Category: Trading

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia and Singapore have continued to intensify bilateral ties, including in developing quality human resources, as the Indonesian Ministry of Industry forged cooperation with Singapore Polytechnic.

“This is a tangible commitment from us in supporting the government’s program on implementation of the Making Indonesia 4.0 roadmap that encompasses the aim to create industrial human resources that are ready to enter the Industry 4.0 era,” Head of the Ministry’s Human Resources Development Agency, Arus Gunawan, noted here on Friday.

Gunawan remarked that during the 2018-2019 period, the ministry had facilitated 100 training programs for 100 teachers from productive vocational high schools, gathered through the link and match program between vocational schools and industries across the country.

“The training activities are conducted at the Singapore ITE campuses, supported by the Temasek Foundation,” he expounded.

Meanwhile, Deputy Principal of Singapore Polytechnic Georgina Phua lauded the participants for their enthusiasm in partaking in the series of training activities, albeit through the online medium, on account of the pandemic.

“The Singapore Polytechnic opens up opportunity for further collaborations for wider technical scopes,” she stated.

In 2020, a collaboration program between the ministry’s Human Resources Development Agency and the Singapore Polytechnic on training human resources for the Industry 4.0 era was also supported by Temasek Foundation.

The ministry remarked that the program’s beneficiaries had reached 380 people, four-folds higher than the targeted 96 participants.

Senior Director of Temasek Foundation, Gerald Yeo, echoed his party’s commitment to supporting the human resources development training program based on the success recorded in the previous programs.

Gunawan is optimistic that the collaboration would be continued in future and commended all parties involved in the endeavor to shape and hone Indonesian human resources.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The trade attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Japan and officials from Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) showcased products made by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) at the Indonesian Bazaar in Tokyo.

The month-long Bazaar, which opened early this week, aimed to keep Indonesian tourism and creative industries “top of mind” among foreign tourists, BNI officials said.

“For BNI, this is (a matter of) pride because it has provided an opportunity to encourage Indonesian MSMEs to Go Global, or more precisely, in this case, Go to Japan,” general manager of BNI Tokyo, Muhamad Emil Azhary, said in a statement on Thursday.

BNI displayed craft made by BNI-mentored MSME partners, including the Katingan, Sleman, and West Manggarai state-owned enterprises, at the BNI Corner at the Bazaar, he informed. The products displayed at the Bazaar included woven purun grass handicrafts from Borneo Queen, Central Kalimantan, bamboo handicrafts from Tunggak Semi, Sleman Yogyakarta, and songket, or woven fabrics, from Tenun Ana Sukarara, Lombok and Ca Nai, West Manggarai District, he said.

Indonesian Ambassador to Japan and the federation of micronesian states, Heri Akhmadi, officially opened the event in Tokyo. BNI’s Azhary also attended the event at Route Café and Things in Tokyo’s elite Marunouchi area.

A variety of products made by Indonesian MSMEs, including BNI-mentored MSMEs, are showcased at the event.

Ambassador Akhmadi said the event also marked the 75th anniversary of BNI, which fell on July 5, 2021.

“BNI expects to be a strategic partner in public service and also in encouraging the improvement of exports and investment between Indonesia and Japan,” he said.

The opening ceremony of the Indonesia Bazaar 2021 was attended by BNI Tokyo customers and the board of the Association of Indonesian Entrepreneurs in Japan (APIJ). Japanese traditional dances and leather puppets by Hana Joss Group were also featured at the end of the opening ceremony, Azhary said.

Source: Antara News

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) – Several armed Papuan separatists disrupted a stone-burning ceremony held by locals in Ilaga, Papua province on Thursday to celebrate the restoration of peace and security in the capital of Puncak district, the military said.

The armed rebels sporadically shot at locals joining the “Bakar Batu”, or stone-roasting ritual, from a distance, but no was injured in the firing, according to a local military officer.

The shooting, which broke out at 1:30 p.m. local time, triggered a counter-attack from security personnel safeguarding the event, Commander of the 173/PVB District Military Command, Brig.Gen.Iwan Setiawan, informed.

The security personnel chased the attackers and combed the area from where they launched their assault, he said, adding that he could not yet confirm which armed Papuan group was responsible for the incident.

However, Setiawan said he suspected the Lekagak Telenggen or the Teri Mayu-led group’s involvement in the incident as they are known to be active in the district.

The “Bakar Batu” event on Thursday was attended by the Puncak district head, local military and police officers, government officials, and local residents, he added.

Over the past few years, armed Papuan groups have used hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel and unleashed acts of terror against civilians in the districts of Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak to create fear among the people.

Construction workers, motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, street food vendors, and even civilian aircraft have been the recent targets of their violence.

On April 25, 2021, Papuan separatists operating in Beoga, ambushed State Intelligence Agency (Papua) chief Maj. Gen. I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha and several security personnel during their visit to Dambet village. Following Nugraha’s fatal shooting, President Joko Widodo ordered the TNI and National Police to track down and arrest members of all separatist and terrorist groups operating in Papua, stressing there is no place for them within the Indonesian territory.

Taking note of the ongoing security disturbances, People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo has said that the state must not allow armed separatists to continue to terrorize communities in Papua.

It must ensure that the Papuans’ rights to enjoy the outcomes of development programs in the country’s easternmost province are not disrupted and hijacked by continued acts of terror, he stressed.

To defend the rights of Papuan people to enjoy the outcomes of development, the TNI and National Police personnel must remain present in Papua, Soesatyo said in a recent press statement.

The areas of Ilaga, Nduga, Kenyam, and Intan Jaya remain vulnerable due to the threat posed by separatist terrorists, he stated. (INE)

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia is encouraging close cooperation between ASEAN and Italy to bring about sustainable development, particularly to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and benefit from the post-pandemic cooperation potential.

Indonesian Ambassador to Italy, Esti Andayani, made the remarks during a webinar on ‘Italy-ASEAN Partnership for Development: A Look at Sustainable Development’ on Wednesday.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made the world aware of the importance of cooperation and of the fact that “no country should be left behind”, said Andayani, who is also chief of the ASEAN Committee in Rome (ACR).

“It is important for us to prioritize multilateralism and international cooperation, including strengthening of cooperation in sustainable development by paying attention to social, economic, and environmental dimensions,” she said in a written statement that was released by the Indonesian embassy on Thursday.

One such area of cooperation is the development of the digital economy, which is important for empowering micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs), the ambassador pointed out.

The MSME sector has become one of the important pillars during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the recovery phase, she added.

“During the lockdown, restrictions on mobility in this new normal, e-commerce plays a pivotal role,” Andayani said. Quoting the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report, the ambassador said e-commerce contributed 17 percent to global retail trade in 2020.

In this regard, ASEAN is one of the biggest digital economic ecosystems in the world, she pointed out. The region has 12 unicorn startups, each of which has a market valuation of more than US$1 billion, she added.

“ASEAN and Italy have many potentials to cooperate in sustainable development to achieve common interests,” she said.

The seminar was held by Centro Studi Internazionali (CeSI), the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy International Cooperation, and ACR.

The seminar also featured Brunei Darussalam Ambassador to Italy, based in France, Datin Malai Hajah Yussof, members of the ACR Working Group, representatives of research institutes from ASEAN member countries and Italy, such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia, Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA), Institute for Development Studies (Vietnam), and Asian Vision (Cambodia). (INE)

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Realization of the national economic recovery program (PEN) budget in the first semester of 2021 had reached Rp252.3 trillion, or 36.1 percent of the Rp699.43-trillion ceiling, Raden Pardede, coordinating economic affairs minister’s special staff, stated.

“Realization of the PEN budget has continued to be accelerated and reached Rp252.3 trillion. The government has continued to push to overcome obstacles that arise in the absorption and implementation of the program,” Pardede remarked during an online discussion here, Wednesday.

The PEN budget was for the Family of Hope Program (PKH) at Rp13.96 trillion for 9.9 million poor families (KPM) out of this year’s total allocation of Rp28.31 trillion for 10 million KPM.

For the basic food cards, the realization, as of June 2021, had reached Rp17.75 trillion for 15.9 million KPM, out of the total 2021 allocation of Rp40.19 trillion for 18.8 million KPM.

The realization of direct cash assistance (BLT) in village funds in the first semester had reached Rp4.99 trillion for five million KPM from a total ceiling of Rp28.8 trillion for this year for eight million KPM.

The first semester’s realization also included for pre-employment cards that stood at Rp10 trillion for 2.8 million participants from a total ceiling of Rp20 trillion.

The PEN budget is aimed at improving the purchasing power and boosting economic recovery amid the public’s activity restrictions to curb COVID-19 transmission.

The government has also extended the implementation of governmental incentives through electricity discounts from six months to nine months for 32.6 million customers, with a budget totaling Rp7.58 trillion, comprising Rp5.67 trillion from the budget allocation in the first semester and an additional Rp1.91 trillion.

Ultra-micro productive assistance (BPUM) was also extended to nine months, until September, for additional three million new recipients and with a budget totaling Rp15.36 trillion for 12.8 million micro enterprises.

The cash social allowance assistance was extended by two months, with 10 million KPM and a total budget of Rp18 trillion comprising Rp11.9 trillion from the first semester’s budget allocation and an additional Rp6.1 trillion.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s tax receipts reached Rp557.77 trillion in the first half of 2021, accounting for 45.36 percent of the target of Rp1,229.6 trillion, a Finance Ministry official said.

The tax receipts in the first half reflected a 4.9-percent increase compared to receipts of Rp531.77 trillion recorded in the year-ago period, the Finance Ministry’s expert staff for tax compliance, Yon Arsal, disclosed at an online discussion in Jakarta on Wednesday.

“This shows a relatively significant and stable rise in tax receipts. The tax receipts reflect economic development,” he observed.

Tax receipts have begun to enter a positive zone after contracting 12 percent year on year in the first half of 2020 on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

“The drop was very large. Compared to the onset of the pandemic last year, we have begun to enter the positive zone,” he remarked.

In terms of the types of taxes, only income tax in the non-oil/non-gas sector fell by 2.91 percent in the first half of 2021, he informed. Income tax receipts from the sector reached Rp303.17 trillion, or 47.52 percent of the target, he said.

Meanwhile, value added tax and luxury sales tax, property tax, and income tax from the oil and gas sector grew by 14.84 percent, 22.69 percent, and 23.54 percent respectively, in the first half of 2021, he added. Value added tax and luxury sales tax receipts in the first half of 2021 reached Rp217.66 trillion, or 41.98 percent of the target. They grew 14.84 percent compared to Rp189.53 trillion in receipts recorded in the same period of last year, Arsal said.

Meanwhile, property tax and other tax reached Rp14.63 trillion, or 53.67 percent of the target, reflecting a 22.69-percent increase compared to Rp11.93 trillion recorded in the same period last year, he added.

Income tax from the oil and gas sector reached Rp22.31 trillion, or 48.74 percent of the target, to show a growth of 23.54 percent from Rp18.06 trillion recorded in the corresponding period of last year, Arsal said. (INE)

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – PT Indofarma is pursuing the production target of COVID-19 therapeutic drugs — Remdesivir, Oseltamivir, and Ivermectin — to be achieved during the July-September 2021 period in Indonesia.

“The vial form of Remdesivir (Desrem) is still imported. We are producing Oseltamivir 75 mg in capsule form in the country,” PT Indofarma President Director, Arief Pramuhanto, stated during a hearing (RDP) with the House of Representatives’ Commission VI held virtually here on Wednesday.

Remdesivir is still obtained through imports from India, and as many as 140 thousand vials are scheduled to arrive here on Sunday (July 11), he confirmed.

The additional 90 thousand vials will also arrive on Thursday (July 15), he noted.

“Collectively, we will receive 230 thousand vials by this month. One vial is for one inoculation,” he stated.

For the Oseltamivir type, Indofarma will produce approximately five million capsules per month until August and September 2021, Pramuhanto noted.

“We have prepared to produce eight million capsules or about 80 thousand boxes of Oseltamivir,” he stated.

Such medicines have been scheduled to be produced due to the current surge in demand, he informed.

PT Indofarma is also boosting its production capacity of the Ivermectin type of therapeutic drug for COVID-19 patients, doubling from the production in July 2021 of as many as eight million pills.

“During this month, up to eight million pills or approximately 400 thousand vials of Ivermectin will be produced, and next month, we will add some facilities to help double its production,” he remarked.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s digital economy has the potential to expand further, particularly amid the pandemic, which has led people to increasingly rely on technology for activities and transactions, Minister of Trade, Muhammad Lutfi, has said.

“E-commerce, the digital economy, is not a new trend, but will become a major topic of discussion in the midst of international trade. The size of the digital economy will be bigger and more significant in the future,” the minister said while speaking at an online seminar here on Wednesday.

The value of Indonesia’s digital economic transactions reached Rp632 trillion in 2020, he noted.

Indonesia’s digital economy is expected to grow up to eight-fold by 2030, he projected.

“The digital economy will grow eightfold to Rp4,531 trillion. This will be an extraordinary growth,” he remarked.

E-commerce, which is expected to touch Rp1,908 trillion by 2030, is predicted to be the largest contributor to the digital economy, the minister said.

Next will be travel services, which are expected to reach Rp575 trillion, followed by digital media and entertainment platforms at Rp191 trillion, online transportation or ride-hailing services at Rp401 trillion, and digital finance or fintech at Rp224 trillion, he added.

Despite the bright prospects, Indonesia’s digital economy is still at an emerging level and there are still many challenges to creating a comprehensive and efficient digital economy ecosystem in the country, Lutfi noted.

The challenges include the availability of supporting technologies such as 5G connectivity, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing (cloud), and artificial intelligence (AI), he pointed out.

To get the latest technologies, Indonesia needs to build ICT infrastructure on a massive scale, which needs to be supported by government policies, the minister advised.

Besides, Indonesia needs adequate human resources or digital talent, he added.

The Trade Minister said the government is working to develop domestic digital talent by establishing coding schools.

“With a supportive implementation system and policies, I am optimistic that Indonesians can go global and become hosts in their own country. (…) The digital economy is inevitable, and this will eventually string Indonesia together,” he remarked. (INE)

Source: Antara News