VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Minister of Agriculture, Amran Sulaiman, has proclaimed the optimization of 67 thousand hectares of swampland in Barito Kuala district, South Kalimantan, to support national food security.

According to Sulaiman, in Banjarmasin on Thursday, the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) has announced the optimization of one million hectares of swamplands and tidelands in nine provinces. The nine provinces include Riau, North Kalimantan, South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, Jambi, Papua, and Central Kalimantan. Especially in South Kalimantan, land optimization covers an area of 67 thousand hectares and is done with the help of the central government.

In order to realize these efforts, the Ministry of Agriculture has handed over 40 units of excavators, with each weighing 20 tons. Each machine is worth Rp2 billion. In addition to fertilizers and seeds, Kementan will also distribute pumping machines of 200-hectare capacity. Other needs will be borne by the regional governments of South Kalimantan Province and Barito Kuala District.

The cost of optimizing swamplands is around Rp3 million per hectare, and for tidelands, it is Rp4 million per hectare," he explained.

Prior to the optimization of swamplands and tidelands, Kementan proclaimed opening rice farms on idle lands, at a cost of about Rp16 million per hectare, to boost the additional planting area (LTT). Sulaiman estimated that swampland optimization will generate Rp60 trillion; by calculation, the cropping index reaches three times a year on one million hectares of land.

Sulaiman is optimistic that the productivity will reach 6-7 tons per hectare by referring to a pilot project in Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra, where the initial productivity was 2-3 tons per hectare, followed by seven tons per hectare during the third growing season. On the other hand, the optimization of swampland is also aimed at maintaining food sovereignty to up to 100 years into the future. ( antara ) 

Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi, has expressed hope that the dwelling time service could be improved within a month.

"We will restore the various policies that have been done by ministries and agencies," Sumadi told the press at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta on Thursday.

After listening to the exposure from a number of ministries and agencies, the minister noted that he would provide input for improvements. The minister remarked that he will also meet the leaders of ministries and agencies to request for improvement in dwelling time service, so that it can run well on target.

"I want the dwelling time to be three days only. This can be done by making various changes and improvements," Sumadi explained.

He revealed that the dwelling time implementation must meet four criteria, namely it must be easy, cheap, fast, and transparent, so that entrepreneurs can run their business properly, effectively, and efficiently. A number of issues that are yet to be resolved by ministries and institutions include the lack of and less competence of human resources.

"In addition, room for clearing documents is less specious and should be expanded. Online networks that are less consistent should also be made consistent", he elaborated.

Dwelling Time is the length of time when imported goods containers are being kept in the Temporary Accommodation Place (TPS) at the port, from the time they are unloaded from ship till the time they are taken out of the TPS. Based on data from the Ministry of Transportation, the Port of Tanjung Priok currently has a dwelling time of 3.33 days, Belawan Port has a dwelling time of 3.46 days, and Tanjung Emas Port/Tanjung Perak has a dwelling time of 3.73 days. The three-day dwelling time rule is an attempt by the Ministry of Transport to reduce the cost of logistics, which too expensive. The decline in logistics costs is expected to increase exports. (antara) 

Some 53 African countries are expected to attend the first Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF) to be held in Bali on Apr 10-11.

"We have invited 53 countries. As of today, 40 countries have confirmed their participation in the Indonesia-Africa Forum," Director of Africa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Daniel Tumpal Simanjuntak noted in a press briefing here on Thursday.

Dozens of ministers from African countries and representatives from some international organizations, such as the African Union, and private sector players are also expected to take part in the IAF.

IAF will be a historical event, as it will be organized for the first time by the Indonesian government and will serve as a platform to forge stronger ties with African countries since the Southeast Asian country is eyeing Africa`s non-traditional market. However, one of the main challenges to boost Indonesian and African economies is the tariff barriers, Simanjuntak pointed out. Several African countries still impose high tariffs on Indonesian products.

Hence, the IAF is expected to serve as a platform for the participating countries to discuss tariff barriers. One of the efforts to be undertaken by Indonesia to reduce tariffs is building cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States, a regional economic entity comprising 15 member countries in West Africa.

Meanwhile, Indonesia`s biggest trade partners in the Sub-Saharan Africa include Nigeria, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Benin, and Djibouti, while the biggest partners in North Africa are Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco. Moreover, the forum is expected to serve as a platform for Indonesian and African stakeholders to discuss business deals.

Indonesia`s main exports to the African region are palm oil, processed foods and beverages, soaps, paper, garments, and motor vehicles, while its main imports from the region are crude oil, cotton, cacao kernel, pulp, chemical materials for fertilizers and industry, and tobacco. Several issues to be highlighted during the IAF include those related to agriculture, strategic industry, strengthening economic diplomacy, digital economy, infrastructure, and connectivity. Indonesia will also promote products of its strategic industries, such as a medium-range, twin-engine CN-235 transport aircraft produced by IPTN as one of its primary products in the African market.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi is expected to hold several bilateral meetings with participating African countries during the IAF. A business forum and exhibitions of Indonesian products, among others, will also be held on the sidelines of the IAF. (antara)

Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP) will invite Hamas leader Ismail Haniya to come to Indonesia to explain the current situation in Palestine.

"We have limited access to information about Palestine. It is hoped that the presence of the Hamas leader would help us understand the future better," PPP general chairman Romahurmuzy stated here, when receiving Hamas representative for Asia, Muslim Imran, on Wednesday.

In a press statement received here on Thursday, Imran, who is also the chief of Palestinian Cultural Organization Malaysia (PICOM) based in Kuala Lumpur, met Romahurmuzy to deliver a two-page long letter in Arabic language from Haniya. He also conveyed Haniya`s best regards and requested PPP`s support for the recognition of Palestinian independence. Imran noted that the diplomatic struggle of Islamic countries would be stronger with people-to-people and party-to-party support, adding that after receiving support from Malaysian political parties, it was now time for Hamas to seek support from PPP, which is the oldest Islamic party in the country.

"PPP welcomes the invitation for cooperation with Hamas, and in connection with that, we would invite Ustadz (teacher) Haniya to visit Indonesia. We believe his presence would strengthen the solidarity and serve as a diplomatic solution not only between state officials but also between political parties," Romahurmuzy remarked.

The PPP leader reaffirmed the party`s support to Palestinian independence. Through its representatives in the parliament and the government, he revealed that PPP would continue to assure that all diplomatic efforts would be taken to make Palestine`s independence recognized across the world. He added that PPP would initiate a Palestinian cultural organization, similar to the PICOM in Indonesia, in cooperation with other political parties.

On the occasion, Romahurmuzy expressed deep concern and condemned the acts of violence committed by Israel in the past three days, which have left 17 people dead. He also conveyed PPP`s rejection of US President Donald Trump`s declaration to unilaterally shift Israel`s capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. ( antara )