Month: March 2022

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Actress Maudy Ayunda appointed to serve as G20 Presidency spokesperson

Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate has appointed singer and actress Maudy Ayunda to serve as the government’s spokesperson for Indonesia’s G20 Presidency to reach a broader audience, specifically members of the younger generation.

“I really want to be involved in this historical moment, as it only happens once every 20 years,” Ayunda remarked during the broadcast introducing the government spokesperson for Indonesia’s G20 Presidency streamed on YouTube on Thursday.

“If we do not get involved now, then when will we do?” Ayunda emphasized.

Ayunda, full name Ayunda Faza Maudya, studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University and received the Master of Business Administration as well as Master of Arts in Education degree from Standford University.

This major event is a historical occasion and Indonesia’s opportunity to encourage the world to heal together and handle global economic challenges, she affirmed.

“To this end, this historical duty should be welcomed with enthusiasm and optimism,” Ayunda remarked while adding that she did not need to think long before accepting the offer to become part of the spokesperson’s team.

The celebrity, with 15.4 million followers on Instagram, invited everyone to be involved and make this occasion, wherein Indonesia has become the leader in a discussion to break free from the pandemic, a success.

The success of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency will become a historical record that can make the nation proud, she affirmed.

Meanwhile, concrete results from handling the three priority issues — global health architecture, digital transformation, and energy transition — will change life for the better.

The 27-year- old actress was named among the 2020 TC Candler’s 100 most beautiful women in the world. She has been active in the world of entertainment ever since she was young.

She starred in the film Untuk Reina when she was 11 years of age. She thereafter played the role of a teenager in the film Perahu Kertas that was adapted from a book by Dewi Lestari.

Ayunda also played in the Trinity, the Nekad Traveler film adapted from the tourism book by Trinity.

She also played the role of the young Ainun from the movie Habibie & Ainun 3 that tells the story of the third Indonesian President, Bachar Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, and his wife Hasri Ainun Besari.

She also actively writes and had already published a book titled “Dear Tomorrow” and a children’s book titled “Kina and Her Fluffy Bunny.”

Source: Antara News

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Potential for radicalism high among women: BNPT

The National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) has said that the index showing the potential for radicalism among women tends to be high, based on the results of a survey conducted by it in 2020.

“By referring to the results of a survey by the National Counter-Terrorism Agency in 2020, the index of potential for radicalism tends to be higher among women,” finance coordinator of the BNPT, Syaiful Rachman, said at an event on ‘Community Involvement in Prevention of Terrorism’ here on Thursday.

Apart from women, the potential for radicalism also tends to be high among people who live in urban areas, the younger generation–both Generation Z and millennials–as well as those who actively use the Internet and social media, he added.

Therefore, those groups must be protected as they are quite vulnerable to being influenced by radicalism and they should become the main target of counter-radicalization efforts, he said.

“This means that these four entities must be watched out for and continue to be the main targets in carrying out counter-radicalization and increasing deterrence because they are quite vulnerable to exposure to radicalism,” he added.

In that context, the BNPT finance coordinator said that women’s vital role in the family, even the community, cannot be denied.

“Women have a strategic role in fortifying families and communities from all forms of spreading and inviting groups of radicalism and terrorism,” he remarked.

Women, in their roles as wives, can become their husbands’ partners in discussing various matters, including religious understanding, he said.

“With that role, women can be the initial filter or early detector of any oddities found in their respective families,” he added at the event, which was attended by around 120 women from various organizations, professions, as well as students.

Source: Antara News

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Traffic Corps head reviews traffic security for G20 Summit

Head of the Traffic Corps of the National Police, Inspector General Firman Shantyabudi, reviewed traffic security for the G20 Summit, which will be held in Bali in November 2022.

“We are now conducting an inspection in-person with the Operations Division at GWK, which is planned to be used later for one of the series of G20 Presidencies,” he said in a written statement received here on Thursday.

Shantyabudi and his entourage also visited some locations, including the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC), and Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK).

He said that the inspection was aimed at ascertaining that the implementation of the G20 Summit in Bali would run well.

The venues where the checks were conducted included entry and exit routes, road infrastructure, parking locations, to technical drop-offs. He said that all potential issues identified ahead of the G20 Summit would be addressed.

The Traffic Corps is also collaborating with other sectors to optimize all tools and applications, including electronic ticketing, he informed.

He assured that all applications issued by the regional government, police force, and other officials would be synchronized for monitoring road activities.

He said he expected that the G20 Summit in Indonesia would demonstrate to the whole world that Indonesia is a safe and comfortable tourist destination for foreign tourists.

“As a good host, this is a good opportunity to show that Indonesia can conduct an international event well,” he remarked.

Shantyabudi said that Indonesia would not only be successful in hosting meetings, but would also be successful in presenting the nation better in terms of tourism through the Summit.

Source: Antara News

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Radical, terror propaganda are transnational: BNPT

Radical and terror propaganda are transnational in nature so people in the country must always be cautious of them, according to the National Counterterrorism Agency.

“Currently, more than 80 countries are affected by terrorism,” head of the National Counterterrorism Agency Commissioner, General Boy Rafli Amar, said in a written statement received here on Thursday.

Thus, the public must always stay vigilant and not be influenced by radical ideas and acts of terror. Criminals often employ religious narratives to carry out terrorism propaganda.

“The propaganda carried out through social media must be fought together,” Amar said.

He cited the importance of religious leaders’ role in fighting the propaganda of radical terror groups. He pointed to Indonesia’s history as proof of this.

He said that religious leaders have sacrificed a lot to protect Indonesia from all forms of threats which have sought to divide the nation.

Great scholars have shaped Indonesia, he added. Indonesia was created with a certain mindset known as hubbul wathan minal iman, which means that loving one’s country is part of faith, he explained.

Meanwhile, a Nahdatul Ulama representative, K.H. Said Aqil Siradj, urged the public to continue to care for and protect Indonesia by practicing this belief.

Siradj said that the course of the national history of Islam was filled with nationalism.

He also urged citizens to continuously strengthen interfaith brotherhood and friendship and mutual respect. Swearing and all sorts of hostility must be shunned. Morality is the essence of religion, he reminded.

The National Counterterrorism Agency has continued to conduct efforts to prevent radicalism, such as by forming the National Movement for the Prevention of Radicalism and Intolerance in Cilegon, Banten.

Source: Antara News

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Minister urges universities to anticipate impact of digital disruption

Minister of Education and Culture, Nadiem Makarim, has urged all parties, including universities, to anticipate the impact of digital disruption.

“One of the impacts of digital disruption that is currently happening and will continue is the change in employment needs,” Makarim said in a statement released in Jakarta on Thursday.

The statement was delivered during a national webinar this week, which was attended by representatives from the Association of Indonesian Private Universities (APTISI) and stakeholders in the world of higher education.

By 2030, the minister said, there will be 23 million jobs replaced with automation technology coupled with the emergence of 27–46 million new jobs, of which 10 million never existed.

This is a sign that all parties have to transform, he added.

“We can no longer apply the same way of learning as decades ago to our students who face the challenges of digital disruption,” he said.

According to Makarim, hundreds of thousands of students throughout Indonesia, since two years ago, have been competing to participate in seven national programs of Merdeka Belajar-Kampus Merdeka (MBKM), including on private campuses.

Students are eager to learn and seek off-campus experience, but not all have gotten this valuable opportunity because they were bumped by the system on campus.

Therefore, Makarim asked the leaders and universities to introduce changes in the campus management system so that MBKM participant students would get credit transfer rights for the programs they participate in.

“I believe ladies and gentlemen, the leaders of the college here, want our students to be ready for the challenges of the future. I hope that through this webinar, ladies and gentlemen, leaders of private universities, will commit to transforming to prepare our young generation by realizing independent learning,” the minister said.

On the same occasion, CEO of PT Technomedia Interkom Cemerlang (Edufecta), Ucu Komarudin, said that Edufecta is ready to help 160 private universities in the campus digitization acceleration program.

“We realize that in times like now, the need for technology has become an inevitability,” Komarudin added.

He said that his company is ready to provide real solutions for the advancement of the Indonesian higher education world.

He explained that the campus digitization acceleration program is a follow-up to roadshow activities carried out in various provinces in Indonesia at the beginning of this year.

“From there we see the need for applications for college information system providers to be the most important thing, especially to support the teaching and learning process,” Komarudin remarked.

So far, there are more than 160 private universities that can enjoy the benefits of Edufecta for five years. The Campus Digitization Acceleration Program is a grant program worth Rp5 billion.

Chairman of the Indonesian Private Universities Association (APTISI), M. Budi Djatmiko, lauded the concrete steps that have been taken through the Edufecta platform for supporting the progress of the Indonesian education system.

Collaboration with private parties, he said, has become the main thing in an era like the present.

The private sector is one of the important stakeholder components for advancing our education world, Djatmiko added.

Source: Antara News

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Jokowi seeks greater trade, investment cooperation with PNG

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has asked four ministries, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), as well as businesspersons to carry out trade and investment cooperation with Papua New Guinea.

He issued the directive while making a press statement welcoming the official visit of the Prime Minister (of Papua New Guinea, James Marape, and his wife, Rachael Marape, at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java province, on Thursday.

The press conference was broadcast online on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel.

The establishment of a bilateral investment agreement between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea is important, Jokowi said.

Hence, he assigned State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif, as well as Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi to assist investors from the two countries.

In addition, the President also emphasized the importance of connectivity between the two countries via land, sea, and air.

Thus, Indonesian construction companies are expected to explore opportunities regarding the establishment of transportation facilities and infrastructure in Papua New Guinea.

Regarding the bilateral meeting, the President expressed his gratitude and respect for Marape who has continued to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I also laud the consistent stance of Papua New Guinea government and Prime Minister Marape in respecting Indonesia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Marape said that he looks forward to the implementation and follow-up of the bilateral cooperation, which has been built both at the government and corporate levels.

“We want to increase more collaboration, especially on commercial and business sectors. For a long time, we have only focused on border issues. However, my discussion with the President (Jokowi) has become more focused on the trade, public services, and education,” he added.

Source: Antara News

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New regulation needed to develop Indonesian mortgage market: LPPI

Some new regulations and easing are required to develop the secondary mortgage market in Indonesia, President Director of Indonesia’s Banking Development Institute (LPPI) Mirza Adityaswara stated.

“This is to make funding greater for the mortgage (market),” Adityaswara noted at the 71st LPPI Virtual Seminar here on Thursday.

Currently, Adityaswara remarked that financing for housing is still far as compared to the need for homeownership in Indonesia, which is mainly dominated by the lower middle class.

The LPPI president director noted that the country’s young population was quite large, so the demand to own a house was very high every year.

Hence, funding for homeownership or mortgage becomes a huge requirement for Indonesia as a developing country, he stated.

Meanwhile, most funding sources for the community to own a house still come from banking products themselves, such as savings, deposits, and current accounts, he pointed out.

However, Adityaswara believes that the sources of banking funding must be widened in future, especially to fund the homeownership credit (KPR).

“Of course, one credit turnover that has a market is necessary. In developed countries, there is a market to trade housing credits,” he remarked.

Adityaswara noted that in Indonesia, a similar market already exists, but the scale is not as large as in other countries, such as the United States.

Thus, he stressed that the secondary mortgage market in Indonesia requires several new regulations and their relaxation as well as other assistance from various stakeholders, ministries, institutions, banks, and other cultural agencies.

Moreover, Indonesia’s ratio of banking credit to national gross domestic product (GDP) reached 35 percent, he explained.

Adityaswara noted that of the total banking credit, consumer credit covered about one-third, or about 10 to 12 percent of the GDP.

He explained that consumer banking credit included KPR, credit cards, and other financings.

Source: Antara News

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Stakeholders should achieve ProKlim target of 20 thousand locations

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) has urged all stakeholders to collaborate in achieving the Climate Village Program (ProKlim) target of 20 thousand locations by 2024.

“ProKlim is a form of our real action to realize climate resilience and a lifestyle, with low greenhouse gas emissions at the village level, through the implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation actions,” Director General of Climate Change Control at the KLHK Ministry Laksmi Dewanthi noted in a press release received here, Thursday.

While reading the speech of Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya at the 2022 ProKlim Technical Coordination Meeting on Thursday, Dewanthi conveyed that community involvement at the village level is becoming one of the keys to successful climate change control.

Dewanthi later noted that carbon emissions, as the cause of climate change, cannot be separated from anthropogenic activities. In terms of impact, the community members also directly felt the various impacts of climate change. Hence, they must play a role in handling climate change.

This can be achieved through energy efficiency; management of household, livestock, and agricultural waste; and sustainable forest management as the basis for climate change mitigation efforts, Dewanthi stated.

In addition, water use efficiency, soil and water conservation, increased food security, disaster management efforts, such as floods and landslides, sustainable agricultural patterns, and protection against disease will be the keys to successful adaptation to climate change.

Good practices for climate change adaptation and mitigation are being continuously encouraged by the government through the KLHK Ministry to be developed at the site level through ProKlim by building community resilience in facing climate change and community-based reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

“The Climate Village Program is a tangible form of community contribution at the village level in achieving Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets,” she noted.

Until 2021, ProKlim has registered as many as 3,270 locations throughout Indonesia and targeted 20 thousand climate villages in 2024.

Source: Antara News

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