Day: August 30, 2022

The G20 Summit marks the start of the electric vehicle (EV) conversion movement in Indonesia, Vice President Ma’ruf Amin stated.

“Starting from the G20, this is the start of the process of electric car conversion in Indonesia. The G20 summit, apart from the international meeting, we also start new things for electric cars and electric motorcycles,” he noted at the Apurva Kempinski public EV charging station (SPKLU) here on Tuesday.

G20 is an international forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union that work together to handle major issues. Indonesia is holding the presidency of the grouping this year.

The G20 Summit is scheduled to be held in Bali on November 15-16, 2022.

According to Amin, the use of electric cars is the initial step to overcoming the problem of fuel prices.

“I think electric cars are one of the steps in tackling the fuel problems,” the vice president affirmed.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, highlighted the government’s seriousness in converting from using fuel-powered vehicles to EVs.

“Like what has been conveyed by the vice president, the state budget will be directed to the use of electric cars, motorcycles, and buses, so that Jakarta or Indonesia’s air (quality) will improve, and it will also reduce our energy import. Hence, we will not depend too much on other countries,” Pandjaitan remarked.

According to the minister, President Joko Widodo had instructed to conduct EV conversion until 2030.

“The president’s instruction at the meeting is that we start the conversion of electric motorcycles and cars this year until 2030,” he remarked.

For the G20 Summit, EVs will be used for transportation: 134 units of Lexus UX 300e car, 46 units of Hyundai Genesis G80 car, and 300 units of Wuling EV car.

President Widodo has signed Presidential Regulation Number 55 of 2019 on the acceleration of battery-based EVs for road transportation.

In the EV roadmap, two million EVs are targeted to be operated on Indonesian roads by 2025.

According to the Transportation Ministry’s data, as of July 2022, a total of 22,671 EVs had received type test registration certification. The figure increased by 41.16 percent, or the equivalent of 6,611 units, as compared to the number of EVs recorded in March 2022, which only reached 16,060 units.

Source: Antara News

Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Lieutenant General Suharyanto on Tuesday outlined a simple early warning tool for earthquakes that the residents of West Sumatra province can use to maintain vigilance against potential aftershocks. In a statement received here on Tuesday, he appealed to the residents to build the tool in their own homes by stacking up used cans.

The cans would fall and make a sound when an earthquake occurs, which would be a sign for the people to leave their homes, he explained.

Earlier, an earthquake measuring 6.1 in magnitude (M) rocked Mentawai Islands district, West Sumatra province, on Monday (August 29, 2022) morning.

It was followed by 13 aftershocks measuring 3.5 M to 6.1 M. However, the disaster did not trigger a tsunami.

The BNPB head also appealed to the public to ensure that there are no large items, such as cupboards, refrigerators, and tables in places that can hinder the evacuation process.

He asked people living in coastal areas to learn to recognize the characteristics of earthquakes that can trigger tsunamis.

“If the earthquake rattles continuously for more than 30 seconds, either with a strong shaking or swinging, people living in coastal areas should immediately run to higher ground to avoid the potential of a tsunami,” he explained.

Suharyanto also asked people whose houses were damaged in Monday’s disaster to immediately report the damage to the local Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD).

Meanwhile, people whose buildings were not damaged can return to their homes since the quake did not trigger a tsunami, he said.

As of 7 a.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB) on Tuesday (August 30), a number of buildings of the Simalegi 3 State Junior High School, Betaet Community Health Center, West Siberut Sub-district Hall, and a church were reported to have been slightly damaged

In addition, one building of the Simalegi 11 State Elementary School suffered serious damage.

The shocks, which were reported to be quite strong on Siberut Island, caused 2,326 residents to seek refuge in West Siberut sub-district, Mentawai Islands district.

Source: Antara News

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan was confident that the economy in the third quarter (Q3) of 2022 could grow even higher despite the surge in fuel prices.

This conjecture was based on the trend of Indonesia’s economic growth, recorded at above five percent yoy since the fourth quarter of 2021.

“I think we all know that in the last quarter, we still grew 5.44 percent. It is beyond our expectations. We also predict that despite an increase in the price of oil, fuel, we can still see that the next quarter will be better than this 5.44 (percent),” Pandjaitan stated at the 32nd Indonesian Employer Association’s (Apindo’s) National Working Meeting and Consultation conducted online here on Tuesday.

The minister said the surmise was also based on the continued increase in public activities, as people ventured outdoors more often coupled with the increasing frequency of public spending.

The minister remarked that despite being in the midst of a global economic turmoil, the Indonesian economy was still one of the best. This view was also echoed by several groups overseas.

In addition to sound economic growth, he commended the performance of investment that was able to grow high, reaching 35.5 percent in the Q2 of 2022.

Similarly, the high export performance contributed to a surplus in trade balance for 27 consecutive months.

“(Indonesia)’s export performance is one of the highest in the world. We actually never expected this,” he added.

According to Pandjaitan, export performance, which grew to 32 percent yoy in July 2022, was supported by the high commodity prices, downstreaming that is starting to show results, efficiency with digitalization, and village funds.

“I think the village fund is because the money circulates around 70 thousand villages, and it makes economic activities in the countryside also run,” he stated.

Minister Pandjaitan said Indonesia’s sound economic performance was the result of team work that involved businessmen.

“If we look at Indonesia’s performance, it is one of the best in the world. This is teamwork, and I think the Indonesian Employer Association’s role is also extraordinary here,” he stated.

The government had constantly hinted at an increase in fuel prices in the near future.

The government had readied allowance worth Rp24.17 trillion for the community as additional social assistance for the planned transfer of fuel subsidies.

Of the total social assistance, amounting to Rp24.17 trillion, people would be given three types of assistance in the form of direct cash assistance, wage subsidy assistance, and allocation of the regional government general transfer funds to assist the transportation sector in their respective regions.

Source: Antara News

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif on Tuesday reviewed Pertamina’s Green Energy Station (GES) for general fuel in Denpasar, Bali, which also serves as a general electric-vehicle battery exchange station.

He said that the operation of such gas stations would promote the evolution of motorized vehicles from fuel-based to electric-based, which would be cleaner, more eco-friendly, and cost-effective since electricity costs would also be more competitive.

“This is the evolution of motorized vehicles that used to be fueled to become electric, environmentally clean, and efficient. The cost of electricity is also increasingly competitive because now (business entities) are competing to grow their businesses, for example, solar panels are getting cheaper,” the minister noted in a statement issued here on Tuesday.

He said that if drivers insist on using fossil-based fuels, the costs they will need to pay would rise, and there would also be a carbon tax in the future.

He urged people to switch to clean and renewable energy sourced from nature firsthand.

In addition, he also asked everyone to participate in efforts to promote the transition to electric vehicles as a means to achieve national efficiency.

“So, indeed, anyone can participate in pushing the demand for electric vehicles in terms of fuel costs,” he remarked.

He further emphasized that compared to fuel-based vehicles, the use of electric vehicles could benefit motorists.

“The cost of fuel, if you use oil fuel is Rp30 thousand per day, but if you use a battery swap it is only Rp10 thousand per day, that for the entire day. Grab has also provided packages such as leasing, so Grab partners pay a fee (for the rental of electric motorbikes of) Rp60 thousand a day. In three years, the motorbike will become the rider’s,” he highlighted.

PT Pertamina (Persero) is committed to expediting the development of its solar-powered and environmentally friendly green energy stations. Currently, there are 240 such stations, and their number is targeted to be increased to around 300 by the end of 2022.

Pertamina president director Nicke Widyawati said that her administration will increase new and renewable energy sources at the upstream, refinery, and downstream levels according to the energy mix target.

Currently, Pertamina is starting development on the downstream aspect, starting from two-wheeled vehicles to support the electric vehicle ecosystem.

“Our concept is to sell swap batteries to make it easier for motorcyclists, to start with, to (gauge) it,” Widyawati said.

“In Bali, we are collaborating with Grab for the development of this ecosystem. If this ecosystem is built, it will automatically offer convenience to people who will switch to using electric vehicles,” she added.

Source: Antara News

The Indonesian State Audit Board (BPK) has said that Parliament 20 (P20) and Supreme Audit Institutions G20 (SAI20) have the same interests and can strengthen collaboration for accelerating post-pandemic economic recovery.

The collaboration can also accelerate the achievement of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development goals (SDGs).

“Therefore, SAI20 needs to cooperate with representative institutions and other stakeholders to carry out an independent supervisory function to ensure the success of the policies and programs of the G20 countries,” BPK head, Isma Yatun, said at the SAI20 Summit in Nusa Dua, here on Tuesday.

The SAI20 Summit is an engagement group initiated by the BPK and attended by representatives from supreme audit institutions of 12 G20 member countries.

The parliament’s role is crucial in increasing accountability and transparency in government policy-making and public sector spending. For that reason, she acknowledged the importance of P20’s role in the G20 community.

As the COVID-19 pandemic begins to decline, it will be increasingly crucial for the government to focus more on economic recovery and achieving the sustainable development goal (SDG) targets. For that reason, SAI20 has been formed to contribute significantly to accelerating economic recovery and achieving the SDG targets, which are the two priority issues of the current SAI20 Summit.

The formation of SAI20 is an initial step to expanding the value and benefits of supreme audit institutions in supporting the G20. Through its communiqué, SAI20 has shown its role, commitment, and recommendations to ensure the effectiveness of G20 programs and policies, especially related to the two priority issues of SAI20.

Yatun said that the SAI20 communiqué encourages G20 governments to accelerate economic recovery and achieve the 2030 agenda by improving the global health architecture, promoting the transition to renewable energy and a greener economy, and ensuring the realization of digital transformation.

SAI20 aims to push synergy between SAI20 and the G20 community, including P20.

“With the ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’ spirit, we hope the SAI20 Summit will serve as an important milestone for the SAI20 community to contribute more significantly to the global community,” the BPK head remarked.

Source: Antara News

An Indian delegate on Tuesday lauded Indonesia for successfully holding the fourth meeting of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) here on August 29 and 30, 2022.

“We would like to thank you for being such a wonderful host, welcoming us warmly, and for the excellent hospitality to the delegates,” Naman Upadhyaya, an Indian delegate and deputy secretary of India’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters here on Tuesday.

India will hold the G20 Presidency next year and hopes to emulate the success of the Indonesian G20 Presidency, he said.

Although Indonesia and India are two different countries, they share similarities in terms of culture and certain values, he added.

Upadhyaya said he also hopes that Indonesia will support the Indian G20 Presidency next year and develop stronger collaboration and closer relations between both countries in the future.

“We are happy to accept the G20 Presidency, and we hope for full support from Indonesia,” he remarked.

The DEWG meeting discussed three priority issues: digital connectivity, digital skills and literacy, and cross-country data flow.

Digital security and digital skills are important topics for discussion, he said.

Hence, the two issues will be among the main focuses of India’s G20 Presidency, besides issues related to cyber security, he informed.

The two-day DEWG meeting was also attended by representatives of Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Argentina joined the meeting virtually.

The meeting yielded the G20 Digital Ministers’ draft declaration called “The Bali Package.”

The draft declaration will be discussed again and finalized at the Digital Economy Ministers’ Meeting (DEMM) on September 1.

Source: Antara News