ASEAN establishes forum for supreme audit agencies

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 11/16/2011 11:44 AM

The premier conference of the newly established ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) was officially launched by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Wednesday.

In his opening speech for the event, Yudhoyono said the forum was expected to support the implementation of good governance in Southeast Asia.

“The establishment of the ASEAN SAI is part of our real action to achieve the joint aim. The World Bank has stated that a supreme audit agency is a pillar of national integrity. I agree with that,” he said at the conference venue at the Bali International Convention Center, as quoted by Antara.

The conference saw the signing of a chapter on the establishment of the ASEAN SAI by heads of supreme audit agencies of the 10 ASEAN member states.

ASEAN SAI interim chief Hadi Purnomo, who is also the head of Indonesia’s Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), said he hoped the new forum could support the creation of the ASEAN Community by 2015.

Indonesia hosts Asia Pacific broadband development forum

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 04/29/2011 10:09 AM | Business

Indonesia is hosting the Asia Pacific Broadband Development Forum at the Gran Melia Hotel in Jakarta, forum organizer, global telecommunication device and network solution provider PT ZTE Indonesia says.

Leading telecommunications network operators from South Asia and Middle Eastern countries are among participants at the two-day forum that began Thursday.

“We are glad we can host such an important forum, and it will enable participants to share experiences and knowledge amongst themselves,” ZTE Indonesia managing director Fan Xiaoyong said Thursday, as quoted by kontan.co.id.

The first day of the forum featured a tour of three wireline facilities owned by state telco, Telkom — DWDM at Telkom headquarters, GPON and ODN at FX Plaza and an IPTV demonstration at Telkom's multimedia office.

On the second day of the forum, participants will take part in a workshop on Fiber optics (FTTX) and Internet Protocol Television development (IPTV) and LTE technology (mobile communications technology beyond 3G).

Hong Kong launches 4th Asian Financial Forum

Hasyim Widhiarto, The Jakarta Post, Hong Kong | Mon, 01/17/2011 9:51 AM | Business

On Monday, Hong Kong officially opened one of the biggest financial forums in Asia, with the main agenda to discuss the region’s growing role in the global economy.

Taking “Asia: Reshaping the Global Agenda” as its theme, the two-day 2011 Asian Financial Forum will feature dozens of influential business, finance and government leaders as the event’s speakers, including United Kingdom Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs William Hague, former vice chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress Cheng Siwei, and 1999 Nobel Prize laureate in Economics Robert Mundell.

In his opening remarks, Hong Kong 's chief executive Donald Tsang said he hoped the forum to be an ideal platform for businesspeople and policy makers in the region to learn about the world’s economic changes and its effects on Asian countries.

Held annually since 2007 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the forum has continuously attracted the world’s influential leaders in business, finance and government. 

This year, the event has successfully attracted more than 1,500 participants from 31 countries and regions.