Vice President Kalla Starts East Indonesia Tour
Monday, 29 December, 2008 | 09:18 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Vice President Jusuf Kalla who is also the Chairman of Golkar Party began his Eastern Indonesia visits early on Monday for a series of Golkar party and state occasions.

Using the Vice Presidential plane Vice President Kalla left Jakarta from Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase for Makassar, South Sulawesi to attend Golkar Party internal meeting to start around 9 AM Central Indonesia Time (8 AM Jakarta Time).

Kalla then will head for West Papua Province town of Sorong about 310 kilmeter West of the provincial capital of Manokwari to attend the Hasanuddin University alumni meeting and another Golkar Party meeting later in the day. In the evening Kalla is scheduled to attend a christmas celebration at the Regional House of Representatives office with the locals.

On Tuesday Kalla to launched an exploration well operated by Petrochina in Aimas District in Sorong, followed with an official visit to a natural gas exploration site in Tangguh, in the Bintuni Bay, about 150 kilometer south of Manokwari, operated by British Petroleum, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, Mistubishi Corporation, Nippon Energy, Kanematsu, Sumitomo, and Nissho Iwai. The government is yet to settle selling gas price from the field which currently stood at US$ 3,38 per MMBTU (for China) and US$ 5,9 per MMBTU (for United States).

In the same day Kalla will also meet the regional Golkar Party officials in Kaimana Subregency where Kalla is scheduled to stay for the night before returning to South Sulawesi.

On Wednesday December 31st Kalla is scheduled to launch a regional agricultural training for regional and security official in Maros Subregency about 20 kilometers northeast of Makassar.

Vice President Kalla is scheduled to visit Bali and spend the new year's eve in the ressort island.

KURNIASIH BUDI | TNR