VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) stated that Indonesia's economic strength has been going well. It's just that the synergy of economic power is not optimal.

"Cooperatives, large corporations, MSMEs are doing well. We improve how MSMEs go up in class, large corporations share with other economic actors," said the Head of the Research Center for Cooperatives, Corporations, and the People's Economy of BRIN, Irwanda Wisnu Wardhana, during a conversation with Pro3 RRI, Thursday (1/12/2022).

He said the business model was not as optimal as expected. There is a character that MSME actors cannot be invited to go to class.

"There are MSMEs that don't want to open branches. Then there are MSMEs that don't want to deal with taxes," he said.

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto encouraged the improvement of the quality of MSME products. Namely through the establishment of product standardization.

Along with the increasing needs and understanding of society regarding product quality. So producers are required to be able to produce products that are highly competitive.

So product standardization becomes one of the elements. That is so that business actors can increase competitiveness and expand marketing access. (RRI)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has spoken about a possible global recession in 2023 not to scare people but because it has been discussed by the masses and is currently a relevant topic, the Investment Minister said.

"No. Who said it was to scare? People have been talking (about it) a lot everywhere, really. Those who say it is frightening are the ones, actually the ones, being dangerous," Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said at the Presidential Palace here on Wednesday.

The President referred to the recession risk with the intention of ensuring that everyone is prepared for the threat of the global recession and economic slowdown that has been forecast for 2023, the minister added.

The economic and geopolitical turmoil caused by the trade war between the United States and China, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine will cast a shadow on global economic conditions this year and the next, he observed.

So far, Indonesia has been able to maintain economic stability and growth despite the global crisis, he noted. This has been due to President Widodo’s leadership, he said.

"President Jokowi's leadership has been recognized by the global community. Strong. Well, that's what we need. Be careful, alright? If in the future we cannot manage global issues properly, it will have an impact on the country," he warned.

He also urged everyone to help maintain political stability because any chaos would compromise economic stability.

"Make it (peaceful). Don't slander too much. Don't worry about things that aren't too much of an issue; don't be overly concerned about it because the world is in an unstable condition," he said.

At the National Investment Coordination Meeting here on Wednesday, Widodo said that the global economy is expected to see a recession in early 2023, so all government officials must work beyond what they normally do and stay alert for crises.

"We can't work normally in abnormal circumstances. Next year, 2023 will be even more difficult for all countries, and it is estimated that early next year will be a global recession," he added. (Antaranews)

The government is planning to conduct market operations to maintain the stability of rice prices ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations, National Food Agency (NFA) head Arief Prasetyo Adi said on Wednesday.

As part of the market intervention, around 150–200 thousand tons of rice reserve stocks with the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) will need to be released per month, he informed in a statement received here.

Bulog's rice reserve stocks are currently pegged at 569 thousand tons, Adi said, adding that the government is striving to keep rice prices stable through market operations by optimizing the agency's rice reserves.

The release of some 150–200 thousand tons of Bulog's rice reserve stock per month is needed to stabilize rice prices in November and December 2022, and to prevent a rise in the inflation rate, he added.

"It is time for us to release the rice stock in the second semester, especially November and December, ahead of the Christmas and New Year holiday season to stabilize the rice prices," Adi said.

The government is targeting to reduce the inflation rate in November and December so that it does not exceed the country's economic growth, he informed.

By conducting market operations, the availability of rice stocks in the community will be made sufficient, and rice prices will be well-maintained, Adi said.

"We are going to optimize Bulog's rice stocks. We have set a target of securing 1.2 million tons of rice at Bulog until the end of this year. The procurement prioritizes local farmers' products," he added.

According to Adi, importing rice would be the last option and will be undertaken only if the targeted rice stocks cannot be fulfilled on time.

Based on the Area Sample Framework and Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data, Indonesia's rice production is expected to reach 2.2 million tons in November and 1 million tons in December, he noted.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's monthly rice consumption is estimated to reach between 2.5 million and 2.6 million tons, Adi said.

"Thanks to the availability of rice stocks from the previous harvests, we guarantee that our rice stocks are sufficient. Therefore, the people do not need to be worried, and to do panic buying," he said.

The government will even maintain the availability of rice stocks all over the country, he added.

The effort to keep rice prices stable is in line with President Joko Widodo's call for securing the availability of stocks of food commodities and energy services ahead of and during religious festivities and national holidays.

"It is important because there will always be a significant increase in consumption and mobility (of people)," he added. (Antaranews)

The European Union will try to set up a specialised court, backed by the United Nations, to investigate and prosecute possible war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, European Commision President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.

"We are ready to start working with the international community to get the broadest international support possible for this specialised court," von der Leyen said.

Ukraine has been pushing for the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian military and political leaders it holds responsible for starting the war.

The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) launched its own investigation into alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes days after Moscow's Feb. 24 invasion, but it does not have jurisdiction to prosecute aggression in Ukraine.

"While continuing to support the International Criminal Court, we are proposing to set up a specialised court, backed by the United Nations, to investigate and prosecute Russia's crime of aggression," von der Leyen said.

According to EU officials, the support of the United Nations for the specialised court is "essential" to help resolve the issue of immunity from prosecution for high state functionaries such as a head of state.

While customary international law awards so-called functional immunity to top state officials for many alleged wrongdoings there is a consensus that this immunity cannot apply to prosecutions before international courts.

Legal experts supporting the special tribunal point out that the crime of aggression is a leadership crime and would only target top state officials.

EU officials said this issue "is precisely the reason why it is so essential to have international backing and to have the involvement of the UN in order to be able to overcome the principle of immunity”.

Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation", has denied targeting civilians and other war crimes.

The G7 agreed on Tuesday to set up a network to coordinate investigations into war crimes as part of a push to prosecute suspected atrocities in Ukraine.

An act of aggression is defined by the United Nations as the "invasion or attack by the armed forces of a state of the territory of another state, or any military occupation ..."

Despite the crime's recognition under international law there is currently no specific court or tribunal to which Ukraine can turn.

There are several forms the special tribunal could take but legal experts say the most likely is a so-called hybrid tribunal, operating under Ukrainian law with support from the international community.

Such courts are typically staffed by international prosecutors and judges or a mix of local and international staff. (Reuters)