VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) vowed that Indonesia will appeal the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling on a trade dispute with the European Union (EU) over the ban on the export of nickel ore.

"I have told the minister, appeal," Jokowi stated at the coordination meeting on national investment here, Wednesday.

The head of state stressed that Indonesia will not stop the downstreaming policy of nickel and other natural resources.

In fact, after the ban on nickel ore exports since 2020, the government will ban the export of bauxite raw materials.

"After that, other materials, including coffee, try not to export them in the form of raw materials," Jokowi emphasized.

The president noted that the exports of raw materials had run for decades while adding that it had not provided maximum benefits for Indonesia.

Jokowi remarked that Indonesia has abundant natural wealth, in the form of mining, agriculture, and plantation, that should be utilized optimally to increase the people's prosperity.

Hence, Indonesia will continue to implement the downstreaming policy. The head of state has also instructed his staff to continue to look for investors to support funding for the downstreaming program.

Jokowi drew attention to the state revenue from the exports of nickel products, recorded at Rp20 trillion, before the nickel ore export ban was imposed.

However, when the ban on nickel ore export took effect, Indonesia could enjoy the export value of nickel products of up to Rp300 trillion.

Exports of downstream nickel products have also improved Indonesia's trade balance that had always been in deficit.

In the last 29 months, Indonesia's trade balance has always been in surplus, with nickel exports being the contributor.

"I checked why the European Union sued (Indonesia over the export ban)? Right, because there are lots of industries there. If it is done here, then there will be a lot of unemployment. There are factories that will be closed. There will be industries that will be closed," Jokowi stated.

The head of state emphasized that Indonesia is also keen to become a developed country by optimally utilizing natural wealth for the welfare of the people.

"We also want to develop, our country wants to be a developed country. We want to create jobs. If we are afraid of being sued and prefer to retreat, well, we will not become a developed country," Jokowi remarked.

Indonesia was the world's biggest exporter of nickel before it banned ore exports in favor of attracting foreign investors to develop nickel smelters and downstream industries.

The EU filed a lawsuit to the WTO against Indonesia's policy of banning nickel ore exports, starting in early 2020.

However, the WTO's dispute settlement body (DSB) announced that Indonesia had violated the regulations. (Antaranews)

The government is currently developing Bali as a superior health tourism destination, according to Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno.

"We are going all out in preparing (Bali as a) health tourism destination," he said in an official release issued on Tuesday.

The plan for developing health tourism in Bali island is targeted at attracting Indonesian people, who usually go abroad for medical treatment, to get treated in Indonesia with the provision of optimal services.

Based on data recorded by the Health Ministry in 2021, there is an economic leakage of around Rp161 trillion per year from Indonesian people opting for medical treatment abroad.

The development of health tourism is a priority in the national strategy because it is a response to the challenges faced by the Indonesian nation, specifically in relation to post-pandemic health and economic recovery.

The ministry has also continued to collaborate with several parties to implement the four pillars of health tourism development, namely medical tourism, wellness tourism, sports event-based health tourism, and MICE-based (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) scientific health tourism.

"Bali is a champion city and hub for medical tourism, and one of the destinations that have complete potential to be developed in accordance with the health tourism pillars," Uno remarked.

The minister explained that, besides strengthening collaboration, his ministry is also making several efforts so that the tourism sector can be connected with the health sector.

The efforts include formulating the National Action Plan (RAN) for Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism in Indonesia and supporting and encouraging hospitals and clinics that already exist in Bali to obtain the Decree of the Minister of Health as a medical tourism health service facility.

"Then supporting the program of the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry that is currently developing the health exclusive economic zone in Sanur (Bali), and, as our quick win, urging regional governments to form a collaborative entity body whose function is to coordinate, advocate, and execute the policies and programs needed in the context of health tourism development in their respective regions," he expounded.

He further said that the Minister of Health has made various breakthroughs, one of which has been encouraging the Indonesian diaspora, especially Indonesian doctors who work abroad and those who have advanced knowledge, to return to Indonesia to contribute to developing health tourism in Indonesia. (Antaranews)

Indonesia’s new capital (IKN), Nusantara, will require comprehensive technology application in six sectors to become a smart city, deputy for green and digital transformation at the IKN Authority, Mohammed Ali Berawi, has said.

"There are six (important) sectors for a smart city: governance, transportation and mobility, living (or lifestyle), natural resources and energy, industry and human resources, as well as infrastructure," he informed here on Tuesday.

A smart city must be dynamic, inclusive, technologically savvy, and ready to face various changes in the future, he added.

"It concerns the application of technology, starting from development planning to city management; thus, it (technology) can increase the quality of life and productivity of the people (living in the city)," the deputy remarked.

He emphasized that the IKN is projected to be a zero-carbon city by 2045.

To achieve this end, in the governance sector, the administration, civil registration, and city management will be carried out digitally.

Advanced technology will also be applied in the transportation sector to develop autonomous minibuses, electric buses, and advanced air transport; automatically organize parking; as well as manage traffic.

"If there is an ambulance on the way, it will not need to queue at a red traffic light, it can just pass through because it (the traffic light) will be adjusted using technology (to let the ambulance pass)," Berawi informed.

In addition, air pollution will be controlled through a data center. There will also be safe public spaces, integrated health services, and proper disaster mitigation response.

According to Berawi, there are five main concepts for building a smart city, namely green, sustainable, savvy, resilient, and inclusive.

The sustainable and green concepts will be implemented to make IKN a forest city, where 65 percent of the city’s area will be a tropical forest, 10 percent will be a green and food production area, while the rest will be an urban area, he said.

The tropical forest will be used as a carbon sink, while the construction of the controlled urban area is aimed at minimizing emissions. (Antaranews)

PDI Perjuangan politician Rieke Diah Pitaloka said the fate of the people was at stake in state data. For this reason, she called for the State Data Syndicate Brush Movement.

She called for this at the same time as giving a public lecture at the Faculty of Law, University of Sudan at the Widya Sabha Building, Udayana University. The event was attended by approximately 1,200 participants directly and live via Instagram. It took place, Sunday (27/11/2022).

The public lecture themed "Urgency of Ratifying Government Regulations on Implementation of Regional Government Based on Precision Village/Kelurahan Data". As well as "Government Regulations on Science and Technology-Based Development Policy Guided by Pancasila".

Apart from Rieke, there were also present as speakers Deputy Chairperson of LPPM IPB University, Dr Sofyan Sjaf and Dean of the Faculty of Law, Udayana University. Participants included lecturers, undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students, as well as representatives of district/city regional governments throughout Bali.

"It's time for the community to be made a subject, not an object. It's time for rural transformation to be carried out. It's time for the village to be recognized as a subject that has the authority to produce village data," said Sofyan.

According to him, the digital era of technological progress has become the momentum and instrument to create accurate data. This DDP, he continued, is in accordance with the mandate of the founding fathers, national development can only be carried out through 'democratic rural development' and accurate data.

"So DDP is here as a synthesis, improvement. From the existing data collection system," he said. (RRI)