Day: December 26, 2021

The Communication and Informatics Ministry has invited investment in broadband technology from the private sector to accelerate digital transformation as part of efforts to achieve the 2025 Broadband Targets set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

“By 2025, all countries are expected to have universal broadband policies,” Director General of Post and Information Technology Resources and Equipment at the ministry, Ismail, said in a press release issued on Saturday.

The policies must encourage everyone to gain online access, affordable broadband services, digital literacy and skills, digital financial services, as well as gender equality in accessing the services, he noted.

Furthermore, higher penetration of fixed broadband and mobile broadband could help build the ability to mitigate the risk of economic decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the director general added.

“Fixed broadband provides the returns to scale economic effect for developed countries, while mobile broadband provides accessibility to developing countries,” he noted.

Indonesia, as a developing country that comprises tens of thousands of islands, requires equitable access to connectivity, especially for household and industry sectors, Ismail said.

The country is facing three challenges to improving its digital sector — connectivity, digital divide amid the pandemic, and digital infrastructure expansion, he added.

Hence, the government has drawn a 2021–2024 Digital Indonesia Roadmap to transform its digital sector and recover its national economy, he said.

Thus, the ministry is continuing to improve telecommunications infrastructure and strengthen data governance, including cross-border data exchange, he added.

In 2021, the ministry focused on increasing 4G network access in disadvantaged areas, encouraging the joint utilization of infrastructure among telecommunication providers, and launching 5G networks, Ismail informed.

The implementation of 5G networks in Indonesia is expected to increase investment in the country by Rp591 trillion by 2030 and Rp719 trillion by 2035, he said.

The technology will also generate an additional 4.6 million and 5.1 million jobs in 2030 and 2035, respectively, he added.

In 2022, the ministry will improve the development of local start-ups so that Indonesia can become a financial technology hub for Southeast Asia in 2023, he said.

Furthermore, the government will encourage the development of digital tourism in 2024, he informed.

Source: Antara News

People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Deputy Speaker Ahmad Muzani lauded the infrastructure development in Aceh in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the province on December 26, 2004.

“I am quite amazed, and surprised that various types of infrastructure have been constructed here (in Aceh). This shows that Aceh continues to inspire other provinces,” he said in an event held to mark the 17th anniversary of the Aceh tsunami, here, on Sunday.

Muzani assessed that since the beginning of Indonesia’s independence, Aceh has been giving Indonesia precious lessons with the various events, conflicts, and disasters that the people have gone through.

The catastrophe that rattled the province in 2004 was the Boxing Day tsunami that took the lives of more than 200 thousand Aceh residents.

The MPR deputy speaker said that at the time of the disaster, it felt like the future of Aceh was dark as children lost their parents, and parents lost their children, while houses, schools, and markets were destroyed. Aceh, however, could rise again.

“The people of Aceh have the ability to stand strong for the future. That is what they have been proving up until now, 17 years after (the tsunami). Aceh always inspire and strengthen our beloved country,” he remarked.

He assessed that the Acehnese people get power from the knowledge taught by the ulama. The strength of that faith has also made the residents accept the tsunami as a disaster while also keep moving towards a better future.

“The lesson from all of this is that Aceh has become a safe and united province; no more conflicts, no more problems. Aceh’s residents have faced a wide range of difficulties, and finally, Aceh has become the province that is quite developed like now,” he remarked.

To this end, he expressed hope that people in Aceh and all provinces across Indonesia would keep moving forward and stay united.

Source: Antara News

The Communication and Informatics Ministry (Kominfo) pushes for innovation and partnerships in e-commerce and logistics to support the economy in rural areas because online sellers on the outer islands, for instance, can sell online through their own online stores or online marketplaces.

“This can overcome the challenges of distance, low population density, and limited purchasing power in rural areas,” Inspector General of the ministry’s Communications and Informatics Doddy Setiadi said during the “Postal Opportunity in Rural Region in Digital e-Commerce” discussion at the Indonesia Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The coronavirus pandemic is forcing merchants to close their stores and switch to online sales. At the same time, more and more people are using e-commerce platforms for grocery shopping.

Indonesia has recorded an increase of 21 million digital consumers since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Kominfo, 72 percent of them come from rural areas.

“This figure shows the growth of e-commerce penetration in the largest market in Indonesia. This growth is ready to create added value in the digital era, as well as contribute to the development of a more inclusive e-commerce,” Setiadi said in a press statement that ANTARA received here Sunday.

The trend of using e-commerce has triggered the need for reliable logistics services. Hence, the government seeks to ensure that Indonesia’s postal logistics infrastructure is integrated nationally to reach unreached areas, and reduce the infrastructure gap between rural and urban areas, he said.

“The e-commerce trend will develop well if the products sold online can be delivered to customers in a reasonable price and time. Meanwhile, postal logistics channels offer worldwide delivery within a short distance for online sellers in rural areas,” Setiadi said.

The e-commerce partnership with logistics services is one solution to develop the e-commerce market and open up opportunities for the community. The partnership will help improve logistics infrastructure, strengthen point-to-point services, and increase last-mile delivery.

Once partnerships are established, the logistics services will encourage businesses in rural areas to reach global customers.

“Postal logistics channels can effectively act as a counterweight by enabling businesses in rural areas to reach markets and customers anywhere, as well as address cohesion and infrastructure challenges,” he said.

The role of postal and logistics operators is crucial in providing long-distance deliveries, both within the country and between countries.

“Postal and logistics operators support small-scale online sellers in rural areas in reaching their customers,” Setiadi said.

The existence of digital infrastructure and platforms opens up opportunities for people living in rural areas to market their products online.

Sellers can stay in the villages while they stay connected with customers living elsewhere, both nationally and internationally.

Source: Antara News

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi on Sunday checked the readiness of Juanda Airport in Surabaya, East Java, as well as the quarantine facilities to serve the arrivals of Indonesian migrant workers from abroad.

The review was a follow-up on the plan to serve international flights at Juanda Airport, especially for PMI, to prevent overcrowding of international arrivals at Soekarno Hatta Airport, which reaches 3,000 to 4,000 passengers per day.

“We have coordinated with the regional military commander, regional police chief, regional secretary, and other related parties. We will prepare the Juanda Airport just like how we did it at Soekarno-Hatta Airport,” he said in his statement received here Sunday.

He explained that 30 percent of the migrant workers are from East Java, Central Java, and West Nusa Tenggara. For that reason, he assessed that it would be more convenient if Juanda Airport could serve them.

Aside from reviewing Juanda Airport’s readiness, the minister also reviewed the preparedness of quarantine facilities.

“At least 1,500 rooms must be prepared in order to accommodate 100 to 150 people undergoing 10-day quarantine,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Commander of the V Brawijaya Regional Military Command, Nurcahyanto, asserted that his side is ready to support the plan and serve the Indonesian migrant workers.

“With the support from the regional police chief, governor, and related institutions, we are ready to carry out the tasks the central government assigned,” he said.

In Surabaya, Transportation Minister also reviewed the type A Purabaya terminal to check the implementation of health protocols.

“On their travels, people must be served well and humanely. However, strict health protocols must be implemented,” Sumadi stressed.

To this end, he lauded all parties that had readied the COVID-19 vaccination post and COVID-19 testing site at the type A Purabaya terminal.

Source: Antara News

The Earthquake Center of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) -Medan Office has recorded 27 earthquakes that occurred in the Indonesian provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra in the fourth week of December 2021.

“Towards Christmas 2021 and New Year 2022, the BMKG recorded 27 earthquakes in North Sumatra and Aceh between December 17 and December 23,” the agency’s researcher, Marzuki Sinambela, said in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra Province, on Sunday.

The seismic activities in Aceh and North Sumatra in the fourth week of December 2021 occurred in the Megathrust Zone and some of them were spread over several areas of the Sumatran Fault segment.

Based on records for a week in Aceh and North Sumatra, there had been 23 earthquakes with a small magnitude scale or below magnitude 4.0, and four others with magnitudes of between 4.0 and 5.0, he said.

Referring to the depth of seismic activities during the week, the agency recorded 24 shallow earthquakes under 60 km, and three earthquakes at depths between 60 and 300 km, he said.

Meanwhile, the agency’s analyst, Endah Puspita Sari, explained that during the past week, there were 18 earthquakes that occurred on land and nine others at sea.

“Of the 27 earthquakes, three of them are significant because the tremors can be felt by residents. They are the earthquakes that rattled the areas of Gunung Sitoli and West Nias (in North Sumatra), as well as in Takengon (Aceh),” she said.

“The BMKG urges the people at large to remain vigilant and stay calm. They are also advised to respond quickly to BMKG information, and to keep their distance if an earthquake occurs during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sari said.

Source: Antara News