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LEGAL AFFAIRS

JAKARTA COURT RULES IBRA'S TAKEOVER OF BANK BALI ILLEGAL
JAKARTA -- In a major setback to Indonesia's struggling bank restructuring program, a Jakarta court Thursday ruled that the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency's takeover last year of embattled PT Bank Bali was illegal, marking a victory for the bank's former owner. Bank Bali's founder and former president director Rudy Ramli said the Jakarta State Administrative Court ruled in favor of him in the case brought against IBRA. Dow Jones Newswires March 30, 2000

MINISTER YUSRIL RULES OUT FOREIGN JUDGES FOR LOCAL COURTS
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Ihza Mahendra has rejected a proposal to hire judges from the Netherlands for Indonesian courts because of a perceived dearth of clean local judges. Speaking at a meeting of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Thursday, Yusril said the proposal would violate the law. "Hiring Dutch judges is like imposing a new colonialism," Yusril, who is also the party chairman, told The Jakarta Post after opening the meeting. He suspected the proposal emerged after the government appeared to be lacking in candidates qualified to fill 19 vacancies on the Supreme Court. The proposal was first disclosed by Faisal Basri, a member of a government economic advisory team, on Monday. He said the government might consider hiring Dutch judges to handle specific cases, such as corporate bankruptcies. The Dutch were chosen because Indonesia uses the Dutch judicial system. Indonesian courts have been criticized for rejecting bankruptcy petitions and hampering the process of settling mountains of unpaid corporate debts. He [also] said the government must instead strive to improve the legal apparatus, including judges, police and prosecutors, and acknowledged the process would take time. Jakarta Post April 07, 2000

U.S. SEES IMPROVEMENT IN RI PROTECTION OF IPR
JAKARTA (JP): The United States government has seen a remarkable improvement in Indonesia's protection of intellectual property rights and has accordingly moved the country down to Watch List from Priority Watch List, the government announced here on Wednesday.
Director General for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Zen Umar Purba said the higher grading for Indonesia was announced in Washington on Monday by United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky after her annual (2000) review of the adequacy and effectiveness of IPR protection in foreign countries.
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TRADE AND INVESTMENT

INDONESIA MARCH TRADE SURPLUS EXPECTED AT $2.76 BILLION
JAKARTA - Indonesia is expected to report a sharp increase in its trade surplus in March from a year earlier due to the rise in international crude oil prices and stronger non-oil and gas exports. Five economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires said they expect the Central Bureau of Statistics to announce an average trade surplus of 2.76 billion in March, up 33% from $1.98 billion a year ago, and up 9.1 billion from $2.53 billion in February. Exports are expected to have increased 27% to $5.02 billion from $3.95 billion a year ago, and be up 8.9% from 4.61 billion in February. Imports, meanwhile, are ex

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