Month: June 2022

The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) has said that the government is striving to turn Biak Numfor District, Papua Province, into a hub for exporting superior fishery commodities.

“Thus, the export market expansion — such as to Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, Palau, Korea, and Hong Kong — can be carried out directly and sustainably in future,” Head of KSP Moeldoko said in a statement received here on Tuesday regarding his working visit to the Biak Numfor District Fish Management Unit (UPI) and Center for Integrated Fisheries Areas (SKPT).

He issued the statement in response to the aspiration voiced by one of the local fishermen he met during the working visit.

The local fisherman, Moses, expressed a wish for the expansion of fisheries commodities exports since currently, fishery products are only being sent to Singapore.

The KSP head also emphasized that the central government is committed to fully supporting the improvement of the marine and fishery industry potential in the district through, for instance, the establishment of the SKPT.

The government has also established supporting facilities and infrastructure, such as the Fandoi Fishing Port, a fish landing location equipped with adequate electricity and clean water, fishing equipment and vessels, as well as an integrated cold storage with a capacity of 200 tons, he informed.

“All of the supports have been provided to improve the welfare of small local fishermen, according to the President’s (Joko Widodo’s) directives,” he added.

Meanwhile, Head of Biak Numfor District Herry Ario Naap informed that the production of fishery commodities in the district has reached 144.9 thousand tons in a year, contributing up to 13.7 percent to the total national fishery production.

The region has the potential to boost fishery production to over one million tons per year, he added.

“If the products can be exported directly, the amount of foreign exchange obtained (by Biak Numfor District) will be very large,” he said.

Source: Antara News

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and First Lady Iriana visited the Bung Karno Contemplation Park in Ende District, East Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday, after serving as inspector for the Birth of Pancasila commemoration ceremony.

During the visit, the president and first lady were accompanied by Noncent W. Noi, who updated them on the park’s history as the birthplace of the national ideology of Pancasila, according to an official statement received here.

Noi stated that Soekarno, during his exile from January 1934 to October 1938, often spent his time contemplating under a breadfruit tree in the park.

In his autobiography, Soekarno stated that he got inspiration of the national foundation, later named Pancasila and has become the national ideology after independence, after contemplating at the park, which at present remains etched in his memory, Noi noted.

“Bung Karno returned to Ende as President of the Republic of Indonesia 12 years after his second exile to Bengkulu, and in front of Ende residents, he then proclaimed ‘In this city, I found five pearls and under this breadfruit tree I contemplated the noble value of Pancasila,'” he remarked.

He revealed that the founding father mandated that the breadfruit tree be replaced if the tree died. As the tree died in 1972, efforts to plant the tree first were futile, as it failed to grow.

Under the leadership of Herman Joseph Gadi Djou, who served as the district head from 1973 to 1983, he urged Soekarno’s remaining fellow compatriots to plant the tree. The present tree was planted by them on August 17, 1980, Noi explained.

“Mr President, this breadfruit tree is now thriving with its five branches. For Ende people, this proves that Ende is the womb of Pancasila,” he stated.

Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Bambang Soesatyo, Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Anwar Usman, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Indonesian military Commander General Andika Perkasa, East Nusa Tenggara Governor Viktor Laiskodat, and Ende District Head Djafar Achmad accompanied the president and the first lady during their visit.

Source: Antara News

Coordinating Economic Affairs Ministry’s secretary, Susiwijono, affirmed that the G20 presidency entrusted to Indonesia in 2022 symbolizes acknowledgment of its strategic role in representing Southeast Asia in terms of the global economy and financial architecture.

Through the G20 Presidency, Indonesia is also expected to encourage improvement of the quality of human resources (HR) and the quantity of new workers, particularly in the tourism sector, regional revitalization and promotion of the tourism sector, opportunities for cooperation to achieve SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) targets, as well as exposure to the potential and economy of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

“In total, 437 events to be held comprise 184 meetings and 253 side events. The climax will be the G20 summit on November 15-16, 2022. It is a meeting at the head of state level,” Susiwijono noted in an official statement here on Wednesday.

According to the ministry’s secretary, global challenges that continue to develop have led to discussions on G20 priorities not only on financial issues but also on non-health issues.

Through the theme “Recover Together, Recover Stronger,” Indonesia brings up the three main topics of global health architecture, digital-based economic transformation, and sustainable energy transition in the implementation of its G20 Presidency this year, he stated.

Susiwijono expressed optimism that the discussion of these three issues would strengthen and restructure post-pandemic global health governance and architecture, create economic value through the utilization of digital technology, and reach a global agreement to accelerate the energy transition process.

“The G20 Forum is also expected to bring strategic benefits to Indonesia economically and socio-culturally,” Susiwijono remarked.

Hence, he also noted that on March 14, 2022, the United Nations had formed the Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) to tackle food, energy, and financial issues, wherein these issues are also related to the main agenda of the G20.

The GCRG will facilitate decision-making and global consensus on action steps, or key requests, to avoid, mitigate, and respond to the impacts of food, energy, and financial crises; promote action steps through public and private advocacy; and encourage the participation of critical states and actors as well as boost public discussion.

The GCRG comprises six heads of state from Senegal, Denmark, Germany, Barbados, Bangladesh, and Indonesia that had been appointed as GCRG Champions. Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the United Nations and the President of Senegal, who is also the Chair of the African Union, will be the Co-Chair of the GCRG.

Source: Antara News

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno asserted that he will continue to encourage efforts to improve the tourism and creative economy sectors in Indonesia to attract foreign tourists, especially travelers from Singapore.

The improvement is aimed at boosting foreign tourist arrivals that are targeted to reach 3.6 million in 2022.

“We have just started a sales mission in Singapore, which is the first sales mission we have conducted after the pandemic in relation to one of the largest potential markets for Indonesian tourism,” he noted at the Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore, according to an official statement received here on Wednesday.

On that occasion, Uno met travel agencies, airlines, and the media. Around 95 percent of tourism sector entrepreneurs in Singapore that attended the event expressed their enthusiasm.

In fact, they already have a target to organize tourism activities and help in boosting the tourism sector in Indonesia starting in the middle of this year or in June 2022.

“We hope that our visit would spur tourist arrivals from Singapore and unleash our economic opportunities to open up business and job opportunities,” he affirmed.

Uno spoke of having assigned the ministry’s Tourism Marketing Directorate to facilitate the resolution of issues and obstacles in an effort to increase the arrivals of tourists from Singapore.

Thus, issues, such as institutional matters, burdensome insurance requirements, visas, and the number of ferry services that need to be increased between the two countries, should be resolved at the earliest.

Uno targeted that in the next few weeks, the ministry would start to resolve issues related to visas and insurance with the help of the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI).

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit or in 2019, Singapore was the third-largest contributor to foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia.

“Batam and Bintan are the second entry gates for tourists from Singapore after Bali. Thus, the target is that in the next 6-12 months, we will restore them with a quality and sustainable tourism concept,” he remarked.

He conveyed that the ministry is making efforts for improvements in several tourist attractions in Batam, Bintan, and other destinations, so that tourists can stay longer and shop for goods in the tourism and creative economy sectors.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan inspected the Jakarta Formula E circuit ahead of the electric car race scheduled on Saturday (June 4) in Ancol, North Jakarta.

Baswedan arrived at the circuit in Ancol on Wednesday at around 3 p.m. local time to evaluate the readiness for the upcoming electric car race.

“It can be said that the entire preparation phase has been completed three days before the implementation,” he noted.

Dressed in a white shirt and jeans and wearing black glasses, he was accompanied by Jakarta Formula E Organizing Committee Head, Ahmad Sahroni, and also Co-Founder of Formula E, Alberto Longo.

The governor also reviewed the arena around the spectator stage and the racers’ paddock, while Longo explained the technical aspects to him.

Baswedan also sat in the driver’s seat and attempted to maneuver the steering wheel of a Formula E car, with black and turquoise colors.

During his visit, the Jakarta Formula E Organizing Committee was accelerating the work on several supporting facilities, including the spectator stage.

Meanwhile, Baswedan stated that all Jakarta Formula E racers arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon.

“Some 100 percent of the riders will arrive in Jakarta this afternoon,” he stated.

Earlier, one of the spectator tribunes in the grandstand category collapsed as a result of strong winds and rains on Friday night (May 27).

Jakarta Formula E Organizing Committee Head Ahmad Sahroni had targeted to complete the repair of the grandstand roof on Thursday (June 2).

Furthermore, the committee offered about 60 thousand tickets for Formula E spectators in various categories.

Tickets for the “Ancol Festival” and “Circuit Festival” categories are sold at a price of Rp287 thousand and Rp517 thousand, including tax, and the most expensive ticket costs Rp10 million.

Sahroni confirmed that the Jakarta Formula E tickets that were more expensive had been sold out.

Source: Antara News

Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration, Abdul Halim Iskandar, assessed that the state ideology of Pancasila serves as an inspiration for the sustainable development of villages in Indonesia.

“As the state ideology, Pancasila becomes the spirit of the development and empowerment of rural communities,” the minister noted in a written statement received here on Wednesday.

Pancasila serves as the foundation for all efforts for development and empowerment of rural communities in Indonesia, he affirmed.

“Pancasila’s philosophical values must inspire village development based on the diversity of local village cultures. Happy Pancasila Day,” the minister stated after attending the 2022 Pancasila Day commemoration ceremony, led by President Joko Widodo, on Wednesday.

Iskandar noted that Indonesia’s diverse society, comprising various tribes, cultures, and religions; the values of tolerance among religious people; and the culture of mutual cooperation in the community must become the spirit of village development.

“Hence, village development must be conducted as an effort to implement Pancasila’s values fully,” he remarked.

He noted that villages are the nation’s epicentre to strengthen the Pancasila ideology while adding that this must be reflected in the context of village development.

On the occasion, the minister also drew attention to the Village Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that serve as the direction of village development policies with Pancasila.

He assessed that the goals in Village SDGs serve as a “safety fence” for the sustainability of village development for future generations, without denying the principle of recognition and authority at a local-village scale or subsidiarity.

The values of diversity and pluralism have inspired the localization of global SDGs to the village level by adding the 18th goal of dynamic village institutions and adaptive village culture, he stated.

“The direction of village development policies provides space for villages to determine the priority of goals in the Village SDGs that are most urgent and needed by the village community, not separated from local customs and wisdom, in accordance with the geographical and social conditions of the community,” he explained.

Source: Antara News

At least 102 homes have been damaged by strong winds witnessed in Banda Aceh, Aceh province, since Friday (May 27, 2022), the Banda Aceh Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has reported.

The worst winds were reported on Sunday (May 29), acting head of the Banda Aceh BPBD, Rizal Abdillah, said in Banda Aceh on Wednesday.

“Strong winds with speeds reaching 105 km/h damaged the roofs of 102 houses and public facilities,” he informed.

According to Abdillah, the losses due to the damage reached millions of rupiah, but data was still in the process of being collected and calculated.

In addition to residents’ homes, the strong winds also damaged several public facilities owned by the Banda Aceh administration, including the Kuta Alam Health Center, Al-Mahirah Market, and three elementary school buildings, he said.

One kindergarten building, the Syiah Kuala Sub-district Office, and the Peulanggahan Village Head Office also suffered damage, he added.

He said that the number of damaged buildings could still increase as strong winds have continued to be recorded in the area.

“In addition to the damaged buildings, we also recorded some 11 trees falling on several sections of the road. Strong winds also resulted in a resident being rushed to the hospital due to a broken hand by a fallen tree,” he added.

Moreover, Abdillah said the Banda Aceh city government has designated the extreme weather as an emergency disaster because it has damaged many houses and public facilities.

With the state of emergency declared, public facilities and residents whose homes have been affected by the disaster can receive help based on the available budget, he added.

“Residents affected by the strong wind disaster have also received assistance during the panic period in the form of basic necessities distributed by the city government,” he informed.

Source: Antara News

Cybersecurity expert Pratama Persadha urged the government to immediately ratify the personal data protection bill (RUU PDP) and the cybersecurity and resilience bill (RUU KKS) to strengthen Indonesia’s cybersecurity.

“There are at least three laws that regulate cyberspace in Indonesia, namely UU ITE (Information and Electronic Transaction Law), UU PDP (Personal Data Protection Law), and UU KKS (Cybersecurity and Resilience Law). Of the three, the ITE Law has existed since 2008 and has undergone a revision in 2016. The House of Representatives (DPR) and the government should pursue the RUU PDP and the RUU KKS to be ratified,” he noted in a statement received here on Wednesday.

President Joko Widodo earlier remarked that Indonesia’s digital economy potential would touch US$135 billion. According to Persadha, internet infrastructure and cybersecurity are the main requirements to achieve the figure or even surpass it.

He noted that growth of the digital economy would be exponential if cyberspace in the country is truly safe, cybercrimes can be overcome, and misuse of personal data draws appropriate and proper penalties.

“A safe and conducive cyberspace situation is the best guarantee for the community to conduct digital economic activities, which in the end will continue to increase domestic and foreign investors to boost economic activities in the country. Apart from that, the country will also not miss data exploitation by tech giants,” he pointed out.

Persadha, who serves as chairman of the Communication and Information System Security Research Center (CISSReC), noted that all of these can be achieved through various means, including by putting in place complete and strong laws. To this end, he opined that the RUU PDP and RUU KKS must be prioritized by the state.

“On the birthday of Pancasila, I hope that the PDP Law and the KKS Law would soon be born in the country, so that they can be in charge of various defense policies, cybersecurity in the country, and guard Indonesia’s digital economy,” he remarked.

Source: Antara News