VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita invited the Chinese government to cooperate in the nation's pharmaceutical industry and bioprospecting green industry.

The offer was extended by the minister during a meeting with the Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Jin Zhuanglong, during a working visit to Shenzhen, China on Tuesday.

"The Indonesian health system is one of the biggest in the world, reaching 240 million population with turnover value of US$40 billion," he informed in a statement released on Thursday.

"Because of this, pharmaceutical industry structure deepening is very important to be done," he said.

Indonesia expects the development of investment from China in medicinal raw materials in addition to paracetamol. This is because medicinal raw materials have not been explored, causing Indonesia to rely on imports.

Another cooperation that Indonesia has offered involves the development of a green industry that prioritizes efficiency and effectiveness in the sustainable use of resources.

According to the minister, green industry is also important given the rising market demand for green products and regulations related to sustainable practices in the global market.

These regulations include ecolabel, carbon tax, carbon border adjustment mechanism, environmental management system, or other certificates that ensure resource legality.

In this case, the minister said he expects that Indonesia and China will cooperate to develop green products through the bioprospecting industry, which processes biological resources, including plants, microorganisms, and animals.

"One of the potential resources for this industry that Indonesia has are seaweed and microalgae, which can be processed into bio(-based) product raw materials, including for bioplastic, biofuels, and fertilizers," he added.

The minister said he expects to immediately discuss this and produce a binding agreement with China on manufacturing development in the two countries. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) formulates and develops an oral vaccine utilizing a combination of hepatitis B surface antigen with hepatitis B core antigen that is expected to improve the hepatitis vaccine's effectiveness.

"The development of this vaccine is using chitosan, as carrier agent, to deliver the protein to the target. Also, alginate is added to control the release of antigen into the intestines," researcher of genetic engineering research center at BRIN Nurlaili Ekawati stated here on Friday.

Ekawati noted that the significant jump in cirrhosis cases had become a cause for global concern. Cirrhosis is a serious disease that is often caused by chronic hepatitis B infection that can cause liver cancer, she explained.

She cited the World Health Organization (WHO) saying that hepatitis treatment and intramuscular vaccine that contains hepatitis B surface antigen has limited efficiency against chronic hepatitis patients.

"Intramuscular vaccine is usually not so effective in developing countries with large population, like Indonesia, due to high cost and dependency on available medical services," she noted.

Ekawati explained that prior to testing the vaccine in-vivo, or inside living beings, to gauge the effect of the substance, the microparticle is characterized first by determining its efficacy loading, particle size, distribution, potential zeta, and its morphology.

A Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIP) is also employed to analyze the function in the vaccine's formula, she revealed.

"According to parameters of efficacy loading, Pdl, potential zeta, particle size, FTIR, and immune response or antibody formation (anti-HBc), it is concluded that the combination of HBcAg (core antigen) and HbsAg (surface antigen) can be encapsulated in alginate chitosan microparticle with good effectivity," she elaborated.

On the 35th day after the first vaccination, an important antibody (HbcAb) is created as a response in the form of adaptive immune cells that will fight off hepatitis B, Ekawati remarked.

The alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) enzymes that show the liver's function are still at the normal rate after the vaccine is administered, so the oral vaccine is safe, and it does not damage the liver, she said.  (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated on Friday that Papua has enormous potential in the creative economy sector, citing the abundance of valuable materials in the region, which is home to Indonesia's six easternmost provinces.

He made the statement after opening the Papua Street Carnival in Jayapura, Papua Province, on Friday.

"I believe that this carnival will serve as a stimulus for the native Papuans, especially the younger generation, to start developing a sustainable creative economy industry," Jokowi noted.

He also emphasized that the street carnival required years of preparation.

"Such a festival needs to be properly designed in the hopes of producing various products, as we have seen earlier," he said, adding that the festival would be even more enchanting if held at night.

The president highlighted the tremendous potential in Papua while calling on the local provincial, district, and municipal governments to immediately take concrete steps to tap into this potential.

Earlier, during the festival's opening remarks, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno also made a similar statement, stating that the creative economy potential in the Papuan provinces is extremely promising.

The Papua Street Carnival features over 116 parades, including the Fuu dance parade with Tifa, the Papuan drum, and the parade of seven Papuan traditional regions: Mamta/Tambi, Saereri, Doberai, Bomberai, Anim Ha, La-Pago, and Me-Pago.

The parade of traditional regions involves a five-meter-long giant replica of Tifa, with a one-meter diameter.

Uno noted that the carnival also includes a fashion parade and a display of decorative boats at Yos Sudarso Bay, drawing inspiration from Papua's flora, fauna, and culture. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesia is open to Papua New Guinea's (PNG's) cooperation interest and will allow it to study its mineral industry downstreaming process, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said.

After inspecting the Zone 9 food estate corn field in Keerom district, Papua, on Thursday, the President noted that both Indonesia and PNG have abundant mineral wealth.

"After seeing Indonesia's nickel stock that provides enormous added value to up to 30 times, PNG wants to see the step-by-step (downstreaming) process, and Indonesia is open to that," he said in a broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel.

He further said he will allow PNG to observe the industrial downstreaming process in Indonesia, including for nickel in Morowali and Weda Bay, copper in Gresik, and bauxite in Bintan.

PNG has also been invited to explore cooperation potential for the downstreaming process with state-owned or private Indonesian companies, he added.

"Everything is there, and we will open it. If they want to cooperate with state-owned enterprises or private companies or not cooperate at all, it is fine. We will always be open for them," he emphasized.

He said that such cooperation is essential to advance development in the Global South.

Meanwhile, bilateral relations between Indonesia and PNG will be improved, he added. This will be realized through concrete initiatives, such as the development of economic zones on the Indonesia-PNG border that will have outstanding trade potential.

"If we see, for instance, in Skouw (in Papua), the trade value there reached US$300 million -- it is for Skouw and Wutung (in PNG) alone. If we develop similar economic zones, it will be better. We offered this yesterday, and PNG agreed to it," he disclosed.

Earlier, after a meeting with Prime Minister James Marape at Port Moresby during his visit to Papua New Guinea on July 5, 2023, President Widodo said that Indonesia and PNG have agreed to the drafting of a road map for development cooperation for the next five years.

Besides reiterating Indonesia's commitment to assisting PNG in developing several infrastructures, such as hospitals, fire stations, and schools, Widodo also highlighted the nation's dedication to advancing cooperation with Pacific countries, including PNG. (Antaranews)