VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Agriculture Ministry has allocated Rp20 trillion (US$1.45 billion) for the development of post-harvest infrastructure to be managed by four state-owned enterprises in the food sector in order to absorb the farmers` production. Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman noted after a closed-door meeting on modernization of the rice industry in Jakarta on Tuesday that synergy among four state enterprises -- PT Pertani (Persero), PT Sang Hyang Seri (Persero), PT Pupuk Indonesia Pangan, and PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia (Persero) -- is expected to cut short the supply chain of rice for farmers and reduce the price at the consumer level.

"Our aim is to accelerate the post-harvest process. We will focus on the provision of dryers, combine harvesters, rice milling units, and packaging units. Thus, farmers will be able to get a better price," Amran noted.

The four companies have been tasked with absorbing the farmers` unhusked rice in production areas in a bid to cut short the supply chain and lower the price. The development of post-harvest infrastructure will accelerate the process of absorbing rice, especially for state-owned enterprises that do not have the necessary infrastructure. President Director of PT Sang Hyang Seri Syaiful Bahri welcomed the plan to build post-harvest infrastructure worth Rp20 trillion.

"The meeting focused on the development of infrastructure, and it was in line with our needs, as we do not have the rice milling equipment, but we have dryers and warehouses," Syaiful explained.

However, further management of the post-harvest infrastructure will still be discussed with the Finance Ministry.

"The minister has agreed to authorize its management to state-owned enterprises in the food sector, but not to all of them. At least, Pertani or SHS (Sang Hyang Seri)," he remarked. ( antara )

President Joko Widodo on Tuesday gave directives to a number of middle and high-ranking military (TNI) and police (Polri) officers to maintain neutrality in the current year of politics.
"We also have a commitment that the military and police would support the neutrality of government policy," Air Force Deputy Chief Rear Marshal Wieko Syofyan stated, after the briefing at the Presidential Palace here, on Tuesday.

President Joko Widodo reminded the role of TNI and Polri as law enforcers in the regional head, legislative, and presidential elections.

During the closed door meeting, the president received high-ranking TNI and police officers, accompanied by the Minister of State Secretary Pratikno.

In the meantime, Military (TNI) commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto and Police Chief General Tito Karnavian reiterated the neutrality of TNI and police late last month in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, with regard to elections that will soon be held in the country.
"TNI and police members have no voting rights. They stand above all groups to assure security and order," Tjahjanto stated.

Tjahjanto, along with Karnavian, at a meeting with thousands of TNI and police members, advised their members to continue cooperation to create solidity or unity, citing the hard work to assure the security of regional elections in June this year and legislative as well as presidential elections next year.

Karnavian, on the occasion, praised the unity that has been developed so far between the TNI and the police.

He noted that it was the basic capital needed to preserve security in the province not only for the elections but also for the daily lives of the people.

"We are all serving the nation and the state, and so we must unite," he remarked.
Thousands of soldiers and police officers from across East Kalimantan gathered at the meeting to listen to the directives from their chiefs. (antara)

A Cultural Parade welcoming  the 536th anniversary of Cirebon Regency took place successfully. It featured a variety of traditional art attractions and parades. As reported by the National Radio News Agency, Cirebon Regent caretaker, Selly Andriany Gantina, in Cirebon Regency, Saturday, March 31, expressed appreciation for the Cultural Parade though it still   needs to be further enhanced. This involves maximizing the role of all levels of society, including the Regional Leadership Unit with a variety of creativity and innovation. Meanwhile, Head of Department of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports of Cirebon Regency, Hartono, said the implementation of the Cultural Parade ​​this year went well with the enthusiasm of high participants. Hartono hopes, through the Cultural Parade, the young generation can find out about the traditional art in Cirebon regency and can repackage it  like in 1960-1970. KBRN 01.04.2018 Sg trans by Rezha

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi will soon meet Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Yuyu Sutisna to solve Air Force land used for the construction of railway lines linking Adi Soemarmo Airport to Balapan Station in Solo, Central Java.

"I will meet him on Monday to discuss the use of the land owned by the Air Force for the project," he said in Boyolali, Central Java, on Sunday.

The minister made the remarks while inspecting the construction of railway station at the airport, along with Solo Mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo. Nearly 2.5 hectares of land owned by the Air Force will be affected by the project, he said. The minister said his side has no problem to compensate the land owned by local people for the project.

"Admittedly, there is small problem particularly related to the clearance of land owned by the Air Force," he said.

However, the construction of the railway tracks in several places has been running as expected, he said.

"We have set ourselves the target of completing the project at the end of 2018 and the railway line will become operational early 2019," he said. (antara)