Day: June 22, 2022

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Trade Ministry pursues market access for Indonesian products at AJC

The Trade Ministry pushed for market access for Indonesian products at the first 42nd Annual Meeting of the Council of the ASEAN–Japan Center (AJC).

“Indonesia appreciates the role of AJC in encouraging closer collaboration between ASEAN and Japan. The role of AJC can become more relevant, according to AJC’s reform program,” Director General for National Export Development at the Trade Ministry Didi Sumedi said in a written statement on Wednesday.

Indonesia, along with other ASEAN countries and Japan, took part in the first 42nd Annual Meeting of the AJC Council virtually to discuss AJC programs for the 2022–2025 period, or the AJC 5.0 medium-term strategic plan.

At the meeting, Indonesia expressed the hope that the trade, tourism, and investment promotion programs organized by AJC would encourage trade and investment growth between Indonesia and Japan.

Meanwhile, director of export development cooperation, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, said that Indonesia fully supports the ASEAN Digital Trade Promotion Program, which would be implemented in 2023.

The program will seek to promote ASEAN products in Japan using a single platform and will include the facilitation of online business matching and business contact.

“AJC 5.0 will be achieved through five goals, five strategies, and five opportunities that will focus on utilizing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and sustainable trade, tourism, and investment,” Marthini, who is also the Representatives of Indonesia Council director, said.

The use of the RCEP is in line with the Ministry of Trade’s priority to encourage market access for Indonesian products in partner countries, including Japan, through a trade agreement, she added.

AJC is an intergovernmental organization established by ASEAN member countries and Japan in 1981. The main objective of its establishment was to promote trade between ASEAN member countries and Japan and investment from Japan in ASEAN.

The organization also aims to bolster tourism and people-exchange activities between ASEAN countries and Japan through seminars, workshops, capacity-building programs, research and policy analysis, cross-cultural events, publications, and information services.

Source: Antara News

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RI supports strategy in reducing coal-derived carbon gas emissions

Indonesia supports global strategic efforts in reducing carbon gas emissions in the coal sub-sector through the use of technology as well as new and renewable energy (NRE).

Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Minister Arifin Tasrif affirmed that the move is expected to contribute to achieving the net-zero emission target by 2060 or sooner in line with the Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) agenda of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency.

“In the next few years, coal will become less popular as compared to NRE in the energy transition process,” Tasrif remarked at the kick-off of the meeting of the High Level Advisory Group (HLAG) for transition from coal to the net zero emission goal, as quoted here, Wednesday.

The ministry is readying four strategies to reduce carbon emissions: development of the coal downstream industry, the use of clean coal technology in power plants, carbon capture technology (CCS/CCUS), and biomass substitution.

Tasrif remarked that implementation of the strategy would take into account the multiple effects of the energy transition process.

“On one hand, it will close several job opportunities, while on the other hand, it will open up various job creation opportunities,” he stated.

The minister co-chaired the HLAG meeting along with Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Ecological and Demographic Transition Teresa Ribera.

One important agenda discussed at the meeting was the preparation of a special report on practical policies to reduce carbon emissions in the coal sector.

The special report will comprehensively analyze the impact of the net-zero emission target on the entire coal sector chain.

“The report was prepared at the right moment when the world energy prices are soaring and emphasize the importance of energy security and affordability,” the minister affirmed.

The HLAG meeting was attended by representatives of the International Energy Agency (IEA) member countries, representatives of companies in the energy sector, as well as funding management organizations, such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Climate Investment Fund (CIF).

Some issues that emerged during the discussion were the challenges in balancing the coal phase out strategy and NRE development, different capacities and capabilities of each country in the energy transition process, and funding support and attractive funding mechanisms for the success of each country’s coal phase out strategy.

In addition, an issue pertained to the involvement of local communities in the energy transition process to ensure effective and appropriate implementation and the urgency of strong regulatory support in the energy transition process, especially in developing countries.

The HLAG is scheduled to hold another meeting in July to discuss the concept of the report. HLAG Coal in the Global Net Zero Transition is part of the agenda to welcome the 2nd Energy Transitions Working Group on June 23-24, 2022.

Source: Antara News

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Jokowi inspects Sepaku Semoi Dam, raw water source of Nusantara

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) reviewed progress in the construction of Sepaku Semoi Dam, Penajam Paser Utara District, East Kalimantan, which is one of the raw water infrastructures providing for the Nusantara Capital City (IKN).

“The Sepaku Semoi Dam is one of the two (raw water sources whose construction) had been ongoing. Now, the progress (in the construction) of Sepaku Semoi Dam has reached 56-percent completion,” Director General of Water Resources of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, Jarot Widyoko, told Jokowi in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, Wednesday.

Widyoko explained that the dam, which is targeted to be completed in early 2023, will function as a raw water source that can provide 2,500 liters/second (l/s) of water, with a capacity of 10 million cubic meters.

The Sepaku Semoi Dam will not only provide raw water to the IKN and the Central Government Core Area (KIPP) but also to Balikpapan City, he confirmed.

“Hence, the capacity of Sepaku Semoi is 2,500 (liters/second), with 500 (l/s) for Balikpapan City and (the other) two thousand (l/s) will be sent to KIPP and IKN,” Widyoko stated.

In addition to the Sepaku Semoi Dam, the government is building the intake of Sepaku Dam, the work for which has currently reached 13-percent completion, he noted.

Later, Widyoko said, the Sepaku Dam intake will provide raw water of three thousand l/s and is targeted to be completed in December 2022.

“Insya Allah (God willing), we will complete (the work on the dam) by December 2022, so that in February 2023, it can provide five thousand (l/s of raw water),” he added.

Furthermore, he lauded President Jokowi for taking the time to directly review the development project.

“Mr. president’s attention is an encouragement for us to see our work in readying raw water for the National Capital city,” he stated.

Source: Antara News

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Vice President opens Center for Islamic Studies and Arabic Language

Vice President Ma’ruf Amin inaugurated the Center for Islamic Studies and Arabic Language (PUSIBA) in Bekasi, West Java, on Wednesday, which was initiated by the Indonesia branch of the Al-Azhar International Alumni Organization (OIAA).

“I welcome the presence of the Indonesian branch of the Al-Azhar Arabic Language Center; the only branch of the Al-Azhar Language Center outside Egypt, which is also directly supervised by Al-Azhar,” Amin said at the inauguration, which was accessed online from Jakarta on Wednesday.

He further said he believes that the construction of the building on the land left by fighters and national hero K.H. Noer Aly in Bekasi will make Al-Azhar’s treatise shine even more brightly in Indonesia.

He advised prospective students and Al-Azhar students to make the best use of learning activities at the language center. Meanwhile, to the organizers, the Vice President expressed the hope that the building would be used as a center for Al-Azhar social activities, da’wah, and religious education.

“In addition to honing Arabic language skills, I advise that prospective students’ Islamic and Indonesian insights should also be paid attention to. Later, they will be Al-Azhar ambassadors in Indonesia who will spread a moderate understanding of Islam according to the Al-Azhar method (manhaj),” the Vice President said.

He also asked that strategic partnerships continue to be developed because language studies would not only prepare the language skills of students, but the future of Indonesia.

“Finally, with the words of Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, the Central Building for Islamic and Arabic Studies, I inaugurate. May Allah SWT grant His protection and bless all our efforts,” the Vice President remarked.

Source: Antara News

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Widodo to visit Ukraine, Russia in June-end

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of June 2022 during his overseas trip, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has informed.

The planned visit to Ukraine and Russia would be part of a trip that President Widodo would undertake in a very complex situation, Marsudi said during a media briefing on Wednesday.

Widodo will visit Ukraine and Russia after attending the G7 Summit in Germany as a partner country.

“Despite the difficult situation and complex problem, as G20 president and a member of the champion group of the Global Crisis Response Group formed by the UN Secretary General, President Jokowi has opted to try to make contributions rather than remain silent,” she added.

President Widodo will be the first Asian leader to visit the two countries since Russia launched what is being described as a special operation in Ukraine, she said.

The visit reflects the President’s concern over humanitarian issues as well as efforts to contribute to addressing the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on various countries, she said.

“(We will) try to contribute to handling the food crisis due to the war that has affected all countries, particularly developing countries and low-income countries,” she added.

The visit is also part of efforts to encourage the spirit of peace, she said.

After Ukraine and Russia, he is scheduled to fly to Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, to discuss economic cooperation.

Source: Antara News

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Minister urges teachers to improve skills through ICT program

The Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Minister has urged educators to take part in the ICT-based Learning Program to improve their information and communication technology skills.

“A great teacher is a teacher who is willing to continue learning, a teacher who becomes a role model, (for example) by being a lifelong student for their students. That is the spirit that we carry with the ICT-based Learning Program, and its main goal is to improve the information and communication technology (skills) competency among educators,” Minister Nadiem Makarim said.

He made the remarks at the opening of the ICT-based Learning Program and the “2022 We Must Learn Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics” program, which was accessed from here on Wednesday.

Nadiem said that all teachers — whether teaching kindergarten, early childhood education, elementary school, junior high school, high school, or vocational high school — can take part in the ICT-based Learning Program.

“By participating in this program, I believe the teachers would be immensely assisted in preparing lesson plans and implementing them in the classroom,” he added.

It is expected that, through the program, teachers would be able to contemplate improving the learning process and make it more fun, more relevant, and offer students some freedom.

The minister also asked students from all educational levels to take part in the “We Must Learn Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)” program.

The program is designed to serve as a forum for students of elementary, middle, high, and vocational schools for exploring critical thinking, collaboration, and communication to develop STEM-based projects through the utilization of information and communication technology.

Makarim said that the program will allow students to explore many new and interesting things and create exciting STEM projects.

“In this competition, of course, there will be winners and losers, but what is more important is that you have the courage to try and dare to work and compete,” he remarked.

He said he expected parents to encourage their children to take part in the program to help them become smart students with good traits.

“Hereby I officially open the 2022 ICT-based Learning Program and the 2022 We Must Learn Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. I am waiting for the participation of teachers and students throughout Indonesia in these programs,” he added.

The Center for Data and Information Technology of the ministry has been organizing the ICT-based Learning Program since 2017 and the We Must Learn Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program since 2006.

The two programs seek to motivate students and educators to use ICT in learning as well as improve literacy and numeracy skills, as part of the government’s efforts to pursue freedom in learning.

Source: Antara News

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