Day: August 28, 2022

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin noted that Bali could become a location to develop the genomic data research center to boost health innovations, as part of efforts to create a healthier future generation.

“Bali has the quality and capability to build and prepare health infrastructures,” Sadikin said while delivering his remarks at the Tri Hita Kirana (THK) Forum Road to G20 event in Bali on Saturday (August 27).

Sadikin said, the COVID-19 pandemic had raised awareness on the need for robust and comprehensive health architecture to face emergencies and increasing preparedness to create a resilient society.

“The process towards this goal could begin by managing the hundreds of millions of genomic data collected during the pandemic,” he said.

According to him, the pandemic had presented Indonesia with an opportunity to manage hundreds of millions of genomic data that will be used as a research basis. The aim is to make health innovations so that the world will be more prepared to face future pandemics.

“The development of this international (health) architecture center is in line with the Kerthi Bali economic roadmap conveyed by President Joko Widodo. The President emphasized the importance of economic diversification in Bali so that it does not only depend on the tourism sector,” he remarked.

To implement the Kerthi Bali economic roadmap, the Ministry of Health has made several efforts to process the genomic data, for example, build a genomic research center at Udayana University and held a meeting with East Venture to support bioresearch in Bali.

“To this end, we are opening opportunities for foreign companies to establish research centers and other investments in the health sector in Indonesia. However, the monetization must still be carried out in Indonesia and offer benefits to the community,” the minister said.

Director of Financial Engineering at MIT Sloan School of Management Andrew Lo emphasized that health is a global issue that need support from all stakeholders to handle it.

Andrew noted that a bio fund of US$30 billion is needed to increase the scale of the impact and reduce financial risks.

“It can be achieved with a blended finance scheme, namely using public funds as a catalyst to attract investment from private funding massively,” he said.

Source: Antara News

APEC officials, private sector representatives, environmental experts, representatives from international organizations and members of the youth are exploring business practices and financing as pathways to sustainable economic growth in the region.

The stakes are high for APEC to push for concrete actions to achieve more sustainable economic growth, Thailand’s Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Thani Thongphakdi said, in a dialogue exploring ways to enhance partnerships towards sustainable economic growth, held in Chiang Mai on Saturday (August 27).

The APEC region suffers from more than 70 percent of global natural disasters, and disaster-related losses amount to US$100 billion annually, as noted in a release issued by the SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation and received here on Sunday.

The economic risk of climate change in APEC is significant. Even in the best-case scenario, when average temperatures are kept at or are below 2 degrees Celsius, or relative to pre-industrial levels, APEC can expect gross domestic product (GDP) losses of 0.6 to 11.3 percent by 2050 relative to a no-climate change scenario, according to the APEC Policy Support Unit.

In the dialogue exploring ways to enhance partnerships towards sustainable economic growth, Thani Thongphakdi highlighted the bio-circular-green (BCG) economy model as a post-pandemic growth strategy.

It combines science, innovation and technology to promote the efficient use of resources, maintain and restore ecosystems and reduce waste in a bid to build a system where economy and business can thrive.

At the heart of this BCG approach is an understanding of the complex interactions between the environment, society and the economy.

Economic policies, traditionally, have often ignored the impacts of economic activities on the environment and failed to take into account the costs of these activities on the economy and society.

In response, Thailand as the host of APEC 2022 introduced the BCG economy model, which aims to comprehensively address environmental challenges, including climate change, extreme weather and natural disasters.

“In our journey towards recovery, it is crucial to prioritize investment in building sustainability and resiliency against future disruptions,” said Thani, who is also the chair of the 2022 APEC Senior Officials.

“We need to foster public-private-people partnerships in this area to ensure that our policy encourages sustainable business practices and promote investment and financing,” he added.

Addressing how investments in the health of both people and the planet are required for recovery efforts, the United Nations Development Programme’s Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Christophe Bahuet highlighted how health and the environment are tightly interconnected for an effective COVID-19 response.

“Economies must scale up investments in building resilient and sustainable systems for health to support the immediate COVID-19 response and help to prevent future health crises,” Bahuet said.

He also pointed out that achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 would require intensive investment.

“With the pandemic, socioeconomic and geopolitical challenges, and mounting climate and environmental risks, such additional investment needs will be larger,” he remarked.

At the dialogue, policymakers heard from private sector representatives what drives businesses to pivot into more sustainable practice, as well as the challenges they face during this crucial transition.

The discussion tackled the fault lines laid bare by COVID-19 and the resulting economic impacts in the APEC region. The pandemic has impeded years of economic and development gains and has added more pressure to vulnerable and small businesses.

Speakers and delegates acknowledged that a balanced, resilient and sustainable economy is needed to ensure that economic advancement benefits all.

Delegates also deliberated over policy levers to further expand access to sustainable financing and investment given their crucial role to encourage and empower small businesses.

They also shared the challenges they faced over the gaps in putting sustainability into practice and what opportunities exist to bridge those fissures and ensure policies benefit all people.

“In order for us to achieve our ambitious target of a greener and more inclusive future, we need to continue cooperation between member economies in APEC,” said Matt Murray, the Chair of APEC SOM Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation.

“Expanding our network of partnerships with diverse stakeholders from the private sector, civil society and the youth will help us formulate better policies to and attract more interest in sustainable practices and strengthen the resilience of our economies,” he concluded.

Source: Antara News

A “Kirab Merah Putih” or Red and White Parade, joined by more than 10,000 people, was flagged off by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) from a road in front of the Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta, on Sunday.

At the event which took place at around 07:00 a.m. local time, President Jokowi was accompanied by charismatic ulema Habib Luthfi bin Yahya, and National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.

“Along with the police chief and Habib Luthfi bin Yahya, by uttering bismillahirrahmanirrahim (in the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful), the Kirab Merah Putih is flagged off,” he said.

According to Habib Luthfi, a member of the Presidential Advisory Board, the Red and White Parade was performed to thank the almighty God for bestowing a country with the wealth of fertile land on Indonesians.

“We had passed through 350 years with fights that had finally enabled us to hoist our national flag. This is not a gift. Instead, the Red and White can be hoisted thanks to the founders of our nation’s services,” he said.

Therefore, to thank their services, Habib Luthfi called for members of young generation’s active contribution to the nation’s development.

“Through the parade this morning, we show our readiness for using the Red and White in our lifetime. We are always committed to protecting the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI),” he said.

A collective commitment to serving and protecting the NKRI was the main objective of this Red and White Parade in an endeavor to restore a sense of ownership for the Motherland, Habib Luthfi added.

On August 17 this year, Indonesia celebrated the 77th anniversary of its independence.

A day before the commemoration, President Jokowi delivered his state address at the 2022 annual session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the Joint Session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD).

In his state address, President Jokowi highlighted four strengths that Indonesia has. One of them is its ability to emerge as a strong nation in facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If we are able to manage the pandemic well, then it means that we will also be able to manage other big agendas. This is our first strength to build our country,” Jokowi said.

Indonesia’s second strength is its abundant natural resources. “The vast area, with the richest biodiversity in the world, will surely become Indonesia’s great strength if we manage it wisely and sustainably.”

However, related stakeholders should apply several conditions, including domestic downstreaming and industrialization, to bring added value and maximize national interests, he stated.

“This will open employment opportunities, increase exports, generate foreign exchange, increase state income, and boost economic growth,” the president remarked.

President Jokowi noted that the third strength was the demographic bonus or a large number of young people of the productive age.

He believes that the demographic bonus as well as the increasing purchasing power of the people would become the driving force of the national economy in facing the global competition.

The fourth strength is the sharp increase in international trust. Indonesia is accepted by Russia and Ukraine to serve as a communication bridge to broker peace despite the geopolitical situation heating up.

“Indonesia is also trusted by the United Nations as Champions from the Global Crisis Response Group for handling global crises,” he added.

Source: Antara News

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) distributed social assistance to communities and traders at Cicaheum Market in Bandung, West Java Province, on Sunday, which marked the start of his working visit to the province.

The President and First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo arrived at the market at 9.21 a.m. local time and distributed the assistance, which included the working capital assistance (BMK) that could be used as an additional business capital.

According to an official statement received here, the assistance was given in the form of direct cash assistance (BLT) for the Family Hope Program (PKH) beneficiaries and working capital assistance (BMK) for market traders and street vendors.

“This morning, just like in other provinces, I distributed basic needs assistance to PKH beneficiaries and also provided additional business capital, additional work capital, to traders at the market, to street vendors,” the President told reporters on the sidelines of his visit to Cicaheum Market.

The President also reviewed the condition of the Cicaheum Market, which was already not in good condition and expressed readiness to help renovate the market if needed.

“I asked the (West Java) governor, the (Bandung) mayor, regarding this market. If it needs to be renovated, we are ready to renovate it,” he remarked.

Since the traditional market is a Regional-Owned Enterprises (BUMD), if the government supports the renovation, the support will be provided to the BUMD, he added.

“I have offered to renovate (the market),” he said.

During his visit to Cicaheum Market, President Jokowi was accompanied by Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, and Bandung Mayor Yana Mulyana.

Source: Antara News

The Industry Ministry has consistently encouraged the development of industrial estates to boost growth in manufacturing sector and investment.

Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said the ministry has taken steps to accelerate the development of industrial estates, and to improve their productivity, among others by developing smart eco-industrial parks, also known as the fourth generation industrial estates.

“The number of industrial estates in Indonesia as of July 2022 has reached 138 companies,” Kartasasmita said in a statement here Sunday.

The estates, he continued, are mostly categorized as the third generation ones.

If the first generation industrial estates are fully developed and managed by the government, the second generation ones are built by the private sector but the government still acts as a regulator.

Meanwhile, the third generation industrial estates are equipped with settlements with all supporting facilities in an effort to create an independent and modern industrial city.

Kartasasmita said the development in digital technology has also affected the industrial estates that started to move toward the fourth generation ones.

A smart eco-industrial park or the fourth generation industrial estate is marked with the application of principles of sustainable development such as carbon emission reduction, circular economy, and green industry that bridge the transition toward renewable energy.

The ministry has worked closely with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of Switzerland to implement the Global Eco Industrial Park Programme (GEIPP), launched in July 2020.

Under the program, an industrial estate will get the support in the form of capacity building and workshop on the implementation of International Framework for Eco-Industrial Park (EIP) to improve resources productivity, economic performance, environment, social and business for industrial estate.

The minister has applauded Jababeka Industrial Estate that organized the Jababeka Tenant Award 2022 under the theme “Digital Transformation Drives to Green Industry”.

“This collaboration is aimed to materialize Strong Indonesia, Growing Industry” through the transformation of industrial estate toward an eco-industrial park,” he noted.

There are 1,800 industrial tenants from 30 countries in Jababeka industrial estate. The estate has provided jobs for 1.7 million workers which furthermore would improve people’s welfare and boost the local economy.

“As the management of the industrial estate, Jababeka attempts to provide its best services to tenants in accordance to their needs,” PT Jababeka’s Director Hyanto Wihadhi said.

The awards were given to tenant companies in four categories namely Best of The Best Tenant Award, Best of Green Tenant Award, Best of CSR Program Contributor Tenant Award, and Best of Estate Regulation Compliance Tenant Award.

Source: Antara News

Indonesia has succeeded in mainstreaming the issue of nuclear naval propulsion (NNP) into the United Nations (UN) forum, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The UN 10th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT RevCon) was held on August 1 to 26, 2022 at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States, according to the ministry’s statement here on Sunday.

The NPT RevCon is a conference held every five years since 1975 to review the implementation of the treaty limiting the possession of nuclear weapons.

“Indonesia’s intention to raise awareness on the NPT has been achieved. Many countries are paying attention to this issue. Indonesia will continue to monitor the momentum,” Director General of Multilateral Cooperation at the ministry Tri Tharyat who led the Indonesian delegation at the meeting said.

Tharyat deemed the achievement significant as the issue of the nuclear-powered submarines had not been discussed in any international forum.

“In fact, the NNP program links to nuclear issues and has the potential to pose a big risk to world peace and safety,” he said.

According to him, among the risks that arise are the transfer of these technologies into nuclear weapons that can threaten the non-proliferation regime and global security, as well as causing devastating impacts on the environment.

Prior to the UN session, Indonesia issued a working paper called the “Indonesian Paper”. The issue of NNP has received serious attention due to the leading role of Indonesia and several other countries.

During the negotiations, the issue of NNP sparked pros and cons among countries. The difference in views between countries that support and those that oppose is quite sharp.

Indonesia submitted proposal that was relatively acceptable to all parties. The proposal became the basis for negotiations after some countries had given inputs.

“All parties agree that the NNP program is a common concern. A transparent and open dialogue is needed on this issue. All parties also agree that the development of NNP must be in close coordination with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) in an open and transparent manner,” Tharyat said.

The 10th NPT RevCon did not reach a consensus on the outcome document due to sharp differences in views among countries on various other issues, particularly regarding the power plant in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

However, the fact that countries reached an agreement in the discussion regarding the NNP program became an achievement for Indonesia, the ministry said.

Source: Antara News

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno,has invited private companies to partake in the development of local tourism in their respective regions.

“Let us jointly revive the economy by developing tourist attractions in regions,” he said here on Sunday.

Uno noted that not only the tourist attractions but the creative economy products in the regions must also be improved for local people’s prosperity.

“I thank BCA (Bank Central Asia), which will offer training and mentoring programs for residents in Pahawang Island as the ‘Mitra bakti BCA’ village,” he said.

During his visit to Pahawang Island, the minister toured to see a number of creative economy products made by the local community, such as dodol mangrove (traditional confection made from mangrove fruits), phinisi boat miniatures, fishing equipment, and other Pahawang Island souvenir galleries.

“We can help with the packaging of the dodol mangrove,” the minister said.

Head of BCA Bandarlampung Branch Peter Soeryadi said that tourism villages are one of the supporters of economic growth in the region, especially for people who depend their economy on them.

“With the existence of the Indonesian Tourism Village Award (ADWI) program, a lot of regional tourism potentials can be shown so that the economy of the local residents can be improved, and BCA will also support this activity by providing assistance which includes providing information, building facilities and of course, encouraging the promotion of Pahawang Island Tourism Village which is in the top 50 of ADWI,” he remarked.

ADWI 2022 has seven categories of evaluation, with the first being visitor attractions, and the other categories are homestay; souvenirs including culinary, craft, and fashion products; digital and creative; public toilets; CHSE category or Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environment Sustainability; and village institutions.

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy involves its strategic partners in developing the top 50 tourism villages, namely Astra, BCA, BNI, and Grab.

Source: Antara News

A cargo ship, with 15 people on board, sank in the Makassar Strait of central Indonesia, leaving 11 people missing, an official said yesterday.

The ship was hit by huge waves, while sailing in the waters between Kalimantan and Sulawesi island. The accident was found out by a passenger ship, which helped the victims, said Dendy Prasetyo, senior press official at South Kalimantan’s search and rescue office.

“Today (yesterday) we carried out a search and rescue operation to look for the 11 missing persons,” he said, over the phone.

Four people survived the accident, as they used a lifeboat and were helped by a ferry, said Prasetyo.

The cargo ship, loaded with cement, departed from a seaport in South Kalimantan province, and was heading to a seaport in South Sulawesi province, according to the official.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK