Day: March 20, 2023

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), on Monday, launched the Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System (IG3IS) Tower to monitor greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations to mitigate climate change.”Human activities have resulted in (the emission of) CO2 and other greenhouse gases. This IG3IS tower will generate data that can be calculated to monitor GHG trends,” BMKG Head Dwikorita Karnawati remarked at the tower inauguration commemorating the 73rd World Meteorological Day in Bukit Kototabang, West Sumatra, on Monday. During the event held at the global atmosphere watch (GAW) station in Bukit Kototabang, Karnawati affirmed that the BMKG was planning to build similar towers in regions across Indonesia in order to detect areas producing the most greenhouse gases. The BMKG head reminded that climate change had increased the frequency of occurrence of natural disasters. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that 95 percent of all disasters in Indonesia are hydrometeorological in nature. “President Joko Widodo has voiced sternly that climate change is feared by all countries and not just in Indonesia,” she remarked. baca-jugaRelated news: Blue carbon studies can support climate change mitigation: ministry The BMKG head pointed out that climate change had increased the frequency and intensity of hydrometeorological disasters in Indonesia. “Before 1980, the El Nino and La Nina re-occurrence interval was 5-7 years, but from 1981 until now, they are increasingly frequent (to the extent) that they recur every two to three years, and this is a climate change impact,” she elaborated. Head of the Applied Climate Information Service Center Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan remarked that the new 100-meter tower has meteorological sensors that can monitor GHG concentrations at three altitude points: 30 meters, 70 meters, and 100 meters. With those sensors, the tower can provide characteristics of GHG at different heights that contribute to the IG3IS program. “Increasing the GHG monitoring capacity through IG3IS will be used further in developing a modeling for GHG emissions as complementary information for the national GHG inventory,” he remarked. The GHG national inventory will be used for the global stocktake estimate that is part of the Paris Agreement goals by 2030.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has challenged young tech professionals to tweak and improve some 27 thousand government apps.”(It) turns out (that) we have 27 thousand apps from this entire government structure. Those are owned by many vendors. Now, I say that there are many young junior IT professionals. Let us show that Indonesians are great by integrating these apps,” he stated at the Electronic-Based Government System Summit 2023 accessed here on Monday. He believes that Indonesians can pursue such feat without high costs. The minister cited the PeduliLindungi app that was successfully developed during the pandemic. “I was informed by Mr Anas (Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Abdullah Azwar Anas) that there are many great young people in Indonesia that make apps in ministries, institutions, regional governments, and such. Let us work. No need for expensive costs, as I believe it can be done. Very sure because of the experience with COVID-19 last time,” he remarked. Pandjaitan also affirmed that digitalization was one of the national economic pillars apart from downstreaming, village funding, and commodity prices, all of which will support Indonesia’s progress towards advancement. He drew attention to the success of the e-catalog program by the Goods and Services Procurement Agency (LKPP). Pandjaitan noted that the transaction potential for the government goods and services’ procurement was valued at Rp1,600 trillion (US$104.15 billion). Some 90 percent of the transaction value was generated from the purchase of imported products. The government is consistently pushing for domestic products’ purchases in meeting the goal so as to ensure national economic growth. ccording to the ministry’s records, realization of the 2022 domestic products’ purchases by ministries, institutions, governments, as well as state companies, was capped at Rp698.68 trillion (US$45.5 billion), thereby amounting to 69.78 percent of the targeted Rp1,001.26 trillion (US$65.2 billion). The government aims for 95 percent of the targeted domestic products’ purchase to be met and for five million domestic products to appear in the e-catalogue. He stressed that efficiency, through ecosystem digitization, can reduce corruption as well as rouse people’s creativity to conduct innovations.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The US and Indonesia announced a strategic partnership enabling the latter develop its nuclear clean energy program by supporting its interest in deploying small modular reactor (SMR) technology to meet energy security and climate goals.The strategic partnership was announced at the Indo-Pacific Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Forum held in Bali on Saturday (March 18), according to a release issued by the US Embassy in Jakarta on Monday. Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto, US Ambassador to Indonesia Sung Y. Kim, US Department of State Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Ann Ganzer, and the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) formally announced the Memorandum of Agreement and affiliated grants and contract signing as a deliverable under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII). The agreement advances the goals of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and will strengthen Indonesia’s leadership in the ASEAN region on the deployment of advanced, safe, and secure nuclear clean energy technologies, working toward the goal of Net Zero Emissions (NZE) in Indonesia by 2060. Under the engagement, the USTDA has awarded a grant to PLN Indonesia Power (Indonesia Power) to provide assistance to assess the technical and economic viability of the proposed nuclear power plant to be located in West Kalimantan. It will include a site selection plan, power plant and interconnection system design, preliminary environmental and social impact assessment, risk assessment, cost estimate, and regulatory review. In addition, the cooperation will include US$1 million in new funding for capacity-building for Indonesia, building on its existing partnership under the US Department of State Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of SMR Technology (FIRST) Program. It also encompasses support in areas, such as workforce development, stakeholder engagement, regulations, and licensing. “The US-Indonesia economic relationship is thriving, and in Bali this week, we are seeing some of the tangible outcomes of our partnership,” US Ambassador to Indonesia Sung Y. Kim stated. “Today’s announcement of a strategic partnership to help Indonesia develop its small modular reactor nuclear clean energy program, as a key deliverable under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, is an important milestone in Indonesia’s efforts to achieve its climate goals while promoting sustainable economic growth,” he stated. Indonesia Power selected Oregon-based NuScale Power OVS, LLC (NuScale) to carry out the assistance in partnership with a subsidiary of Texas-based Fluor Corporation and Japan’s JGC Corporation. The proposed 462-megawatt facility would utilize NuScale’s SMR technology and advance Indonesia’s clean energy transition. SMRs provide round-the-clock reliable power, complement other clean energy sources, have flexible siting, and use a small land footprint. SMRs incorporate advanced safety features, including designs to withstand extreme weather and seismic-related events and can be deployed to match the specific needs of a country’s power grid, with the ability to scale up as required. SMRs can play a critical role in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors, including clean hydrogen production, heavy industrial processes, and water desalination to meet decarbonization and energy security goals, air quality standards, and clean water access needs. The project will advance climate action and clean energy access throughout a critical part of the world and has the potential as part of follow-on projects to create thousands of jobs, pave the way for additional SMR projects in Indonesia and the Indo-Pacific region, and uphold the highest standards for nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation. PGII offers partners, such as Indonesia, a positive, sustainable model of infrastructure financing and delivery. President Joko Widodo, US President Joe Biden, and European Commission President Von der Leyen co-hosted a group of G20 leaders in November 2022 during the G20 Leaders’ Summit to deepen engagement under PGII that aims to mobilize US$600 billion for global infrastructure investments by 2027. The partnership is delivering quality, sustainable infrastructure that makes a difference in the people’s lives around the world, strengthens and diversifies our supply chains, and advances our mutual national and economic security through strategic investments.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Greening the World through Village Movement is a real step by Indonesia for mitigating global climate change, Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has said.He made the remarks at the commemoration of Asri Nusantara Village Day 2023, themed “Greening the World through Village,” in Makmur village, Pelalawan District, RiauProvince, on Monday, according to a press release received the same day in Jakarta. “With nearly 75 thousand villages covering around 88 percent of Indonesia’s total area, the Greening the World through Village Movement certainly speaks very loudly about Indonesia’s contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change,” the Vice President said. This is in line with Indonesia’s firm commitment to promoting climate and environmental restoration, which was conveyed during the climate summit in Egypt some time ago. “As I said at the session of the COP-27 Summit at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, last November 2022, Indonesia is committed and invites all countries to care about the threat of disasters due to climate change and to take real action to encourage environmental recovery and a strong and inclusive climate,” Amin said. He then asked related parties to ensure that all communities, especially in villages, receive literacy and education on how to oversee and implement this concrete action in a sustainable manner. “Village governments must receive institutional capacity strengthening in order to anticipate, plan actions, and respond to climate change challenges,” he explained. He said that the village community, religious leaders, traditional leaders, village-owned enterprises (BUMDes), and stakeholders at the village level need to be actively involved in every real action related to mitigating the impacts of climate change. He also expressed the hope that all concrete efforts made would further strengthen each village’s contribution to minimizing the impact of climate change on the village, in particular, and the country, in general. “By strengthening capacity and multi-stakeholder collaboration, it is hoped that villages will be able to implement inclusive green development according to the unique challenges and needs of each village,” he said. Meanwhile, Riau Governor Syamsuar conveyed the commitment of the Riau provincial government down to the village level to make the Asri Village Program a success, including through the Green Riau Program. He said he hopes that the program will support the government’s big program for greening Indonesia through low-carbon development and reduced emissions. part from the Governor of Riau, Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration, Abdul Halim Iskandar, Pelalawan District Head H. Zukri, and district heads and mayors from across Indonesia, joined the event, both offline and online. Meanwhile, the Vice President was accompanied by the head of the Vice Presidential Secretariat, Ahmad Erani Yustika; deputy for economic policy support and competitiveness enhancement, Guntur Iman Nefianto; deputy for administration, Sapto Harjono Wahjoe Sedjati; and special staff to the Vice President, Masduki Baidlowi, Mohamad Nasir, M. Imam Azis, and Arif Rahmansyah Marbun.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) spoke of having discussed about the presidential candidate from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) for the 2024 elections at a meeting with the party’s chairperson, Megawati Soekarnoputri.”There is (a discussion on the presidential candidate),” Jokowi noted on the sidelines of an event to confer awards on COVID-19 handling here on Monday. Earlier, on Saturday (March 18), Jokowi met with Megawati at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung were also present at the meeting. “Surely, I conveyed my views based on data that we have,” the president remarked. However, he desisted from divulging details on the name of the presidential candidate from the party. “For the candidate’s (name), ask Mrs. Mega,” he stated. During the meeting, lasting for three hours, they also discussed various issues, including the implementation of general elections in 2024 and the party’s plan for coalition. Meanwhile, Kristiyanto stated that during the meeting, the two leaders had agreed to build a common understanding on the direction of the nation’s future. They also deliberated on various strategic agendas regarding foreign policies to address geopolitical challenges by encouraging the development of science, research, and innovation and materializing food sovereignty to realize a self-sufficient Indonesia. The meeting concluded with a luncheon, Kristiyanto stated.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Bank Indonesia (BI) will continue to assist in monetary stabilization and sustainable economic growth to help Indonesia become a developed country by 2045, Deputy Governor Aida S. Budiman has said.”Bank Indonesia will implement KIS, which comprises consistency, innovation, and synergy,” she said here on Monday. The central bank, she added,will consistently assist in monetary stabilization as well as support continuous, innovative, and synergetic economic growth. ccording to Aida, the main challenge for Indonesia is stemming from global economic uncertainty arising from the normalization cycle of developed countries’ monetary policy, geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the closure of three banks in the United States. She said that BI will also maintain the value of the rupiah–for instance, through rupiah management (PUR)–so that people remain willing to transact and use the rupiah as an investment tool. “PUR plays a role in ensuring the availability of distribution-worthy money in Indonesia to meet the people’s demand with adequate quantity and appropriate denomination,” she explained. The management of the rupiah involves three frameworks that BI has continued to work on. These comprise ensuring the availability of quality rupiah, providing an efficient money distribution system with quality cash services, and providing rupiah infrastructure. BI also plans to pursue a rupiah management digitalization and centralization project in the middle of 2025. The project will change the three existing frameworks, she informed. Meanwhile, the head of BI’s money management department, Marlison Hakim, said that the central bank has prepared Rp195 trillion in cash to meet the people’s demand during Ramadhan and Eid al-Fitr this year. “Based on the national banking withdrawal plan, BI is preparing cash amounting to Rp195 trillion for the 2023 Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, or an increase of 8.22 percent compared to last year,” Hakim informed.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is formulating derivative regulations of Government Regulation Number 11 of 2023 on measured fishing, including details on technicalities of fishing quotas and the calculation method.”We have to think about what the derivatives would be like, the suggestions or inputs for them, and the way they are communicated to regional fishermen, so they can synergize with the central government,” said Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono in a statement released on Monday. He said the government regulation went through a long two-year process, from conception to ratification on March 6th. The minister expects that management of measured quota-based fishing and national fishing management will consistently improve. “I expect no more complaints, such as those about subsidized fuel. I expect that in a fishing management area, we already have data on how many fishermen there are, what facilities they have, and that the people there will be either very rich or prosperous, and none will be poor,” he elaborated. Trenggono remarked that the quota-based measured fishing policy had been ratified on Monday, March 6th. The policy is deemed necessary to maintain biodiversity populations. Three types of quotas are outlined in the policy: quotas for locals living in coastal areas, quotas for educational and training purposes, and quotas for hobbies or leisure. The newly ratified regulation is one of five blue economy policies from the ministry. The other four policies comprise the expansion of the sea conservation area, development of seawater and freshwater cultivation, marine waste management, and sustainable management of coasts and small islands.

Source: Antara News Agency

uiyang, China, March 20, 2023 (ANTARA/Xinhua-AsiaNet) — On March 17, it is learned from the exhibition group of 2023 China International Big Data Industry Expo Executive Committee that so far 93 enterprises including China Electronics Corporation, Huawei and Alibaba have confirmed to participate in the Expo, which will be held from May 26th to 28th this year. The Expo exhibition group general contact Luo Geng introduced that this year the Expo will set up six offline theme exhibition halls, including international pavilion, east number west calculation pavilion, digital industry pavilion, industry digital pavilion, innovation scene pavilion and digital life pavilion. The Expo plans to attract 320 enterprises to exhibition, focusing on new technologies, new products, new plans, new applications of big data field, and the exhibition area covers 60,000 square meters. The Expo exhibition group has issued invitations to big data industry-related enterprises to participate. Now, 93 enterprises have been confirmed to participate in the exhibition, including 12 international enterprises and 81 domestic enterprises. The Expo will roll out professional customized exhibition routes. Focusing on the needs of enterprises and the hot areas of the industry, the professional customized exhibition routes will be designed such as “east number and west calculation”, data element circulation, intelligent manufacturing, data security, smart city and cloud services and so on. Source: 2023 China International Big Data Industry Expo Executive Committee

Source: Antara News Agency