VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The development of Indonesia's future capital city (IKN) Nusantara, with the concept of Forest City, will begin with forest and land rehabilitation to ensure that the city will be ready to tackle climate change.

Director General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation (PDASRH) at the Environment and Forestry Ministry Dyah Murtiningsih noted in a statement on Tuesday that the development project would pay attention to landscape management and biodiversity in the area.

The attempt is made on account of the fact that Kalimantan Island, where IKN is located -- precisely in East Kalimantan Province -- has diverse species, as well as endemic fauna, such as orangutans and proboscis monkeys.

"IKN must be a habitat for endemic flora and fauna," the director general stated in an online discussion on Monday (November 7, 2022) at the Indonesian Pavilion at the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-27 UNFCCC).

Currently, the surrounding area where the IKN will be built is an industrial plantation forest. As the city will be developed with the Forest City concept, the surrounding area will be turned into a tropical rain forest by planting endemic plants, she remarked.

"The condition of the natural forest around it (the IKN) must be maintained and preserved," she remarked.

The Environment and Forestry Ministry has prepared an area of 16 hectares for the construction of the Mentawir Nursery that will provide 15 million trees annually to support the forest development and rehabilitation around IKN.

Furthermore, the attempts to restore tropical rain forests will be made by involving local communities.

The government has also invited the private sector to become actively involved in developing the IKN Forest City with the Public-Private Partnership scheme.

Murtiningsih expected that involvement of the private sector in the construction of the city can support the reduction of carbon emissions, which is important to mitigate climate change.

IKN Nusantara will be constructed on an area of 256 thousand hectares that is divided into three zones of the central government area, 6,671 hectares; the state capital area, 56,181 hectares; as well as the development zone. (Antaranews)

Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto expressed optimism that bilateral relations between Indonesia and South Korea would improve, as it would be beneficial for both countries.

While receiving the visit of Ambassador of South Korea to Indonesia Park Tae-sung here, Monday , Hartarto expressed hope that cooperation could be expanded in the energy transition, healthcare, and digital economy sectors., according to a  statement from the minister's office here on Tuesday.

He noted that South Korea was placed 7th in terms of investment realization in Indonesia during the January-September 2022 period, with a total investment value of US$1.66 billion spread across 4,016 projects.

"Those investments will have great contribution to the development of the industry and creation of jobs in Indonesia," Hartarto noted.

He said that Ambassador Park's visit aims to bolster bilateral cooperation, especially through the holding of the Indonesia-Korea Business Round Table and the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on digital economic cooperation.

The MoU will be signed between Hartarto and the South Korean minister of trade, industry, and energy on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali on November 15-16, he noted.

The coordinating minister commended the MoU as a foundation to expand the bilateral digital economic cooperation and develop cooperation between private enterprises of both countries.

He also lauded the Indonesia-Korea Business Round Table being organized on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali, which could encourage cooperation between private enterprises of both countries and become a medium for Indonesian and South Korean entrepreneurs to discuss and expand networking in domestic markets.

Hartarto lauded the completion of the Indonesia-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IKCEPA) and encouraged all parties to partake in expediting its implementation by January 2023. (antaranews)

The Directorate General of Culture at the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry promoted Balinese local wisdom to ASEAN members through the Natural Dyes of ASEAN Workshop held on November 7-11, 2022, in Bali.

Secretary of the directorate general, Fitra Arda, noted in a statement on Tuesday that one of the themes raised during the workshop was the promotion of local wisdom as a cultural way of life for sustainable living.

He said that the event became an example on how to empower cultural ecosystems, cultural resilience, and cultural contributions on the international stage with the concept of cultural sustainability.

"We gather in Bali to introduce local wisdom to the world, especially to the ASEAN members, to increase awareness that it is important for us to preserve local materials and wisdom (as well as) to foster creativity and protect the environment, so that it remains sustainable,” he remarked.

He expressed optimism that the cultural forum would generate a resolution that can strengthen the implementation of sustainable traditional practices, such as the use of natural dye.

"By exploring the cultural practices of using natural dyes, it can encourage the cultivation of various plants that are the sources of dye, thereby improving the agricultural value chain, the carrying capacity of nature, as well as (the growth of) crafts and the tourism industry," the official remarked.

The forum is also expected to serve as an educational platform for the millennial generation to explore, continue, and promote local wisdom that pays attention to environmental aspects, he remarked.

Hence, implementation of the activity is necessary to encourage the preservation, development, and promotion of cultural heritages in all ASEAN member countries, he remarked.

"We can enhance mutual understanding and collaboration between ASEAN member countries through idea exchanges and consultations, leading to a (joint) commitment for environmental conservation and cooperative programs, particularly in traditional and contemporary textile (industry)," Arda stated.

Furthermore, he noted that the ASEAN delegates would visit the local craftsperson to learn ways to use natural dyes in various textile products, as one of the agendas of the workshop. (Antaranews)

Indonesia's open unemployment rate (TPT) fell to 5.86 percent in August 2022 from 6.49 percent in August 2021, head of Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Margo Yuwono, said on Monday.

"The employment condition is getting better, in line with the economy recovery," he said at a press conference on the economic growth in the third quarter of 2022.

According to Yuwono, the number of unemployed people in Indonesia decreased to 8.42 million in August 2022 from 9.1 million in August 2021.

TPT is an indicator that is used to measure the number of workers who are not absorbed by the labor market and illustrates how severe the lack of labor utilization is.

A TPT of 5.86 percent means that there are around six people who are unemployed out of every 100 people in the workforce.

The latest decline in TPT has occurred consistently by gender and region. The TPT among the male workforce slid to 5.93 percent in August 2022 from 6.74 percent in August 2021, while the TPT among the female workforce declined to 5.75 percent from 6.11 percent.

Region-wise, there was a decline in TPT in urban areas to 7.74 percent from 8.32 percent and in rural areas to 3.43 percent from 4.17 percent.

The BPS head said that the TPT of most provinces in Indonesia was below the national level.

"The TPT of 9 provinces is above the national rate, while the TPT of 25 provinces is below the national rate," he informed.

West Sulawesi province recorded the lowest TPT at 2.34 percent, while the highest TPT was seen in West Java province at 8.31 percent.

Furthermore, BPS recorded that the workforce aged 15–24 years had the highest TPT of 20.63 percent in August 2022. However, the TPT among the workforce aged 60 years and above was the lowest at 2.85 percent.

Meanwhile, based on the education of the workforce, the agency noted that the TPT among the graduates of Vocational High Schools (SMK) was 9.42 percent, the highest compared to other education levels.

The graduates of elementary school (SD) and those with lower education levels had the lowest TPT of 3.59 percent. (antaranews)