VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta (voinews): Thrifting, that is selling or buying cheap secondhand items, is allowed as long as it is carried out as per the regulation, which requires that the secondhand items be of local origin instead of imported, a minister said.

The statement was delivered by Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno during the “Weekly Brief with Sandi Uno,” which was accessed from here on Monday.

"Thrifting: When it is done in accordance with legal (limits) — as in the secondhand items from Indonesia are (the ones) being bought and not those of prohibited imported items — there will be plenty of opportunity for that (practice)," he elaborated.

The minister said that there was one domestic brand that did something innovative: it reworked old, vintage clothes, and it saw some success to the point that renowned singer Billie Eilish and some top-tier celebrities ordered some of its products.

"Such activity must be facilitated, as long as it stays within legal (boundaries) and they do not use imported secondhand clothes," Uno said.

The Cooperatives and Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Ministry has proposed a ban on thrifting because it is considered to be harmful to local MSMEs.

Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan voiced the same sentiment, stressing that the trade of imported secondhand clothes is not allowed.

Among the concerns that led to the decision was the finding of mold or bacteria on imported secondhand clothes, which could put people's health at risk. Moreover, the practice could also compromise the sustainability of domestic textile industries.

According to the Trade Ministry Regulation No. 18 of 2021, amended by the Trade Ministry Regulation No. 40 of 2022 about changes in the export and import prohibition lists, secondhand clothes are not allowed to be imported.  (Antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): All stadiums selected for hosting the 2023 U-20 World Cup could be improved based on the notes provided by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) chairperson Erick Thohir, has said.

The PSSI chairperson, who is also the chair of the local organizing committee (LOC) for the World Cup, expressed the hope that the improvements would be completed on time.

"There are many notes. It was not me who compiled the notes (on the improvements for the stadiums), but FIFA," he informed at Gelora Bung Karno Complex here on Monday.

He also provided details on the notes given by FIFA -- for instance, Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta, needs to improve the guard rails for the training ground as well as the arrangement of the broadcast cameras.

The Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung District, West Java Province, has been asked to improve the broadcast area, in addition to revamping the grandstands.

Meanwhile, there was a note on the improvement of parking areas of Jakabaring Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium in Palembang City, South Sumatra Province.

Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium, Surabaya City, East Java Province, will need to fix access for media crews, facilities for disabled spectators, parking lots, and seats on the southern grandstand.

In addition to those four stadiums, Indonesia has prepared two more stadiums for the cup, namely Manahan Stadium in Solo City, Central Java Province, and Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium in Gianyar District, Bali Province.

FIFA will inspect the stadiums on March 21 to 27, 2023.

Thohir, who is also the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister, said he expected that FIFA will not drop any of the proposed stadiums by deeming them unprepared.

Hence, the central and local governments will collaborate in improving the venues, he added.

"The work of the central government (on venue improvement) is directly led by Mr. Basuki (Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono). The local governments also have important roles (in the improvement attempts), as stated in the host city contract," he added.

The 2023 U-20 FIFA World Cup will be held from May 20 to June 11 and will be joined by 24 countries.

So far, 20 countries have qualified to play at the cup, namely Indonesia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, the United States, Fiji, New Zealand, England, France, Israel, Italy, Slovakia, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Gambia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tunisia.  (antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): Sustainable development, including the energy transition and the development of electric vehicles and blue economy, should be encouraged during Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2023, an official from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs has said.

"ASEAN is a promising region and has sufficient resources to develop the electric vehicle and blue economy ecosystems as the region’s new growth drivers," Deputy for the Coordination of International Economic Cooperation at the coordinating ministry Edi Prio Pambudi said in a statement released on Monday.

The sustainable development issue was discussed at a meeting of the 43rd High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) to prepare the region to face various global challenges, starting from the impact of pandemics, climate change, to geopolitical tensions.

The participants of the meeting expressed support for the development of the electric vehicle ecosystem from upstream to downstream and the improvement of investment in electric vehicles.

They also supported the establishment of an electric vehicle spare part supply chain, as well as the development of a battery waste processing facility.

Regarding the development of the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework, the members of the HLTF-EI on ASEAN agreed on a Concept Note on the Development of the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework.

The document is expected to become a guideline for the region to protect and generate added value from its marine potential.

Furthermore, the meeting participants agreed to support Indonesia's initiative to improve sustainable energy security through regional interconnectivity.

Several energy cooperation projects were also discussed on the occasion, such as the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines Power Integration Project (BIMP-PIP) as well as hydro energy cooperation between Laos and Singapore.

The meeting also discussed the ASEAN Guidelines on Good Regulatory Practices as well as the latest developments in the improvement of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF).

"The various issues discussed (in the meeting) will become the foundations for the establishment of the ASEAN Post-2025 Vision, which will also be supported by the Working Group on AEC Post-2025 Vision on the economic pillar," Pambudi added.  (Antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno has urged foreign tourists to comply with all laws, regulations, and existing norms while on vacation in Indonesia.

"We are very open to foreign tourists but they must comply with all laws, regulations, and all existing norms in Indonesia," he stressed during the “Weekly Brief with Sandi Uno,”which was followed from Jakarta on Monday.

The minister also reminded business actors in Bali who are operating motorcycle rental businesses to remind their consumers to comply with traffic regulations, including not changing the license plates of rented motorbikes as some tourists did in Bali.

According to him, business owners who do not comply or fail to convince their consumers to follow the law must be given social sanctions.

"We will coordinate this matter with the Bali Tourism Board and the Bali Tourism and Creative Economy Service. We will prepare a task force decree regarding the handling of the tourism situation in Bali in the context of tourist activities. This will certainly have an impact on quality tourism," he emphasized.

He informed that his ministry will socialize the dos and don'ts for foreign tourists in Bali and reminded them to maintain and respect religious norms, customs, culture, and values of life that exist in the local community.

If these efforts are not heeded, then his ministry will repatriate tourists who often violate Indonesian laws by reporting them to the embassies of the relevant countries and taking the deportation route as a firm step.

He informed that foreign tourists' misbehavior has an impact on quality tourism because other tourists would also be very disturbed by the irresponsible behaviors of tourists who break the law.  (Antaranews)