Day: March 6, 2023

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan has expressed his commitment to supporting business actors, especially exporters, with policies to help Indonesian products enter the global markets and remove any trade barrier.”One of our tasks at the ministry is to support Indonesian exporters. Therefore, export regulations must be simplified. I will not let the regulations hamper Indonesia’s economic growth. If you find any export obstacle, just report it,” he said.

Speaking at the “First National Working Meeting of the Indonesian Export Entrepreneurs Association (GPEI)” in Jakarta on Monday,Hasan further said that he was grateful for Indonesia’s trade balance surplus of US$54.53 billion in 2022.

The value of the surplus increased by US$19.11 billionfrom the previous year.

The achievement came from the contribution of domestic exporters. In 2022, the national export sector contributed US$292 billion, up 26 percent from the previous year, and significantly supported Indonesia’s trade balance surplus, he added.

“The success in achieving a surplus for two consecutive years, even in 2022, was supported by the hard work of our exporters. This achievement is also marked as the highest in history. I am so proud and grateful,” he said.

Furthermore, the Trade Ministry has continued to support exports of products with added value, especially for agro and creative industry products.

The minister said that agro commodities must be developed so they get added value as part of an effort to improve the welfare of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including those producing agricultural products.

“We must think one step further to process agro-industry products with added value. Meanwhile, for creative products, we have to build an ecosystem that is able to support our industries, including MSMEs as well,” he added.

In addition, the government will continue to widen the market share for Indonesian export products in the global markets, especially in South Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. One of the efforts to achieve this will be to promote trade agreements with partner countries, Hasan said.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Domestic food stocks are sufficient for meeting national needs as some regions in Indonesia are in the middle of the harvest season, and therefore, no imports are needed currently, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said.”We are having the harvest season. Imports are only necessary when there is no supply nor harvesting activity,” he said during a working visit to Bandung District, West Java Province, on Monday.

It has been reported that a number of food production areas in Indonesia will have their harvest season from February until March 2023.

On the occasion, President Jokowi also spoke with local farmers regarding the current price of unhusked rice as well as some agricultural needs.

“I just chatted directly with the farmers on how much the price of wet unhusked rice, (as well as) how much the price of dried unhusked rice (is),” he said.

ccording to the farmers, the price of unhusked rice was around Rp6 thousand (US$0.39) per kilogram, Widodo stated adding that the price was quite good.

“I asked (farmers) earlier whether the price of unhusked rice had declined (because) if the price of unhusked rice has fallen, it also means that the price of rice has declined,” he explained.

Furthermore, President Jokowi said that the farmers also complained about the high price of fertilizers.

Local farmers reported that currently, the stocks of fertilizers are abundant, however, the harvest season in the region has ended, he noted.

In addition to holding a discussion with farmers, he also visited the Al Ittifaq Islamic Boarding School’s Cooperatives (Kopontren).

He said that he was impressed with the management of the Islamic boarding school-based cooperative, which could encourage local farmers to meet market demand.

He observed that the Al Ittifaq Kopontren has good management planning.

“The (management) planning carried out at the Al-Ittifaq Islamic Boarding School is very good and can be used as a role model — it can become a business model (for other kopontren); we just need to replicate it (in other kopontren),” he added.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Health Ministry is encouraging the imposition of excise tax on products high in sugar, salt, and fat (GGL), as it is deemed to be an effective measure in reducing obesity prevalence in the country.”Even better is our proposal to the Ministry of Finance, (namely) for GGL-rich products to be included in (goods subject to) excise. This is very effective,” the ministry’s Director General for Disease Prevention and Control, Maxi Rein Rondonuwu, remarked.

Rondonuwu made the statement at a press conference during the commemoration of World Obesity Day 2023 followed online on Monday.

The policy aligns with Presidential Regulation Number 1 of 2017 on the Community Healthy Lifestyle Movement and Health Minister’s Regulation Number 30 of 2013 that regulates the content of GGL in processed and ready-to-eat food products.

Based on the recommendations, sugar consumption should not cross 50 grams per day, salt consumption should not surpass two grams per day, and fat consumption is set at a maximum of 67 grams per day.

The 2018 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) showed that 61.27 percent of Indonesia’s population aged three years and above consume sweetened beverages more than once per day, while 30.22 percent consume sweetened drinks once to six times per week.

Meanwhile, only 8.51 percent consume sweetened drinks less than thrice a month.

baca-jugaRelated news: Ministry outlines three strategies to tackle obesity in Indonesia

ccording to Rondonuwu, Indonesia’s obesity prevalence increased significantly, from 2007 to 2018, from 10.5 percent to 21.8 percent.

“Obesity becomes a risk factor for non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, hypertension, and metabolic and non-metabolic diseases,” he remarked.

Obesity is also the most significant contributor to deaths among people with cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and diabetes.

He noted that in Indonesia, a regulation to control sugar, salt, and fat intake had been issued. However, the supervisory role, currently held by the Food and Drug Control Agency (BPOM), still needs to be strengthened.

The other preventive effort that the ministry encourages is the implementation of the Community Healthy Lifestyle Movement (Germas). In addition, the ministry encourages regional governments to ready smoke-free areas and promote eating a balanced diet and engage in physical activities.

World Obesity Day is observed every March 4. For this year, Indonesia is raising the theme of “Get to Know, Prevent, Overcome Obesity For a Healthier and More Productive Life.”

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Government will provide an incentive of Rp7 million for each of 250,000 electric motorcycles this year, Head of the Fiscal Policy Agency (BKF) of the Finance MinistryFebrio Nathan Kacaribuhas informed.The 250 thousand motorcycles will comprise 200 thousand new motorcycles and 50 thousand conventional fossil fuel motorcycles converted to electric motorcycles, he said.

Under the government aid program for the purchase of new motorcycles, electric motorcycles that receive the aid will need to be produced in Indonesia, he disclosed during a press conference streamed on Monday.

Moreover, the electric motorcycles will need to have a domestic-component level (TKDN) of 40 percent or more.

In addition, electric motorcycle producers who meet the criteria will be required not to raise the selling price during the aid provision period. They will also have to commit to producing electric motorcycles at the required number.

Next, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will be prioritized as the recipient targets for the conversion of conventional fossil fuel motorcycles to electric motorcycles.

Specifically, the MSMEs will get People’s Business Credit (KUR) and Productive Aid for Micro Enterprises (BPUM), and serve customers from households receiving 450 to 900 VA power.

“This is included so that the electric vehicle is used to encourage productivity and efficiency of MSMEs,” Kacaribu explained.

The government’s aid policy for the purchase of motorcycles is expected to start soon. The aid is targeted to be implemented starting from March 20, 2023.

The general and technical guidelines for the program are being prepared by the Industry Ministry as well as the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.

During the press conference, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry also highlighted several requirements for those seeking to convert conventional fossil fuel motorcycles to electric motorcycles.

One of the requirements is that the motorcycles must still be usable at a capacity of 110150 cc.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Agriculture supplied around 142 tons of chili peppers and shallots to Jakarta’sInduk Kramat Jati Market to meet the food demand of residents of the metropolitan city.”The job of the ministry is ensuring availability,” Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo noted here on Monday.

Thus, 17 tons of chili peppers came from Magelang and Temanggung, Central Java, as well as 125 tons of shallots from Garut and Sumedang, West Java.

Chili peppers and shallots are two kitchen ingredients that are susceptible to experiencing a price hike, especially during the rainy season, as they tend to spoil quickly when stored, thereby impacting the stocks and prices ahead of the Ramadhan month.

Nonetheless, he made assurance that the quality of commodities is safe since the government has utilized artificial intelligence (AI) technology that is capable of monitoring the development of horticultural plants until harvesting.

Moreover, the government looks into post-harvest product handling to ensure longevity that is also crucial to maintain food quality.

In addition to these two commodities, the minister has ensured that rice stocks are available in the market since Indonesia has already entered the national harvest month.

Meanwhile, Acting Governor of Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono expects that the existence of this food supply can control prices in the market.

Despite a slight increase in prices, the merchants stated that they are already stable, he noted.

Commodity supply from the ministry became important to handle prices or inflation, given that Jakarta contributes 28 percent to the national inflation.

Meanwhile, according to Jakarta Food Information as per Monday, the average price of red cayenne pepper in Jakarta had declined to Rp11 thousand as compared to Sunday at Rp78,085 per kilogram.

Moreover, the average price of shallots in Jakarta reached Rp42,851 per kilogram.

Source: Antara News Agency