Day: November 21, 2022

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Perry Warjiyo has forecast the central bank’s budget to suffer a deficit of Rp19.99 trillion in 2023.

The deficit will likely result from BI’s spending projected to cross Rp161.43 trillion as compared to its revenues estimated at Rp141.43 trillion, Warjiyo stated at a working meeting with the House of Representatives’ (DPR’s) Commission XI here on Monday.

“The main deficit will come from the policy budget that has the potential to suffer a fairly large deficit,” he noted.

The policy budget is projected to record a deficit of Rp33.15 trillion due to the central bank’s huge spending estimated at Rp145.93 trillion as compared to its revenues projected to reach Rp112.77 trillion, he noted.

The huge spending on the policy budget has to do with the efforts to stabilize the rupiah’s exchange rate and the increase in key interest rate, he noted.

Meanwhile, the operational budget is expected to record a surplus of Rp13.16 trillion as a result of the difference between the revenues estimated at Rp28.68 trillion and spending at Rp15.49 trillion.

He said the spending on operational budget contained in the BI Draft Annual Budget (RATBI) 2023 covers the management of foreign currency assets at Rp28.6 trillion, supporting operational activities, at Rp4 billion, and administrative revenues, Rp55 billion.

“There are still revenues from the management of foreign currency assets. Although we still have needs to intervene in the rupiah(‘s exchange rate) from the foreign exchange reserve, the foreign interest rate increases,” he said.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The government’s final decision is awaited for the purchase of F-15 EX, a 4.5-generation fighter jet from the United States, Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto stated.

“The negotiation (for the purchase of F-15) still continues. I believe that it will depend on the government’s final decision,” he noted after his meeting with the US Minister of Defense LIoyd J. Austin III here, Monday.

According to Subianto, the government’s current main priority is controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing for the impact of food security conditions in Indonesia and inflation caused by the energy price spike across the world.

“The Ukrainian war’s impact is very real, and all the warning from international institutions, from the World Bank, IMF, and ADB, and warning on the climate situation next year can affect our food production,” he remarked.

This will be a factor to be considered in the Indonesian government’s final decision, he noted.

“However, as the defense minister, we have calculated this. We have designed programs with our United States partner in the industry sector that we trust,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Austin has supported the Indonesian government’s efforts to modernize their weapon system.

The US supports the minister’s continued efforts to modernize the system and Indonesia’s defense capability through any means they can use, he remarked.

The F-16 already faces a healthy competition, while the F-15 platform provides additional capacity, and the two platforms complement one another, he noted.

The US has several differing platforms that work together, he explained.

During the event, Subianto also said he was satisfied with the state of bilateral cooperation with the United States in the defense sector.

“I convey my satisfaction with the ongoing bilateral cooperation. Relations between our two countries have been ongoing for decades and are currently in a good situation,” he remarked.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The momentum and outcomes of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency could support the push for an inclusive job market, including an increase in the employment of persons with disabilities, Minister of Manpower, Ida Fauziyah, has said.

“Currently, the issue of disability is not only a national issue but also an international issue and a cross-cutting issue. This issue was one of the priority issues of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency in 2022,” she informed at the National Awards for Companies and SOEs that Hire Disabled People here on Monday.

G20 is an international forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union that work together to handle major issues. Indonesia held the presidency of the grouping this year. The G20 Summit was held in Bali on November 15–16, 2022.

In the field of employment, Indonesia’s G20 Presidency resulted in the Action Plan on Accelerating and Monitoring the G20 Principles for the Labor Market Integration of Persons with Disabilities.

According to Fauziyah, with the action plan in place, Indonesia must accelerate the monitoring of G20 principles for the creation of an inclusive job market.

The principles include promoting inclusive jobs for persons with disabilities in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs), providing training and vocational training adjusted to the job market’s needs, increasing the participation of persons with disabilities in the job market, and providing entrepreneurship opportunities.

In Indonesia, Law Number 8 of 2016 concerning Persons with Disabilities stipulates that the percentage of workers with disabilities must be no less than two percent in the central and regional governments as well as SOEs (state-owned enterprises) and regional-owned enterprises (BUMD) and at least one percent in private companies.

“I hope, with this momentum and the commitment from the results of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency, we can continue to intensify various steps and implement the Disability Services Unit,” she remarked.

The minister further said she hopes that private companies, SOEs, and BUMD would increase the employment of persons with disabilities and report their employment to the manpower field offices in their respective regions.

Source: Antara News