VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto believes that existence of the palm oil industry and its products should be able to increase the people's welfare.

"We need to continue to encourage this high export potential in line with the price increase in palm oil commodities for the welfare of the community," Hartarto noted at the 5th Borneo Forum organized by the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki), as quoted from an official statement received here, Wednesday.

He remarked that the palm oil industry should be able to build rural progress, reduce poverty significantly, and absorb a high number of workers.

In addition, development of this industry must prioritize aspects of sustainability for the environment and society in order to comply with the principles of sustainable development, Hartarto stated.

"The large contribution of the palm oil plantation sector must be accompanied by sustainability for the environment and the wider community," he remarked.

He later highlighted that the government had implemented various comprehensive policy frameworks and encouraged multi-stakeholder cooperation to consider environmental sustainability aspects of this industry.

The policy framework is in the form of the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) Certification, the National Action Plan for Sustainable Palm Oil (RAN-KSB) 2019-2024, and the National Strategic Program on People's Palm Oil Rejuvenation (PSR).

On the occasion, the minister also urged regional heads to oversee the sustainability of palm oil investment, provide legal certainty for businesses, encourage the implementation of the people's palm rejuvenation (PSR) program, maintain partnerships between smallholder palm oil plantations and large plantations, facilitate problem-solving, and promote the palm oil industry in their area.

With such efforts, Hartarto believes that the palm oil industry would contribute to regional development.

As is known, Indonesia is the largest palm oil-producing country that accounts for 54 percent of the world's market share. The export of industrial products is reported to reach more than 125 countries in the food, energy, and various other downstream industries. (Antaranews)

The Ministry of Transportation along with the Finance and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), here on Wednesday, inked a memorandum of understanding on cooperation to bolster financial and development accountability in the ministry's environment.

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumiadi underscored the importance of BPKP's role in providing assistance and monitoring to the ministry over several transportation infrastructure activities and projects.

"To ensure good accountability, I believe that we must be close with the BPKP. In fact, we thank them for their assessment of various works," he noted while giving his remarks at the event.

The minister expects that in future, the BPKP would provide considerations and suggestions for several projects that the ministry was working on.

One of the goals of assistance by the BPKP is to maximize the potential Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) in the transportation sector.

Synergy with BPKP aims to bolster monitoring in transportation in accordance with the ministry's mission.

Meanwhile, Head of BPKP Muhammad Yusuf Ateh noted that the agency is ready to assist the ministry in implementing its priority programs, so that they can proceed effectively, efficiently, and in accountable manner.

"We are certainly ready to assist in the efforts to intensify non-state budget creative funding and determine the priority scale for national transportation infrastructure development," he remarked.

He lauded the ministry that had involved BPKP in the mission to develop connectivity between regions in Indonesia, so it can continue amid the state's financial and fiscal limitations.

He expects that the coordination with BPKP can have a positive impact, so that the ministry's accountability and performance report management can be accountable.

"In addition to technical problems, we support the development and improvement of the ministry's human resources through various (forms of) guidance to bolster capability," Ateh remarked. (Antaranews)

Conditions for religious freedom in Afghanistan have "drastically deteriorated" since the Taliban seized power last year as the last U.S.-led foreign troops pulled out after 20 years of war, a bipartisan U.S. commission said on Tuesday.

The Sunni Muslim extremists' "harsh enforcement" of their hardline version of Islam "violates the freedom of religion or belief" of a wide range of Afghans, said the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The congressionally created panel issued its report nine days after the Taliban marked a year since they overran Kabul, returning to power almost two decades after their ouster by the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.

The report noted that the Taliban pledged to protect all ethnic and religious groups.

Yet, it said, "Religious freedom conditions in Afghanistan have drastically deteriorated," with the militants reintroducing "harsh restrictions on all Afghans" based on their hardline interpretation of Islam.

Those negatively affected include religious minorities, Afghans "with differing interpretations of Islam," women, the LGBTQ community and those who follow no faith, the report said.

The Taliban, the report said, are responsible for the deaths of dozens of Hazaras, an ethnic minority that follows Shiite Islam, and failed to protect them from attacks by the regional branch of Islamic State, a Taliban rival.

They re-established a ministry that includes morality police who have targeted women by enforcing a strict code of dress and behavior, including covering their faces, and limited their movement, education, participation in sports and right to work, it said.

The Taliban and Islamic State have both targeted sufis, practitioners of mystical Islam, it said.

"The Taliban's seizure of Afghanistan has led to a rapid decline and near extinction of the already small Afghan Hindu and Sikh communities" and the militants deny "the existence of a Christian community," which must worship in hiding, the report added. (Reuters)

Singapore will do away with requirements to wear masks indoors starting Aug. 29, as the country sees its COVID-19 situation stabilise further, the health minister said on Wednesday.

For the first time in more than two years, people in the Southeast Asian city-state will no longer be required to wear masks indoors except on public transport and in high-risk settings like healthcare facilities.

The health ministry also updated rules for non-vaccinated travellers, dropping a 7-day quarantine requirement starting next week.

Singapore, which is a major Asian financial and travel hub, lifted most pandemic curbs, including travel restrictions, earlier this year.

About 70% of the city-state's 5.5 million population has already contracted COVID-19, Ong Ye Kung, the health minister said in a news conference, adding that the re-infection rate is so far "very low".

Singapore has vaccinated more than 90% of its population and has among the lowest COVID-19 mortality rates in the world. (Reuters)