VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, held a meeting with the Moroccan Ambassador to Indonesia Ouadiâ Benabdellah, at the Sapta Pesona Building, Kemenparekraf/Baparekraf Office, Friday (11/26/2021).

In the meeting, the two discussed the potential for cooperation in the creative economy sector, because previously Indonesia-Morocco did not have an MoU in this sector. In addition, the two countries also discussed the potential for cooperation in organizing international events.

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy hopes that this cooperation will strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, especially in the tourism and creative economy sectors.

"Hopefully we can work together and collaborate with each other in developing tourism and the creative economy in both countries. Especially in the creative economy sector, because there is no MoU and cooperation agreement in the creative economy sector between Indonesia and Morocco. And can help promote and present quality and sustainable tourism," he said.

Morocco is one of the countries that contributes the largest tourism to Indonesia, from quantity to spending money. It was noted that before the COVID-19 pandemic, Moroccan tourist visits to Indonesia in 2017 reached 11,000.

The Moroccan Ambassador to Indonesia, Ouadiâ Benabdellah, said that Moroccan tourists have something in common with Indonesian tourists, namely they tend to stay long enough and buy creative economy products.

"Indonesia and Morocco have something in common when they travel, they come to stay for a long time, then they are both happy to buy handicrafts typical of that country, and come home with lots of suitcases to share with their relatives," said Ouadiâ.

Furthermore, Ouadiâ said that in 2019, the art of Moroccan sahrawi was present at the opening of the 2019 International Creative Crafts Exhibition. He hoped that in the future Morocco could be involved again in international events owned by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.

Ouadiâ also hopes that international events owned by Morocco such as the Rabat Festival can be collaborated with Indonesia.

"We also have the Rabat Festival, this event is the 2nd largest in the world, there are one million visitors who come and this event is also included in UNESCO. Hopefully this can be collaborated," he said//VOI-NK

Director general for resilience, zoning, and international industry access at the Ministry of Industry, Eko SA Cahyanto. (ANTARA/HO-Biro Humas Kementerian Perindustrian) - 

The Industry Ministry is committed to encouraging halal industry zones to cater to the increasing potential of the domestic and global halal market by enacting the ministerial regulation on halal industry zone permit application.

The ministry's director general for resilience, zoning, and international industry access, Eko SA Cahyanto, made the remark in a written statement released in Jakarta on Friday.

"Industry Minister Regulation No 17 of 2021 about halal industry zone permit application (aims to) accelerates the development of halal industry zone in Indonesia," he said.

The three halal industry zones that have been established are Halal Modern Valley in Banten, Halal Industrial Park in East Java, and Bintan Inti Halal Hub, he added.

"The industry zone has comprehended the potential of global halal industry investment, and we laud the three pioneers of halal industry zone in Indonesia," he remarked.

Cahyanto asked halal industry zone operators to apply for an industry zone license (IUKI) and conceive a master plan to cater to halal industry factories that have been established in their zone.

"By ensuring that all of the supporting facilities in halal industry zones, such as the management team and system, laboratory, certification body, and water processing plant, are halal-certified, this could serve as a selling point to enhance halal industry zone's competitiveness," the director general expounded.

He also noted that fiscal and financial incentives are necessary to accelerate halal industry development in Indonesia.

The ministry will propose incentives for halal industries that export their products, substitute imported materials, develop halal product processing technology, innovate with new halal products, and provide export assistance to other halal industries, he said.

Financial incentives are proposed to be provided for halal product processing, halal certification, material substitution with halal products, and enhancing the bankability of halal industries, the director general added.

To achieve the goal, the ministry will collaborate with relevant stakeholders to enhance halal industry development in Indonesia, Cahyanto said.

"Our measures that include accelerating fiscal incentives, rating system, innovation funding, and budget support are aimed at encouraging Indonesia's halal industry to reach the top-tier level among countries with halal industries," he remarked//ANT

Chief expert at the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), Fadjar Dwi Wishnuwardhani. (ANTARA/HO-Presidential Staff Office/KT) - 

Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) have thanked the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) for the help it extended in their safe and smooth repatriation from Hong Kong in accordance with the COVID-19 health protocols.

"We are grateful for the government's hard work, especially Mr. Moeldoko (Chief of KSP) and KSP that have paid attention to us in Hong Kong by handing out many masks since the pandemic began," said Nur Meliana, one of the Indonesian migrant workers in Hong Kong, according to a KSP press release received here on Friday.

Migrant workers who returned to the country were also provided free quarantine facilities, adequate food, and COVID-19 vaccines, Meliana noted.

However, Meliana, who is from Lampung, said she is worried that her colleagues, who returned home for annual leave, would not be able to go back to Hong Kong due to strict regulations there, especially the 21-day quarantine requirement.

"The problem is that the quarantine hotels are fully booked until the end of the year, even though many employers are willing to pay the hotel fees," she said.

In addition, according to her, Indonesian migrant workers planning to return to Hong Kong will also have to deal with constantly changing flight schedules. That is how the work visas of many migrant workers have expired, she explained.

Hence, she said she hopes that the Indonesian government can offer assistance to migrant workers who already hold Hong Kong identification cards.

KSP's chief expert, Fadjar Dwi Wishnuwardhani, said that KSP has coordinated with the Ministry of Manpower to provide assistance to PMI.

"We hope the Hong Kong government can give privilege to migrant workers," Wishnuwardhani said.

He also claimed that KSP has been intensively monitoring migrant workers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This effort is in accordance with President Joko Widodo's direction to provide protection and convenience for migrant workers, both those who have returned to the country and those who are still abroad," he added//ANT

Screenshot of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim at a national TV station as seen from Jakarta on Friday, November 26, 2021. (ANTARA/Prisca Triferna/my) - 

Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim will continue policies to improve the quality of Indonesian human resources, especially in education, by upscaling programs, including School as Driving Force and the Freedom Campus.

"In future, it is impossible for us to provide something regressive. We certainly always encourage progress. All things, such as the development and distribution of free technology platforms for schools, we will definitely improve and always improve," the minister stated while speaking on a national television program, as seen from here on Friday.

Makarim noted that in future, he will create various other programs, such as for coaxing more practitioners to become lecturers at campuses, which will start next year.

He also emphasized that the ministry will continue to expand the scale of the School as Driving Force Program, increase the number of students involved in the Merdeka Campus, and increase the supply of certified internship opportunities and independent study projects and the scope of Motivating Teachers.

"Hence, next year, there will be several extended programs that would be just starting, (but since) we found the formula, now we (can and) will expand it next year. Scaling up is one of the priorities for next year," the minister remarked.

He expected that this measure would better Indonesia's future, as it can contribute to the biggest and most rampant national innovation in terms of human resource system.

"My big hope is that in the next 10 years, people will see this era as an era where we do various things that will certainly cause some degree of discomfort for those who have to change," he added//ANT