February 20, 2022

Prayut counts on his allies

Published by
The Bangkok Post

Since assuming office in 2019 Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has faced down tough challenges including a plot to overthrow him from power in a no-confidence debate in September last year. But his leadership will be put to its toughest test after a breakaway group of 18 MPs from the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) applied for membership of the Setthakij Thai Party. Despite assurances from PPRP leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon that the group led by former secretary-general Capt Thamanat Prompow is loyal to the coalition government, 14 MPs in the group recently broke ranks and voted in favour … Continue reading “Prayut counts on his allies”

February 20, 2022

Indonesia’s BOP resilient amid global pressure: ministry

Jakarta Indonesia’s balance of payments (BOP) in 2021 was quite resilient amid global pressure caused by the escalation of the pandemic and the US Fed’s tapering, according to the Finance Ministry’s Fiscal Policy Agency (BKF).

“It is quite a crucial achievement since BOP is one of the pillars of our national macroeconomic stability,” BKF Head Febrio Kacaribu said in a statement issued here on Saturday.

The BOP showed a positive performance in 2021 by recording a surplus of US$13.5 billion or 1.13 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), which was substantially higher than the surplus of US$2.6 billion recorded in 2020, he noted.

Furthermore, Indonesia’s current account balance recorded a surplus of US$3.3 billion or 0.3 percent of the GDP compared to a deficit of US$4.4 billion in 2020, he said.

In addition, the capital and financial account balance surplus rose to US$11.7 billion, or 1 percent of the GDP, in 2021 from US$7.9 billion in 2020, the BKF head.

Meanwhile, direct investment surplus increased to US$16.49 billion in 2021 from US$14.14 billion in 2020 thanks to the domestic economy, which started to recover, he said.

Structural and policy reform to improve Indonesia’s investment climate — such as the issuance of the Tax Regulation Harmonization Law in October 2021 — was able to retain investors’ confidence for investing long term in the country, he added.

Hence, in the fourth quarter of 2021, there was an increase in the direct investment surplus, which reached US$3.4 billion, he said.

“The positive impact of the policy reform is expected to further strengthen the trust of foreign investors to invest in Indonesia,” he added.

However, there is still high uncertainty in global financial markets, in line with the tightening of monetary policies of developed countries, which are likely to affect investment in Indonesia, he said.

Source: Antara News

February 20, 2022

L’Etape Indonesia marks revival of NTB tourism: Uno

Praya, West Nusa Tenggara Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno on Sunday flagged off L’Etape Indonesia by Tour de France bicycle race held at Mandalika, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Province.

L’Etape Indonesia by Tour de France marked the revival of NTB tourism which had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

“Let’s support and make this activity a success. To all participants, please enjoy and stay safe,” Sandiaga Uno said.

The international cycling event is expected to help recover the tourism industry and the community’s economy which have been impacted by by the pandemic for the last two years .

The bike race is part of a series of activities organized ahead of the implementation of the Pertamina Mandalika Lombok MotoGP Circuit event scheduled for March 18-20, 2022.

“This is part of the preparations for the Mandalika MotoGP event,” he said.

As the pandemic is not over, participants are obliged to comply with the COVID-19 health protocols by wearing masks, keeping a distance and washing hands to prevent the spread of the virus. “We continue to maintain the health protocols,” the minister noted.

Meanwhile, Event Director of L’Etape Indonesia by Tour de France Zacky Badrudin said the

legendary bicycle race attracted road bike lovers to take part in the race.

A total of 1,308 athletes participated in the 124 kilometers and 84 kilometers distance race categories.

“This distance condition is in accordance with the condition of amateur cyclists in Indonesia. Hopefully this can boost the sports tourism climate in Indonesia and Mandalika in particular,” he said.

On the occasion, Sandiaga Uno also participated in the L’Etape Indonesia using an Indonesia-made bicycle.

Source: Antara News

February 20, 2022

Gov’t distributes affordable bulk cooking oil in Semarang markets

Semarang, Central Java The Trade Ministry and Central Java’s Industry and Trade Office have organised a market operation to distribute bulk cooking oil to merchants at traditional markets in Semarang, Central Java, in an effort to stabilise cooking oil price and stocks in the city.

“We organise the market operation by distributing affordable bulk cooking oil to market merchants to allow them to resell the cooking oil in the government’s retail price ceiling (HET),” the ministry’s Directorate General of Domestic Trade Secretary I Gusti Ketut Astawa said in Semarang, Central Java, on Sunday.

A total of 18 tonnes of cooking oil have been distributed to Peterongan and Bulu markets, with each of the markets receiving nine tonnes of cooking oil while each of the merchants is allowed to purchase one jerry can of cooking oil to enable them to get the commodity, he said.

“The bulk cooking oil for this market operation is sold at Rp10,500 (US$0.73) for one kilogram. The merchants that purchase the bulk cooking oil can by then resell the product by observing the retail price ceiling of Rp12,800 (US$0.89) for one kilogram or Rp11,500 (US$0.80) for one litre,” Astawa remarked.

The market operation price has provided the merchants with a sufficient profit margin that enables them to resell their product within the permitted retail price ceiling, he added.

“The traders who attempt to sell their cooking oil above the retail price ceiling will be penalised,” the secretary affirmed.

He said that the ministry has exerted its effort to ensure that the affordable cooking oil is supplied to traditional markets and sold within the price regulated by the government.

“The market operation will be continued by other distributors,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, the Central Java Industry and Trade Office Head Arif Sambodo reiterated the local authority’s commitment to coordinating and collaborating with the central government in stabilising cooking oil prices and stocks in the province.

“We will continue monitoring the cooking oil stocks to ensure that this affordable cooking oil can be distributed promptly,” he said.

The industry and trade office has also collected the data of traditional market merchants that need the affordable cooking oil supply, he added.

Source: Antara News

February 20, 2022

Minister Amali affirms his support for youth in Indonesia’s Y20 Summit

Jakarta Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali has affirmed his support for all activities initiated in the Youth 20 (Y20), a forum for prospective young leaders from all G20 countries.

“I believe that our young future leaders here have a lot of creative thoughts and ideas that will help them grow, develop, and survive in this pandemic situation,” Amali noted during the 2022 Y20 Indonesia kick off meeting held virtually on late Saturday.

International community members, including young people, have been facing difficult global challenges owing to COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

The youth is a part of community getting hit hard by the pandemic in all aspects, such as economy, health, education, and socio-culture, according to the minister.

“We expect that the challenges will not dampen the energy of Indonesia’s young people to build the competitive spirit in response to economic and welfare recoveries,” he remarked.

“The young people’s roles and functions have undoubtedly drawn the government’s attention. Hence, the related ministries and institutions are urged to continue to utilize the existing potentials through youth awareness, empowerment and coaching in various areas,” he explained.

The statement was in line with the Y20 Summit, themed “From Recovery to Resilience: Rebuilding the Youth Agenda Beyond COVID-19”, due to be held in Jakarta and Bandung in July 2022.

The Y20 Summit will take up four important global issues, including diversity and inclusion as well as those related to legacies from previous presidencies: youth employment, digital transformation, and sustainable liveable planet earth.

Indonesia’s Y20 this year is taking up the additional issues — diversity and inclusion — to promote Bhineka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) and mutual cooperation through exclusive education based on the Pancasila values as well as creative economy diversity to the G20 young generation and to the world.

By addressing such issues, Amali expressed hope that young people could explore their innovative ideas, and contribute to meet the development challenges.

They play a vital role in pursuit of the country’s independence, starting from various youth organization establishment that marked their participation in political stages to youth pledge declaration, according to Amali.

“Currently, there are over 1.8 billion young people in the world. We have witnessed how they solve problems amid the pandemic. It shows that youth is agent of change and able to offer solutions to every challenging situation,” he highlighted.

“And, we should be there to support and encourage them to develop and enhance their capacities for a better future,” he added.

Source: Antara News

February 20, 2022

Tropical Butterflies Spread as Monarchs Dwindle in East Asia

Sparked by global warming and other forms of climate change, tropical butterflies are starting to arrive in Hong Kong and Taiwan in greater numbers, while temperate-zone species like the monarch appear to be dwindling in the region, conservationists told RFA.

“Seven new butterfly species were discovered in Hong Kong in 2021, including swallowtails, gray butterflies, and nymphs; most of them were tropical species,” Gary Chan, project officer at Hong Kong’s Fengyuan Butterfly Reserve, told RFA.

“Breeding records were found in Hong Kong for several of these species, which indicates that these weren’t just strays arriving in Hong Kong with horticultural imports or the monsoon,” Chan said.

According to Chan, Neptis cartica and Ancema blanka were both found in Hong Kong for the first time in 2021, along with Zeltus amasa, which is usually native to Malaysia, Thailand, India, Myanmar, Borneo and other points south of Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, tropical migrants are also being spotted in Taiwan, according to Hsu Yu-feng, a butterfly expert at Taiwan National Normal University.

Between 1985 and 2008, at least seven new species of tropical butterfly were found to have settled on the island, including Appias olfern peducaea, which traveled north from the Philippines to settle in the southern port city of Kaohsiung in 2000.

Even butterflies once found only in southern Taiwan are now found across the island, Hsu told RFA.

“When I was an undergraduate student in the 1980s, I went to Kenting [on the southern coast] to see Graphium agamemnon,” Hsu recalled. “Then, I saw it for the first time on this university college campus last year, and it was breeding here.”

Southeast Asia warming faster

Troides aeacus kaguya is another example of a butterfly that once only lived in southern Taiwan, and can now be found all over the island, he said.

The changes come as temperatures in East and Southeast Asia have risen more rapidly than the global average in recent decades, Chan said.

“There are many more places where tropical butterflies and other insects can breed, so that’s why we’re seeing this northward migration, or dispersal behavior,” he said.

Hsu said the butterflies didn’t actually migrate, however; rather, their habitats are expanding due to rising temperatures.

“Once upon a time, the more northerly areas were colder, and not suitable for them to settle in, but they are suitable now, because temperatures have risen,” Hsu said.

“The north is warming at a higher rate than the south, meaning the difference in temperatures between north and south has been reduced,” he said. “That’s why southern butterflies are now living in the north.”

But the changes are forcing out butterflies that need a temperate climate to breed in, experts said.

Few monarchs now

The Siu Lang Shui conservation site in Hong Kong’s Tuen Mun district once saw tens of thousands of monarch butterflies spending the winter, as recently as 2013 and 2014, Chan said.

But numbers have fallen sharply in recent years, he said.

In Taiwan, the purple variegated butterflies that once overwintered in their millions in the Maolin valley outside Kaohsiung have also been dwindling in recent years, preferring to move north to seek out colder temperatures earlier in the year.

The warming environment is also becoming more hostile to temperate tree species some butterflies call home, Hsu told RFA.

“The Taiwan-endemic butterfly Sibataniozephyrus kuafui uses the Taiwan beech as a host plant … so in contrast to the expansion of tropical butterflies, temperate species are being threatened,” he said.

The changes in East Asia come after a study published in the journal Science in 2021 found that populations of most butterfly species in western North America have declined by nearly 50% over the past 40 years.

“California is the place with the most endemic species of butterflies in western North America,” Hsu said. “California butterflies are most vulnerable to drought, because this is a Mediterranean climate zone, with dry summers and rainy winters.”

“If climate change causes droughts in winter, plants will grow poorly, and the larvae of butterflies will have nothing to eat,” he said.

Source: Voice of America

February 20, 2022

West Kalimantan’s advantage amid Indonesia’s G20 Presidency

This year’s G20 presidency is believed to offer opportunities and challenges for Indonesia as it holds the presidency amid the world’s instability due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The G20 Presidency is a strategic leadership considering that the group consists of countries that represent at least 85 percent of the world economy, 79 percent of global trade, 80 percent of global investment, and about 65 percent of the world’s population.

During the Presidency, Indonesia will lead the G20 members — Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Throughout 2022, there will be a series of physical meetings and events in Indonesia involving around 6,500 foreign delegates.

The G20 Summit is scheduled to take place in Bali on November 2022 by implementing strict health protocols. Meanwhile, the series of G20’s event starts from December 1, 2021 to November 30, 2022.

The 2022 G20 raises a theme of ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’, meaning that amid the uncertainty in the global pandemic, togetherness or the spirit of mutual cooperation is needed so that no one feels left behind.

The G20 events in Indonesia will not only take place in Jakarta or Bali, but will also be convened in 13 other provinces. They will host a series of activities related to the G20 events in Indonesia. It is also an effective step to introduce the world to Indonesia’s tourists destinations.

Benefits

In the series of activities prepared for G20, Kalimantan is chosen to hold two events based on the mapping by Trade Ministry. Two cities in Kalimantan are chosen to represent the island namely Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, and most likely Pontianak in West Kalimantan.

Even though it is not easy to pick which region to host G20 events, the central government has thoroughly considered the regions it selects.

In terms of readiness, Pontianak and West Kalimantan in general have several advantages.

The city is accessible from Jakarta and other major cities in Indonesia with flight schedules available every day. Travel time is also fairly short — one hour and 10 minutes to 30 minutes in general.

International chain hotels and local five-star quality hotels are also available, not only in Pontianak City, but also in several other cities such as Kubu Raya District and Singkawang City.

Pontianak Mayor Edi Rusdi Kamtono has promoted Pontianak’s culinary as one of the leading and promising businesses in the city besides trade and services.

Strategic Role

Generally, there are three main issues raised in Indonesia’s G20 Presidency. First, the global health architecture. Second, the transition to a green economy and green energy. Third, digitization or digital transformation.

Of the three issues, there are at least two points that can closely be related to West Kalimantan, namely the green economy and green energy, as well as digitalization or digital transformation.

Previously, Indonesia had proposed the use of renewable energy as one of the priority themes considering that currently, the G20 members account for around 75 percent of global energy demand.

On the other hand, the G20 is working to strengthen a sustainable global energy system with a fair transition.

West Kalimantan, as one of the areas crossed by the equator, has the potential to utilize renewable energy. In addition, West Kalimantan is also a large-scale vegetable energy-producing area from palm oil as raw material.

In utilizing nuclear energy as an energy source, the government has also prepared West Kalimantan as one of the locations for nuclear power plant.

West Kalimantan is also part of the Heart of Borneo (HoB) area. Developing the HoB area by applying a green economy concept for sustainable development outside conservation areas has been discussed for many years.

Meanwhile, for digitalization, West Kalimantan is directly adjacent to Malaysia and located in the Indonesian Archipelagic Sea Lane (ALKI) 1 which is a crossing lane from the north to the south which passes through the Sunda Strait, Karimata Strait, Natuna Sea, and the South China Sea.

ALKI is set to connect two free waters, namely the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Meaning that all foreign ships and aircraft passing from north to south and vice versa must go through ALKI.

With this strategic position, West Kalimantan has an opportunity to market its local products both in natural produces and local Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) products. Through digitization, it will be easier to expand the market share.

In addition, the presence of Kijing Port in Mempawah District, which is prepared to become the largest international port in Kalimantan, can boost the growth of a new economic area in West Kalimantan.

Academician from the Faculty of Economics and Business at Tanjungpura University, Pontianak, Muhammad Fahmi argued that Indonesia’s Presidency in G20 is an opportunity for West Kalimantan to develop a digital ecosystem at the border since it has the potential to improve the regional economy.

Digital ecosystems in border areas have the potential to grow since these areas are a useful source of production to support economic growth.

It is not impossible that Indonesia’s Presidency in G20 will help West Kalimantan become a new economic center in the island of Kalimantan.

Source: Antara News

February 20, 2022

Indonesia, Spain support each other’s sovereignty: embassy

Jakarta Indonesia and Spain have consistently supported each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Indonesian Embassy in Madrid has said.

The two countries have demonstrated mutual support through various statements and meetings between senior officials, the embassy noted in a press statement received in Jakarta on Saturday.

The embassy made the remarks in response to social media reports that someone claiming to be president of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) had met with the Spanish Central Senate and a senator from Navara and Basque autonomous region.

The embassy informed it has sought confirmation from relevant parties, including the senator who reportedly held the meeting in his personal capacity.

The embassy said the meeting did not reflect the official stand of the Spanish government and state, which have consistently supported the territorial territory and sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia.

It denounced “the adventure of the irresponsible person” in inciting irresponsible separatism in Papua and West Papua. As a matter of fact, he held the meeting with the Spanish senator merely to serve his personal interest, it added.

Source: Antara News