Day: July 30, 2023

A 5.0-magnitude earthquake, hit Indonesia’s eastern province of North Maluku, last night, the country’s meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency said.

The earthquake happened at 18:19 Jakarta time (1119 GMT), with its epicentre at 21 km north-west of East Halmahera Regency, and a depth of 51 km under-land, the agency said.

The tremors of the earthquake did not have the potential to trigger giant waves, the agency added

Source: Nam News Network

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry informed that six sections of the 596-kilometer Trans-Sumatera Toll Road had been fully operated in July 2023, while the other seven sections of 361 kilometers were in the construction phase. “The toll road will help to reduce logistics costs and cut travel time for the distribution of goods and services between regions,” PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said in Jakarta on Sunday.He added that the toll road would also encourage the growth of new economic centers, especially in areas traversed by toll roads. One of the Trans-Sumatera Toll Road sections that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) recently inaugurated and is already operating is the 16.7-kilometer Bengkulu-Taba Penanjung Toll Road, which was built with a budget of Rp4.8 trillion, he conveyed. The minister mentioned that this toll road is part of the main corridor on the 95.8-kilometer-long Bengkulu to Lubuk Linggau segment. Meanwhile, seven other sections that are still under construction, spanning 361 kilometers, are the 48-kilometer Indrapura-Kisaran toll road, which has a progress rate of 85.5 percent and is targeted to be completed in 2023. Furthermore, the 143-kilometer Kuala Tanjung-Tebing Tinggi section, with a progress rate of 84.26 percent, is targeted for completion by the end of 2023. Followed by the 64-kilometer Indralaya-Prabumulih Simpang toll road, which is targeted to be ready for operation in the near future. Meanwhile, on the Pekanbaru-Padang section, there are two sections under construction, namely the Bangkinang-Koto Kampar section (24 kilometers) with 74.8 percent progress and the Padang-Sicincin section (37 kilometers) with 32.6 percent progress. Previously, the Pekanbaru-Bangkinang Section had operated for 31 kilometers. The next section that is still under construction is Binjai-Pangkalan Brandan, with 79.9 percent progress after the Binjai-Stabat section, which has been operating for 12 kilometers. Furthermore, there is the Sigli-Banda Aceh Toll Road (74 kilometers long), which leaves two sections with 38 kilometers left under construction, namely the Blang Bintang-Baitussalam and Sigli-Seuliemum sections, with 81 percent progress. The ministry’s spokesperson, Endra S. Atmawidjaja, conveyed that the existence of this toll road is included in government investment for the long term. He said that Sumatra Island has many potentials and resources for Indonesia. “By providing toll road services, our goal is not just to build infrastructure but also open up space for prospective areas growth in the future,” he remarked.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection reminded the public to beware of human trafficking practices, which include online fraud, the lure of high-paying jobs, and scholarship offers. “We must beware of the lure of job offers and scholarships. Also, be aware of gaining instant income through online scamming or online gambling. The practice has started to spread throughout Indonesia,” the Ministry’s Deputy for Women’s Rights ProtectionRatna Susianawatisaid at the “Commemoration of Anti-Human Trafficking Day” in Jakarta on Sunday.She informed me that Indonesia was recorded as a country of origin for human trafficking in a number of regions, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, and the Middle East. ccording to her, one of the factors causing human trafficking is economic problems and poverty. “Human trafficking is not only about sending migrant workers. Often, this practice intersects with employment issues, so the victims end up becoming victims of human trafficking because they were previously lured to work abroad,” Susianawati explained. She addressed the fact that in many human trafficking cases, the perpetrators often used technology, starting with the job advertisement, the recruitment process, and even the financial management of the perpetrator’s business, which was carried out online. Currently, human trafficking perpetrators are not only targeting people with low levels of education but also people with higher education, she noted. Data from the Online Information System for the Protection of Women and Children (Symphony PPA) noted that from 20202022, there were 1,418 cases of human trafficking with 1,581 victims. Moreover, human trafficking affects not only physical victims but also economic ones. Data from Global Financial Integrity in 2017 showed that an average loss of around Rp1.6 trillion is generated from transnational activities, including human trafficking.

Source: Antara News Agency

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources started to socialize the electric motorbike conversion program, targeting 10 cities, namely Denpasar, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Bandung, Medan, Mataram, Kupang, Balikpapan, and Makassar.Head of the Ministry’s Electricity Testing Survey Center for New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation, Senda Hurmuzan Kanam, said the socialization aimed to pursue the conversion target of 50 thousand units of fuel-based motorbikes into electric motorbikes. “The purpose of this activity is to increase public interest in converting their fuel-based motorbikes into electric motorbikes by knowing the conversion process and issuance of electric vehicle certificates, which can later be seen at the coaching clinic at this socialization event,” he stated in Denpasar on Sunday. In the socialization held at Niti Mandala Renon Field, the ministry also invited related communities to the conversion of electric motorbikes and also allowed visitors to experience driving an electric motorbike, he continued. Kanam conveyed that this conversion program was carried out by the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve the net zero emission target by 2060. He explained that the main reason for the government’s decision to convert fuel-based motorcycles is because the population of fuel-based motorcycles is more than 120 million units and the growth trend is reaching 56 percent per year. “Regarding emissions, every one liter of fuel produces 2.5 kilograms of emissions. If we have 120 million motorcycles, the emissions are around 300 million kilograms per day. In terms of potential fuel savings, it can reach 51.6 million barrels/year assuming one motorcycle could save 354 liters/year of fuel and reduce emissions by 0.7 tons of CO2/year,” he disclosed. Moreover, he said that the conversion program has a target of converting six million units by 2030. To support this, the government will subsidize Rp7 million for motorbike owners to convert their conventional motorbikes to electric motorbikes, with an actual cost of Rp15 million, Kanam mentioned. This subsidy fund is channeled through a certified conversion workshop and will be recorded on the Electric Motor Conversion digital platform, he added. part from that, the government also offers another scheme, namely the conversion of a battery swap, which is considered to be able to reduce the cost of conversion even more because the battery, as a more expensive component, belongs to the provider, not the motorbike owner. “Batteries are owned by battery swap providers and are not charged to consumers or motorcycle owners. In addition, the waiting time for charging the battery is very fast because an empty battery can be swapped with a full battery at the Public Electric Vehicle Battery Exchange Station (SPBKLU),” Kanam noted. The existence of these two alternatives is expected to be able to attract public interest and also encourage the development of the main component industries, namely micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) conversion and service workshops, metal smelting, and battery waste management, as well as employment development, namely electric motorbike conversion technicians.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Bintang Puspayoga encouraged the broadcasting industry in Indonesia to create quality programs for children.”Let us save the nation’s next generation by preventing them from being exposed to negative broadcasts that contain elements of violence, pornography, and radicalism, which will affect children’s intelligence, behavior, and personality,” she stated in a statement here on Saturday. She conveyed the statement at the 2023 Child-Friendly Broadcasting Awards event held on Friday, July 28, 2023. Puspayoga noted that the Child Protection Law mandated the government to make efforts and give support so that children can receive information in written and oral forms according to their age and developmental stages. The broadcast media is deemed to have a strategic role in children’s growth and development. “It cannot be denied that various broadcast programs aired by broadcast media have an impact and contribute to shaping children’s character,” she said. The minister stated that in efforts to protect Indonesian children, the government cannot work alone. Thus, synergy and collaboration between the government, the community, academicians, businesses, and the mass media are needed. ccording to her, all parties must contribute to creating a more positive and conducive environment for children to help them grow maximally and happily. “Let us continue to spread positive things through programs that have quality messages that can support the growth and development of Indonesian children,” she said. Puspayoga lauded the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) for its commitment to protecting Indonesian children and fulfilling their rights to get child-friendly information. She also expressed appreciation for broadcast programs that won the 2023 Child-Friendly Broadcasting Awards.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Nusantara Capital City Authority (OIKN) is exploring cooperation opportunities with Shenzhen city, People’s Republic of China, to realize the vision of developing the new Indonesian capital (IKN) as a smart city.”In order to realize the vision of building a smart and sustainable forest city, IKN continues to learn and absorb knowledge from the experiences of advanced cities in the world,” OIKN head Bambang Susantono said in a statement released in Jakarta on Saturday. Susantono lauded the remarkable transformation that has been carried out in the past four decades by Shenzhen — a city that has become a reference for the planning and development of several cities. “The government can take notes from the 40 years of experience of Shenzhen in terms of planning and development processes to develop Nusantara, which is currently undergoing the initial phase of development,” he said. Earlier on July 27, 2023, Indonesian President Joko Widodo met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Chengdu, China, with both countries inking eight agreements, including a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the transfer of knowledge and experience for the development of IKN. The MoU was signed by Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, and Susantono on behalf of the Indonesian government on the sidelines of the meeting. t the MoU signing, the Chinese government was represented by head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Zheng Shanjie, and Shenzhen Mayor Qin Weizhong. s a follow-up to the bilateral meeting, Susantono on Saturday met with Mayor Qin to explore ways to implement concrete actions under the cooperation agreement forged earlier by the governments of Indonesia and China. The OIKN head also met with the representatives of the Urban Planning and Design Institute of Shenzhen (UPDIS), which has taken an active role in the city’s development process. Susantono also visited the command center in Shenzhen, where he got the opportunity to witness the implementation of several latest smart city-related technologies developed in the city. During his meeting with Susantono, Qin shared his experience in developing Shenzhen, which has successfully transformed from a small town to a metropolis in 40 years. t present, Shenzhen is one of the 10 global financial centers, one of China’s best smart cities, and a reference for the development of other cities in the world. Based on the city’s success, the mayor offered his support for the construction and development of IKN. Susantono welcomed the offer, saying that OIKN is always open to experience exchange activities and cooperation schemes, including investment.

Source: Antara News Agency

Purwokerto, Jateng (ANTARA) – Chairperson of the Muhammadiyah central executive (PP)Anwar Abbashas said that cooperation between the government, society, and various parties is needed to eradicate poverty in Indonesia.fter opening the 20222027 PP Muhammadiyah Community Empowerment Assembly (MPM) National Meeting (Rakernas) at Muhammadiyah University Purwokerto (UMP), Central Java, on Saturday, Abbas expressed the hope that the MPM work program will become a movement that empowers the community’s economy. “So, the MPM chaired by Nurul Yamin and friends have already made a plan. This planning is the result of a congress decision, which becomes a work program in Solo,” he said. The work program has also been socialized to the regional and branch levels, he said, adding that it is hoped that it will become an activity or movement for community economic empowerment that would run from Sabang to Merauke. “If we can do it well, we hope it will bring prosperity to the people’s economy,” he said. Thus, the number of lower-class people will decrease and in return, the number of middle-class people will increase. The shape of social well-being and distribution of wealth in Indonesian society is like that ofa pyramid, he noted. “We will help transform the shape into a diamond-like shape, where the top is small, the middle is large, and the bottom is small,” the deputy chairperson of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) said. “The top is twopercent, in the middle 95 percent, below three percent,” he added. He saidsuch a society would transform again into a mountain, where the bottom is blunt and where there are no more poor people because everyone is living in prosperity. He described this as an ideal social order that the Indonesian people must aspire to. “And I think this cannot only be done by the government and not only can be done by the community. The government and society must work together in order to overcome this problem,” he stressed. He said that Constitutionally speaking, based on the provisions of Article 34 of the 1945 Constitution, the state should look after the poor. However, the state has limitations so the government must instead support every effort made by elements of society who are trying to eradicate poverty in the country, he added. Therefore, the government should pay attention to events — such as the MPM National Working Meeting — which seek to reduce poverty. Regarding the concrete steps that Muhammadiyah has taken to reduce poverty, Abbas said the organization has made several efforts, including helping people in the agricultural sector by choosing good seeds and teaching them how to cultivate good soil and how to use the right fertilizers. “Mr. Latuconsina from Maluku once guided people in an area by choosing the right fertilizer to help their cocoa plants bear fruit again,” he informed. “After the people’s cocoa plantations bear fruit, their economy will start moving again. That’s what we hope for,” Abbas said. He also expressed the hope that there will be no unemployment in the country and that everyone will contribute to the nation in their respective capacities. The MPM PP Muhammadiyah National Working Meeting, which is themed “Community Empowerment Ecosystem Collaboration,” is taking place from July 2830, 2023. It is scheduled to be closed by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural AffairsMuhadjir Effendy.

Source: Antara News Agency