VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government must soon restrict entry to tourists with recent travel history to seven African countries after an Omicron variant of COVID-19 has reportedly been detected there, a researcher said.

"The government must tighten entry points to prevent Omicron variant. Don’t let Indonesia experience a third wave of COVID-19 cases,” Maarif Institute researcher Endang Tirtana said in Jakarta on Saturday.

The coronavirus which was first detected in Wuhan, China, in 2020 is believed to have five times as many mutations as the previous variant, he said.

The Omicron variant has been detected in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, and Eswatini.

When the Delta variant emerged, Indonesia was late to take preventive and anticipatory measures so that the COVID-19 cases spiked out of control in mid-2021, he said.

The government must take a swift and firm step to prevent the Omicron variant. Several Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia and Singapore have tightly supervised flights from abroad, he said.

"Don’t let us face a third wave after Christmas and New Year celebrations. The government must stand firm in this regard," he said.

He recommended several measures to prevent the new variant from entering Indonesia by tightening health protocols for international travelers entering Indonesia. The measures included making PCR swab test and quarantine compulsory for international travellers.

"The public should avoid travelling ahead of Christmas and New Year as part of effort to prevent the transmission and spread of COVID-19," he said. (antaranews)

Saudi Arabia has lifted the suspension on direct flights from Indonesia starting on December 1, 2021, Director General of Hajj and Umrah at the Religious Affairs Ministry Hilman Latief has informed.

"The decision regulated in the circular issued by the Saudi Arabian aviation authority – the General Authority of Civil Aviation -- dated November 25, 2021, also applies to flights for Umrah pilgrims," he said in a written statement received here on Sunday.

However, he noted, it does not imply that Indonesian Umrah pilgrims can be dispatched immediately on December 1, 2021, as a number of arrangements must be carried out, including the pilgrims’ data collection, service preparations, and visa processing.

"Following the lifting of the flight suspension, we and the Saudi Arabian Hajj and Umrah Ministry will discuss the technical implementation of Umrah," Latief stated.

Latief and the Hajj Consul team of the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Jeddah has been scheduled to discuss the scenario for organizing Umrah with the Saudi Arabian ministry.

He informed that at the meeting, his party would explain Indonesia's readiness and scenarios for dispatching the pilgrims in the midst of the pandemic, including the one gate policy, validation of vaccine certificates and COVID-19 PCR test results.

"We will also discuss the scheme and duration of self-isolation in Saudi, including the activities schedule and the stay period of the pilgrims,” Latief stated.

He hoped that the joint scenario can be agreed soon, thus it can be a guide for the government, the organizers of the Umrah pilgrimage, and also the pilgrims.

"Hopefully, Indonesians can immediately relieve their longing for going to the Holy Land,” he added.

The GACA on November 25 issued its instructions to all air carriers operating in the Kingdom's airports, regarding the lifting of the suspension of direct entry to Saudi from some banned countries. 

The circular provides for direct entry from Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Vietnam, Egypt, and India, without the need to spend 14 days outside these countries before entering into the Kingdom. This with the application of institutional quarantine procedures for a period of five days to travellers, regardless of their immunization status outside Saudi Arabia.

Last February, the direct entry ban was imposed due to a global surge in cases linked to variants detected in Britain, South Africa, and Brazil, with fears that vaccines being rolled out worldwide could be less effective against them.

The ban covered the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, the US, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Japan.

Exceptions to the ban included diplomats, medical staff, and their families. (Antaranews)

Indonesia's Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) commemorates the National Tree Planting Day, celebrated on November 28 each year, by reinforcing the planting of mangroves throughout the country to rehabilitate the ecosystem.

BRGM's Head of Mangrove Rehabilitation Working Group for Kalimantan and Papua Agung Rusdiyatmoko said that the sustainable community involvement is one of the crucial factors for the success of the program.

"Community’s role is very important in protecting mangroves. The aim of mangrove rehabilitation is not only recovering the ecology, but also giving positive impact to the people’s economy," he said in a statement received here on Sunday.

Rusdiyatmoko added, the aim of the national tree planting day is in accordance with the agency's efforts to plant mangroves in a 600 thousand hectares of area until 2024.

In 2021, he said, BRGM has intensively rehabilitated 34 thousand hectares of mangroves in nine provinces, namely North Sumatra, Bangka Belitung, Riau Islands, Riau, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, Papua, and West Papua.

One of the rehabilitation sites is in Batu Ampar Village, Batu Ampar Sub-district, Kubu Raya District, West Kalimantan Province. The agency involved the residents to plant Rhizophora sp --a genus of mangrove tree-- at 11 damaged areas.

"Many sites have completed their planting activities. Today (through the commemoration of the national day), our motivation is strengthened to meet the rehabilitation target," Rusdiyatmoko noted.

Mangrove rehabilitation is Indonesia's commitment to comply with the Paris Agreement. Indonesia has targeted to reduce the carbon emission by 29 percent with its own attempts and by 41 percent with international support by 2030.

Head of the Village Forest Management Agency (LPHD) of Batu Ampar Village, Hermansyah, said villagers have enthusiastically took part in the mangrove planting activity.

"Although there are only 60 people registered for the activity, actually there are more than 200 residents involved since people outside the working group also help in preparing the materials for planting, such as the seedlings and stakes," he said.

He added that it required 35 thousand seedlings for mangrove planting in 35 hectares of land. The seedlings were purchased from local residents, hence, in addition to protecting the environment, the program could improve people's welfare. (Antaranews)

The Indonesian government will continue to enhance cooperation with Palestine in various fields to support the Palestinian people’s struggle for independence, a Foreign Ministry official said.

One of the areas of cooperation that have been in place is the application of zero tariffs on Indonesia’s import of Palestine’s key commodities such as olive oil, fruits and dates since January 2018, Director of the Middle East at the Foreign Ministry Bagus Hendraning Kobarsyih said.

"Right now, Indonesia is also seeking to sign a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with the Palestinian government in order to help the Palestinian people conduct trade and increase economic cooperation between the two countries," he said in a talkshow on Palestinian Solidarity Week: Millennial Peacemaker Forum monitored virtually from Jakarta on Sunday.

In this regard, the Palestinian government has proposed zero tariffs on 61 products including nuts, bolts, soap, ceramics and spices..

The discussion of PTA is directed towards enhancing trade cooperation between the two countries which currently stands at US$5 million per year, or only 0.1 percent of Palestine’s international trade.

Indonesia’s concrete support to Palestine has also been clearly shown at various international forums and through capacity building programs.

"The Indonesian government also highly appreciates contributions from various elements of the Indonesian community to provide and extend assistance among the Palestinian people," he said.

The Palestinian Solidarity Week is held before November 29 declared by the UN as International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, to remind the world that the Palestinian issue is yet to be settled due to Israel’s continued occupation.

Indonesia has expressed deep concern about the fact that amid the COVID-19 pandemic Palestinian people continue to suffer human rights violations including arrest, demolition and illegal seizure of property by Israel.

Indonesia called for serious support from the international community to press Israel to stop the illegal act.

"Indonesia reiterates its stand to fully support the Palestinian people’s struggle for independence and sovereignty in accordance with the mandate of our constitution until two state solution is achieved in accordance with the international parameter jointly agreed upon," he said. (Antaranews)