Category: Miscellaneous

Padang, W Sumatra (ANTARA) – West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah highlighted that the human development index (HDI) in West Sumatra Province in 2022 was higher than the national average of HDI.”HDI in West Sumatra is 73.26, or increased by 0.61 points, as compared to 72.65 in 2021. The figure is higher as compared to the national average of HDI at 72.91,” he noted here on Saturday. The data spotlighted by Ansharullah was obtained from Statistics Indonesia (BPS). nsharullah remarked that in 2022, Padang City was the region in the province to have recorded the highest HDI, at 83.29, while Mentawai Islands District was recorded as the region with the lowest HDI, at 62.19. He explained that HDI covers several components, such as life expectancy, school life expectancy, mean years of schooling, and residents’ expenditure per capita. In 2022, West Sumatra’s life expectancy reached 69.90 years, reflecting an increase of 0.31 years from the previous year. “This figure showed that the health rate of the West Sumatra population increased by 0.31 points as compared to the previous year,” he stated. Moreover, the school life expectancy in West Sumatra increased, from 14.09 years in 2021 to 14.10 years in 2022. Furthermore, the mean years of schooling in West Sumatra stood at 9.18 years in 2022, an increase from 9.07 years in 2021. The mean years of schooling is the average number of years of education completed by people aged 15 years and over. Meanwhile, expenditure per capita of the population in West Sumatra was recorded at Rp11.13 million (around US$733.88) in 2022, which increased from Rp10.79 million (around US$711.46) in 2021. “This showed that there has been an improvement in the income of West Sumatra’s residents, which is directly proportional to the purchasing power,” the governor remarked.

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Jakarta (ANTARA) – State-run cement producer PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, or SIG, through a statement, Saturday, stated that the company continues to implement surface mining technique in its operations to support the government’s efforts to realize sustainable mining.Surface mining is an explosive-less mining technique conducted above the surface by using a mobile milling machine, with a 950 HP surface miner engine power, for the separation of limestone as raw material. This equipment has a capacity to dredge 300 tons of materials per hour. Meanwhile, materials from the mining process are gathered using a wheel loader. SIG’s Corporate Secretary, Vita Mahreyni, stated that the implementation of surface mining had begun since 2012 as a form of improvisation in SIG’s mining activities. This aims to handle the direct impact of explosive mining at locations within 500-700 m of residential areas. “Separation of rocks using surface mining technique has few advantages, including minimizing dust, noise, and vibration pollution,” she remarked. Moreover, the technique improves the quality of mining production, as it is done with the selective mining method, and it forms a clean and stable excavation surface. Mining plays an important role for construction, both for the public and industry. The government had provided a mining guideline through the Republic of Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Decree No. 1827 K/30/MEM/2018. This was issued to realize green sustainable mining that takes into account the people’s health and prosperity. s a company that works in the mining sector, SIG supports the government’s efforts in realizing sustainable mining. “In addition to mining sustainably, SIG restores post-mining land through reclamation by planting various types of trees, including teak, johor, mahogany, sengon, flamboyant, trembesi, kesambi, and juwet(Java plum),” she stated. Until February 2023, SIG had conducted land reclamation after mining limestone in the Tuban Factory, covering an area of 313.36 ha, and planted 533,200 trees. Mahreyni stated that the reclamation program undertaken by SIG involves 527 mentee farmers within 24 groups to work on the green belt land. Farmers are provided production facilities, training, and education on effective and efficient agriculture innovation based on environmental preservation.

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Mataram, W Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) – The Mount Rinjani trekking routes in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, will be reopened on April 1 following improved weather conditions in the region.”The tourist destination for trekking at the Mount Rinjani National Park will be reopened on April 1, 2023,” Head of the Mt Rinjani National Park (BTNGR) of the Environment and Forestry Ministry Dedy Asriady stated here on Saturday. The ministry has closed the famous trekking routes from January 1 to March 31, 2023, due to extreme weather that could endanger visitors. The trekking routes was closed to help the ecosystem in the national park to recover. sriady remarked that the reopened trekking routes are the Senaru and Torean routes in North Lombok District; Sembalun, Timbanuh, and Tetebatu routes in East Lombok District; and Aik Berik route in Central Lombok District. Visitors can register online through the e-Rinjani application from March 27, he said. “The registration for trekking at Mount Rinjani is open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time,” Asriady added. In addition to trekking, he said, the authority will reopen two non-trekking destinations that were also closed due to extreme weather and open a new destination of the Tiu Ngumbak waterfall in Kayangan Sub-district, North Lombok District. ccording to Asriady, the national park will open the tourist destination at full capacity, with the duration of trekking being four days and three nights. “All trekking and non-trekking activities will apply general guidance on discipline and standard operational procedures,” he stated. The BTNGR recorded the number of tourists to Mt Rinjani during the March-December 2022 period at 55,348, comprising 45,390 domestic tourists and 9,958 foreign tourists. During the April-December 2021 period, the number of tourists was recorded at 39,226, comprising 38,785 domestic tourists and 441 foreign tourists.

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Yogyakarta (ANTARA) – The Research and Development Center for Geological Disaster Technology (BPPTKG) reported that Mount Merapi, located on the border of Central Java and Yogyakarta, emitted 160 lava avalanches during observations on March 17-23, 2023.”Mount Merapi is observed to spew lava avalanches 160 times to the southwest or upstream of Bebeng and Boyong rivers, with a maximum sliding distance of 1,800 meters,” Head of BPPTKGAgus Budi Santosonoted in a written statement in Yogyakarta, Saturday. Santoso remarked that during this week, hot clouds of avalanches were also observed to arise from Merapi twice to the southwest, with a sliding distance of 1,300 meters. Based on morphological analysis from the Deles, Tunggularum, Babadan 2, and Ngepos camera stations, morphological changes were observed on the southwestern dome of Mount Merapi that were triggered by hot cloud avalanches, he pointed out “While for the central dome, there is no significant change,” he stated. Meanwhile, based on aerial photos on March 13, 2023, the measured volume of the southwest dome was 1,686,200 cubic meters while that of the middle dome was 2,312,100 cubic meters, he remarked. ccording to Santoso, the intensity of Mount Merapi’s seismicity over the past week is still high. During that period, Mount Merapi was recorded to have experienced two volcanic avalanches, one deep volcanic earthquake, 41 shallow volcanic earthquakes, 201 multiphase earthquakes, one low-frequency earthquake, one gust earthquake, 821 avalanches earthquakes, and five tectonic earthquakes, Santoso revealed. He noted that the deformation of Mount Merapi monitored using the electronic distance measurement (EDM) this week showed a distance shortening rate of 0.03 cm per day. The BPPTKG continues to maintain Mount Merapi’s status at Alert, or at Level III, since November 2020. Santoso remarked that currently, potential danger lies in the form of lava avalanches and hot clouds sliding towards Woro River, three kilometers from the summit, and Gendol River, five kilometers from the summit. Moreover, the potential for danger lies at Boyong River, as far as five kilometers from the summit, as well as Kali Bedog, Krasak, and Bebeng, as far as seven kilometers from the summit. Meanwhile, the ejection of volcanic material during an explosive eruption can reach a radius of three kilometers from the summit, he said.

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Badung, Bali (ANTARA) – Deputy Trade Minister Jerry Sambuaga visited traders at Bali’s Jimbaran Traditional Village Market, Saturday, to hear their complaints and suggestions and review prices of several staple goods, including rice, eggs, chilies, onions, oil, and chicken.Several traders, who had the opportunity to chat with Sambuaga, remarked that the prices of several staple goods, such as red cayenne pepper and shallots, continued to increase during Silence Day and the first day of Ramadan. Meanwhile, other traders, especially those selling affordable packaged cooking oil, Minyakita, pointed out that the demand for it was high, but traders were constrained by limited stocks. Sambuaga made assurance that the government continues to work to maintain the prices of staple goods. The deputy trade minister considered that it was normal for the prices of several staple goods to fluctuate before and during national religious holidays. In general, the prices of staple goods at the Jimbaran Traditional Village Market were stable, although the prices of some commodities increased while those of others decreased, he noted. “The stocks of staple goods are secure. Cooking oil, chilies, garlic, shallots, flour, and eggs are available in sufficient stocks,” he remarked. He noted that premium rice was priced at Rp13 thousand per kilogram; sugar, at Rp13,500 per kilogram; chicken meat, Rp35 thousand per kilogram; and eggs, Rp28,300 per kilogram. Furthermore, wheat flour costs Rp13,500 per kilogram; large red chilies priced at Rp35 thousand per kilogram; red cayenne pepper, Rp75 thousand per kilogram; red onion, Rp35 thousand per kilogram; and honan white garlic, Rp30 thousand per kilogram, he stated. Several traders at the market noted that the price of red cayenne pepper, as per Saturday, was still quite high, in the range of Rp70 thousand to Rp80 thousand per kilogram, while the normal price was Rp50 thousand per kilogram. Meanwhile, some traders pointed to a slight increase in the price of shallots, from the usual Rp28 thousand per kilogram to Rp30 thousand to Rp35 thousand per kilogram. “We will continue to see the price update in the next one or two days. Hopefully, the price can decrease,” Sambuaga remarked. Speaking in connection with the availability of Minyakita, the deputy minister noted that the government had increased its national supply, from 300 thousand tons per month to 450 thousand tons a month. “The Ministry of Trade will continue to monitor the availability and supply of Minyakita at the distributor and agent levels. I heard from traders that in the last few days, there has been an increase in demand for Minyakita,” he stated.

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (ANTARA) – The Riau Islands provincial government has allocated a budget of Rp3.47 billion or US$228,876 to provide insurance coverage to 17,209 local fishermen through the State-Owned Social Security Agency (BPJAMSOSTEK).”The manpower social insurance aid program for fishermen in all of Riau Islands will be distributed immediately in 2023,” head of the Riau Islands Marine Affairs and Fishery OfficeSaid Sudrajat Nazlaninformed here on Saturday. He said that several conditions have been laid down for beneficiaries, including the fact that the aid will be prioritized for those who have never received social insurance aid. Moreover, the maximum age of the recipients will have to be 65 as of December 2022. The BPJAMSOSTEK aid is also intended for small or traditional fishermen who either use fishing vessels with a maximum weight of 5 gross tonnage (GT) or do not use fishing vessels. “In addition, they do not use fishing equipments that are banned based on the regulation,” he said. The BPJAMSOSTEK facility will be valid for a year. After it expires, fishermen can extend the coverage period on their own. ccording to Nazlan, BPJAMSOSTEK is very important because it provides insurance against the risk of death and any work accidents that individual fishermen could experience. The budget allocation of US$228,876 for 17,209 fishermen from the provincial government constitutes 50 percent of the collective financing scheme between the provincial and district/city governments. “We want fishermen across all of Riau Islands to receive protection because their job has a high risk, thus the worst-case scenario can be anticipated if it occurs,” Nazlan said. Meanwhile, the Maluku branch of BPJAMSOSTEK is targeting fishermen in Mamala village, Central Maluku district, for information dissemination concerning the benefits of the manpower social insurance program.

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Jakarta (ANTARA) – National flag carrier;nbsparuda Indonesia will not raise airfares during Eid al-Fitr 1444 H, and is instead providing special homecoming offers for travel to Jakarta, the airline’s President Director, Irfan Setiaputra, has informed.ruda Indonesia is providing the “homecoming to Jakarta” offers on tickets booked from March 3, 2023, to May 1, he informed when contacted from here on Saturday. The offers are available for flights from April 13 to May 1. Different airfares have been set depending on the location, with a one-way ticket to Jakarta from Bali costing around Rp1.4 million, Medan Rp1.7 million, Gorontalo Rp2.2 million, Padang Rp1.5 million, Surabaya Rp1.1 million, and Lombok Rp1.4 million. In addition, flights from Palu are priced at Rp1.7 million, Yogyakarta Rp900 thousand, Makassar Rp1.6 million, and Semarang Rp700 thousand. ruda Indonesia is also providing an extra baggage offer, with the tariff starting from Rp15 thousand, as well as a 20-percent GarudaMiles redemption discount. Meanwhile, to ensure safe and comfortable flights, the airline is following a standard operating procedure (SOP) in the form of a pre-flight checklist, Setiaputra informed. “We have what is called a checklist. If this is not met, there will be an action plan for collective safety and comfort,” he said. Earlier, the government asked airplane operators and airlines not to raise ticket fares on their own for this year’s Eid homecoming. “There is an important matter that we want to convey to operators: Please don’t raise the tariff on your own,” Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said. The minister underlined that the government has set an upper limit on ticket prices for transportation that will need to be complied with. He warned that operators violating the upper limit will invite stringent penalties.

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Bandung, West Java (ANTARA) – The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has urged people to adopt the spirit of hospitality of the Batak people and emulate it in welcoming visitors to tourism villages.”Think of all guests as uncles. We all are already able, always wanting to give the best for guests. In our culture, we are used to being like that. So, give our best,” the director of tourism human resources development at the ministry Florida Pardosisaid in an official statement received here on Friday. Pardosi attended the Tourism Awareness socialization in Toba district, North Sumatra. The program was a part of the Tourism Awareness Campaign 5.0, which aims to build up knowledge of the potential of each tourism village covered by the campaign. Tourism Awareness Campaign 5.0 kicked off in 2022 in 65 villages and has been continued in 2023 at an additional 90 tourist villages in 6 priority tourism destinations, which include Lake Toba, Yogyakarta’s Borobudur and Prambanan, Tengger’s Bromo and Semeru, Lombok, Labuan Bajo, and Wakatobi. In Toba district, the socialization will be conducted from March 22 to March 25 in the lake’s buffer zones, which include Parparean I village and Sigapiton in Toba district, as well as Pangambatan and Dokan villages in Karo district. On the same occasion, head of the Toba Cultural Affairs and Tourism OfficeRusti Hutapeasaid that officials from the ministry and other speakers were present at the event to educate and assist people so that they would understand their region’s tourism potential. “So, we would understand and realize that the existing tourism potential can be managed for public welfare,” Hutapea added. Meanwhile, the deputy of resources and institutions at the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry, Martini M. Paham, said that tourism villages are being encouraged to discover and develop iconic products from their line-up of tourism products. “Tourism village needs branding, one of which is by highlighting local uniqueness,” Paham explained. Some time ago, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno had said that his ministry is taking part in developing integrated and sustainable tourism through its program. “Through the Integrated and Sustainable Tourism Development program, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry is committed to taking part in supporting the improvement and preparation of superior and professional human resources in the field of tourism and creative economy, such as through training for tourism players in tourism villages,” the minister informed.

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)