Month: December 2021

President Joko Widodo has no immediate plans to reshuffle the Cabinet, Minister/State Secretary Pratikno has said.

“Until now there has been no such plan,” he told journalists on the Presidential Palace compounds in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Pratikno said all ministers and vice ministers are continuing to work as usual, particularly amid the possible threat of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

“In essence, all ministers continue to work as usual, and so do vice ministers. So, we must stay alert for the new Omicron variant of COVID-19, particularly ahead of the Christmas and New Year 2022 holidays,” he said.

He said all government rank and file need to take anticipatory measures to ensure that the economy continues to run and the COVID-19 pandemic can be brought under control.

“So, all stay focused on work,” he said.

Speculations on the cabinet shake-up surfaced following a meeting between the President and leaders of coalition parties at the Presidential Palace on August 25, 2021.

The presence of the chairman and secretary general of the National Mandate Party (PAN), which was later dubbed as a new friend of the Widodo coalition, at the meeting grabbed media attention and sparked speculations that PAN will soon join the Widodo-Ma’ruf government through a cabinet shake-up.

Source: Antara News

Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini has lauded the newly-established National Commission for Disabilities, saying it would help assist the ministry in addressing issues that are often faced by persons with disabilities in Indonesia.

“The establishment of the commission alleviates some of my workload in addressing disability rights issues that must be done in concert with my work on handling homelessness, social issues, and poverty,” Rismaharini stated at a press conference with commissioners of the National Commission for Disabilities in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The minister expressed the hope the commission would help people with disabilities pursue their studies in regular schools and develop their skills.

The commission could help them explore new opportunities and prove that their disability is not a hindrance, she said.

The Social Affairs Ministry has recruited several persons with disabilities to assemble assistive equipment, she pointed out.

“I believe the future industry would no longer see disability as a nuisance, and we must open new opportunities for persons with disabilities to prove that they can work with equal performance as able-bodied workers,” Rismaharani remarked.

Earlier, President Joko Widodo inaugurated seven commissioners of the National Commission for Disabilities. Dante Rigmalia has been appointed the chairman and Deka Kurniawan the deputy chairman of the commission. Both will concurrently serve as commissioners.

The remaining five commissioners are Eka Prastama Widyanta, Kikin Purnawirawan Tarigan Sibero, Fatimah Asri Mutmainah, Jonna Aman Damanik, and Rachmita Maun Harahap.

Presidential Special Staff Angkie Yudistia, who is herself deaf, said that the establishment of the commission is in accordance with Law Number 8 of 2016 regarding people with disabilities, and it is further reinforced by Presidential Regulation Number 68 of 2020 about the National Committee for Disabilities.

The working team for the commission’s establishment has been active since December 2020, she added.

“The establishment of the commission is proof of the government’s commitment in respecting and protecting disability rights,” Yudistia stated.

Source: Antara News

Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has called for the implementation of smart cities across Indonesia to improve the government’s efficiency and supports people’s activities in all sectors.

The concept of a smart city has developed fast and it is needed by the community amid the advancement of information and communications technology, he said in Surabaya, East Java, on Wednesday at the opening of the Integrated Technology Event (ITE), which has been organized in a hybrid format from December 1–2, 2021.

Hence, it is important for all government officers to be responsive and understand the people’s demands for quick public services, he added.

He then asked them to use information technology to help them make decisions quickly and precisely based on accurate data.

“We cannot avoid the change in technology. If we avoid it, we will be left behind in the current competitive situation,” the minister emphasized.

Local governments are required to prepare various supporting infrastructures to bolster the smart city concept, including technology-savvy human resources, adequate information infrastructure, support data digitization, as well as budget digitization to make it more transparent, he said.

“The attempt will encourage continuous innovation and create a competitive environment,” he said.

However, he said he hoped that the concept will not only be interpreted as a project to provide information technology infrastructure, but also a transformation of the working culture of government officers.

Furthermore, Karnavian said that smart cities must also be able to combine the concept of information technology-based governance and green city.

“Currently, smart cities do not only focus on the use of information technology, but have also begun to adopt the concept of green city,” he added.

The opening of the ITE was also attended by the Governor of East Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa; director general of regional administration development at the ministry, Safrizal ZA; and a number of heads of districts/cities.

Source: Antara News

Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander General Andika Perkasa has pledged to emphasize “social communication” to deal with Papuan groups who continue threatening the lives of civilians and security personnel in Papua.

The social communication-based approach has been adopted as an endeavor to avoid falling victim to the conflict, he told journalists on the sidelines of a working visit to Jayapura, Papua province, on Wednesday.

General Perkasa said he will let members of the international community assess the law enforcement against Papuan separatist terrorists who commit crimes against humanity.

In Congo, a country located on the western coast of Central Africa, the Indonesian soldiers involved in the UN peacekeeping mission handle militias without bloodshed, he pointed out.

If this can be done in Congo, why not Papua? he asked while highlighting the importance of professional soldiers who are highly committed to human values.

General Perkasa has been in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, since Tuesday afternoon to observe the COVID-19 vaccine drive in three different places.

The vaccination sites are the Silat Papare Air Force Base in Sentani, Jayapura district, as well as the Indonesian Naval Base (Lantamal) X, and Marthen Indey Army Hospital in Jayapura city.

General Perkasa also pointed to the insufficient number of military district commands (Kodim) in Papua. One military regional command (Korem) generally administers 10 units of Kodim, he noted.

In fact, one Korem in Papua only administers between three and five units of Kodim with large administrative areas, he said. Thus, the number of Kodim in Papua will gradually be increased, he added.

Ideally, Papua has 30 units of Kodim, considering the fact that one Korem administers 10 units of Kodim, he said.

General Perkasa was sworn in by President Joko Widodo as the TNI commander on November 17, 2021 in place of Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who has reached the retirement age of 58, on November 8, 2021.

According to observers, Papua will be a challenge during Perkasa’s leadership as armed conflicts are still occurring in Papua and West Papua though the central and regional governments are making the utmost efforts to improve the welfare of local communities by intensifying regional development.

Papua has borne witness to a spate of violence against civilians and security personnel in the past few years.

Intan Jaya recorded its bloodiest month in September 2020, with notorious armed groups launching a series of attacks that claimed the lives of two soldiers and two civilians and left two others injured.

The armed groups have continued their acts of terror this year, too.

On April 25, 2021, Papuan separatists, operating in Beoga, ambushed State Intelligence Agency (Papua) chief I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha and several security personnel during their visit to Dambet village.

Nugraha died of gunshot wounds.

Source: Antara News

Indonesia aims to help the world to recover from the crisis and become more resilient during its G20 Presidency, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and chairman of the G20 Sherpa Track, Airlangga Hartarto, has said.

“It requires transformation of global working methods, change of business mindsets and models, as well as optimism in taking advantage of every opportunity in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to find breakthroughs,” he noted at the opening ceremony of Indonesia’s Presidency G20 here on Wednesday.

The presidency is an opportunity for Indonesia to contribute more to global economic recovery by actively participating in establishing a healthier, fairer, and sustainable global governance based on independence, perpetual peace, and social justice, he added.

Hence, Indonesia’s G20 Presidency is themed ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’, he said.

The presidency is expected to infuse a new spirit for creating global governance that does not only provide prosperity and welfare, but also ensures future sustainability, he added.

Indonesia’s G20 Presidency will focus on three strategic issues—inclusive health management, digital technology-based economic transformation, and sustainable energy transition, Hartarto said.

Hence, it is a momentum to strengthen economic diplomacy by attempting to create a post-crisis global economic and health architecture, he added.

On the same occasion, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he expected the presidency to not just be a ceremonial event.

“Indonesia encourages G20 members to take concrete steps. Hence, Indonesia is ready to collaborate, thus the global community can gain positive impact from this cooperation. Indonesia must also be able to deliver major breakthroughs from the forum,” he remarked.

The members of the forum need to focus on strengthening the multilateralism system and effective global partnerships, he said.

Indonesia is aiming to ensure that the global economy remains open, fair, and mutually beneficial, as well as leaves no one behind, especially the poor and vulnerable groups, he added.

This, it will use its G20 Presidency to fight for the interests of developing countries to create fairer global governance to strengthen global solidarity in mitigating the impacts of climate change and promoting sustainable development.

Source: Antara News