VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

World food prices rose for a fourth straight month in November to remain at 10-year highs, led by strong demand for wheat and dairy products, the U.N. food agency said on Thursday.

The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) food price index, which tracks international prices of the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 134.4 points last month compared with a revised 132.8 for October.

The October figure was previously given as 133.2.

The November reading was the highest for the index since June 2011. On a year-on-year basis, the index was up 27.3% last month.

Agricultural commodity prices have risen steeply in the past year, driven by harvest setbacks and strong demand. read more

The FAO's cereal price index rose by 3.1% in November from the previous month and was 23.2% higher than its year-ago level, with wheat prices hitting their highest level since May 2011.

FAO said wheat prices were supported by concerns about unseasonable rains in Australia and uncertainty over potential changes to export measures in Russia.

The dairy price index posted the largest monthly rise, up 3.4% from the previous month. "Strong global import demand persisted for butter and milk powders as buyers sought to secure spot supplies in anticipating of tightening markets," FAO said.

Global sugar prices rose 1.4% on the month and was up nearly 40% year-on-year. "The increase was primarily driven by higher ethanol prices," FAO said.

The meat price index posted its fourth consecutive monthly decline, shedding 0.9% on the month, while world vegetable oil prices fell 0.3% on October levels, but international palm oil prices remained firm, FAO said.

Rome-based FAO cut its projection of global cereal production in 2021 to 2.791 billion tonnes from 2.793 billion estimated a month ago, according to its cereal supply and demand outlook.

However, the expected world cereal output would still represent a record, FAO said.

"The month-to-month downgrade is primarily the result of an anticipated marginally smaller global coarse grains outturn, reflecting reduced forecasts for barley and sorghum production," FAO said.

World cereal utilization in 2021/22 was forecast to rise by 1.7% above the 2020/21 level, hitting 2.810 billion tonnes. FAO's forecast for world cereal stocks by the close of seasons in 2022 stood at 822 million tonnes, up 2.9 million tonnes since November but still down 0.7% from opening levels. (Reuters)

Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander General Andika Perkasa has said he will supervise cases involving grave human rights violations in Papua province.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a working visit in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, he said 14 cases of human rights abuses have been reported in Papua, including Paniai.

"I will oversee those cases of human rights (violations)," Perkasa said, adding that several cases are being handled, including the Intan Jaya case, which reportedly led to two civilians going missing.

The legal processes should not merely be directed at individuals who committed the crimes but also their commanding officers, he added.

In the case of the two missing civilians, identified as Luther Zanambani and Apinus Zanambani, the legal process is underway with three suspects handed over to police, he noted.

"The legal process must be carried out as part of (efforts aimed at ensuring) accountability so that the TNI's credibility can be maintained," he added.

The cases of human rights abuses involving the TNI in Papua were among the issues that security minister Mahfud MD discussed with General Perkasa on November 25, 2021.

General Perkasa had paid a courtesy call to the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs.

In a statement issued after the meeting, Mahfud said that they had discussed the Paniai case that was reported in July this year. He also affirmed that for resolving the case, the TNI commander would coordinate with his ministry.

In handling Papua issues, the Indonesian government has adopted an approach based on "prosperity" not "weapons", according to Mahfud MD.

In response to local journalists' question on the sidelines of his working visit in Jayapura city on Wednesday, General Perkasa said he would emphasize "social communication" to deal with Papuan groups.

The social communication-based approach will be adopted as an effort to avoid falling victim to the conflict, he said.

General Perkasa was sworn in by President Joko Widodo as the TNI commander on November 17, 2021, in place of Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who will retire, at the age of 58, on November 8, 2021.

Papua issues will pose a challenge during Perkasa's leadership as armed conflicts are still occurring in Papua and West Papua though the central and regional governments are making the utmost efforts to improve the welfare of local communities by intensifying regional development, observers have said. (Antaranews)

Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has called for the implementation of smart cities across Indonesia to improve the government’s efficiency and supports people’s activities in all sectors.

The concept of a smart city has developed fast and it is needed by the community amid the advancement of information and communications technology, he said in Surabaya, East Java, on Wednesday at the opening of the Integrated Technology Event (ITE), which has been organized in a hybrid format from December 1–2, 2021.

Hence, it is important for all government officers to be responsive and understand the people's demands for quick public services, he added.

He then asked them to use information technology to help them make decisions quickly and precisely based on accurate data.

"We cannot avoid the change in technology. If we avoid it, we will be left behind in the current competitive situation," the minister emphasized.

Local governments are required to prepare various supporting infrastructures to bolster the smart city concept, including technology-savvy human resources, adequate information infrastructure, support data digitization, as well as budget digitization to make it more transparent, he said.

"The attempt will encourage continuous innovation and create a competitive environment," he said.

However, he said he hoped that the concept will not only be interpreted as a project to provide information technology infrastructure, but also a transformation of the working culture of government officers.

Furthermore, Karnavian said that smart cities must also be able to combine the concept of information technology-based governance and green city.

"Currently, smart cities do not only focus on the use of information technology, but have also begun to adopt the concept of green city," he added.

The opening of the ITE was also attended by the Governor of East Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa; director general of regional administration development at the ministry, Safrizal ZA; and a number of heads of districts/cities. (Antaranews)

The establishment of the National Committee for Disabilities could be a good step towards ensuring equality for people with disabilities and creating an inclusive environment for all, the President's Special Staff, Angkie Yudistia, has said.

"The establishment of this National Committee will be a positive first step towards equality or equity for people with disabilities, to create an inclusive, disability-friendly Indonesia environment," she remarked at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Wednesday.

She delivered the statement after President Joko Widodo inducted seven commissioners into the committee.

The National Committee for Disabilities comprises seven commissioners, including a chairman and a deputy chairman, she informed. The seven commissioners comprise four people with disabilities and three able-bodied people, she added.

"This means that this is a form of inclusivity," she remarked.

The special staff also said that the move emphasized the government's commitment to upholding the rights of people with disabilities by protecting and respecting them.

"The seven commissioners have gone through various phases, in which the selection committee has succeeded in creating candidate of leaders who will lead the National Committee for Disabilities," Yudistia revealed.

She described the establishment of the committee as a milestone for Indonesia. The creation of the committee is in accordance with Law Number 8 of 2016 regarding people with disabilities, and it is further reinforced by Presidential Regulation Number 68 of 2020 about the National Committee for Disabilities, she said.

Yudistia emphasized that the committee is proof that people with disabilities have the capability to contribute to national development. (Antaranews)