VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Law and Human Rights Ministry has enacted a temporary ban on the entry of citizens and travelers from some countries to Indonesia citing concerns over the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

"The Directorate General of Immigration refuses entry to foreigners who have stopped or lived in South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Hong Kong within a period of 14 days," Head of Public Relations and General Affairs at the Directorate General of Immigration of the Law and Human Rights Ministry Arya Pradhana Anggakara said in a written statement received here on Monday.

The travel ban will come into effect on November 30, 2021, he informed. The government has said that the policy will be effective from November 29, 2021, he added.

"So, if there are foreigners who have visited these countries within the past 14 days, they will immediately be refused entry to Indonesia," he explained.

The Directorate General of Immigration has also temporarily suspended the granting of visit visas and limited stay visas for citizens of South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Hong Kong, Anggakara informed.

As for travelers from other countries, restriction rules will still apply, in accordance with the Law and Human Rights Ministerial Regulation Number 34 of 2021, he said.

The law regulates the issuance of immigration visas and residence permits during the COVID-19 handling and national economic recovery period, he added.

Further information on the new rules can be obtained on the Directorate General of Immigration's website www.imigrasi.go.id, which is also offering assistance through the website during working days and hours. (antaranews)

The 2022 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget prioritizes six policies, with the main focus remaining COVID-19 control, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has stated.

"We will focus on six main policies. First, to continue to control COVID-19 while still prioritizing the health sector," he said at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Monday.

He delivered the statement during an event attended by cabinet members and other state officials.

"Second (focus), maintaining the sustainability of social protection programs for the poor and vulnerable," President Jokowi informed.

Third, improving or developing human resources to make them superior, he said. Fourth, pushing for the development of infrastructure and encouraging adaptation to technology, he disclosed. Fifth, strengthening fiscal decentralization to increase and distribute welfare among the regions, he added.

"The sixth is to continue budgeting reform by implementing 'zero-based budgeting' so that spending is more efficient," he remarked.

In 2022, ministers and regional heads must continue to prepare themselves to face the risk of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still posing a threat to the global community, including Indonesia, President Jokowi said.

"Uncertainty in the health and economic fields must be our basis for planning and implementing programs," he said.

The 2022 State Budget was designed and will be implemented in a responsive, anticipatory, and flexible manner, in response to the uncertainty of 2022, he explained.

"Always innovate and anticipate various changes that occur while maintaining good governance," he remarked.

The President said that the 2022 state budget has a crucial role.

"As the G20 Presidency, we must demonstrate our ability to deal with climate change, especially reductions in emissions and the movement to develop the environment in a sustainable manner. We must show real action toward (realizing) a green and sustainable economy," he added.

The 2022 State Budget has been stipulated in Law Number 6 of 2021, which came into force on October 27, 2021. The law regulates the 2022 state revenue and expenditure budget.

Law Number 6 of 2021 states that the 2022 state budget includes a planned state revenue of Rp1,846.1 trillion and state expenditure of Rp2,714.2 trillion.

The budget deficit reached IDR 868 trillion or 4.85 percent of gross domestic product, while the deficit was targeted at 4.85 percent of GDP.

The projected economic growth in 2022 is estimated at 5.2 percent, while the poverty rate is expected to decline to 8.5–9 percent.

Furthermore, the open unemployment rate is expected to range between 5.5–6.3 percent, and the inequality ratio to fall to 0.376– 0.378. Meanwhile, the human development index is targeted to increase to 73.41–73.46.(Antaranews)

Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), Puan Maharani has urged all member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to support Palestine's  independence. She delivered the statement during the inauguration of the Parliamentary Network of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday, on the sidelines of the 143rd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly.

"The parliaments of member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) should encourage their respective governments to support Palestine's independence," Maharani said in a written statement received by ANTARA here on Monday.

NAM countries have jointly sought Palestine's independence since the Bandung Conference in 1955, but the goal has still not been realized, she remarked.

"The Bandung Conference principle has mandated NAM countries to support Palestine in their struggle for justice," she added.

Considering the number of member countries, NAM has the potential to make a significant contribution to resolving global issues, Maharani said.

However, this potential must be interpreted by each member country so it becomes a positive influence and can make a real contribution, the house speaker added.

"This requires all of us to be solid and work together in unity," she affirmed.

In her speech, the DPR Speaker invoked the spirit and values of NAM, such as equality, as enshrined in the Bandung Conference in 1955, more than 60 years ago, which are still relevant in the context of current global dynamics.

She mentioned Indonesia's first President Soekarno, who initiated the Non-Aligned Movement.

"President Soekarno together with other founding fathers initiated this movement," she noted.

The struggle to fight injustice and inequality requires joint efforts, she added.

According to Maharani, the parliament, as an extension of the people, can play a big role because it can enable cooperation to bring NAM closer to the community and bring international commitments to the local level.

For example, through parliamentary cooperation, parliaments can encourage their respective governments to promote equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, she pointed out.

"The spirit of the Bandung Conference is still relevant to overcome various global challenges, including in accelerating economic recovery and achieving the SDGs," she added. (Antaranews)

Director of control and prevention of directly infectious diseases at the Health Ministry, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, has said that HIV infections were 47 percent lower in 2020 compared to 2010.

"HIV infections in 2020 were 47 percent lower than in 2010. We hope to maintain this sloping number," Tarmizi remarked at the 2021 World AIDS Day webinar on Monday.

She said she hopes that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will not be widespread so that new HIV infections and even deaths due to HIV can be suppressed.

In 2020, it is estimated that there were 543,100 people in Indonesia living with HIV, she noted. A total of 30,100 people with HIV were estimated to have died, but only 10,103 deaths were reported to the authorities, she said.

A total of 149,883 people living with HIV spread across 502 districts/cities had ready access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, she informed.

"We must accelerate our efforts to break the chain of HIV transmission. There are many things we must do, such as learning from Thailand, to quickly reduce the number of HIV cases," Tarmizi remarked.

By 2030, Indonesia is targeting to have zero new cases of HIV infections, no AIDS-related deaths, and no discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS (ODHA), she said.

This can be achieved if 95 percent of ODHA are aware of their HIV status, 95 percent of ODHA are on ARV treatment, and 95 percent of ODHA have their viral load suppressed, she added.

"Although in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must continue to strengthen and pay attention to HIV treatment," she said.

She further explained that HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system.

"While AIDS is an advanced condition when someone is already infected with HIV and their condition becomes worse. There are a collection of symptoms and physical signs in the patients. The virus takes advantage of the patient's weak body condition which then causes the disease," she informed.

Tarmizi reminded that the entire community should build awareness about this disease, especially since the virus is not immediately detectable.

"Even though the virus has infected us, there is such a thing as a window period. When we are infected with the HIV virus, it will take more than three weeks, until three months for the virus to be detectable in the laboratory," she noted. (Antaranews)