Day: October 29, 2021

There are several cooperation opportunities that can be explored with countries in the Pacific region to overcome future global challenges, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has said.

“There are still many areas of trade, investment, and cooperation that need to be explored together by Indonesia and countries in the Pacific region to address the world’s challenges while investing in people and ideas to create a brighter future. We must be proactive, adaptive, and agile,” Minister Pandjaitan said.

He made the statement at the 2nd Pacific Exposition 2021, according to a written statement issued in Jakarta on Friday. The event, entitled ‘Trade, Investment and Creative Economy Forum’, was organized virtually by the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand, and attended by Australia, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Timor Leste.

Speaking at the event, Pandjaitan said that at the current pace of recovery, the Indonesian government is expecting economic growth to recover from last year’s negative growth to reach 3.7-4.5 percent growth by the end of 2021.

According to him, next year’s economic growth is expected to increase to 5.2-5.5 percent and then grow to 6 percent through economic transformation.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand, Tantowi Yahya, said that the COVID-19 pandemic has left an impact on the economy and people’s livelihoods, especially in the Pacific region countries that rely heavily on tourism.

“A combined market of 300 million people, the Pacific region is a very profitable region and beats the engine of growth and uncertainty for the world’s economic recovery,” he observed.

According to the Ambassador, Pacific region countries need to diversify through strengthening trade, investment, and creative economy strategies. The smooth flow of goods and services will encourage growth and contribute to a sustainable economy, he explained.

On the same occasion, Minister of Trade Muhammad Lutfi stated that Indonesia must take advantage of the current momentum to rise to middle-income country status.

Indonesia’s demographic bonus will soon end, therefore Indonesia must take advantage of the current momentum to double its GDP (gross domestic product) to US$12 thousand, he said.

“That number will expire between 2038 and 2040. Essentially, Indonesia has about 18 to 17 years to double its GDP to become a high-income country,” the Trade Minister said.

Source: Antara News

Efforts to revive Indonesia’s economy, which has stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, must focus on regions first to lay a stronger economic foundation.

Every region in the nation will need to unite under the same vision and build a roadmap to speed up recovery. A regional potential map would be equally essential for scripting a revival.

A quick recovery is what everybody is hoping for, including State-Owned (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, who expressed this sentiment while closing the Indonesia District Government Association (Apkasi) Autonomy Expo 2021 at Jakarta Convention Center on October 22, 2021.

Thohir declared he is ready to cooperate with district heads to revive regional economies .

Everybody is aware of the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic because it shook two main pillars: health and economy, he said.

In comparison to the 1998 and 2008 crises that only affected the financial sector, COVID-19 has created a worrying gap, with the rich becoming richer, and the poor becoming poorer, he noted.

However, everyone should still believe that micro, small, and medium enterprises, and the people’s economy have to be resuscitated first, he said.

To help revive the economy, Thohir said he expects the regions to create a roadmap and map their individual industrial potential.

Failure on part of regional stakeholders to map their respective regions’ strength would lead to a stagnation of regional industry, he opined.

Inspiration for Regions

Regions could look at state-owned enterprises (SOEs) for ways to revive from the pandemic, Thohir said. Thus far, SOEs have consolidated under one mission to pursue a number of initiatives, he added.

First is the realization of Healthy Indonesia because the health threat will continue to emerge, the minister noted. This would require region heads to focus on ensuring quality health services at regional hospitals, he said.

Second is the realization of Indonesia Works, which would focus on creating jobs, especially for those affected by COVID-19.

Third is Indonesia Grows, which would be achieved through digital technology. E-commerce will be utilized to promote local MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) instead of being a marketplace for imported products, he informed.

Moreover, food and beverages industry, and other industries, must be promoted through applications, he said. The question is how can both local contents and local industry grow, he noted.

Thohir particularly urged district heads to start thinking about a road map much like what the SOEs Ministry has done through Indonesia Healthy, Indonesia Works, and Indonesia Grows initiatives.

Because only through cooperation between the central government, the regional government, the younger generations, and the general public that the nation will continue to grow as it should, he observed.

He advised district heads who have joined Apkasi to continue to focus on regional growth and develop accurate promotion venues in accordance with each regions’ roadmap, he said.

His ministry is open to cooperating with district heads through programs that can be adjusted in relation to its investment and strategy.

Discussion Forum

The Apkasi Autonomy Expo 2021 should become a reflection of district heads’ dedication to gather and unite their vision so that their respective regions can revive from the pandemic together, Thohir said.

Meanwhile, executive director of Apkasi, Sarman Simanjorang, noted that the event this year was still lively despite the pandemic.

Eighty-five participants, including 75 district governments, 4 ministries, 2 provincial governments, 1 SOE, and 8 private entities took part in the event, he informed.

The event showcased the potential of regional products through 140 stands and attracted eight thousand visitors, including the general public, investors, and related agencies, he said.

The event’s Executive Dialogue featured speakers such as Trade Vice Minister Jery Sambuaga, he added. This dialogue is expected to expedite regional economies, which is a responsibility of all parties, he said.

The expo also served as a meeting hub for all stakeholders, whether policymakers or entrepreneurs, he added.

Simanjorang also pointed out that Apkasi Autonomy Expo 2021 also featured discussion forums and meetings on reviving the national and regional economies.

Investors and representatives from district governments, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), and Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) took part in the events, he said.

There was also a business matching event where buyers and investors could connect with one another.

The virtually held activity was participated by 25 district governments and 18 corporations from KADIN, HIPMI, and others, Simanjorang said.

The event also showcased the Apkasi Procurement Network, where private providers of goods and services within the government can meet with Regional Governmental Apparatus Organizations (OPD), he added. This is aimed at allowing regional governments to form partnerships with entrepreneurs, he explained.

Miss Region Autonomy Award was also presented at the event, he informed. The award was given on the basis of how the younger generation performed various duties to promote commodities, the investment climate, and tourism to the broader public, he said.

At the event, the Apkasi Journalistic Award was also presented as a form of appreciation for journalists who care about spreading information regarding regional development through innovative works and encourage constructive solutions for regions’ advancement, Simanjorang said.

The theme for the journalist writing competition was ‘Revival of Regional Economy in Supporting National Development’, and winners were named in a number of categories such as the Online Media Category, he disclosed.

All these activities were aimed at expediting efforts to recover the national economy by reviving the regional economy through investments and increasing economic transactions, he said.

Meanwhile, chairman of Apkasi, Sutan Riska Tuanku Kerajaan, said that he hoped the event would immediately revive the regional and national economies.

The regional economy can revive through the Apkasi Autonomy Expo 2021 in accordance with President Joko Widodo’s mandate, he noted.

In the end, everyone has the choice to provide their biggest contribution in creating a nice investment climate in regions, such as through providing assurance in permits and ease of doing business, he said.

This is because economic recovery in regions is inseparable from the efforts of every stakeholder within the cycle of the economy, including the private sector, SOEs, and regional government-owned enterprises.

If optimal efforts are made, the expected revival can truly be realized.

Source: Antara News

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Muhadjir Effendy pressed for efforts to create a patterned human behavior to overcome disasters that occurred in the country.

“When human destroys nature, eventually nature will strike back its negative patterns to humans,” Effendy stated at the La Nina Anticipation Coordination Meeting on Friday.

He later explained that both humans and nature exhibited behavior pattern and patterned behavior wherein all forms of behavior patterns that are carried out can create a patterned behavior, with an impact that tends to be repeated.

Currently, several cases of natural disasters occur due to destructive human activities to nature. For instance, fires, which earlier occurred due to weather, now strike due to extensive destructive human behavior, he stated.

This bad behavior pattern eventually causes nature to form a negative patterned behavior, thereby having an impact on the welfare and security of the community.

Hence, efforts are deemed necessary to shape Indonesian society through positive patterned behavior in order to reduce natural disasters in the country, Effendy noted.

“We are working hard and controlling negative natural behavior patterns into patterned behavior,” he stated.

Considering the fact that Indonesia is geographically located along the ring of fire, a route which many volcanoes pass that often causes natural disasters, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has a strategic role to build positive patterned behavior.

The BMKG has a role to provide information to the public about the prediction of various types of weather. With the information provided, Effendy is optimistic that the public would act according to the information provided.

Minister Effendy also appealed to the public and related stakeholders to maintain nature and continue to monitor information provided by the BMKG in order to anticipate disasters.

“Let us educate policy makers, related stakeholders, and the public on the importance of BMKG. With all the provided information, let us be wiser to nature,” he added.

Source: Antara News

Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) Speaker AA LaNyalla Mahmud Mattalitti has urged the authorities to allow traditional kings and sultans to have a say in national development.

“Civil society entities of traditional kingdoms and sultanates have played their role in the development of Indonesian nation since the past,” Speaker Mattalitti said during a visit to Sekadau, West Kalimantan, on Friday.

He reiterated his commitment to support the Sumedang Declaration proclaimed by traditional kings and sultans urging the authorities to recognize their voice in national, regional, and cultural development.

“Moral and material contributions of the Nusantara kingdoms and sultanates to the birth of the nation are not minor, and it is not an exaggeration if I called them one of the principal stakeholders of this country,” the speaker said.

Kings and sultans have played a role in the past in shaping the conscience that they are part of the Indonesian nation, he remarked.

“Before the establishment of Boedi Oetomo in 1908, Sarekat Islam was established earlier in 1905, but before the Sarekat Islam establishment, Cut Nyak Dhien from Aceh Sultanate and Prince Diponegoro of Yogyakarta Sultanate played their role in resisting the Dutch colonialism in the past,” Mattalitti stated.

Besides Cut Nyak Dhien and Diponegoro, history has recorded other kingdoms who have resisted colonialism: Balinese kingdoms of Buleleng, Karangasem, and Klungkung; Mataram Sultanate under the reign of Raden Mas Said; and Gowa-Tallo Sultanate, he added.

Though not all kingdoms and sultanates emerged victorious against the Dutch, their resistance inspired independence fighters who succeeded them, the speaker said.

“In essence, the contribution of Nusantara kingdoms and sultanates has been proven in national history. The kingdoms and sultanates have also bequeathed their advanced culture, tradition, and values to Indonesia’s civilization,” Mattalitti remarked.

As the kingdoms and sultanates have contributed to national independence in the past, their voice should also be heard for future development, he said.

“It is unfair if only political parties have a say in determining the direction of the nation’s future. I suggested that the Constitution be amended not only to improve our national system but also to remind the authority and the people to respect those who have contributed to the birth of this nation,” Mattalitti added.

Source: Antara News