Day: November 18, 2021

The recovery of the national aviation industry has become a common priority that needs strong collaboration among stakeholders, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has said.

“Indonesia depends on air transportation connectivity in a bid to support passengers’ mobility and logistical distribution. It will also narrow the gap of public daily needs supply, especially in the outermost, remote, and disadvantaged as well as bordering areas (3TP),” he noted at an online meeting of the Indonesia National Air Carriers Association (INACA), observed from here on Thursday.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the global aviation industry, the minister said adding, he hoped INACA would work closely with the government to build reliable, safe, secure, and comfortable air transportation and ensure healthy flights by implementing strict health protocols.

INACA, he said, should play its role in supporting air transportation in the outermost, remote, and disadvantaged as well as bordering areas such as in Papua, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and other regions.

“We hope that INACA would proactively communicate the challenges it faces in the aviation industry and seek solutions for the problems,” he added.

Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Irfan Setiaputra, who is also on INACA’s advisory council; INACA chairman Denon Prawiraatmadja; Dicky Budiman from Griffith University; and director general of air transportation, Novie Riyanto R, were also present at the meeting.

Source: Antara News

Bank Indonesia (BI) decided to maintain the benchmark interest rate, or the BI 7-Day Reverse Repo Rate (BI7DRR), at 3.5 percent following the outcome of the board of governors’ meeting on November 17-18, 2021.

“This decision aligns with the need to maintain the exchange rate and financial system stability amid the low inflation forecasts as well as efforts to support economic growth,” BI Governor Perry Warjiyo remarked here on Thursday.

Warjiyo noted that the interest rates of the deposit facility and lending facility were also maintained at 2.75 percent and 4.25 percent, respectively.

In addition, BI continues to optimize the entire policy mix to stabilize the macroeconomic and financial system as well as strive to boost the economy through various measures.

The measures encompass continuing the rupiah exchange rate policy to maintain its stability that follows the market fundamentals and mechanisms, according to Warjiyo.

Warjiyo noted that the second policy was aimed at strengthening strategies pertaining to monetary operations to boost effectiveness of the accommodative monetary policy stance.

The governor affirmed that BI will support transparency of the Prime Lending Rate (SBDK) by deepening its analysis on the largest bank groups that have a 70-percent credit share of the industry.

Finally, BI will proceed to maintain the merchant discount rate of the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to zero percent until June 30, 2022. This policy regarding the QRIS discount rate for merchants aims to protect the acceptance and use of QRIS.

Furthermore, the central bank will continue to conduct promotional activities and trade investment in Japan, the UK, China, the US, Russia, Brunei Darussalam, and Singapore in November and December this year as well as disseminate information on the use of local currency settlement (LCS) in collaboration with relevant agencies.

“BI will reinforce and synergize policy with the government and the Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK) in order to maintain the financial system stability and increase financing credit to businesses and priority sectors to encourage economic growth, export, and financial inclusion,” Warjiyo expounded.

Source: Antara News

The Indonesian government is making a strong push for the quicker adoption of electric vehicles in the country, director general of land transportation at the Ministry of Transportation, Budi Setiyadi, has said.

“What the government is currently pushing is public motorized vehicles and government vehicles. For public motorized vehicles, the government is targeting online transportation provider platforms such as Grab, Gojek, and Maxim,” he informed at a virtual event on Thursday.

To expedite the adoption of electric vehicles, the government is not only conducting type testing, but also converting conventional motorcycles into electric motorcycles, he said.

Currently, Indonesia has four workshops in Jakarta and Surabaya that have received permission from the Ministry of Transportation to convert conventional motorcycles into electric motorcycles, he added.

“We hope that the acceleration of the use of electric vehicles becomes a necessity in order to help overcome the problem of air pollution and so on,” Setiyadi said.

The government is also looking to turn several areas in Indonesia, both industrial and tourism areas, into green areas, he added.

“We have communicated with a number of governors, district heads, mayors, including the district head of Klungkung, which includes Nusa Penida Island, since the area will be a special area for electric motorcycles,” he informed.

He further revealed that currently, in Asmat district, Papua, almost all motorcycles in use are electric. Therefore, he called for a workshop to be made available there.

The use of electric vehicles in the government environment is also one of the efforts to encourage the public also to use them, he said.

“The sooner the government uses electric vehicles, I think the faster people will use them,” he remarked.

Source: Antara News

Some five thousand liters of palm oil spilled on the Sulawesi highway, Pontolo Village line, Kwandang, North Gorontalo District, on Thursday.

North Gorontalo Sub-regional Police Chief, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Dicky Irawan Kesuma, stated that the incident had caused traffic congestion reaching over three kilometers on both directions of the road.

Traffic congestion occurred, as only one lane of the road from and to Gorontalo was open.

“Otherwise, it is feared that many vehicles will meet with an accident due to the slippery and narrow road conditions,” Kesuma noted.

It all started with a truck, loaded with rocks, breaking down in the middle of the road as a result of which other vehicles could hardly pass through.

Thereafter, a crude palm oil (CPO) tank truck headed from Paguyaman, Gorontalo District, to Bitung, North Sulawesi, suddenly appeared to cross the downward sloping road at the top of Pontolo.

The CPO tank driver attempted to pass through, but inopportunely, the rear of the tank hit the rock-laden truck, thereby leading to the tank opening up and spilling out about five thousand liters of palm oil.

Kesuma noted that his team had deployed personnel to manage the traffic flow at Pontolo, as the road had become slippery, thereby increasing the likelihood of accidents.

Some reckless motorists almost skid on the dangerous road, as more oil still continued to flow since the tank could not be repaired by the driver. Kesuma pointed out that it was also risky to move the 12-meter tank truck.

However, the truck loaded with rocks was successfully moved out from the site.

Kesuma then urged the drivers of the palm oil and stone trucks to immediately fix the problem on account of the high likelihood of traffic accidents.

Both need to be held accountable for the negligence, he affirmed.

Source: Antara News

According to Australian Grand Prix motorcycle racing legend Mick Doohan, the beautiful scenery around the Mandalika International Street Circuit will blur the line between racing and holidaying.

His statement has come as high praise for the circuit located in the Mandalika Super Priority Tourism Destination, Central Lombok district, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province, which offers panoramic views of green hills and the blue sea.

This has led to Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) expressing the hope that racing events hosted at the circuit will be able to improve the economy and revive the tourism sector of NTB province.

“The events will give advantages to the economic growth of the community since the international races will be held annually,” he remarked while inaugurating the 4.3-kilometer (km) circuit on November 12, 2021.

He also simultaneously inaugurated the 17.3-km-long and 50-m wide Lombok International Airport (BIL)-Mandalika bypass road, which will shorten the trip between the two locations to 15 minutes.

This month, the circuit will hold two international races—the World Superbike (WSBK) and the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (IATC) on November 19–21, 2021.

The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment has assessed that the events will be the most effective means for promoting Mandalika as a world-class tourist destination.

International events would open many job opportunities and benefit the surrounding community, deputy of tourism and creative economy at the ministry, Odo R.M. Manuhutu, said in a virtual discussion on Tuesday.

Nugdha Achadie, director of finance, strategy, and risk management at the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), state-owned tourism area developer in Nusa Dua and Mandalika, said he expects the WSBK to absorb 7,945 workers and generate economic value of Rp500 billion.

Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia (BI) has predicted that the implementation of WSBK will increase the province’s economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2021 by 5.01–5.81 percent year-on-year (yoy).

“The implementation of WSBK will have a multiplier effect on the tourism and transportation sectors, as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises actors,” head of the BI Representative Office in NTB province, Heru Saptaji, said.

In fact, sales of souvenirs in the tourism area have begun to increase ahead of the implementation of WSBK.

There has been a 15-percent increase in sales compared to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, head of the Central Lombok District Industry and Trade Office, H Saman, informed.

Hence, the government has made a number of preparations to make Mandalika a world-class sport-tourism destination.

Welcoming tourists

The government believes that the tourism sector is the main economic sector that will be able to rebound quickly in the midst of the pandemic.

Hence, the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry has renovated residents’ homes in the Mandalika area to make them suitable as tourist homestays.

This would allow the local community to also take advantage of the racing event at Mandalika Circuit.

As many as 300 homes in Central Lombok district and 98 homes in North Lombok district have been renovated into tourist accommodations, director of special housing at the ministry, Yusniewati, informed.

Meanwhile, another 517 units located along the entry route to the Mandalika area have been refurbished to improve the quality of the homes in the area, the director said.

“Thus, the construction of the homestays has brought a positive impact on the community as the people’s houses, which previously were less suitable for habitation, have become comfortable,” the director added.

The total budget allocated for the program was Rp62 billion, with Rp18 billion provided for workers’ wages and Rp44 billion diverted for the procurement of construction materials, the head section of the NTB Regional II Housing Provision Center of the ministry, Dudi Mustofa, informed.

The 12-square-meter houses were provided with international standard rooms and decorated using Sasak Tribe motifs to add a touch of local culture as the buildings were constructed with the concept of ‘bale lumbung’ and ‘bale bonter’, he said.

The tribe uses ‘bale lumbung’ to store their harvest and ‘bale bonter’ to conduct customary trials and keep the tribe’s heirlooms, he added.

In addition to building homestays, the government is also helping promote native products so that local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) benefit from the implementation of WSBK.

The NTB Provincial Tourism Office has been promoting locally made woven cloth by encouraging tourism actors, especially hotels administrators, to wear uniforms made of woven fabric or with local weaving patterns.

The head of the office, Hadi Yusron, also suggested that equipment used at international motorcycle racing events – for instance, racers’ umbrellas, pit stop decorations, and spectator tribune banners — feature weaves from both Lombok and Sumbawa Islands.

In fact, the sixteenth turn of the circuit has been painted with one of Sasak Tribe’s weaving patterns — which has also become the trademark of the venue, he said.

Meanwhile, the Central Lombok District Cooperatives and MSMEs Office has prepared 50 large booths for local business actors to participate in the international racing event.

Twenty of them will be set up in the west parking area of the circuit, another 20 booths will be located in the east parking area, and the rest of them will be placed in the circuit area.

In addition, the office will also assign a number of language assistants to help merchants serve customers since most WSBK spectators are foreigners.

Furthermore, the office head informed that around 300 MSMEs products out of 600 submitted items have passed merchandise curation for the international race.

The selected items comprise processed foods, woven cloth, and wicker craft made from Lygodium circinnatum—a species of fern that is usually found in tropical forests and called ketak by locals.

It is expected that all of the attempts can optimize the multiplier effect of IATC and WSBK on the people of NTB province.

Preparing supporting aspects

The economy is not the only sector that the government is focusing on for ensuring the successful implementation of IATC and WSBK.

It has also made several preparations for the security of the events.

Three thousand security personnel from the police, military, and related institutions, including five bomb disposal teams and five drone operator teams from the Mobile Brigade Corps, have been deployed to secure the events, NTB Regional Police head, Inspector General Mohammad Iqbal, informed.

A number of operational fleets will also be deployed, such as boats, helicopters, tactical vehicles, and command centre cars, he said.

The personnel will set multiple checkpoints for inspection: at the Lombok International Airport (BIL) Roundabout, the circuit parking area, and the circuit entrance gate, he added.

The inspections are aimed at making sure visitors do not bring any dangerous items to the venue, he explained.

Security officers will check visitors’ identity, luggage, and vehicles thoroughly at the checkpoints, including their health documents, such as complete vaccination certificates and COVID-19 antigen test results to curb the transmission of the virus, he said.

For mitigating the threat of the pandemic, the government has also prioritized the vaccination of local residents.

As of November 18, 2021, the first dose vaccination coverage in Central Lombok district, NTB Province has reached 72.44 percent, while the coverage of the second dose vaccination has touched 41.82 percent, according to the Health Ministry’s website.

The district has also been placed under Level 1 community activity restrictions (PPKM) as it has experienced a significant decline in COVID-19 cases.

Still, the Praya Regional Hospital has prepared an isolation center to anticipate any spike in cases due to the international racing events, the public relations officer of the hospital said.

Thus, it is clear that with thorough preparations, Mandalika is ready to become an international sport-tourism destination.

It is hoped that everyone participating in the events will keep following strict health protocols to prevent the IATC and WSBK from emerging as new COVID-19 clusters and to allow all people to enjoy the multiplier effect from the events.

Source: Antara News

State-run gas company PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN) Tbk has the capability to support the energy transition process through ensuring gas supply availability and mature infrastructure, its president director has affirmed.

This is in line with the government’s policy to increase the use of clean energy to meet the zero-emission target by 2060, Muhamad Haryo Yunianto said in a statement received here on Thursday.

In the near term, the company will continue to improve its infrastructure and increase natural gas supply sources, he informed.

With up to 23 percent use of renewable energy targeted by 2025 under the energy mix policy, there is potential for an increase in natural gas demand, he noted.

“As part of the business development plan, PGN has integrated its infrastructure in the northern and central part of Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, and East Java to improve the reliability and flexibility of gas distribution to all market segmentation. This integrated infrastructure development will become our priority,” Yunianto said in a public expose sheet published on Wednesday (November 17, 2021).

PGN’s projects that are currently in progress include the construction of the Senipah-Balikpapan pipeline to support the Refinery Development Master Plan project of the Balikpapan refinery using natural gas resources in East Kalimantan, he informed.

Another project is optimization of the Gresik-Semarang pipeline with beyond-the-pipe infrastructure, he said.

PGN is also undertaking LNG and mini LNG regasification to meet demand in central and eastern Indonesia, especially for state-run electricity firm’s power generators, Yunianto said.

Director of sales and operation, Faris Aziz, said PGN’s natural gas sales have continued to increase to reach 873 BBTUD (Billion British Thermal Unit per Day) as of September 2021, reflecting a growth of 8 percent compared to the same period of 2020.

The company is projected to channel 30 BBTUD of gas to the Balongan refinery in Indramayu, he added.

Cooperation with several refineries in the country is projected to absorb up to 350 BBTUD within the next 2-3 years, he said.

As of September 2021, PGN has booked revenue of US$2.25 billion (Rp32.04 trillion) and a net profit of US$286 million, or Rp4.07 trillion, he informed.

Source: Antara News

The National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) has launched a national strategy on silver economy through Presidential Regulation Number 88/2021 on the National Strategy for Elderly.

A silver economy is an economy where the elderly almost dominate a nation’s market.

“Indonesia is predicted to become the country with the largest silver economy after China and Japan,” Bappenas head Suharso Monoarfa said while socializing the regulation on Thursday.

Thus, it is crucial to start developing more effective, inclusive, and sustainable multi-sector policies now to prepare Indonesia for facing population aging, he added.

In 2020, the elderly population in Indonesia had reached 26.4 million, he noted.

The number is estimated to increase to 61.4 million in 2045, or about 20 to 25 percent of the total population, he pointed out.

Hence, one of the board’s strategies to deal with the situation is to digitize the Elderly Information System (SILANI) to update data, service referrals, and the special management of the elderly, Monoarfa informed.

The system started collecting elderly data in seven sub-districts of Yogyakarta, Jakarta, and Bali in 2019, he said.

Bappenas has also created a website-based SILANI app, which is available for download on Android-based phones in several trial areas, he informed.

In addition to improving government services for the elderly, the app is expected to increase digital literacy for the elderly , which reached just 46.68 percent in 2020, he said.

The app digitization is also expected to facilitate the implementation of Integrated Elderly Services, so the elderly can reduce physical contact and avoid exposure to COVID-19, he added.

“Integrated Elderly Services need concrete support from local governments to be included in sustainable policies on respecting, protecting, and fulfilling the rights of the elderly,” deputy for population and employment at the board, Pungky Sumadi, said.

Under the national strategy, Bappenas is encouraging all parties to be committed to the welfare of the elderly, he added.

Meanwhile, director of poverty reduction and community empowerment at Bappenas, Maliki, said that it is necessary to improve the management of the fulfillment of elderly people’s rights.

“Service digitization will give understanding to the elderly regarding their own rights and help the government in providing integrated services to them,” he added.

Source: Antara News

At least 330 MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) in West Nusa Tenggara have received assistance for selling their products during the World Superbike (WSBK) event at the Mandalika Circuit on 19–21 November 2021.

“The total MSMEs is 330 consisting of 120 MSMEs facilitated by the district government of Lombok and 210 MSMEs facilitated by the provincial government West Nusa Tenggara,” head of the West Nusa Tenggara Province Cooperatives and MSMEs Office, Ahmad Mashuri, said here on Thursday.

The MSMEs permitted to sell their products inside the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ) have received curation–selection and assistance–from the West Nusa Tenggara provincial government and the Central Lombok district government, he added.

MSMEs are required to possess a business entity permit from the government, he said. For example, MSMEs in the culinary sector must hold a permit from the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM), he added.

“The curation was conducted to ensure that the MSMEs that will sell their products in the area are those that are ready and whose products meet the standards set by ITDC and MGPA as managers of the Mandalika SEZ and the organizers (of WSBK),” he explained.

MSMEs that have obtained a sale permit include those that sell food, beverages, fashion, crafts, including pearls and others, he informed.

MSMEs that have received the permit will fill 80 booths or tents that have been prepared by the West Nusa Tenggara provincial government and the Central Lombok district government, he said.

There are also additional SMEs that are being facilitated in selling their products in the circuit area with permission from ITDC and MGPA, he added.

All participating MSMEs that have been permitted to sell their products at the Mandalika SEZ will not be charged fees or taxes, Mashuri said.

Source: Antara News