VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta (voinews): President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) called to prioritize agenda items, namely conservation efforts, availability of clean water and sanitation, food and energy security, and mitigating natural disasters, at the 2024 World Water Forum (WWF), Bali.

“These agendas must be joint work, people's participation, and cooperation from various parties. Dialogue and partnerships between countries are carried out in the spirit of togetherness for the welfare of the world's people," Jokowi noted in his remarks broadcast online at the Kick-Off Meeting of the 10th WWF in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Jokowi noted that these priority agendas required extensive innovation, including innovation in funding. Innovation in the financial aspect needs to involve the government and the private sector.

The head of state noted that every stakeholder also needs technological innovation to manage energy and food consumption needs as well as a commitment to share and work together.

Furthermore, the president pointed to the current urgent issue of sustainability of water resources for the world. The need for water in the world is increasing in line with population growth, rising food production, and industry.

Meanwhile, Jokowi said the availability of quality and sustainable water is increasingly difficult due to environmental degradation and climate change.

"Managing water resources in an efficient and integrated manner is an agenda that we must work on together, so that water can be managed and utilized for common prosperity," he affirmed.

Jokowi said Indonesia was pleased to be chosen to host the 10th WWF in Bali in 2024.

"I really hope that this initial meeting towards the 10th WWF can produce important agendas that we will follow up on at the top event of the 10th WWF in Bali on May 18-24, 2024," he remarked.

The WWF is the largest cross-border forum in the world that focuses on discussing global issues and solutions to address water-related problems.

The 10th WWF, themed "Water for Shared Prosperity," will be held on May 18-24, 2024, to enable stakeholders from various countries to discuss and share experiences and innovations to respond to myriad challenges in water management globally.  (Antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): The General Election Commission (KPU), political parties who will participate in the 2024 General Elections, and related stakeholders have made a joint declaration on ‘Election as a Means to Unite the Nation.’

The declaration was led by chairperson of the KPU, Hasyim Asy’ari, at KPU headquarters here on Tuesday.

"Let's read the declaration of a joint commitment together as election organizers, participants, and stakeholders to achieve a peaceful and democratic election with integrity," he said.

The simultaneous implementation of the presidential election, regional head elections, as well as central and regional legislative member elections in 2024 aims to unify the nation, he added.

"(Political) choices may be different and contradictory. Opponents in politics may change. There are no permanent friends and foes in elections,” the KPU head stated.

Hence, all parties are aware that elections may become a stage for achieving or defending their political power, he added.

“(However) at some point, each of us will look for coalitions and friends in (an attempt to win) the elections. It is what we interpret that we can use elections as a means to integrate the nation," he added.

The declaration consisted of several points. First, all election organizers, participants, and stakeholders stated their commitment to using the 2024 elections as a means to unite the nation.

Second, they agreed to conduct the elections based on direct, general, free, confidential, honest, and fair principles.

Third, they agreed to strive to conduct the 2024 General Elections with integrity and assume responsibilityfor the process and results.

In addition, they committed to implementing the elections to promote general welfare and educate the nation's life.

The general elections are scheduled to be conducted on February 14, 2024. The elections will be participated by 18 national political parties and 6 local political parties. (Antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): The government regulation in lieu of the Law on Job Creation, which is currently being stipulated as a law, is meant to help the state face global economic crises.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto delivered the remarks during a meeting with the House of Representatives' Legislation Agency here on Tuesday. Hartarto represented President Widodo at the meeting.

"Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) Number 2 of 2022 on Job Creation has become an urgent matter so as to prevent an economic crisis. This regulation also gives legal certainty to investors and business players, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs)," the minister said.

The Perppu is in accordance with the 1945 Constitution’s Article 22, Paragraph 2, and is also listed in the Constitutional Court Decision Number 128/PUU-VII/2009, which underlines the need to resolve legal issues using a legal basis without delay, he added.

Moreover, the required legal basis has yet to be formulated, resulting in a lack of regulation, or a legal vacuum, in the current law system.

"The legal vacuum cannot be resolved by making laws with normal procedure, which takes a while, whereas this urgent situation demands certainty in order to be sorted out," he remarked.

It is also expected that making the Perppu into law would ensure national economic progress amidst issues related to global economic growth, which the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated will reach 3.2 percent in 2023.

The Perppu is also expected to support the supply chain of staple foodstuffs and energy as well as reduce unemployment and help new workers.

"Indonesia still needs good quality employment opportunities because of a workforce of 143.72 million people as of August 2022, 53.8 million people or 37 percent are included in either the unemployed group or working but only partially," he said. (Antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): Bank Indonesia (BI) stated that it is optimistic that West Java will record positive economic growth this year on the back of improving household consumption, investment, and financial sector performance.

This optimism is based on the province's economic growth in 2022, which showed a positive growth of 5.45 percent and exceeded national economic growth of 5.31 percent, head of BI’s West Java Representative Office, Erwin Gunawan Hutapea, informed.

"That West Java's economic growth is supported by positive performance of household consumption owing to relaxed restrictions on community activities, supported by export and investment performance," he said.

However, West Java still has some challenges that could compromise economic growth, such as geopolitical turmoil, he added. Another challenge is regional inflation control, which could be compromised considering the prediction of a bad drought in 2023.

He said that in order to face these challenges, synergy and collaboration, especially in the region's financial services, must be improved to support stability and increase economic growth.

West Java's economic growth in 2022 could support economic growth in Java and the nation as it exceeded the average national rate, Hutapea added.

Moreover, it was also supported by investment performance in West Java, which was the highest in Indonesia, with realization reaching Rp174.58 trillion (US$11.5 billion). It was coupled with good performance in the manufacturing and trade industry sectors, which continued to grow as domestic demand remained strong.

In the future, BI's policy mix will focus on maintaining stability and promoting economic growth through pro-stability monetary policies as well as pro-growth macroprudential policies, financial market development, and green inclusive financial economy and payment systems, he highlighted.

He made some recommendations for maintaining regional economic recovery, such as keeping an eye on inflation rates and the supply of goods through market operation programs and inter-regional cooperation (KAD); maintaining people's purchasing power, including of farmers, by supporting financing, facilitation, and social security programs.

He also called for investment, particularly in infrastructure development, maintaining industrial performance, especially in labor-intensive industries as a source of economic growth, and addressing unemployment by creating jobs.

Hutapea also underlined the need for finding new sources of economic growth by tapping into MSMEs’ potential and sharia economy through financial sector financing, especially banking, which is supported by a credit guarantee program.

Bank Indonesia West Java and the regional Financial Services Authority will continue to collaborate in order to maintain financial system stability to support the regional economy. (Antaranews)