Category: Miscellaneous

Currently, the drinking water service coverage has reached 91.05 percent and improvement of sanitation access stands at 80.92 percent. Jakarta (ANTARA) – The government has made water the main priority for development, Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said in an official statement issued on Friday.”Currently, the Indonesian government has aligned the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the 20202024 National Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) to realize 100-percent access to drinking water and sanitation,” he expounded. “Currently, the drinking water service coverage has reached 91.05 percent and improvement of sanitation access stands at 80.92 percent,” he informed. Indonesia’s effort to provide access to drinking water and proper sanitation for everyone has encountered several major challenges. These have included urbanization, climate change, water scarcity at certain times and locations, regional fiscal limitations, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has continued for more than three years. To achieve the drinking water and sanitation target, the ministry has undertaken several acceleration efforts, which have included the development of drinking water provision infrastructure by utilizing 61 new dams to improve water service capacity. Next, it has developed drinking water provision infrastructure to support national priority areas, such as the tourism area in Kalidendeng and Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, and the industrial area in Batang, Central Java. The PUPR Ministry is also making an effort to improve human resource capacity in water supply management by developing the Special Masters Program in cooperation with a partner university. It is also focusing on the integration of sanitation services by combining on-site and off-site systems or inclusive sanitation for all regions to ensure that the drinking water service can be accessed by everyone. The ministry has so far managed to support the provision of drinking water and sanitation to 37 thousand villages spread across 408 districts and cities. This has been achieved by involving the people in the Drinking Water Provision Program (Pamsimas) and Community-Based Sanitation (Sanimas) in the period from 2008 to 2022. In response to the digital transformation and performance improvement in clean water provision of the regional tap water company (PDAM), the government has created several technological innovations. These have included the implementation of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) as well as waste management technology through the conversion of waste to energy. Lastly, to manage fund limitations, the ministry has also invited the participation of the private sector in the development of the Drinking Water Provision System (SPAM) through alternative funding such as public-private partnerships. baca-jugaRelated news: World Water Forum crucial for realizing SDGs: MinisterRelated news: World Water Council lauds Indonesia for massive dam-building

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Operators need to be cooperative by not increasing the tariff excessively. We (the government) have a price cap. Jakarta (ANTARA) – The government has asked airlines in Indonesiato not increase airfares “unreasonably” during the 2023 Eid Al-Fitr exodus flow.”There is an important thing that we want to convey to (airplane) operators: please do not increase the prices unreasonably,” Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said after a closed meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to discuss the Eid exodus flow at the Presidential Office here on Friday. He emphasized that the government has set a ceiling for transportation ticket prices that will need to be obeyed. “We know that the public needs (transportation) for homecoming or vacation. Operators need to be cooperative by not increasing the tariff excessively. We (the government) have a price cap,” he said. If airlines set prices above the upper limit during the Eid exodus period, the government will impose strict sanctions, he said. The upper limit on ticket prices is a point where operators can get profits while still maintaining the people’s purchasing power, he added. “Hence, we always monitor the prices from day to day, be it planes, buses, or trains. (The upper limit) must not be violated; we will give sanction if it is violated. We ask operators and the media to help monitor and supervise these ticket prices,” Sumadi said. The minister also highlighted the predicted increase in the number of travelers during the Eid holiday period to 123 million people this year from 85 million in 2022. Meanwhile, 18 million people from the Greater Jakarta area, which comprises Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi, will travel during the holiday, an increase from 14 million the previous year, according to the ministry.s “This means that there are increases (in the number of travelers) of 47 percent nationally and 27 percent from the Greater Jakarta area,” the minister said. baca-jugaRelated news: Expect uptick in number of exodus participants this year: MinisterRelated news: Eid Holiday boosts spending, consumption indicating economic recovery

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Palangka Raya, Central Kaliman (ANTARA) – In the period from 2018 to 2020, the Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Ministry worked on 305 cases related to land mafia operations, of which, 145 were resolved or forwarded for legal proceedings.”Of the 305 cases targeted in the land mafia operation, as many as 145 have been concluded, or (forwarded) to the attorney,” Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Minister Hadi Tjahjanto informed in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, on Friday. The figures reflect the ministry’s commitment to resolving the issue related to the land mafia, which has been a public concern all along, he added. The ministry will pursue stronger collaboration with regional governments, law enforcement agencies, and judicial agencies to prevent similar cases from happening all across the country, he said. “Because we all know, synergy and collaboration are the keys to combating land mafia,” Minister Tjahjanto underlined. Land mafia is everywhere, he said and warned that those who participate in the practice will be shown no mercy and given harsh punishment. The minister also expressed his intention to aggressively pursue land mafias. “Hence, let us combat land mafia together. We restrict land mafia’s space by maintaining area limits, using land as per its intended use; thus, through public participation and effective collaboration, we can fight against land mafia, all the way to its very roots,” Tjahjanto said. The minister then commended the performance of the Central Kalimantan Police Department and the Central Kalimantan Court in resolving a land mafia case involving a suspect named Madi Goening Sius. With the completion of all the files for the cases, all there is left to do is for the court proceedings to take place, he said. The minister also attended a press conference on land mafia cases at Central Kalimantan Police Station on Friday. The press meet was also joined by Central Kalimantan Governor H. Sugianto Sabran, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning, Raja Juli Antoni, as well as other officials. baca-jugaRelated news: aRelated news: President Jokowi distributes 1.5 million land certificates for peopleRelated news: Police should extensively coordinate to address land mafia issues

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Exclusive breastfeeding has shown an upward trend from year to year, but the practice is not uniformly distributed across regions yet, according to the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.”Even though the trend is rising from year to year, the achievement must be increased, especially in terms of equal distribution in regions,” the ministry’s acting assistant deputy for the fulfillment of children’s rights to health and educationAnggin Nuzula Rahma said here on Friday. She conveyed the statement at the “Guide to Fasting for Pregnant, Breastfeeding Mothers, and Children” webinar. Exclusive breastfeeding is the provision of breast milk to babies from zero to 6 months without any other supplementary food. Rahma noted that, based on Statistics Indonesia’s (BPS’s) National Socioeconomic Survey (Susenas), the percentage of children aged 023 months who were provided breast milk in the 20202022 period showed an upward trend, rising from 75.68 percent in 2020 to 77.01 percent in 2021 and then to 77.41 percent in 2022. One of the causes for failure in the provision of exclusive breastfeeding is the culture of providing food to babies shortly after they are born, she noted. “There is a culture in the community that considers babies after birth must be trained, given a little water, mashed bananas. This is actually not allowed. This has caused failure in the government’s program regarding exclusive breastfeeding,” she said. nother problem is that the period of exclusive breastfeeding is too short. She further said that children under five who are not given exclusive breastfeeding from birth have a 4.8 times higher risk of stunting compared to those who are given exclusive breastfeeding from birth. “Because the baby’s stomach is very small, breast milk alone can perfectly meet all the nutritional needs of the baby,” she said. baca-jugaRelated news: Exclusive breastfeeding important for children’s growth: Ministrybaca-jugaRelated news: BKKBN encourages breastfeeding to prevent stunting in childrenRelated news: BKKBN bolstering lactation education among working mothers

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Financial Services Authority (OJK) has sought to improve financial literacy and inclusion by issuing Regulation (POJK) No. 3 of 2023 on financial literacy and inclusion improvement in the financial services sector for consumers and the public.The new regulation is an improvement of POJK No. 76/POJK.07/2016, head of the OJK’s financial literacy, inclusion, and communication departmentAman Santosasaid in a statement issued on Friday. It has been issued to strengthen synergy between the government and financial service business actors (PUJK) in carrying out activities to improve financial literacy and inclusion. “Improvement of stipulation within POJK No. 3 of 2023 is intended to support the government’s target of reaching financial inclusion index of 90 percent by 2024 and OJK’s program to improve financial literacy,” he informed. The new regulation will also accommodate the dynamic development of information technology and increase the number of financial literacy and inclusion activities by optimizing the roles of businesspersons. It will also accommodate the impact of financial service sector development with the emergence of new businesspersons and improve the utilization of the financial education learning management system. Meanwhile, the activities to improve financial literacy are expected to make people more cautious in choosing and utilizing financial service products and services. This also needs to be followed by improving financial inclusion by easing people’s access to financial products. POJK No. 3 of 2023 will seek to strengthen financial inclusion and literacy activities, for instance, by involving new businesspersons who emerge as a result of financial service sector development in improving financial literacy and inclusion. Through the new regulation, monitoring to protect consumers will also be bolstered by mandating businesspersons to deliver a report on their financial literacy and inclusion activity plan and its realization to related parties. The stipulation concerning the management of activities to improve financial literacy and inclusion by financial service institutions has also been strengthened. Moreover, the penalty on financial service institutions that violate the established regulation has also been made more stringent through the regulation, he said. baca-jugaRelated news: Aceh’s financial inclusion recorded at above national rate: OJKRelated news: University students need to know financial literacy, inclusion: OJKRelated news: Increasing financial inclusion through Pre-Employment Card Program

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Manpower stated that the job creation law is aimed at bringing about an improvement in the quality of workforce in the country.”We believe the employment substance in the Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) concerning Job Creation that has become law aims to improve our workforce’s quality,” the ministry’s Director General of Development of Industrial Relations and Workers’ Social SecurityIndah Anggoro Putristated. She conveyed the statement at the Merdeka Barat 9 Forum, followed online on Tuesday. Putri noted that the job creation law also targets to improve the quality of protection for workers, expand work opportunities through investment, and ensure business continuity. “This law is a collection of norms that we must guard jointly. If there is a problem in the practice, the implementation, we must minimize it, and we must resolve the problem immediately,” she remarked. Putri emphasized that harmony between the interests of workers and entrepreneurs should be preserved. “We need to maintain harmony, and it has been regulated in the employment substance in this law,” she remarked. On that occasion, Putri also stressed that the job creation law does not degrade workers’ rights. The House of Representatives (DPR) ratified Perppu Number 2 of 2022 on Job Creation as law during DPR’s plenary session here on Tuesday. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated that the existence of the job creation law needs to be maintained, especially amid economic uncertainty. Various derivative regulations of the job creation law become programs and policies that accelerate post-COVID-19-pandemic economic recovery. “The government and relevant ministers convey our gratitude and appreciation. Hopefully, the Job Creation Perppu that has been passed into law can give significant benefits in mitigating the impact of economic dynamics,” Hartarto remarked. baca-jugaRelated news: House approves Perppu on job creation to be passed into lawRelated news: New chapter in investment, manpower within Job Creation Perppu

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

The companies that violate these rules will be given administrative sanctions, namely the revocation of their participation in this assistance program. Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Industry Ministry has issued the Industry Minister’s Regulation Number 6 of 2023 as a guideline for the provision of government assistance for the purchase of electric motorbikes.”To expedite the establishment of the electric vehicle ecosystem, the government has made a policy to give assistance on the purchase of two-wheeled electric vehicles (EVs), which has taken effect since March 20, 2023,” Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said in a statement released on Tuesday. The assistance will be disbursed as a Rp7-million (US$455.21) discount on the purchase of each two-wheeled battery-based EV, he informed. The implementation of the program will be supported by an independent verification agency since the discount will only be given to certain beneficiaries, he said. To be eligible for the assistance, people will need to be registered as beneficiaries of people’s business credit (KUR), productive assistance for micro-enterprises, wage subsidy assistance, and electricity subsidies for households with up to 900 volt-ampere (VA) connections. “The assistance program will be provided for a maximum of 200 thousand units for the 2023 fiscal year and a maximum of 600 thousand units for the 2024 fiscal year,” the minister informed. Director general of metal, machinery, transportation equipment, and electronics (ILMATE) at the ministry, Taufiek Bawazier, said that the aid will be provided only for the variants of vehicles registered on the Information System for Assistance in Purchasing Two-Wheeled Electric Vehicles (SISAPIRa). The vehicles, which will be registered on the system, will need to meet the minimum domestic component level (TKDN) of 40 percent, in accordance with the ministry’s requirements. The director general informed that the system can be accessed by EV industry players on sisapira.id starting March 20, 2023. “The participation (of the EV industry players) in this assistance program is valid until the 2024 fiscal year,” he added. ccording to the Industry Minister Regulation Number 6 of 2023, EV industry players registered as participants of the program will not be allowed to increase their sale prices. They will also not be allowed to change the components of their products if that results in a decrease in the TKDN value to less than the required level. “The companies that violate these rules will be given administrative sanctions, namely the revocation of their participation in this assistance program,” Bawazier added.

baca-jugaRelated news: Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministry inducts EVs in fleetRelated news: Surabaya city govt to start using EVs in 2023

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)

Acquisition Continues Gradiant’s Strategy to Broaden Service Offerings and Revenue Mix in the Middle EastBoston (ANTARA/BusinessWire)-;nbspradiant,a global solutions provider for advanced water and wastewater treatment, today announced it has acquiredMuscat Projects and Engineering Services(MPES), a leading full-service water and wastewater management company in Oman. This announcement follows;nbspradiant’s acquisition of Advanced Watertekin February, a major original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for membrane-based water and wastewater treatment systems. In response to the region’smost severe drought in 900 years, nations and businesses in the Middle East are rapidly implementing water sustainability targets, building out new water and wastewater treatment capacity, and looking to alternative water supplies to meet growing demand creating unprecedented opportunities in the region’s water and wastewater market. With the acquisition of MPES, Gradiant expands its full-service capabilities in the region, including deployment of theSmartOpsplant performance optimization and asset management technology through OandM services. “Gradiant excels at project delivery,” said Prakash Govindan, COO of Gradiant. “We offer various business models, including design-build and design-build-operate (DBO), to meet our clients’ unique requirements. With DBO projects, we transfer the responsibility of multiple parties to a single entity, Gradiant, which promotes innovation and efficiency, leading to lower total water costs. The acquisitions of MPES and Advanced Watertek create an integrated platform for Gradiant to deliver best-in-class offerings into the Middle East. We will extend MPES’s core expertise and resources in OandM services to Gradiant’s existing and new facilities in the region, diversifying our revenue mix to a long-term recurring profile.” Founded in 2008, MPES delivers turnkey solutions for wastewater and solid waste management and specializes in the OandM of water and wastewater treatment plants. The company is now one of Oman’s leading wastewater management companies, with key clients including Haya Water, the Ministry of Defense, and Petroleum Development Oman. “We look forward to integrating our expertise with Gradiant to expand the impact of our water and wastewater solutions,” said E.M. Badhrudeen, Managing Director of MPES. “We are fortunate that today, we are the leading OandM service provider in Oman, and by joining Gradiant, we will extend our operations know-how into projects across the Middle East region.” Through its continually expanding portfolio, Gradiant is bringing together industry-leading water treatment solutions with the power of AI to sustainably solve the world’s most important water challenges. bout Gradiant radiant is a global solutions provider for advanced water and wastewater treatment. With a full suite of differentiated and proprietary end-to-end solutions, powered by the top minds in water, Gradiant serves its clients’ mission-critical operations in the world’s essential industries. Gradiant was founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is uniquely positioned to address the world’s increasing challenges created by industrialization, population growth, and water stress. Today, with over 900 employees, Gradiant operates from its global headquarters in Boston, regional headquarters and Global Innovation Center in Singapore, and offices across fourteen countries. For more information, please visit

Source: Antara News Agency (ANA)