Day: March 20, 2023

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Kertajati Airport ready to serve Hajj flights in 2023: Minister

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has affirmed the readiness of Kertajati Airport in Majalengka District, West Java, to serve Hajj flights in 2023.”There will be around 20 groups or some seven thousand to eight thousand pilgrims from Subang District and its surroundings that will depart from Kertajati Airport,” Sumadi noted in a statement obtained here on Monday. The minister inspected the airport on Sunday (March 19). The Religious Affairs Ministry has designated Kertajati Airport as one of the Hajj embarkation and debarkation airports. The pilgrims departing from Kertajati Airport come from Cirebon City and the districts of Cirebon, Majalengka, Indramayu, Kuningan, Subang, and Sumedang. Hajj pilgrims will depart for the 2023/1444 Hijri pilgrimage season in June. The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia had sent a letter to the Indonesian Transportation Attache in Jeddah confirming that 21-23 Hajj flights would depart from Kertajati Airport. In addition to the Hajj pilgrimage, Sumadi revealed that several flight slots are still available at the airport to serve Umrah during the Eid 2023 period. “Some 10 days before Eid, many pilgrims usually want to go to Umrah. At Kertajati Airport, the slots are unlimited, so we can accept whatever it is,” he remarked. He noted that the Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan (Cisumdawu) toll road that will become operational since mid-April is expected to expedite people’s movement to and from Kertajati Airport. “With the operation of the Cisumdawu Toll Road, the travel time from Bandung to Kertajati and vice versa is approximately one hour. We hope that Kertajati Airport will be livelier, the Cisumdawu Toll Road will be more crowded, and people around Subang, who will go to the airport or vice versa, will be more comfortable because accessibility is easier,” he stated.

Source: Antara News Agency

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Ministry provides trauma support to 11 young sexual violence victims

Cirebon, West Java (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Social Affairs has provided trauma healing or trauma recovery services to 11 minors in Cirebon district, West Java, who experienced sexual violence at the hands of a teacher.”We provided trauma healing for the victims through the child protection service and social services,” Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismahariniinformed in Cirebon on Monday. She said that the victims are currently experiencing trauma over being sexually assaulted by their teacher. The minister then asked all related elements to help the minors overcome the trauma. ccording to her, the trauma experienced by the children needs to be addressed to help them get back to their social life since they are still reluctant to go to school. “We will prioritize the children’s well-being and handle their trauma,” she said. Rismaharini expressed the hope that the handling of the case will continue, and the victims, as well as their parents, will receive protection and support, especially from local community leaders. “We try to meet with the victims and their parents and also try to fix some issues,” she said. Earlier, Cirebon City Police arrested the teacher based on a report filed by the children’s parents, Cirebon City Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Ariek Indra Sentanuinformed. “The suspect we arrested, with the initials S alias OB, is a teacher at a madrasah,” he said. One of the parents found out about the sexual violence after their child refused to go to school. ccording to Sentanu, the suspect reportedly perpetrated the sexual violence between November 2022 and February 2023. The suspect was questioned by the parents first and he reportedly confessed and promised to leave the village. “However, we had received a report from one of the parents, and then arrested the suspect when he was about to leave,” Sentanu informed.

Source: Antara News Agency

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Govt prepares steps to manage the 2023 Eid homecoming

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The government has prepared strategic steps to face the 2023 Eid al-Fitr homecoming period that may start one week before the Islamic festivities on April 21 and cease the week after.Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi stated on Sunday that community movement during the period is forecast to reach 123.8 million people, a 44.8 percent increase from 85.5 million people projected in 2022. This figure is based on the results of a survey conducted by the Ministry of Transportation through the Transportation Policy Agency (BKT). Based on results of the survey, Java Island is forecast to dominate in terms of people’s movements, constituting 62.5 percent, or 77.3 million people. The revocation of Community Activity Restriction (PPKM) and the controlled number of COVID-19 cases in the country are included in the factors causing the high potential of community movement. To this end, the government has prepared steps to anticipate overflow and traffic jams, such as by preparing transportation facilities and infrastructure, safety aspects, and traffic engineering management. Several steps to handle this year’s Eid homecoming include preparing a survey of the potential movement of people’s mobility during the 2023 Eid homecoming and conducting safety inspections in the form of ramp checks on land, sea, air, and rail transportation facilities. Land Transportation The Directorate General of Land Transportation of the Transportation Ministry along with the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) and the National Police Traffic Corps had conducted inspections regarding the condition of the Java south coast (Pansela) and north coast (Pantura) routes. From a review of the Pansela route, the Directorate General of Land Transportation drew attention to several factors behind the route not being attractive to travelers, such as the lack of street lighting, the dearth of signs that could endanger motorists, and the lack of rest areas and gas stations. The related authorities will accelerate the construction of road safety facilities for road lighting and signs on the Pansela route. The Cipali toll road in West Java was identified as a crucial point for Eid homecoming since it connects the Jakarta toll road to enter the Central Java area. To this end, intensive coordination was conducted with the National Police Corps Traffic Corps, starting with the implementation of traffic engineering as well as monitoring and enforcement in the form of contraflow, one-way, and other forms of engineering. State-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga predicts traffic volume during the homecoming Eid through the four main toll gates at 2.21 million vehicles, a 2.8 percent increase from 2.15 million during Eid 2022. s for the return flow, 2.32 million vehicles are predicted to pass through the four main toll gates, up 1.4 percent from 2.29 million during Eid 2022. To support the 2023 Eid homecoming, Jasa Marga and the Toll Road Management Agency (BPJT) will operate 58 rest areas on both toll road sections as places of rest and provide service for homecomers. The Transportation Ministry will also prepare additional ferry ports to divert traffic at Merak Port in Banten and Bakauheni Port in South Lampung. Ciwandan Port in Banten and Panjang Port in Bandar Lampung have been prepared to anticipate congestion at the two ports. ir Transportation Regarding air connectivity, traffic density is forecast at several airports, namely in Bali, Makassar, Surabaya, and Medan. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation will also monitor 51 airports to support the 2023 Eid homecoming. The monitoring will cover the aspects of aviation safety, increased number of passengers, aircraft movements, technical problems, and other factors. For flight route services, 270 domestic routes have been provided to connect 122 cities for domestic flights and 112 international routes connecting 48 cities overseas from 22 countries. In terms of fleet readiness, currently, 394 aircraft have been prepared for regular flights. The number will increase for the 2023 Eid homecoming. Several anticipatory strategies have also been prepared by the Directorate General of Air Transportation, such as maintaining and increasing compliance with the aspects of aviation safety and security while still paying attention to health protocols, increasing air transport capacity in terms of the supply side, and maintaining demand growth. To handle the increase in the number of passengers, additional seating capacity will be provided through extra flights or replacing aircraft with larger sizes. Sea Transportation The Directorate General of Sea Transportation has also commenced preparations ahead of the 2023 Eid homecoming by conducting seaworthiness tests for passenger ships at several ports. The seaworthiness test for passenger ships started from February 8 to March 20, 2023. The ships’ seaworthiness test aims to increase supervision by inspecting the ships’ condition and giving certification to those having cleared the test. This step also aims to address the results of evaluation of reports from the Office of the Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) of the Directorate General of Sea Transportation.

Source: Antara News Agency

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Utilize strength to handle COVID-19 for other big agendas: Jokowi

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) urged all elements in the country to utilize the same strength they channeled into handling COVID-19 to tackle the country’s other big challenges, such as reducing stunting and extreme poverty.The government aims to eradicate extreme poverty, from four percent, or 10.86 million people, in 2021 to zero by 2024. In order to reduce stunting, the government is targeting a stunting prevalence of 14 percent in 2024. “In addition, this power can help to handle other diseases, such as tuberculosis, liver disease, and stunting as well as to increase food productivity,” he noted at the “COVID-19 Handling Award” event at the Finance Ministry’s office in Jakarta on Monday. He remarked that based on the presentation of Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO)Tedros Adhanom, Indonesia is one of the best countries in handling COVID-19 in the world as well as one of the countries with the highest vaccination coverage. In addition, the results of a report from John Hopkins University noted that Indonesia is one of the best countries in the world to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases, he noted. “Obviously, we have succeeded in reducing the transmission rate and mortality and were able to maintain stability and economic growth. Our economic growth last year was recorded at 5.31 percent,” Jokowi explained. He observed that Indonesia’s success in dealing with COVID-19 came from the hard work of all elements in the country. He also noted that several parties also worked beyond their scope, including the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) in the defense and security aspects. Hence, the president urged the nation’s elements to synergize from the central government to the regions, ministries and institutions, the House of Representatives (DPR), Indonesia’s Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), and the public to handle other big agendas. “This is what we need. We must stay strong to handle other big agendas like what we did during COVID-19,” he stated.

Source: Antara News Agency

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OIKN, Ministry of PUPR prepare flood mitigation infrastructure

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Nusantara Capital City Authority (OIKN) and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) are preparing flood mitigation infrastructure in the area around Nusantara Capital City (IKN).”OIKN has made various efforts to mitigate flooding, including by building weirs, ponds, and retention ponds that are being carried out by the PUPR Ministry and are currently still running. In addition, flood control infrastructure is also being built in watershed areas (DAS) and preparation of an integrated watershed management plan at the IKN and forest and land rehabilitation by the BPDAS Mahakam Berau,” OIKN Secretary Achmad Jaka Santos Adiwijaya noted in a statement in Jakarta, Monday. diwijaya had stated that earlier, the IKN Authority had also identified the potential for flooding in several areas in Sepaku Village, as the flood location in that area was a low-lying area where floods had frequently occurred before. To this end, the OIKN along with other stakeholders is building infrastructure to deal with flooding in the area around IKN, especially in Sepaku Village. The OIKN has identified the cause of flooding in Sepaku Village in the Nusantara region, East Kalimantan, on March 17. baca-jugaRelated news: Improve mitigation against floods, landslides: ministry The reason is the rain that occurs upstream and the presence of culverts that are not optimal, thereby resulting in an increase in surface runoff coupled with factors, such as erosion and sedimentation and siltation of the river. diwijaya ensured that the handling of floods in Sepaku Village had been carried out well owing to the cooperation of all stakeholders, such as the BPBD of North Penajam Paser Regency, the TNI, police, districts, sub-districts, the Ministry of PUPR, the OIKN, and others. “The water has receded since the morning of March 18,” he stated. The OIKN has held meetings with related parties, and on March 20, a coordination meeting will be held with all parties to discuss short-term management plans for the next three months, mid-medium, year-end, and long-term in flood prevention and control. “OIKN will continue to be committed to paying attention to disaster risks and management, including flooding in affected areas, including in Sepaku Village. All efforts will continue to be made to minimize the impact of the disaster that occurred and maintain public safety,” Adiwijaya remarked.

Source: Antara News Agency

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Health Bill to simplify obtaining doctor’s medical license: Ministry

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Deputy Health Minister Professor Dante Saksono Harbuwonostated that the Health Bill contains a proposal to facilitate doctors in obtaining practice licenses easier.”The current requirements for applying for medical practice are too long and require large funds, which makes it difficult for doctors to practice,” Harbuwono noted during the dissemination of information regarding the Health Bill in Jakarta, Sunday. The professor pointed out that the same situation was also encountered for the extension of a doctor’s Registration Certificate (STR). “It requires too many recommendations. We will simplify the process, both in the STR and Practice Permit (SIP) as well,” he remarked. He stated that the first step taken was to return regulatory duties and functions to the government. “It will become the government’s responsibility to give a doctor license to practice instead of professional organizations,” he remarked. In addition, the Ministry of Health has prepared a digital licensing scheme to help doctors access their licenses in a faster, more transparent, and more comprehensive manner, he remarked. “The licensing process will be conducted with the help of digitization. We can track each doctor’s point to extend their license and their STR,” he explained. Harbuwono is upbeat that the Health Bill, which is an initiative of the House of Representatives (DPR) that has been included in the 2023 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), can become a solution for this problem. On a separate occasion, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Indonesian Doctors Association (PB-IDI), Adib Khumaidi, stated that the recommendation for STR and SIP to doctors aims to maintain the quality of health through the competence of doctors recognized by the organization. He agreed that if problems related to the doctor’s administrative process arise, then his side will fix it through a centralized system. “We are very open to improve the management,” he noted. He affirmed that the recommendations for doctors were aimed at maintaining the quality and providing medical services in line with their competencies. “Without it, there will be a possibility of fake doctors opening their own practice. It will be harmful to the community. I think the government needs support from professional organizations (such as IDI) to manage doctors’ licensing and other related stuff. We will be ready to support it,” he stated.

Source: Antara News Agency

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Indonesia to push 7 deliverables at 29th AEM Retreat

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia, as the chair of ASEAN 2023, will encourage the establishment of a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Secretariat as one of the seven priority economic deliverables (PED) at the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Retreat.Indonesia is hosting the Prep-Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM) for the 29th AEM Retreat; the AEM-ASEAN Business Advisory Council (BAC) Consultation; and the 29th AEM Retreat in Magelang, Central Java province, from March 20 to March 22, 2023. “Later, there is also the (discussion about) RCEP (as) we want to realize the establishment of the RCEP Secretariat in Jakarta,” director general of international trade negotiations at the Trade Ministry, Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, said at a media briefing in Magelang on Sunday evening. nother PED of the AEM Retreat will be the ASEAN Services Facilitation Framework (ASFF), which is targeted to be adopted in 2024 to optimize the benefits from the liberalization of open market services. The meeting will also discuss the signing of the Second Protocol to Amend the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA). The director general said that the AANZFTA has been in effect since 2008, thus it is necessary to amend the agreement according to recent economic development. “The ASEAN member countries, Australia, (and) New Zealand agreed to improve the agreement explore, (and) intensify some sectors which have not been included in the cooperation, (thus) let’s work together,” he remarked. baca-jugaRelated news: Minister optimistic of increased exports following RCEP ratification Yet another priority deliverable of the AEM Retreat will be the development of the ASEAN Industrial Project-Based Initiatives in a number of sectors, such as energy, food, and health industries. Furthermore, the meeting will talk about the full implementation of the electronic certificate of origin for imported commodities (e-Form D) through the regional electronic economic platform called ASEAN Single Window to encourage intra-ASEAN trade growth. The sixth priority of the AEM Retreat will be the formulation of a Leader’s Statement to Develop the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework (DEFA). SEAN already has the ASEAN Agreement on Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce), which enables all members to develop and use e-commerce to encourage economic growth and social development in the region, Witjaksono noted. However, currently, the global trend has shifted toward a digital economy, thus, Indonesia is pushing ASEAN to devise a digital economy framework. “For instance, Singapore has had a digital economy policy (and) cooperation with several other countries. Indeed, ASEAN already has the ASEAN (agreement on) e-commerce, but (it) only (covers) e-commerce, it does not include the digital economy,” the director general explained. The last priority agenda of the meeting will be the development of the Roadmap of ASEAN Harmonized Standards to Support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Implementation. “Indonesia will make its chairmanship of ASEAN this year a success by pushing various issues which can deliver the strengthening of the economic position of Indonesia and ASEAN,” Witjaksono said.

Source: Antara News Agency

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West Kalimantan, palm oil companies cooperate to build roads

Pontianak (ANTARA) – The Provincial Government of West Kalimantan continues to strengthen collaboration with palm oil plantation companies to build provincial-status roads by signing an agreement to maintain these roads.”The signing of this agreement actually renewed it after it was realized in 2020,”Head of the West Kalimantan Province Plantation and Livestock Service Heronimus Hero noted in Pontianak on Monday. This time, it reaffirms how collaboration through the role of palm oil companies in building provincial roads in their plantation areas continues to be maximal, he added. He explained that with a commitment to assisting in the maintenance of roads that are functional or passable, it can facilitate the activities of the community and the company itself. “Even though it is a provincial-status road, it is the company itself and the community that use the road. Hence, the role of the company is, of course, very much needed, so that activities run smoothly,” he remarked. He noted that 1,500 kilometers of provincial roads had to be worked on and 900 kilometers of them were in plantation areas. Building it requires extensive amount of money and would take a long time if the regional budget was utilized. “Meanwhile, the community and the plantation itself need to be able to function quickly. Hence, collaboration with the company is the key,” he explained. ccording to Hero, out of the collaboration target, 18 roads are spread across several regencies that will be worked on by palm oil companies. About dozens of palm oil companies are involved and in accordance with the commitments made. “Hence, technically, from the existing road sections, companies under the auspices of the provincial and district governments will jointly build the road. There will be a coordinator to work on that. We also urge the local government to monitor implementation in the field, so that the existing commitments are realized properly,” he stated.

Source: Antara News Agency

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