Day: February 12, 2023

Bandung – The West Java administration has reviewed the the implementation of regulations on the construction of earthquake-resistant buildings in districts and cities across the province in an effort to curb risks when powerful earthquakes occur.

West Java Governor M Ridwan Kamil noted that provincial government would check whether district and city governments had implemented the regulations mandating the construction of buildings with earthquake-resistant structures.

“The regulations have already existed, specifically in the cities,” he said in a statement issued by the provincial government on Sunday.

However, the provincial government will examine cities or regions beyond Bandung and Bogor that have yet to have regulations that mandate the construction of buildings with earthquake-resistant structure, he added.

Speaking at the Real Estate Indonesia (REI) anniversary event on Saturday, he said that the earthquakes that shook Cianjur on November 21, 2022 and Turkey on February 6, 2023 need to be taken as an important lesson.

Specifically, it is a lesson on the importance of building construction regulation to minimize the impact of earthquake, he explained.

The buildings in Cianjur only have one floor, but the buildings in Turkey are tall and have multiple floors which exacerbate the earthquake’s impact. Many of them are not earthquake-resistant, he said.

The governor urged companies within REI to construct buildings with earthquake-resistant structures. On Thursday, the Indonesian city of Jayapura in Papua Province was struck by a 5.4-magnitude earthquake that killed four people.

According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), these four victims were found from the ruins of a cafeteria that was destroyed due to the earthquake.

The agency also informed that 2,136 people were displaced by the earthquake and they seek refuge at evacuation locations spread across 15 areas.

Source: Antara News

Palangka Raya, C Kalimantan – Central Kalimantan’s Disaster Mitigation and Fire Prevention Agency on Sunday urged all district and city administrations to be ready for anticipating the impact of forest and land fire following land fire incidents in several areas in the province.

“In early this year, several hotspots have been detected, and there have been fire incidents, though they are still in a small scale,” the agency’s head, Falery Tuwan, noted.

Based on reports from district and city governments until February 9, 2023, there had been 38 forest and land fires in Central Kalimantan, he said.

These forest and land fires were recorded to have occurred in South Barito (4), North Barito (9), Katingan (2), Palangka Raya (2), West Kotawaringin (6), East Kotawaringin (10), Lamandau (1), and Sukamara (5).

“In relation to this, we ask districts/cities to prepare and take preventive measures,” he remarked.

Related stakeholders in the districts and cities, including the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency as well as military and police units, should be ready for conducting forest and land fire prevention and mitigation efforts.

According to Tuwan, the district and city governments should intensify routine patrols in vulnerable areas and prepare human resources, facilities, and infrastructures needed in forest and land fire prevention and mitigation efforts.

The district and city governments should also intensify dissemination of information to raise residents’ awareness to help prevent forest and land fires.

Earlier, the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM), in cooperation with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), have prepared efforts to prevent peatland fire through weather modification technology.

This activity is expected to increase water reserve through the creation of artificial rain, Head of BRGM Hartono during an opinion hearing meeting on Monday.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta – Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah stated that the government is open for the bill on the Protection of Domestic Workers (RUU PPRT) as the Indonesian House of Representatives’ (DPR RI’s) initiative.

“Once this bill is finished becoming the House’s initiated bill, then the government is ready to welcome it. We have discussed this matter already,” she noted on the sidelines of the Human Rights Parade Supporting the Acceleration of the Ratification of the PPRT Bill in Jakarta on Sunday.

Fauziyah informed that the government had held several Focus Group Discussions (FGD) on the PPRT Bill, both internally and with stakeholders.

She emphasized that the existence of the PPRT Bill is very urgent because in carrying out their duties, domestic workers often work in the private sphere that has space for vulnerability.

“This is important for the government to immediately ratify the PPRT Bill to become a Law,” she continued.

In addition, the government is also ready to discuss issues in the PPRT Bill that are still being debated in DPR. “The government is ready to discuss and listen to various stakeholders, including DPR,” Fauziyah added.

The Human Rights Parade Supporting the Acceleration of the Ratification of the PPRT Bill was also attended by Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security Mahfud MD; and representatives of several government’s agencies.

The attendants were from the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry; Presidential Staff Office (KSP); National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM); the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan); and various elements of society.

Separately, Komnas Perempuan Commissioner Theresia Iswarini said the ratification of the PPRT Bill was crucial in order to realize the protection of domestic workers as part of efforts to uphold human rights.

“The domestic workers bill ratification is very urgent because our records show that cases against domestic workers exist and they need protection,” Iswarini remarked.

According to her, the PPRT Bill is not only beneficial for domestic workers but also provides a regulatory framework regarding the rights and obligations of workers, employers, and distributors of domestic workers.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta – Indonesia’s Supreme Audit Board (BPK) has disclosed that its auditors.would examine the financial statements of nine ministries and government agencies by using a risk-based audit (RBA) approach which focuses on areas, considered to be “high risk enough”.

The auditors.would also focus on the areas having impacts on the presentation of 2022 financial statements (LK) in 2022, including the internal control over the financial reporting, the agency’ s member II, Daniel Lumban Tobing, said.

“The areas that are the focus of BPK’s audit include internal control over financial reporting in recording financial transactions and the process of preparing financial reports,” he said at an entry meeting at the BPK head office as quoted by ANTARA from the agency’s official website here Sunday.

Apart from the internal control, the BPK auditors would also focus their.examinations on repeated findings, development of follow-up on recommendations from previous inspections, situations and/or events that indicate frauds, and assessing the impacts on fairness of the LK presentations, as well as tests on revenues, goods expenditures, capital expenditures, and management of State Property (BMN).

The entry meeting marked the commencement of examination of the 2022 financial statements of

the Ministry of National Development Planning, the Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Investment/Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Center for Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis, Government Goods/Services Procurement Policy Institute, Supervisory Business Competition Commission, and the National Standardization Agency.

“In assessing the internal control system (SPI), one of the elements evaluated is related to the effectiveness of completing follow-up recommendations on audit results. For this reason, it is hoped that each ministry/institution can take strategic steps to follow up on recommendations from the BPK audit results, especially recommendations on audit results from a long audit period,” said Tobing.

Another thing that is also emphasized by BPK is the fulfillment of audit data and documents.

According to Tobing, documents and data are important for the BPK auditors who regard them as supporting evidence in obtaining adequate confidence in the presentation of LK, whether there are deviations from accounting policies, internal control weaknesses, or non-compliance with statutory provisions.

“We expect support, commitment, synergy, and effective communication, so that the BPK audit results can provide sufficient confidence in the financial accountability of the ministries/agencies in 2022,” he said.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Minister of National Development Planning Suharso Monoarfa, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki, and Minister of BPKM Bahlil Lahadalia.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta – Indonesia’s Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) focuses on six points in auditing the Ministry of Health’s 2022 financial statements.

The first point was related to the implementation of COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery (PC-PEN) Program, the agency’s Member VI Pius Lustrilanang noted during an entry meeting at the BPK office.

In this regard, according to information that ANTARA quoted from BPK’s official website on Sunday, the agency’s auditors examine such matters as Therapeutic program, COVID-19 claim payment, health workers’ incentive payment, and vaccination program.

The second point is related to the government’s social assistance program (cash aid and goods) to people or regional governments, including expenditures for reducing stunting prevalence in several regions.

The third point is related to social aid spending for the National Health Insurance (JKN’s) recipients.

It also encompasses the government’s aid for JKN payment for non-wage earner workers and the implementation of Institution Level Financial Application System (SAKTI) starting from 2022.

“(The last point) is related to the implementation of Audit Standard (SA) 600 on Public Service Agency (BLU) at the ministry, audited by the Public Accountant Office (KAP),” Lustrilanang said.

The BPK auditors also examine the implementation of monitoring and evaluation on physical and non-physical health Special Allocation Funds (DAK) at the ministry.

“This is undertaken to support the audit of the Central Government Financial Report (LKPP) and Regional Government Financial Report (LKPD),” he noted at the meeting attended by Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin.

In addition to giving their opinions on the financial statements, the BPK auditors also give recommendation to improve weaknesses in the internal control system (SPI), and resolve non-compliance over the state financial management issue.

“The Ministry of Health’s 2022 financial reports are being audited by testing four aspects, namely compliance with Government’s Accounting Standards (SAP), disclosure adequacy, compliance with legal procedures, and SPI’s effectiveness,” he informed.

The financial reports are audited by applying the risk based audit (RBA) approach. Through this approach, the audit is directed toward risk areas, including the risks of frauds.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta – National Development Planning Minister/National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) Head Suharso Monoarfa said he fully supports the construction of the International Green Circuit in Bintan, Riau Islands Province, with a private investment financing scheme.

“The results of the construction are expected to support the national and international racing events such as Formula 1,” the minister noted when receiving a visit from the management of the Bintan International Green Circuit as quoted from his Instagram account @suharsomonoarfa in Jakarta on Sunday.

Furthermore, he hoped that the implementation of the mega sports event will become a tourism growth pole and attract tourists to visit the circuit.

He noted that Bintan’s strategic location has good market potential since it is close to Singapore and Malaysia.

In addition, the implementation of the event must be targeting high-spending tourists by prioritizing aspects of sustainability, he said.

“Learning from the implementation of the Mandalika MotoGP, the event was able to provide high economic benefits for Mandalika and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Province,” the minister remarked.

He outlined some of the economic benefits brought by MotoGP in Mandalika. Among them were an increase in government spending (state budget) for road accessibility, airports, and arrangement of tourism areas and attractions, as well as increased circuit investments by PT Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA) and PT Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).

There were also an increase in demand for accommodation in star hotels, non-star hotels, homestays, and accommodation in residents’ homes, as well as an increase in government revenue through taxes (Value Added Tax/VAT and Income Tax/Corporate Income Tax) and local government through entertainment services.

Moreover, there were an increase in business expansion and new job opportunities, including businesses outside the NTB Province, and a direct involvement of some 800 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in organizing the MotoGP.

“In aggregate, based on the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) data for 2022, the growth of the NTB Province’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (PDRB) reached 7.8 percent compared to the projected 4.5 percent without MotoGP,” Monoarfa added.

Source: Antara News

Tangerang, West Java – The Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Agency (BP2MI) has detected a new channel for smuggling illegal Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) abroad by an international criminal syndicate for human trafficking.

“We are now estimating that the smuggling operation will shift to other airports after the Soekarno Hatta International Airport security recently prevented the departure of 38 prospective migrant workers,” acting Head of the agency’s Migrant Worker Protection Service Center (BP3MI) Dharma Saputra noted in Tangerang, Banten Province, on Sunday.

According to Saputra, the allegation of diverting the route for sending migrant workers was found after Soekarno Hatta Airport was deemed unsafe because local security forces had attempted to thwart it.

After it was found that the police had secured alleged illegal PMI in Soekarno Hatta Airport, the syndicate would probably shift its smuggling operation to other airports, he informed.

Saputra stated that one of other locations targeted by syndicates in distributing non-procedural PMI was Juanda International Airport in Surabaya City, East Java.

Nevertheless, the BP2MI has also asked the airport authority to cooperate in monitoring efforts related to the illegal smuggling of migrant workers.

“We also appeal airlines authorities to cooperate in identifying their passengers,” Saputra remarked.

He also reminded security officers at all airports to pay attention if there was a large increase in the number of flight ticket bookings since it could be the modus operandi for smuggling PMI.

Earlier on February 10, the Soekarno Hatta Airport Police managed to thwart the international syndicate for criminal acts of trafficking in persons (TPPO) through Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Tangerang.

The method used for channeling Indonesian migrant workers to Middle Eastern countries is based on a report from the Ministry of Manpower.

This disclosure began when BP2MI together with the Airport Police Criminal Investigation Unit investigators thwarted the departure of 38 prospective Indonesian migrant workers. They were secured in the Gate 5 area of International Terminal 3 departure at Soekarno Hatta Airport.

Based on this result, the police arrested three male suspects, only identified by their initials MAB (49), ABM (46) from East Jakarta, and a woman, identified as RC (43) from Lebak, Banten.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta – Indonesia is predicted to be able to grow even better at the end of the 2022-2023 National Mid Term Development Plan (RPJMN), according to National Development Planning Minister/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Head Suharso Monoarfa.

“The theme of Government Work Plan in 2024 is expediting an inclusive and sustainable economic transformation,” he said on his instagram account @suharsomonoarfa on Sunday regarding his participation in a coordination meeting between ministers concerning Fiscal Policy and Macro Economic Framework.

Monoarfa said expediting the inclusive and sustainable economic transformation means that the economic growth has to be faster than previous years.

Moreover, it also involves expediting reduction of poverty, especially extreme poverty and inequality, and reduction of greenhouse gas emission.

He argued that there are several reasons why Indonesia is able to grow even better. Among the reasons are the spirit of economic transformation acceleration, assurance of mid term target resolution as well as legal and regulation assurance.

The government has set targeted conditions to achieve the goal, such as preservation of conducive investment climate and people’s purchasing power as well as increasing people’s productivity and economic activities.

The economic growth in 2024 is expected to reach a range of 5.3-5.7 percent while the poverty rate is targeted in the range of 6.5-7.5 percent, and unemployment rate is expected to stay at the range of 5.0-5.7 percent, he informed.

Meanwhile, the fishermen exchange value and gini ratio are targeted in the range of 107-110, and 0.374-0.377 respectively, he continued.

Lastly, the human development index is targeted to reach 75.54, and greenhouse gas emission reduction 27.27 percent while farmers exchange value in the range of 105-108.

According to Monoarfa, Indonesia must be free from the middle income trap (MIT) before 2045 since it has been stuck there for 30 years.

“(To reach that goal), demographic bonus will support to achieve a six percent economic growth rate to enable us to get out of the MIT by 2040,” he noted.

Source: Antara News