Day: April 27, 2022

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Minister, BKKBN head unveil Stunting-Free DRPPA in North Sumatra

Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Bintang Puspayoga and National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Head Hasto Wardoyo have launched the Stunting-Free Women and Child Friendly Village (DRPPA) program in North Sumatra.

“According to the 2021 Indonesian Nutritional Status Study, the prevalence of stunting in North Sumatra is above 30 percent. This is what we still continue to prevent,” the minister informed in a press statement issued on Wednesday.

Currently, there are 13 out of 33 districts or cities that have a red status, meaning their stunting prevalence is over 30 percent.

“The number of women in North Sumatra has reached 50.1 percent and (the number of) children is pegged at 35.64 percent of the total population,” she informed.

“They are large potential human resources in North Sumatra. Hence, preventive action must done to protect children from stunting and women by providing balanced nutrition,” she added.

While there are many policies that support the effort to empower and protect women and children, women still frequently encounter discrimination as well as stigmatization. They also often become victims, Puspayoga opined.

DRPPA is one of the strategies to empower women, fulfill the rights of children, and protect children at the grassroots level.

“All elements in villages, specifically women and children, need to be involved in developing villages toward DRPPA,” the minister remarked.

As the parties who directly understand the hurdles that they must handle, women and children certainly know the correct solution to narrowing the existing gap, she said.

“I expect the support from the North Sumatra governor, regional heads, sub-district heads, and village chiefs to assist and to ensure that the DRPPA strategy can proceed as we expect,” she remarked.

Source: Antara News

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Three ministers review two special economic zones in Batam

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, and National Development Planning (PPN) Minister and National Development Planning Board head Suharso Monoarfa reviewed two special economic zones (KEKs) in Batam on Wednesday.

As part of their visit to Batam, Riau Islands, they inspected the construction of a new hangar at the Repair and Overhaul of Batam Aero Technic (BAT) at Hang Nadim Airport and Nongsa Digital Park (NDP).

“Since June, the airport (development) has been progressing, such as the construction of a new hangar, the increased maintenance capacity, the increased number of workers to 3,000, 1,500 engineers, and the rest are mechanics,” Hartarto said.

Meanwhile, in NDP, there are 11 data centers with an investment value of Rp14 trillion and electricity needs above 125 MW, he noted.

“So, this is good progress, and of course, the government will encourage this digital park to realize its investment in the near future,” he said.

In addition, to meet the value of the investment, the government has approved Batam’s development as a national strategic project, he added.

“It has been approved by the President, especially for the development of solar power plants (PLTS), some of which will be used domestically and the rest can be exported to neighboring countries,” he said.

According to Hartarto, his ministry is still waiting for investment realization for the Sekupang health KEK.

The Indonesian government is making efforts to accelerate the development of special economic zones to support economic growth by absorbing labor and investment. Currently, there are 19 KEKs out of which 11 are industrial and 8 are focused on tourism.

Source: Antara News

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Lampung: Ministry holds farmers’ market to ensure price stability

The Ministry of Agriculture held a farmers’ market (Pasar Tani) event in Bandarlampung, Lampung, on Wednesday to ensure the stability of essential foods/goods prices ahead of Eid.

“We have held the Pasar Tani to ensure that food prices in Lampung are safe. We also want to inform the public that there has been no significant spike (in prices) ahead of Eid al-Fitr,” Head of the Agricultural Training Center of the Agricultural Human Resources Extension and Development Agency Leli Nuryati said on Wednesday.

It is hoped that through the farmers’ market, people can get essential food at a price cheaper than the market price, she added. The Pasar Tani program is expected to ease people’s concerns and prevent panic by ensuring food price conditions are under control before Eid, she said.

“Even if there is an increase in food prices in the market, it would not be significant, so we hope the community can remain calm in facing Eid,” she said.

According to Nuryati, the activity needs to be held regularly and closely with the community. She said the program is in accordance with one of the ministry’s important tasks: to ensure food availability for the people.

“We will continue to monitor in order to guarantee food supplies and prices, and together with our related offices, we will monitor and report the prices in the market every day and every week,” she informed.

Then, if there are regions that experience food deficits, they will be supplied from areas with a food surplus, she said.

For instance, if shallot stocks in Lampung are in deficit, they will be supplied from other areas with surplus stocks such as Brebes and others, she highlighted.

“We will also ensure that existing (food) distribution and supply at the consumer, distributor, and agent levels are available and safe until Eid al-Fitr,” she said.

Source: Antara News

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Development notable, life happier in villages: minister

Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Abdul Halim Iskandar has said that village development in Indonesia has been significant, so it is necessary to continue to carry out development efforts in rural areas.

“We say that the villages have very extraordinary development; life in the villages is much more comfortable, more prosperous, and happier,” Iskandar remarked in Bantul district, Yogyakarta, on Wednesday.

He made the statement after attending the Village SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Data Reading and Utilization event in Munthuk village, Dlingo sub-district, Bantul, organized by the ministry and the Bantul administration.

Currently, life in the villages is happier than in the cities, so the village community is encouraged to stay in the village to jointly realize development and become more prosperous, Iskandar said.

“Therefore, do not be easily tempted by promises or show-offs that cannot be realized; the point is—do not be affected by the invitation to (work/live) in the city,” he added.

The minister said that the development of villages can be conducted by the village administration and its people by utilizing data on village SDGs, which map out micro problems and village potentials.

Therefore, for supporting the use of data, the ministry held an event in Munthuk and Segoroyoso villages, considering that the SDG data in both villages had been completed.

“Because the data will be useless if it cannot be read, then it certainly cannot be used,” Iskandar said.

According to the minister, the data on village SDGs can help in development planning, supervising the implementation, and become a benchmark for successful village performance.

For instance, he said, village SDG data can help map out poverty reduction targets.

Source: Antara News

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Dr. Natawisastra worthy of national hero label: historian

National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) historian Asvi Warman Adam has contended that Dr. Rubini Natawisastra is worthy of being declared a national hero.

“Throughout his life, ever since he was little until he died, he fought for Indonesia’s freedom,” he noted during a webinar entitled ‘National Hero Candidate Dr. Rubini, Indonesian Humanitarian and Freedom Fighter,’ held on Friday.

“Moreover, he also did more work outside of his job,” he added.

Natawisastra was a medical graduate during the STOVIA colonial era. He was appointed as the Pontianak medical chief in 1934.

While carrying out his duties, Natawisastra came across many instances of violence against women and children and worked hard to save them.

When the Japanese arrived, the doctor could have evacuated to a safer place. However, he remained in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, to take care of his patients.

Natawisastra also initiated the freedom movement in the region. However, he died during the Foreman Incident in 1944, which claimed 21 thousand lives. The incident was orchestrated by Japanese soldiers against suspected revolutionaries.

Indonesian Women’s Congress (Kowani) Chairwoman Giwo Rubianto Wiyogo said that Kowani had proposed the induction of Natawisastra’s name in the list of national heroes in 2022.

This aligned with Kowani’s struggle in the effort to ratify the Sexual Violence Crime (TPKS) bill, which was passed recently. As part of the effort, Kowani had proposed that Natawisastra be declared a national hero.

“In addition to initiating Indonesia’s freedom movement, Dr. Rubini also played a role in fighting violence against women and children during the colonial era,” Wiyogo noted.

Earlier, Kowani had proposed that Admiral Malahayati and Rohana Kudus be declared national heroes. The two women were accorded national hero status in 2017 and 2019.

Source: Antara News

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Scholarships handed to 89 university students in West Papua’s Sorong

Member of the House of Representatives (DPR) Rico Sia handed out scholarships to 89 university students in the West Papua city of Sorong on Wednesday.

Each of the recipients of the Indonesian Talent Research and Innovation Scholarship Scheme received Rp10 million.

Sia expressed keenness to see young people in West Papua Province highly encouraged to study hard for the sake of a brighter future.

The scholarship funds they receive are expected to enable them to complete their research projects and contribute to regional developments in Indonesia, he affirmed.

“Young people in West Papua are encouraged to record achievements at the local, national, and international levels,” he added.

ANTARA had reported earlier about how the Indonesian government has consistently demonstrated its strong commitment to boosting development of the country’s eastern regions, including the provinces of Papua and West Papua.

The Papua special autonomy law has paved the way for fund flows from the central government to Papua and West Papua since 2001.

The Finance Ministry’s data indicated that during the implementation of the Papua special autonomy law, the government had disbursed Rp138.65 trillion for Papua and West Papua as special autonomy funds and additional funds for infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, the total regional transfer and village funds that the government distributed in the two provinces between 2002 and 2021 had been recorded at Rp702.3 trillion, according to People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Bambang Soesatyo.

Despite central funding, the two provinces are still struggling to improve the quality of their human capital, as was apparent by their scores on Indonesia’s 2020 Human Development Index, which were below the national average of 71.94.

Statistics Indonesia (BPS) revealed that Papua and West Papua scored 60.44 and 65.09, respectively, on the index. Their scores were lower than Aceh Province that chalked up 71.94.

BPS data released in February this year further showed that the poverty rates in Papua and West Papua were recorded at 26.8 percent and 21.7 percent, respectively.

Development outcomes also remained inequitable for native Papuan communities as was apparent from their low income level and lack of access to education and health services, it said.

In the midst of this challenging reality, the government has hinted its intention to extend the allocation of special autonomy funds for Papua and West Papua by another two decades to accelerate endeavors to close the development gap and usher in prosperity for all communities in the region.

Source: Antara News

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Paid tuition fees, living costs of 355 overseas Papuan students: govt

The Papua Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) has paid the tuition fees and living costs of 355 Papuan students currently pursuing higher education at universities in five countries, an official has said.

The total reserved funds used for the late payment of tuition fees and living costs reached Rp300 billion, the agency’s head, Aryoko A.F. Rumaropen, said in a press statement on Wednesday.

Of the total students, 204 are studying at universities in the United States, 68 are pursuing higher education in Australia, 59 in New Zealand, 17 in Canada, and 7 in Japan, he informed.

The Papuan students have not only taken up undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs, but also vocational and professional programs, he added.

“We have gradually paid the tuition fees and living costs for our students in Japan, New Zealand, and Australia,” he said.

Rumaropen further said that all students’ tuition fees and living costs from January to April 2022 is paid this week. He then urged the students to send their study progress reports on a regular basis to the agency.

The reports are important because the authorities use them as a basis for paying their tuition fees and living costs, he explained.

ANTARA has reported earlier about how the Indonesian government has consistently demonstrated its strong commitment to boosting the development of the country’s eastern regions, including Papua and West Papua provinces.

The Papua special autonomy law has paved the way for fund flows from the central government to Papua and West Papua since 2001.

The Finance Ministry’s data has indicated that during the implementation of the Papua special autonomy law, the government disbursed Rp138.65 trillion for Papua and West Papua as special autonomy funds and additional funds for infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, the total regional transfer and village funds that the government distributed in the two provinces between 2002 and 2021 have been recorded at Rp702.3 trillion, according to People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Bambang Soesatyo.

Despite central funding, the two provinces are still struggling to improve the quality of their human capital, as evidenced by their scores on Indonesia’s 2020 Human Development Index, which were below the national average of 71.94.

According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Papua and West Papua scored 60.44 and 65.09, respectively, on the index. Their scores were lower than Aceh province, which chalked up 71.94.

BPS data released in February this year further showed that the poverty rates in Papua and West Papua were recorded at 26.8 percent and 21.7 percent, respectively.

Development outcomes also remained inequitable for native Papuan communities as was evident from their low income level and lack of access to education and health services, it said.

In the midst of this challenging reality, the government has hinted at its intention to extend the allocation of special autonomy funds for Papua and West Papua by another two decades to accelerate efforts to close the development gap and usher prosperity for all communities in the region. (INE)

Source: Antara News

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Bus drivers undergo BNN’s urine test for safe Eid exodus

The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) conducted urine testing on bus drivers at the Kampung Rambutan Bus Terminal, Jakarta, in a bid to ensure a safe Eid al-Fitr homecoming exodus.

“The objective is to prevent (traffic) accidents from occurring, so that people, who partake in the exodus, can depart safely and return home safely,” Head of Public Relations and Protocol Bureau at the BNN, Brig. Gen. Sulistyo Pudjo Hartono, stated at the Kampung Rambutan Bus Terminal here on Wednesday.

According to Hartono, urine testing for every driver or ship captain is a regular activity that his agency holds, especially ahead of Eid al-Fitr.

The objective is to ensure that all drivers are healthy and not under the influence of drugs.

Head of the Kampung Rambutan Bus Terminal, Yulza Ramadhoni, stated that since urine testing was conducted at the start of preparations for the Eid homecoming, no driver was detected with any indications of drug use.

He expressed optimism that the bus drivers were in good health to serve homecomers during their journey.

In addition to urine testing, the Kampung Rambutan Bus Terminal provides a health post that drivers and homecomers can utilize to check their health.

The blood pressure and blood sugar levels of the drivers are checked, so that they can be declared fit for duty.

“We have examined all the drivers that will depart from the Kampung Rambutan Bus Terminal. We ensure that so far, none of them had been indicated of using illegal drugs, and the result is they are in normal condition,” Ramadhoni remarked.

Apart from checking the health of bus drivers, the BNN also brought a team of sniffer dogs to check the travelers’ belongings to ensure drug-free trips, and so far, no homecomers have been caught carrying drugs.

Source: Antara News

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