September 22, 2021 – Page 2 – Indonesia News Gazette

September 22, 2021

Oil-Dri Announces Indonesian Patent for Novel Mineral-Based Feed Additive Formulation

CHICAGO, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The unique technology that this mineral-based feed additive brings to the Indonesian animal protein industry has been recognized with Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE: ODC) as the inventor. Oil-Dri, a leading manufacturer of sorbent minerals, announces today that the Indonesian Directorate General of Intellectual Property has issued Patent IDP-000071991, titled “Clay Product and Uses Thereof.” The patent protects the novel, mineral-based formulation used in Amlan’s existing natural feed additives, Varium^® for poultry and NeoPrime^® for swine, that provides animal protein producers with natural solutions to maintain intestinal health and optimize production efficiency. The products are sold and marketed in international markets by Amlan International, the animal health business of Oil-Dri, trading in Indonesia as PT Amlan Perdagangan Internasional.

“Advancements in feed additive research and formulation are helping to transform animal protein production by providing proven and reliable alternatives to in-feed antibiotics used to promote growth and productivity,” says Dan Jaffee, President and CEO, Oil-Dri Corporation of America. Jaffee now also serves as President and General Manager of Amlan. “With Varium and NeoPrime, our team of experts have leveraged Oil-Dri’s 80 years of mineral science experience to develop a synergistic formulation of ingredients that help promote intestinal health and function in poultry and swine. The Indonesia patent is further recognition of the value that our unique mineral-based products bring to producers.”

With the world’s fourth-largest population, the demand for animal protein in Indonesia is rapidly increasing. Concomitantly there is an increased need for antibiotic-free feed additives that can support poultry and livestock health and production, due to the restriction on the use of antibiotic growth promoters and ionophores that was implemented in Indonesia in early 2020. To meet these demands, Indonesian animal protein producers need natural solutions that can maintain poultry and livestock health while ensuring economical production.

Amlan previously recognized the value their natural mineral-based products could offer Indonesian producers and opened PT Amlan Perdagangan Internasional in 2018. The subsidiary enables the Amlan team to partner directly with large-scale producers to address their production challenges. Amlan is also strategically focused on the expansion of its sales and technical service team, which together with the issuance of the patent, will allow them to better support Indonesian producers, helping them to achieve their production goals and meet the demand for high-quality animal protein.

“The Indonesian patent emphasizes Amlan’s commitment to transform animal protein production as the country knows it,” says Fred Kao, Vice President of Global Sales, Amlan International. “Feedback on Varium and NeoPrime from industry partners has been incredibly positive, making it a reliable antibiotic-free alternative for producers.”

Mineral-Based Technology

The patent provides a methodology for using a natural, mineral-based formulation to mitigate the effects of exposure to pathogenic bacteria and the disease-causing toxins they produce, which damage gut health and function. The United States, China, Korea and the EU have issued similar patents for the formulation featured in Varium and NeoPrime.

Unlike antibiotics, which are designed to kill bacteria, the patented technology includes a synergistic formula of three ingredients with distinct modes of action: (1) a thermally processed mineral that facilitates binding of pathogenic intestinal bacteria and the disease-causing toxins they produce, (2) an immunomodulator that stimulates an animal’s innate immune system to naturally defend against disease and (3) an energy source for the replenishment of intestinal epithelial cells that are essential for healthy gut function. Upon inclusion of this patented technology in animal feed, current producers have effectively eliminated the use of antibiotics to promote growth and have experienced equivalent or better outcomes.

Company Information
Amlan is the animal health business of Oil-Dri Corporation of America, leading global manufacturer and marketer of sorbent minerals. Oil-Dri leverages over 80 years of expertise in mineral science to selectively mine and process their unique mineral for consumer and business-to-business markets. Oil-Dri Corporation of America doing business as “Amlan International” is a publicly traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ODC). Amlan International sells feed additives across the world. Product availability may vary by country, associated claims do not constitute medical claims and may differ based on government requirements.

Reagan Culbertson
Media Contact
press@amlan.com

September 22, 2021

American Economist Issues tatement Warning Against Re-Nomination of WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom

Featured Image for David Steinman, economist

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — David Steinman, the American economist who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 and who has strongly criticized World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom, issued a statement today warning against the WHO chief’s re-nomination. Read the full statement here: https://moneybloodandconscience.com/statement-on-tedros-adhanoms-re-nomination-as-who-director-general.

The statement by Steinman, a former senior foreign adviser to Ethiopia’s democracy movement, responds to news reported by Reuters that Tedros will run unopposed for a second term. Nominations end Sept. 23 and the election is May 22, 2022. Candidates are usually announced at the end of October.

Steinman, who authored a historical novel about Ethiopia’s Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front dictatorship, said “the odds of another pandemic during the next director-general’s term are roughly one in six— the same as Russian Roulette.”

About David Steinman

David Steinman was a consulting expert to the U.S. National Security Council regarding the overthrow of Haiti’s notorious “Baby Doc” Duvalier and helped shape U.S. democracy promotion policy during the Reagan administration to include right wing as well as Communist dictators. He later coordinated private support for Southeast Asian anti-communist resistance movements.

Mr. Steinman served as senior foreign adviser to Ethiopia’s democracy movement for 27 years until its 2018 victory. He co-planned Ethiopia’s 2005 civil resistance and election campaign, voted that year’s “Most Important African Event” in a BBC poll, which inspired his novel about the TPLF dictatorship, Money, Blood and Conscience.

Mr. Steinman revealed the TPLF’s human rights abuses, theft of billions from famine victims and hidden genocide in the Washington Post and Forbes. He has been quoted on Ethiopian politics in the Daily Mail, The National Review, De Telegraaf, and hundreds of traditional and online media outlets.

Last December, Mr. Steinman filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court against World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom. The news was featured on the London Times’ front page and created a global media sensation.

David Steinman has a degree in Economics from the Wharton School. He was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.

Contact:
Ms. Mahlet Shenkute
pr@gpethiopia.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gpethiopia

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Tedros Adhanom. Photo Credit: This image was originally posted to Flickr by Women Deliver at https://flickr.com/photos/45488291@N06/27101455410 and licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Featured Image for David Steinman, economist

September 22, 2021

Indonesia striving to optimize productivity of digital economy

The Indonesian Government is striving to optimize productivity of the digital economy which is predicted to grow around 23 percent or equals to US$124 billion by 2025, Communications and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate stated.

“Through productivity optimization, driven by digital transformation, the national GDP is estimated to increase by one percent in 2024. Meanwhile, the value of Indonesia’s digital economy in 2025 is also forecast to grow to 23 percent, which is around US$124 billion, or equivalent to Rp1,781 trillion,” Minister Plate remarked during a working meeting with Committee I of the Regional Representatives Council, Wednesday.

Indonesia’s digital economy was valued at US$44 billion last year, contributing some four percent to the gross domestic product (GDP). Indonesia’s digital economy accounts for nearly 42 percent of the total value of the digital economy in the Southeast Asian region, Plate pointed out.

This huge contribution was driven by the strength of Indonesia’s digital demographics reaching 202.6 million people, or 73.7 percent of the total population in January 2021.

“We believe that this will be one of the driving factors for the positive movement of the national economic growth in future,” he stated.

With an annual growth rate reaching 23 percent for the 2020-2025 period, the valuation of Indonesia’s digital economy is forecast to continue to increase to reach Rp4,531 trillion in 2030.

“This annual growth rate makes Indonesia a country with the largest digital economic valuation in Southeast Asia. Moreover, the portrait of digital opportunities is apparent from the growth figures in the communications and informatics sector that have continued to excel and become the backbone of economic recovery,” Plate remarked.

The agenda for accelerating digital transformation is important to restore the community’s activities, which have moved from a physical to digital space.

Citing the ASEAN Development Bank 2021 report, the increased adoption of digital technology in the Asia-Pacific region from an economic perspective could generate an economic dividend of US$8.6 trillion by 2025.

In addition, the adoption of digital technology can create 65 million new jobs every year worldwide.

“This transformation demonstrates the huge potential of the digital economy as the main driver of economic growth, including in Indonesia,” Minister Plate noted.

His ministry has encouraged five steps to accelerate national digital transformation, with the first being to expedite access expansion, increase digital infrastructure, and offer internet services.

The second step involves preparing a digital transformation roadmap for each strategic sector, while the third measure is to accelerate the integration of the National Data Center. The fourth step entails preparing digital talent, while the last measure involves regulate funding schemes and financing for digital transformation.

The five steps are applied to the four strategic sectors available in the 2021-2024 Indonesia Digital Roadmap, specifically digital infrastructure, digital government, digital economy, and digital society.

Source: Antara News

September 22, 2021

Jakarta caps office occupancy at 25% for non-essential businesses

The Jakarta administration has allowed non-essential businesses to implement work-from-office (WFO) rules for employees who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and capped occupancy in offices at 25 percent.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has stipulated the regulation in Decree Number 1122 of 2021 regarding Level 3 community activity restrictions, which was released in Jakarta on Wednesday.

In the decree, the Jakarta Governor has also directed companies to install a PeduliLindungi barcode board at the office entrance and exit. Employees who work from the office will be required to scan their vaccination certificates on the PeduliLindungi barcode.

Till recently, non-essential businesses were not allowed to issue work-from-office guidance. Instead, they were asked to implement 100 percent work-from-home rules.

As for companies in the essential sector, the regulation remains the same. Financial and banking sectors, capital markets, and information technology players that include media and cellular operators, are allowed to operate with a maximum staff capacity of 50 percent.

Export-oriented and supporting industries can operate under stricter implementation of the health protocols, with maximum staff capacity capped at 50 percent for each shift in production facilities or factories.

Meanwhile, employee attendance has been capped at 10 percent for office administration services implementing work-from-office rules. Employees at such companies are not allowed to eat at the same time and place and are required to use the PeduliLindungi application.

As for critical sectors, the regulation allowing them to operate at 100-percent capacity remains.

A 25-percent limit has been prescribed for critical sector administrative services other than health, security and order fields bringing employees back to offices.

Source: Antara News

September 22, 2021

Improve healthcare facilities after easing of restrictions: MPR

People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Deputy Speaker Lestari Moerdijat highlighted the importance of increasing readiness of health facilities alongside the easing of public activity restrictions in Java and Bali islands as a precautionary measure against COVID-19 transmission.

“Currently, the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Indonesia is showing a downward trend. Several public activities are permitted again. For that, the readiness of health facilities should be improved as a precautionary measure against the spread of the coronavirus disease,” Moerdijat noted in a written statement here, Wednesday.

Moerdijat remarked that with more sectors being granted permission to reopen again, it should be accompanied by readiness of health facilities as a precautionary measure against a potential surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in future.

According to the MPR deputy speaker, these measures were crucial to tackle obstacles in overcoming a potential spike in the number of cases on account of increased community activities.

“Stakeholders also need to continue to improve the governance of health services in order to provide adequate health services to the community,” she noted.

According to Moerdijat, the COVID-19 pandemic period should be utilized to improve health services, so that the current health system is able to give its best to the community.

In addition, she noted that the efforts to boost the citizens’ immune system was part of the requisite measures to be adopted immediately, either through the national immunization program or community nutrition improvement program.

The MPR deputy speaker believes that the community nutrition improvement program was able to drive other sectors, such as the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the food, agriculture, and trade sectors.

Strategic steps are deemed necessary for overcoming various challenges that the nation is currently facing, she stated.

Source: Antara News

September 22, 2021

Ministry’s 70-percent vaccination target against third wave

The Ministry of Health has targeted first-dose vaccinations in agglomeration areas to reach a 70-percent coverage by the end of September 2021 in a bid to prevent the third wave of COVID-19.

“We are optimistic that by the end of this September, vaccination coverage for the first dose would reach 70 percent in agglomeration areas,” the Indonesian Ministry of Health’s spokesperson for vaccination, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said as confirmed by ANTARA here, Wednesday.

The agglomeration areas in question comprise Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Solo. Tarmizi noted that an increase in the people’s mobility could occur in those aforementioned areas, especially during Christmas and New Year’s Day celebrations.

According to Tarmizi, another strategy entails increasing the first-dose vaccination coverage to 70 percent of the population in the provincial capitals outside Java-Bali.

“A 70-percent first-dose vaccination coverage in provincial capitals outside Java-Bali must be achieved in October 2021. Thus, we can be prepared to anticipate the next wave with protection from the vaccine,” she explained.

The spokesperson noted that the Health Ministry is also implementing stricter health protocols and monitoring people’s mobility through the use of the PeduliLindungi application.

Tarmizi explained that several policies of the Health Ministry also target to strengthen the downstream sector, specifically health service facilities, such as hospitals and community health centers, by preparing isolation rooms and increasing the number of health workers.

According to the spokesperson, despite a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases, several centralized isolation facilities were still on standby.

“Strengthening the strategy in the upstream and downstream sectors is important as a precautionary measure against a surge in the number of cases,” she stated.

Tarmizi noted that several internal factors, such as increased domestic mobility and the community’s social activities, were causal to an increase in the number of cases and virus transmission.

“People’s negligence of health protocols can trigger an increase in the number of cases,” she noted.

Source: Antara News

September 22, 2021

Indonesia should learn from experience to prevent third COVID wave

Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force Professor Wiku Adisasmito drew attention to the importance of learning from experience to prevent a potential third spike in Indonesia.

“Indonesia has now experienced two spikes in January and July 2021,” Adisasmito stated in a press release received here, Wednesday.

Currently, the world is experiencing a third spike in terms of the number of COVID-19 cases, thereby necessitating Indonesia to stay vigilant by studying the pattern of increasing cases in the country, which tends to be slower than the increase in cases worldwide.

“In the second wave pattern where there is a three-month gap, we need to take precautionary measures since in the next three months, we will enter the Christmas and New Year holiday period,” he noted.

The surge in cases in Indonesia in July 2021 was owing to internal factors and not due to rising global cases or coming from other countries, the professor explained.

Some of the internal factors that caused the surge in cases and the spread of the virus were the high domestic mobility and social activities that coincided with the Eid al-Fitr homecoming period and the public’s neglect of health protocols.

Furthermore, the first spike in Indonesia in January 2021 was attributed to the 2020 Christmas and 2021 New Year holidays that coincided with the world’s first spike.

“However, the world experienced the second wave in April 2021,” he remarked.

At the time, the world experienced the second wave, while Indonesia was at its lowest weekly case count. On the other hand, when Indonesia’s cases increased in July, the world’s cases declined and surged again until it reached the third spike.

From the comparison of spike patterns, the surge in Indonesia last July did not contribute to the global cases. This is since at that time, the world was experiencing a decline. On the contrary, the spike in cases at the global level and several countries had no significant impact on the number of cases in Indonesia.

“This can occur through strict efforts in securing the country’s borders. We are optimistic that the number of imported cases from countries experiencing a surge can be kept to a minimum,” Adisasmito stated.

He also advised Indonesians to be more resilient while facing COVID-19.

“It should be understood that the population mobility and the public’s ignorance of health protocols are the biggest contributors to the spike in the number of cases,” he added.

Source: Antara News

September 22, 2021

Indonesia receives 684,900 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses

The Indonesian government has again increased the number of vaccines available in the country, with the arrival of 684,900 AstraZeneca vaccine doses under the 73rd batch of vaccine arrival on Wednesday.

“With this addition, the total number of AstraZeneca vaccine received by Indonesia has reached 24,520,300 doses,” the Indonesian Ministry of Health’s spokesperson for vaccination, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, noted in a written statement received here.

Tarmizi remarked that this 73rd stage of vaccine arrival had brought the total number of vaccines in the country to over 268 million doses, both in finished and bulk form.

The spokesperson noted that as of Tuesday, September 21, 2021, at 6 p.m. local time, some 81 million citizens had received the first dose of vaccination, while around 46 million Indonesians were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, which indicated that 39 out of 100 citizens targeted to receive the vaccine had been given the first dose.

Tarmizi remarked that so far, the first dose of vaccination for adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age has reached 12.68 percent of the target. Meanwhile, the second-dose vaccination was administered to 8.68 percent of the total targeted adolescents.

She also addressed the low vaccination achievement among older adults, which has not shown significant improvement so far. From the targeted 21.5 million, only some 27.75 percent had received the first dose of the vaccine, while 19.40 percent of the targeted figure had been fully vaccinated.

“Support from all parties is deemed necessary to push vaccinations for older adults as we all know that they are at a higher risk of mortality if infected by the COVID-19 virus,” she noted.

Source: Antara News