VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia has earned trade transactions valued US$5.8 million during the convening of the China-ASEAN Expo (CAExpo) in Nanning, China, on September 12-15, 2018.

"We highly appreciate the efforts made by Trade Ministry and the business people for always promoting Indonesian products to the Chinese consumers," Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun said in Beijing  on Monday.

The annual expo has paved the way for a cooperation of Chinese company Pacific Construction Group and its Indonesian partner PT Farmindo International Sentral Teknologi. The two companies had just signed a letter of interest (LoI) worth US$5 billion. The signing of the LoI between the two companies was held on the sidelines of the Trade, Tourism and Investment Forum, on Thursday (Sept 13), in Nanning. The cooperation includes the investment of Industrial Park in Belitung, which will be followed by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two parties at the Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) in Tangerang, Banten, on October 24-28, 2018.

The transaction value, made by Indonesian business delegation in this year`s CAExpo, has increased by 95 percent, compared to that of 2017, said the embassy`s trade attache Dandy S. Iswara. He felt confident that the success of the Indonesian delegation at the 2018 CAExpo would motivate more companies to participate in the event in the following years.

Among the Indonesian products, displayed during the expo, were coconut fiber, household appliances, food and beverages, clothing, crafts, and necessities. The coconut fiber that can be used as a material for making car seat, was able to attract the Chinese consumers` attention was coconut fiber. (ant)

Three Indonesian citizens that have been held hostage by an armed group in the Philippines since earky in 2017 have been released, a foreign ministry official confirmed in Jakarta, on Sunday.

"It is true. They have been released. Thank God," Director for Citizen Protection Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said in a text message received by Antara.

According to AP, the three citizens - Hamdan Salim, Subandi Sattuh and Sudarlan Samansung - were released on Friday with the help of Moro National Liberation Front, a rebel group that has signed a peace agreement with the Philippine government.

They were planned to be handed over to the Indonesian embassy in Zamboanga, Iqbal said adding "we would explain the details later."

The three were seized by a militant armed group while sailing near Sabah, Malaysia, on January 2017 and were then taken to their hiding place in a forest in Sulu, South Philippines. (ant)

The Asia Pacific Regional Council (APRC) of the International Council of Women (ICW$ marked its tenth anniversary in a dinner held here on Sunday evening. APRC president Tabucanon Monthip Shriratna said in her speech on the occasion that in the past six years of her leadership the institution had continued improving the quality of its efforts in women empowerment in the Asia Pacific region.

"I pray the next president and board of APRC would also do their best in the women empowerment," she said.

ICW President Jung Sook Kim expreceiation to APRC`s performance in the past 10 years.

"In the past ten years APRC has made a good progress in terms of quality and quantity, We must continue our best efforts to achieve advancement of women`s roles as well as APRC and ICW," she said.

Besides APRC ICW also has European Center of ICW as well as regional councils for America and Africa. Indonesia is currently hosting the 35th General Assembly of ICW in Yogyakarta. Organized by Kowani (Indonesian Congress of Women) and supported by the state enteprises ministry and 35 state-owned companies the meeting since September 13 is scheduled until September 19. (ant)

As many as 30 helicopters will be prepared to evacuate heads of state who will attend the IMF-World Bank meeting from October 8-14, 2018 in case of a tsunami and earthquake.

"In the event of a disaster, the evacuation of the head of state will use helicopters in the process, one head of state standard evacuation process in 10 minutes," Head of the UPT Center for Disaster Management Operations (Pusdalops PB) of the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency of Bali Province I Gede Made Jaya Serataberana, said in Denpasar on Sunday.

 In the event of a tsunami disaster, he continued, the heads of state and delegations of IMF-WB participants have prepared a vertical evacuation plan by going to the fourth floor of the hotel. According to Jaya, in addition to the BNDCC and BICC Nusa Dua, Badung Regency, which is the venue of the IMF-WB meeting, most hotels in the Nusa Dua ITDC area have been trained for evacuation processes and have been certified for disaster preparedness, equipment completeness, and evacuation tools.

"For the evacuation using a helicopter when the tsunami, the system is half-playing and does not have to look for a helipad. On the golf course it can, taken from the hotel can also be done. Lowered the device, then withdrawn, then shifted, in a higher field just raised then flown to Ngurah Airport Rai, or Mataram, or Belimbing Sari Airport in Banyuwangi, "he said.

In principle, added Jayaserataberana, the military, Police, National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), IMF-WB national committee have prepared a number of vertical and horizontal evacuation steps to anticipate the possibility of disasters during the meeting, all of which are connected to the "Command Center" and PB BPBD Bali Pusdalops.

"For the evacuation of the residents, the hotel has also cooperated with the banjar and the village, where to go to the hotel during the tsunami, and the hotel should not refuse," said Jaya, while mentioning based on the results of the LIPI analysis the tsunami height in Bali could reach 12 meter.

On the other hand, to anticipate possible eruptions of Mount Agung, evacuation scenarios have been prepared using sea and land routes.

"At Benoa Harbor cruise ships will be prepared with a capacity of 3,000 passengers. In addition, the Navy also prepares floating hospital vessels. There are also KRI, submarines, and so on that will be lined up a few days before the IMF-WB meeting, "Jaya said. (ant)