VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Investment outside Java in 2021 clocked a higher figure as compared to that on the island, according to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

"We should be grateful that this year's investment figure outside Java has increased and is higher than the number of investments in Java," Jokowi said on Wednesday.

The president made the statement while inaugurating Tebilian Airport in Sintang District, West Kalimantan Province, which has a passenger terminal spanning an area of two thousand square meters and capable of serving 75 thousand passengers annually.

"This increase in investment outside Java cannot be separated from our efforts to prepare equitable infrastructure throughout the country," Jokowi remarked.

The head of state highlighted the government's decision to build infrastructure not only in Java, or Java-centric, but also Indonesia-centric wherein infrastructure development will be conducted in all regions.

"This is because we believe that areas outside Java can also grow if we support them with adequate infrastructure and transportation to increase production, accelerate the distribution, and reach a bigger and wider market," Jokowi noted.

The head of state highlighted that another benefit of infrastructure development was a reduction in time and costs, thereby boosting effectiveness and competitiveness in terms of Indonesia's logistics costs.

The Ministry of Investment/Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) reported that the realization of incoming investment during the third quarter of 2021 outside Java had reached Rp112.5 trillion (51.9 percent), while the realization of investment in Java reached Rp104.2 trillion (48.1 percent).

Meanwhile, cumulatively, during the January-September 2021 period, the realization of investment in Java grew by 3.7 percent, while investment outside Java increased by 12 percent.

In nominal terms, investment in Java during the January-September 2021 period had reached Rp318.7 trillion, or 48.3 percent, while investment outside Java was recorded at Rp340.7 trillion, or 51.7 percent. (Antaranews)

The joint search and rescue (SAR) team has continued its efforts to rescue some 16 out of the total 43 reported missing victims following the eruption of Mount Semeru in Lumajang District, East Java.

"The joint SAR team currently strives to search the 16 missing victims, and the evacuation team also continues to identify the victims," Lumajang District Head Thoriqul Haq said here on Wednesday.

The district head, along with East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, visited the Pasirian Sub-district office to observe rescue efforts and meet volunteers involved in the Semeru eruption disaster relief mission in Lumajang on Tuesday (Dec 7) evening.

"The team continues its search by first excavating around one meter of pyroclastic debris because if we currently proceed to dig further down, it will be dangerous for the evacuation team," he explained.

Haq informed that the authority had currently documented 35 deaths and a total of 120 injured, with 82 victims suffering minor injury and another 38 with serious injuries.

"The injured victims have been treated at Lumajang hospitals and other referral hospitals," the district head noted.

Moreover, Parawansa urged volunteers involved in the rescue efforts to assist in addressing the issues and concerns of refugees, especially of pregnant mothers, people with disabilities, and the elderly.

"Please address the refugees' concerns and ensure child refugees can stay comfortably at the refugee shelter. You can communicate with the shelter administrator to provide spaces for children, the elderly, pregnant mothers, and people with disabilities," the governor stated.

She emphasized that food rations for children, especially infants and toddlers, should be prepared separately from the food for adults, as those prepared in public kitchens are mostly suitable only for the adult populace.

Parawansa also expressed gratitude to the volunteers of nationwide organizations and institutions for having assisted disaster relief efforts in the region.

She expressed optimism that the 14-day emergency response period was sufficient to address issues faced by refugees and devise a plan of temporary dwellings for residents affected by the eruption that must be relocated to safer places.  (Antaranews)

State-owned electricity provider PT PLN (Persero) has launched its first electric vehicle charging station (SPKLU) on Kalimantan Island to expedite the establishment of an electric vehicle ecosystem in Indonesia.

The charging station is located in the yard of PLN’s East and North Kalimantan Regional Main Unit (UIW Kaltimra), Balikpapan city, East Kalimantan province.

"The SPKLU establishment is PLN's attempt for providing supporting infrastructure for electric vehicles," the company’s executive vice president of retail for Sumatra and Kalimantan regions, Sigit Witjaksono, said in a statement released here on Tuesday.

The SPKLU's operation is in line with PLN's commitment to supporting the implementation of Presidential Regulation Number 55/2019 concerning the Acceleration of Battery-based Electric Vehicles Program, he added.

"It also shows our support for the government in developing vehicles with zero carbon emissions," Witjaksono stated.

Users can charge their vehicles quite quickly at the charging station, he said. According to previous trials, it will take less than three hours to fully charge vehicles at the station, he informed.

Users can download the Charge.In app from Google Play or the App Store to control and monitor the charging process, he said.

In addition, PLN is cooperating with the association of state-owned banks for establishing a payment mechanism for the SPKLU charging service, Witjaksono said.

General manager of PLN’s UIW Kaltimra, Saleh Siswanto, said that the company is seeking to introduce electric vehicles to the community on a massive scale.

"We will continue to introduce electric vehicles to increase stakeholders and people's awareness about the vehicles," he remarked.

In the near future, the company will organize a convoy of electric vehicles along with a number of stakeholders to show the people that the era of electric vehicles has begun, he said.

According to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s roadmap, Indonesia will have 2.2 million electric cars and 13 million electric motorcycles, with the number of SPKLU units reaching 31,859, by 2030, which is expected to reduce fuel imports by around 6 million kiloliters. (Antaranews)

Achieving herd immunity can reduce the risk of mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, a researcher from the National Research and Innovation Agency's Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology has said.

"The more people possess immunity, the less chance the virus will spread. The sooner herd immunity is achieved, the lower the chance the virus will mutate," Armin Soebandrio told ANTARA here on Tuesday.

A virus mutates due to replication or when the viral load increases within a host's body as a way to survive, he explained.

Mutation occurs when the virus makes a new copy of its genetic material during replication, he said.

When the virus is given a chance to replicate, the risk of mutation increases, he added.

Replication occurs when the virus manages to infiltrate a new cell, he said. Once the virus successfully infects a new host, then it has an opportunity to replicate, he added.

In theory, if we can prevent the virus from finding a new host, then mutation can be slowed down, he explained.

Improving immunity can prevent a virus from entering a new host, he added.

Immunity can be bolstered through vaccinations, or it can be built by receiving COVID-19 medication or through natural infection, primarily in individuals with no symptoms (OTG) or who do not appear to be sick, he said.

"When more people develop immunity, that is when herd immunity happens," Soebandrio noted.

To this end, vaccinations should be expanded across Indonesia to build immunity among the people, which would prevent the virus from infecting new hosts, replicating, and mutating, he said.

"When more people are immune, meaning the (when there is) realization of herd immunity, then the virus will not be able to easily enter another person and mutate," he affirmed. (antaranews)