources. Any cancellation of orders would need to be approved by the airline's co-founders and co-owners, Rusdi Kirana and his brother Kusnan Kirana. [caption id="attachment_665202" align="aligncenter" width="1419"]<img class="wp-image-665202 size-full" src="https://img.beritasatu.com/cache/jakartaglobe/909x605-0/2017/05/DSC_0603.jpg" alt="Rusdi Kirana is a co-founder and co-owner of Lion Air, Indonesia's largest budget carrier. (JG Photo/Dion Bisara)" width="1419" height="950" /> Rusdi Kirana is a co-founder and co-owner of Lion Air, Indonesia's largest budget carrier. (JG Photo/Dion Bisara)[/caption] Rusdi ordered a review of airline purchases in response to Boeing's statement last week focusing attention on piloting and maintenance topics related to the crash, Reuters reported on Monday. Boeing declined to comment on contractual matters but industry sources say aerospace companies rarely leave room for unilateral cancellations except in exceptional circumstances. Bankers and some analysts say Lion Air and Southeast Asian rivals over-expanded and would be comfortable with fewer orders. Lion Air, as a private company, does not publicly disclose information about its financial position. Loss-making national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has reported pressure from higher oil prices and a weaker currency. Boeing declined to comment on contractual matters but industry sources say aerospace companies rarely leave room for unilateral cancellations except in exceptional circumstances. <em>Reuters</em>

<strong>Jakarta.</strong> International hospitality chain Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts is coming to Jakarta by the middle of next year. Its parent company, French multinational hospitality group AccorHotels, said in a statement on Tuesday that the first Swissôtel in Indonesia would be located in a mixed-use lifestyle mall complex in Pantai Indah Kapuk in North Jakarta, which belongs to local property developer, the Agung Sedayu Group. Swissôtel Jakarta PIK Avenue will feature 412 spacious rooms, six restaurants, an executive lounge, a Pürovel Spa &amp; Sport outlet and a 3,044-square-meter ballroom that can accommodate up to 3,000 guests. "This is such an exciting time to introduce the Swissôtel brand to Indonesia and particularly Jakarta to complement the group's growing portfolio of city and resort destinations throughout the region," Garth Simmons, chief operating officer of AccorHotels Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore, said in a statement. AccorHotels said it decided to bring its luxury hotel chain to Jakarta because of the city's status as one of the world's greatest megalopolises. It cited a 2017 report by the World Travel and Tourism Council listing Jakarta among the top 10 fastest growing tourism cities in the world. "Jakarta has a rich, varied history and is a city of exciting metamorphosis – with its bustling traffic, its strong affiliations to its own historical roots and a hub of development in Indonesia," AccorHotels said in the statement. "We are proud to partner with AccorHotels in bringing the premium hotel brand to Indonesia with the development of Swissôtel Jakarta PIK Avenue," said Alex Kusuma, chief executive of Agung Sedayu Retail Indonesia, the lifestyle arm of the Agung Sedayu Group. "Pantai Indah Kapuk has evolved to become a trendy lifestyle destination and this partnership will enhance our mixed-use proposition that caters to niche travelers with its high-end residential and commercial development," he added. The Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts brand, founded in 1980, offers freshness and vitality rooted in the tradition of Swiss hospitality. It has more than 30 properties globally, including Swissôtel The Bosphorus in Istanbul, Swissôtel The Stamford in Singapore and Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy in Moscow. The brand's contemporary Swiss style combined with local flair, its focus on vitality, sustainability and a deeply rooted commitment to quality infuse the Swissôtel experience, ensuring custom environments where guests can recharge and feel at ease. AccorHotels operates more than 4,600 hotels, resorts and residences, along with some 10,000 private homes around the globe.

<strong>Nusa Dua.</strong> Indonesian property developers are offering projects worth billions of dollars to global investors during the Global Business Summit of the International Real Estate Federation, or FIABCI, in Nusa Dua, Bali, this week. Real Estate Indonesia (REI) chairman Soelaeman Soemawinata said 600 representatives of property developers from 72 countries are attending the first FIABCI summit to be held outside Europe. They are joined by about 1,000 industry representatives from across the archipelago for the summit with the theme "Affordable Housing and International Tourism Development," which is taking place at the Bali International Convention Center from Wednesday to Saturday. REI held its annual national work meeting on Wednesday. Soelaeman, better known as Eman, said Indonesian property industry players offer business-to-business partnerships in various projects while also promoting potential tourism destinations, including the so-called "10 New Balis," such as Tanjung Lesung in Banten, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara and the Thousand Islands in Jakarta, which the government currently actively promotes. Eman said the sheer size of these projects necessitates local developers to seek partners from overseas. "There are many reports of foreign companies seeking to invest in Indonesia's hotel and resort sector. Mainly from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, China, the Middle East and Europe," he said. The disclosed value of the projects on offer during this week's summit amount to $4.7 billion, while the value of several are marked "to be disclosed." One of the largest on offer is AKR Grand Estate Marina City, an integrated 800-hectare township in Gresik, East Java. The $1.75 billion project, undertaken by AKR Land Development, will be integrated into the existing 3,000-hectare Java Integrated Industrial and Port Estate. Indonesian tycoon Hary Tanoesoedibjo presented several projects, including MNC Bali Resort, a hotel, villas, condominiums and country club, built in partnership with a company affiliated with United States President Donald Trump. Another is MNC Lido City, a 3,000-hectare integrated development incorporating a theme park rivaling Singapore's Universal Studios, complete with premium entertainment facilities and leisure centers. [caption id="attachment_776340" align="alignleft" width="743"]<a href="https://img.beritasatu.com/cache/jakartaglobe/909x605-0/2018/12/REI-2-e1544080479227.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-776340" src="https://img.beritasatu.com/cache/jakartaglobe/909x605-0/2018/12/REI-2-e1544080479227-909x461.jpeg" alt="Source: REI" width="743" height="377" /></a> Source: REI[/caption] <div class="grammarly-disable-indicator"></div> <h4><strong>Permit Hurdles</strong></h4> To improve the investment climate and attract foreign investors, REI called on the government to further streamline the permit process, seen as a major obstacle by private companies seeking to invest in Indonesia's property and tourism sectors. "The problem is not the central government. If we break down the permit process, about 95 percent of permissions are issued by local governments. The central government should think of a solution to integrate everything under one roof," REI deputy chairman Hari Gani said. Hari said foreign companies interested in investing in Indonesia are attracted by potential in the tourism sector. He expressed hope that this year's FIABCI Global Business Summit would yield a positive outcome for the property sector in Indonesia. Analysts have attributed slower sales in the property sector to stagnant consumer purchasing power in the country. Hari said the property industry exponentially affects up to 174 downstream industries, which in turn affects the country's overall economic performance. Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, currently faces a housing backlog of a staggering 11.4 million units.