Overview of Jakarta Government

Government
Due to its very extensive size and population, Jakarta has been given the status of province, similar to the other 33 provinces throughout Indonesia. As a province, Jakarta is headed by a Governor who is directly responsible to the President of Republic via the Minister of the Home Affair. Holding the dual position of city province and capital city Jakarta is considered a Special Region (Daerah Khusus Ibukota DKI).

Jakarta is further broken into five municipalities (Kotamadya) and one regency (Kabupaten):

• Jakarta Pusat (Central Jakarta),
• Jakarta Utara (North Jakarta),
• Jakarta Timur (East Jakarta),
• Jakarta Selatan (South Jakarta),
• Jakarta Barat (West Jakarta) and
• Kepulauan Seribu district of administration (Kabupaten).

Each of these headed by a Mayor (Walikota) and for regency headed by a Regent (Bupati). Each municipality compromised of a number of Kecamatan, headed by a Camat, and each Kecamatan divided into kelurahan or ‘village’ level.

In many ways, Jakarta is still just a collection of villages, with neighborhoods providing the basic services such as garbage collection and security. This is organized by the Rukun Tetangga (RT Neighborhood Head), who is an unpaid, elected official and carries out a number of duties. A neighborhood usually consist of around 20 households, and the RT is the head of this neighborhood watch system, carrying out registration for residents and visitors, and keeping records of births, deaths and marriages for the government. A group of RT neighborhood forms a Rukun Warga (RW), which is the next level below kelurahan.

Government Business Hours
Government offices are open from:

• 08:00 am to 04:00 pm from Monday to Thursday
• 08:00 am to 02:00 pm on Friday
• close on Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

Business offices are usually open from 09:00 am to 05:00 pm, and generally closed on Saturday. Banks are usua1ly open from 08:30 am to 03:00 pm and closed on Saturdays. Moneychangers are open longer hours.

Shops open around 09:00 am and shopping complexes, supermarkets and apartment stores stay open until 09:00 pm, though smaller shops may close at 05:00 pm Sunday is a public holiday but many shops and airline offices open for least part of the day.

Jakarta Arrival & Visa Requirements

Passport and Visa
Citizens of 11 countries will get the VISA FREE to visit Indonesia : Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines and Vietnam.

Citizens of 21 countries will be offered the facilities VISA ON ARRIVAL, they are : Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary Italy, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Swiss, Taiwan, The United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States. The procedure on the Airport should not take more than 7 minutes. Indonesia will charge foreigners US$25 for a 30 days non-renewable visa or US$ 10 for a 3 days visit upon arrival (some conditions apply, please visit www.Indonesia.com for further information).

Citizens of countries NOT on the “visa on arrival” or “visa free” lists will be required to apply for a visa before entering Indonesia.

Jakarta Airport & Customs

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is located approximately 26 km west of the city, or about 30 minutes drive to the heart of the business district where many of the major hotels are located. International flights come in and out of Terminal 2, while local flight uses either Terminal I or 2. Soekarno-Hatta servked by 32 major international airlines.

Travelers departing from Soekarno-Hatta Interrtational Airport are required to an airport tax of Rp. 100,000. For domestic travel, the tax is Rp. 20,000 payable at the check-in counter at the airport.

• Customs - Custom allows maximum of one liter of alcoholic beverages, and 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 100 grams of tobacco and reasonable amount of perfume per adult. There is no restriction on the import or export of foreign currencies; however, the import or export of Indonesian currency is limited to Rp. 5,000,000.
• Moving About - From Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, take a metered taxi located in front of the arrival terminal. An additional surcharge from the airport is Rp. 3,000 plus Rp. 8,000 for the toll road. Within the city, standard taxis are easily found at hotels, major building or flagged down. Flag fall is Rp. 4,000 and Rp. 1,800 for each additional kilometer.
  The Damri Airport bus departs every 30 minutes between 03:00 am and 10:00 pm. To Gambir Station and continues on to Blok M, Kemayoran and Rawamangun. It costs Rp. 10,000 per person.

Overview of Jakarta & About Jakarta

Jakarta is a dynamic capital city of the Republic of Indonesia, a country composed of more than 17,000 islands with a population of over 200 millions. Comprising more than 300 ethnic groups speaking 200 distinct languages and dialects, the Indonesian population exhibit incredible diversity in its linguistic, cultural and religious traditions. As the nation capital, Jakarta is truly a “meeting point” of representatives from through out the archipelago.

Jakarta is the lively social, cultural, economic and political hub of the nation, carrying a legacy of more than 30 years of largely uninterrupted economic expansion. It is home to many of the country’s finest research institutions, educational facilities and cultural organizations and uniquely serves both as the seat of national as well as regional government.

Strategically positioned on the west side of the island of Java, the Capital City is the principal gateway to the rest of Indonesia. From Jakarta, many other sophisticated island, air and sea transport is available to the rest of the country.

Over the last several decades, Jakarta has proudly developed into one of Asia’s most prominent metropolitan centers. With a current population of over nine million people, Jakarta has undergone dramatic growth especially over the last few years.

Jakarta Geographical Location & Climate

Thingking of visiting Jakarta? These are some interesting information about Jakarta which may help you understand Jakarta better.

• Geographic Location

Jakarta is located on a wide, flat alluvial plain on the north coast of western Java. It covers 650 square kilometers of land rises from five to 50 metres above sea level. Thirteen major waterways flow through it and empty into Jakarta Bay. Time is GMT plus 7 hours. The Local Time in Jakarta current is 16:54:23 WIB (Waktu Indonesia Barat).

The city is bound to the north by the Java Sea, to the east by Bekasi district, to the south by Bogor district (these district lie within province of West Java) and to the west by Tangerang district (lie by province of Banten). The city boundaries blend imperceptibly into neighbouring districts, when much of the city’s industry is being developed and large numbers of the workforce are located. This greater Jakarta conurbation is known by the acronym Jabotabek (Jakarta-Bogor-Tangerang-Bekasi).

• Climate

Lying near the equator, Jakarta is hot and humid year-round. The long rainy season falls between late October and early May through rain occurs through out the year, averaging 1791 mm. Rain tends to come in short heavy bursts, hut even during the rainy season it doesn’t rain every day. It rains on only a handful of days during the dry season from July to September.

Afternoon humidity averages around 70%, but is higher during the morning. Temperatures are fairly even throughout the year, averaging nearly 34°C maximum and 25° C minimum. Jakarta gets a steady supply of 12 hours daylight throughout the year, in the dry season the skies are clearer. Mornings are sunnier than the afternoon.

For more information on Jakarta Weather, please visit  Indonesia Weather

People and Culture of Jakarta

People and Culture
The City’s dominant populations are come from the surrounding areas of Java, Many parts of Sumatera, Bali and Sulawesi. Also making themselves known are those hailing from Papua, Indonesia’s most eastern province and Kalimantan, home of the Dayaks and one of the largest rainforests in the world. Over the centuries, these groups have kept their cultural roots, yet some have also intermixed, including with non-Indonesians, to form a special group of their own known as Orang Betawi.

Jakarta has its own special Betawi culture, which suggests the string of influences that reached the city’s shores over the centuries. A long process of selectively borrowing and uniquely blending Chinese, Arab, Portuguese and Dutch elements with native ingenuity has produces the colourful, composite Betawi culture. The word “Betawi” is derived from Batavia, the old name of the capital during the Dutch administration.

Pockets of Betawi life are still culturally alive throughout Jakarta with celebrations of wedding and the rhythms of a distinctive style of music. From the Betawi wedding dress alone one gets a glimpse of the many influences that passed through the gateway of the nation.

The Betawi bride wears a gown inspired by the Chinese ceremonial dress. Although there are many variations of the wedding costume, all feature tassels covering the face and a red dress. The bridegroom in striking contrast dons a costume derived from Arab and India sources

Getting Around in Indonesia

An extensive transportation network provides access to all but the most secluded of places in Indonesia. Flying is the most convenient way of hopping across the archipelago with a choice of flights from airports in all provincial and district capitals.

• Airline: Garuda Indonesia is the national flag carrier, serving international as well as major domestic trunk routes. Other airlines include Merpati Nusantara, Bouraq which serves major domestic routes as well as international ones to Singapore. Lion Air, Star Air, Wings Air, Batavia, Adam Air, also domestic carriers and they complete the archipelago’s comprehensive airline network.
• Trains: Trains are available throughout Java and in parts of Sumatra and are invariably enjoyable ways to experience the essence of the country. Comfortable, air-conditioned trains are available, particularly on those services that connect Central and East Java with the capital city of Jakarta, including the Bima Trains (via Yogyakarta and Surakarta), the Argo Bromo Anggrek (via Semarang to Surabaya) and the Parahyangan services (from Jakarta to Bandung).
• Buses: Another convenient and relatively cheap way to travel across an island. Nearly all inter-city buses are fully air-conditioned and very comfortable, often only stopping for food and fuel. Cars and taxis can be hired of course, and provide perfect opportunities to get off the beaten track and explore independently. An enormous variety of public transport can be found in the towns and cities.
• Ferries & Ships: PELNI, the state-owned shipping company now has 30 modern ships, serving all main ports in this archipelago of over 17,000 islands. Regular ferries make island hopping easy and also provide some unique opportunities to experience the beauty of these tropical islands.

Customs & Airport Tax Formalities in Indonesia

o Customs:
Customs allow one litre of alcoholic beverages, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100g of tobacco and a reasonable amount of perfume per adult. Cameras, video cameras, portable radios, cassette recorders, binocular and sport equipment are admitted provided they are out on departure. They must be declared to Customs.
Prohibited are firearms, narcotic drugs, pornography, transceivers and cordless telephones. Chinese traditional medicines must be registered by Depkes RI. Films, pre-recorded video tapes and laser disks must be screened by the Censor Board. There is no restriction import or export of foreign and travelers cheques. However, the import and export of Indonesian currency exceeding Rp100 million is prohibited.

o Airport Tax:
An airport tax of Rp100.000 is levied by the airport authority for travelers on international routes and Rp30.000 for those on domestic routes.

Travel Formalities in Indonesia

All travelers to Indonesia must be in possession of passport valid for at least six months from date of arrival and have proof (tickets) of onward or return passage.

• Free Tourist Visa: Immigration authorities provide Free Tourist Visas for a period of 30 days to nationals from 11 countries only on the basis of reciprocity. These countries are Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Chile, Morocco, Peru and Vietnam.
• Visa On Arrival: Visa On Arrival has been given to nationals from 36 countries. These are Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, New Zealand, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, Austria, Belgium, India, Ireland, Kuwait, Luxemburg, the Maldives, Egypt, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Saudi.
  These Visa On Arrivals are valid for 30 days and may be extended with the permission of the Indonesian Immigration under the following conditions: natural disaster (occurs in the place visited by the tourist); the traveler is ill or meets with an accident during their visit.
  You can apply for these Visas at the following:
  • Airports:
    Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta, Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali,
    Polonia Airport in Medan,
    Sultan Syarif Kasim Airport in Pekanbaru,
    Minang Kabau Airport in Padang,
    Juanda Airport in Surabaya,
    Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado.

• Seaports: 
  Batam, the Seku pang, Batuampar, Nongsa and Marina,Teluk Senimba, Bandar Bintan, Talani Lagoi and Bandar Sri Udana Labon in the Riau archipelago, Sri Bintan Pura in Tanjung Pinang, Belawan and Sibolga in North Sumatra, Yos Sudarso in Ambon, Tanjung Perak in Surabaya,Teluk Bayur of Padang,Tanjung Priok in Jakarta, Padang Bai and Benoa in Bali, the port of Jayapura, Bitung in Manado,Tanjung Balai Karimun,Tanjung Mas in Central Java, Tenau and Maumere in East Nusa Tenggara, Pare-pare and Soekarno-Hatta port in South Sulawesi.

• Visa: Other nationals must apply for visa at Indonesian Embassies or Consulates in their home country. Furthermore, the visa cannot be replaced with any other forms of immigration letters.

Art & Craft in Indonesia

Indonesian arts and crafts are powerful and wonderful expressions of life, born out of an extraordinarily rich cultural heritage. Many traditional works of art were developed in the courts of former kingdoms such as those centered in Java and Bali.

“Wayang” theaters from Java and Bali, for example, originate from ancient Hindu mythology and feature portions of the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics adapted to suit local conditions and age-old traditions.

Rigid discipline and artistry are the hallmarks of dances from Java and Bali, but those of Sumatra, Maluku and most of the other islands (one exception is the Gending Sriwijaya of South Sumatra) are characterized by a more flexible gracefulness and charm, a distinction which is further accentuated by an entirely different, non-gamelan, musical accompaniment.

Artistic traditions are actively being preserved in the many art and dance schools which flourish not only in the courts but also in modern, government-run or supervised art academies.

Indonesia - Marine Life

Marine Life:
Marine tourism has taken off in Indonesia in a big way, with the establishment of protected Marine Parks, professional dive centers, certified dive masters guides, and some of the most colorful, breathtaking sea gardens anywhere in the world.
In the warm tropical, turquoise waters, magnificent coral reefs, alive with color support myriad types of fish and other marine life. Some of the underwater drop-offs are awesome and downward visibility can be as far as 30 meters in some areas. A journey into this extraordinarily vibrant underwater world is guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience for both snorkellers and scuba divers alike.

Indonesia - Flora & Fauna:

Indonesia is divided into three distinct zoological geographical zones which includes a transitional area in the central part of the archipelago.
The Western islands of the Archipelago display predominantly Asian characteristics of verdant jungles, rare orchids and the giant Rafflesia, (a plant which produces a bloom over 1 meter in diameter). A land where tigers, leopards, elephants, rhinos and thousands of varieties of birds and insects make it their home.
Further east, the Central islands present a gradual shift from Asian to Australasian flora and fauna. Sulawesi, for example, boasts both monkeys and marsupials, while Komodo is home to a pre-historic giant lizards commonly “dragon” found nowhere else in world.
The Eastern most islands, however, are more indicative of Australasia with bush-like shrubs and hardy plants; brilliantly colored Lorries, Cukatoos and Australian marsupials become more common place. These wonderfully diverse illustrations of life are protected in numerous nature reserves and National Parks scattered throughout the archipelago.

Indonesia – Climate Cuisine and Clothing

o The Climate:
Indonesia’s equatorial tropical climate has only two seasons, the dry season between April and October, and the rainy season from November to March. The rainfall varies from island to island and often from area to area.
The average daily temperature in the lowlands is about 30 degrees Celcius, and is considerably lower in the mountains.

o Cuisine:
Aromatic spices and a variety of hot chili peppers are the essence of most Indonesian dishes. Rice is an important part of the national diet for most of the archipelago, but in the eastern islands corn, sago, cassava and sweet potatoes are more common. The enormous wealth of the surrounding seas and oceans, as well as fresh water fisheries, provides an abundance of sea food which can be traditionally served in a number of exciting ways, including baked in banana leaves.
As the population of Indonesia is predominantly Moslem, pork is usually not served except in Chinese, international restaurants, and non Moslem regions such as Bali and Papua. An extensive assortment of tropical and sub-tropical fruit and vegetables can also be found year-round to tantalize your taste buds.
If you are a Muslim, please ask the restaurant whether they serve Pork. Many restaurants tend to be quite liberal with the word “halal”. During our visit to Indonesia, Jakarta, many restaurants say that they are halal even though they serve pork.

o Clothing:
Dress is normally casual and light clothing is advisable due to the hot, humid climate. Trousers or slacks and shirts are generally considered appropriate but a jacket and tie are required formal occasions or when making official calls. For some formal occasions, long-sleeved batik shirts are acceptable.
For travel to mountain areas, a light sweater or jacket is recommended. Halter tops and shorts are frowned upon in most places except around sports facilities or on the beach. Proper decorum should especially be observed when visiting places of worship.