State-owned electricity firm PT PLN has recovered electric power to Balaraja Extra High Voltage substation in Banten Province, and furthermore it will be channeled to Suralaya steam-fueled power plant (PLTU) to gradually recover its operation to reach its capacity of 2800 MW of electricity.
In addition, power supply from Gandul Extra High Voltage substations in Depok, West Java Province, will be channeled to Muara Karang gas and steam power plant (PLTGU) to supply electricity to the Indonesian capital city, Jakarta.
Acting President Director of PLN Sripeni Inten Cahyani said here on Sunday that the power supply to Jakarta was expected to recover within three hours.
"We apologize for the inconvenience today, and currently all efforts have been made to recover the Java-Bali power system, especially in the area of West Java, Banten, and Jakarta," Cahyani said.
The company has focused on power supply to PLTGU Muara Karang and PLTGU Priok to recover the system in the capital city.
Previously, PLN has recovered the operation of hydro-generated power plant (PLTA) Saguling and PLTA Cirata which are functioned as power stabilizer, and, at the same time, supply the electricity to PLTU Suralaya through Cibinong, Depok, Gandul, Lengkok, Balaraja and Suralaya extra high voltage substations.
PLTU Suralaya is expected to return to its normal operation within six hours to normalize power system in West Java and Banten.
Blackout that affected thousands of homes and public facilities in West Java, Jakarta, and Banten was caused by several troubles in the extra high voltage 500 kV transmission of Ungaran - Pemalang.
"PLN has taken its best efforts and will have evaluation to prevent recurrence of today's incident," Cahyani said.
The Medan City Government will increase the number of families that are subject to the garbage retribution fee to 250 thousand in 2023.
"In 2023, the mandatory garbage fee must cover 250 thousand heads of families," Head of the Medan City Environment Office Suryadi Panjaitan remarked here on Friday.
Panjaitan said that increasing the number of residents subject to the garbage fee will boost regional original revenue (PAD) in the waste retribution sector in the capital of North Sumatra.
The office head pointed out that in 2022, only 87 thousand heads of families compulsorily paid the garbage retribution fee, while the current number of families in Medan reached 500 thousand.
The Medan City Environment Office said that the city produced two thousand tons per day of organic and inorganic waste in 2021.
"(Hence), this garbage fee can be one of the regional original revenue sources, but this increase (of coverage) must also be accompanied by improved services," Panjaitan stated.
Earlier this week, Mayor of Medan Bobby Nasution urged the city's environment office to innovate in increasing the number of residents subject to the mandatory fee for throwing garbage.
"If manual payment is not effective, try using a digital system," he stated during a coordination meeting for the implementation of obligatory waste retribution fee in Medan, Wednesday (January 25).
He said for residents to understand the garbage fee as a mandatory payment, the regional governmental apparatus organization (OPD) must help improve the quality of environmental hygiene.
"If the environment is clean, Insya Allah (God willing), the community would be happy to pay the fee every month," Nasution stated.
Hence, the mayor urged related parties to improve performance, innovate, and collaborate with local administrations in providing better services in waste retribution. (antaranews)
The South Sulawesi Provincial Government will build 11 safe drinking water facilities in the islands and coastal regions in 2023.
Governor of South Sulawesi Andi Sudirman Sulaiman said in a statement in Makassar on Saturday that the Housing, Settlement Areas, and Land (Perkimtan) Department will build 11 ready-to-drink water facilities in Selayar Islands and Pangkajene Islands, Sinjai, Bone, Maros Regency.
Four of them are in Selayar Islands Regency: Bahuluang Island in Bontosikuyu District, Karumpa Island in Pasilambena District, and Latondu Island and Tarupa Island in Takabonerate District.
Two units will be built in islands in Pangkep, i.e. Salemo Island and Saugi Island, both in North Tuppabiring District.
The facilities will also be constructed in Kambuno Island, Harapan Island in Sembilan Island District, Sinjai Regency and Bonto Jai Coastal Island in Bissappu District, Bantaeng Regency.
Similar units will be built in Lingkungan Gusunge Coastal Islands in Ujungbulu District, Bulukumba Regency, Kuri Caddi Coastal Islands in Marusu District, Maros Regency, and Langnga Coastal Islands in Mattiro Sompe District, Pinrang Regency.
In 2022, the South Sulawesi provincial government completed the construction of 10 purified water facilities, which are spread over several regions in South Sulawesi.
The ten spots are located in eight regencies, namely Sinjai, Bulukumba, Jeneponto, Pinrang, Pangkep, Selayar, Barru and Enrekang.
"In 2022, we already built 10 ready-to-drink water facilities, and the community has enjoyed the benefit of obtaining safe and healthy drinking water. This year, 11 ready-to-drink water facilities will also be built," the governor stated.
"We hope that the ready-to-drink water facilities will benefit our people on the islands and on the coast, so that people can enjoy proper and safe drinking water," he added. (antaranews)
The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry (Kemenparekraf) has readied a number of programs to strengthen the contribution of the creative economy sector to the national economy amid the digital transformation.
"We also encourage the younger generation to excel at seeing opportunities and doing business by creating added value to products/services as well as taking advantage of the digital and technological era," Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said in a statement issued on Thursday.
One of the programs prepared by his ministry is the Baparekraf (Tourism and Creative Economy Agency) for Startups (BEKUP).
It is an incubation program for Indonesian digital start-ups to help them become competitive and have a positive impact on the national economy.
"In the BEKUP program, we will provide learning according to a proven curriculum, which is supported by various mentors and experts who have experience in the start-up industry in Indonesia," the minister informed.
There will also be a Baparekraf Digital Talent (BDT) program, which will be implemented in collaboration with Google Authorized Training Partners in Indonesia.
The graduates of the BDT program are targeted to acquire capabilities corresponding to industry demand and strengthen Indonesia's digital economy ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the Baparekraf Digital Innovation Lab (BEDIL) program will provide digital transformation assistance for creative economy actors at the five super-priority tourism destinations (DPSPs) set by the government.
The DPSPs are Lake Toba in North Sumatra Province, Borobudur Temple in Central Java Province, Mandalika area in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Province, Labuan Bajo area in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, and Manado-Likupang area in North Sulawesi Province.
Yet another program is Santripreneur, which is a training and mentoring program for Islamic boarding school students and aims to develop the creative economy ecosystem at educational institutions by involving industry players as students’ mentors.
The next program is Kemenparekraf’s Proud of Indonesia-Made Product National Movement (Gernas BBI), which has been implemented as a joint campaign with other ministries/institutions since 2020 to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) conduct digital transformation.
Through the movement, so far, 20.6 million MSMEs have entered the online marketplace and the e-commerce ecosystem. It is targeted that 30 million MSMEs will join the ecosystem by 2024.
In addition, the ministry will carry out the sectoral e-Catalogue program for tourism and creative economy MSMEs. (antaranews)
The National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) is striving to complete the 2025–2045 National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN) as soon as possible, considering the approach of the 2024 General Elections.
"Usually, the president and vice president candidates must refer to Indonesia's vision and mission contained in the RPJPN (in preparing their own vision and mission), hence Bappenas is accelerating the drafting of the (2025–2045) RPJPN," deputy for economic affairs at the agency, Amalia Adininggar, explained.
She made the statement at the kick-off of the drafting of the “Strategic Environmental Assessment (KLHS) of the 2025–2045 RPJPN: Screening of Sustainable Development Issues” here on Thursday.
In addition, the 2025–2045 RPJPN needs to be finalized without delay considering that the 2005–2025 RPJPN will expire soon, she said.
Under the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, Indonesia is seeking to become a high-income country before 2045.
"Indonesia wants to get out of the middle-income trap before 2045 so that we can be on par with high-income countries," the deputy said.
Currently, her agency is finalizing the technocratic draft of the RPJPN, whose academic script is expected to be completed by the end of February 2023.
Meanwhile, public consultations on the RPJPN will be held in March 2023, and the final draft of the RPJPN will be completed in July 2023.
"While conducting the public consultations, a parallel review of the KLHS will also be carried out because there must be an alignment between the KLHS with the initial and the final draft of the RPJPN,” Adininggar, who is also the chair of the 2025–2045 RPJPN drafting team, informed.
She said she expected that the RPJPN will be discussed with the House of Representatives (DPR) as soon as it is finished in July 2023.
“And, by September 2023, it (the RPJPN) can become a law, which will later become a reference for the president and vice president candidates (of the 2024 General Elections)," she added.
Meanwhile, acting deputy for maritime affairs and natural resources at the agency, Vivi Yulaswati, asked all stakeholders to support the preparation of the KLHS through constructive discussion and collaborative action to address sustainable development issues and realize the Golden Indonesia 2045 goal.
The general elections are scheduled to be held on February 14, 2024. (antaranews)
The diversity of Indonesia is something that cannot be denied, Khatib of the Nahdlatul Ulama’s Executive Board (PBNU) Abu Yazhid Al-Busthami said.
"When talking about Indonesia, this diversity is one thing that cannot be denied. This is the nature of God. NU's basic concept teaches that diversity is not something that should be debated," said Al-Busthami.
He made the remarks at a national seminar on the implementation of the Abu Dhabi Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, which was followed online from Jakarta on Wednesday.
The document serves as a valuable road map for building peace and creating harmony among religious communities. It contains several guidelines that need to be disseminated throughout the world.
Chairperson of the Communion of Indonesian Churches, Gomar Gultom, said that the Abu Dhabi document invites Indonesians to live out the substance of their respective religions and not be trapped by religious symbols.
“All of us want a sense of peace and respect for humanity. There are no church members who do not aspire to peace. And I'm sure people of other religions are like that, too,” Gultom observed.
On the same occasion, chairperson of Parisadha Hindu Dharma (PHDI), Wisnu Bawa Tenaya, said that religious people are aware of the belief in and fear of God.
"Apart from that, we also have to be aware that we are citizens of the Republic of Indonesia who are based on (the state philosophy) Pancasila," Tenaya added.
According to Abdul Mu'ti, secretary general of the Muhammadiyah central executive, what is important in the Indonesian context is how not to relegate the Abu Dhabi document to history.
In Indonesia, there is already an interfaith humanitarian organization called the Humanitarian Forum Indonesia (HFI) whose members go out together to help those in need, he said
“We read different scriptures, but the message of the scriptures is the same. Then we practice it in the form of humanitarian action, which turns out to be of enormous benefit to the community," said Mu'ti.
Budi Tanuwibowo, chairperson of the Supreme Council for the Confucian Religion in Indonesia (MATAKIN), expressed the hope that universities will spearhead dialogues between people of different religions more often.
He said that having an honest and open dialogue with those who are different can help people learn about each other's position so that they can help each other.
“Don't only have a dialogue with those who are the same. [When we hold a] Dialogue among ourselves, roughly speaking, we only please ourselves, and feel we are the same. In fact, the reality is very different,” Tanuwibowo said.
The national seminar on the implementation of the Abu Dhabi document, which was organized by Atma Jaya Catholic University and attended by interfaith leaders, signed the Atma Jaya Declaration and submitted the declaration to the Indonesian government.
Abu Rokhmad, a legal and human rights expert staff at the Ministry of Religious Affairs accepted the Atma Jaya Declaration on the government’s behalf.
"We thank you ladies and gentlemen for conveying this mandate. Later, we will submit it to the Minister (of Religious Affairs). We will see what we can do to materialize the Abu Dhabi document that was discussed earlier," said Rokhmad.
The Declaration of the Atma Jaya Dialogue on True Friendship for Humanitarian Movements supports all parties on upholding humanity, prioritizing a peaceful approach when resolving national conflicts, and condemning and rejecting terrorism and all forms of violence in the name of religion and belief. (Antaranews)
Environment and Forestry (LHK) Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar has emphasized that the government will take strict action against business players found causing forest or land fires in Indonesia.
"If forest fires happen because of (the activities of) the private sector, there will be no mercy (for the business actors), because as soon as a hotspot is detected (in the area owned by them), we will immediately give a warning (to them),” she said here on Wednesday.
Hence, if a fire truly breaks out, the owner of the land will certainly be punished, she informed at a press conference on the “Preparedness to Handle the 2023 Forest and Land Fires.”
She said that the implementation of such law enforcement efforts is the best way to prevent the fires.
According to the LHK Ministry, the total area affected by forest and land fires shrunk by 43 percent in 2022 compared to 2021.
The ministry said that the area burnt by such disasters covered 204,896 hectares in 2022; 358,864 hectares in 2021; 296,942 hectares in 2020; and 1.64 million hectares in 2019.
The Indonesian Government has taken firm action against many perpetrators of forest and land destruction.
Recently, the Environment and Forestry Ministry won a lawsuit against a business actor over land and forest fires, which damaged a 1,500 hectare-peatland in Karya Tani Village, Barambai Sub-district, Barito Kuala District, South Kalimantan Province, in September 2019.
The panel of judges said that PT Agri Bumi Sentosa (ABS) had been proven to have committed an unlawful act, which resulted in the fires, and hence, the company was obliged to pay material compensation of Rp160.69 billion and environmental restoration costs of Rp591.55 billion.
Since 2015, the Directorate General of Law Enforcement of the LHK Ministry has carried out 1,919 operations to secure environmental ecosystems and forest areas.
The ministry has also sanctioned 2,591 corporations and brought 1,348 criminal and civil cases to court.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD asked corporations that have a business in forest management to jointly anticipate and handle forest and land fires in Indonesia.
"If something (a disaster) happens, the consequences or losses that arise will also befall the companies," he added. (Antaranews)
Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno on Wednesday outlined a number of achievements of the tourism sector in 2022, such as the number of foreign tourist visits exceeding the government’s maximum target.
At a working meeting with Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR) here on Wednesday, he said that as of November 2022, international tourist arrivals had reached 4.58 million, while the most optimistic target set by the government was 3.6 million.
The number of domestic tourist visits also reached the target of 633 million.
In addition, Indonesia managed to rank 32nd out of 117 countries on the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 released in May 2022, ahead of Malaysia and Thailand.
"We have created more than three million new jobs in 2022," the minister informed.
In 2022, the total number of workers in the tourism sector was 22.89 million and in the creative economy sector, 23.98 million, he noted.
Furthermore, the foreign exchange earned from the tourism and creative economy sectors was recorded at US$4.26 billion as of November 2022, or almost 2.5 times the target of US$1.71 billion.
"The tourism sector’s GDP (gross domestic product) contribution target of 3.6 percent was also achieved. The export value of creative economy products, which was projected to reach 25.33 percent (of Indonesia’s total exports), reached US$24.8 billion as of November 2022,” Uno informed.
Meanwhile, the added value of the creative economy sector reached the target of Rp1,236 trillion, he stated.
The overall realization of the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry’s 2022 budget reached Rp3.49 trillion as of January 17, 2023, or 97.13 percent of its budget ceiling of Rp3.59 trillion, he added.
According to the type of programs, the realization of the budget allocated for tourism and creative economy programs, vocational education and training programs, as well as management support programs has reached 98.14 percent, 97.1 percent, and 95.5 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, based on the type of expenditure, the budget for working units was realized 97.8 percent, tourism authority boards (BPO) 93.8 percent, the higher education implementing unit (UPT) 96.4 percent, and assistance tasks 92.7 percent. (Antaranews)
Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno on Wednesday outlined a number of achievements of the tourism sector in 2022, such as the number of foreign tourist visits exceeding the government’s maximum target.
At a working meeting with Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR) here on Wednesday, he said that as of November 2022, international tourist arrivals had reached 4.58 million, while the most optimistic target set by the government was 3.6 million.
The number of domestic tourist visits also reached the target of 633 million.
In addition, Indonesia managed to rank 32nd out of 117 countries on the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 released in May 2022, ahead of Malaysia and Thailand.
"We have created more than three million new jobs in 2022," the minister informed.
In 2022, the total number of workers in the tourism sector was 22.89 million and in the creative economy sector, 23.98 million, he noted.
Furthermore, the foreign exchange earned from the tourism and creative economy sectors was recorded at US$4.26 billion as of November 2022, or almost 2.5 times the target of US$1.71 billion.
"The tourism sector’s GDP (gross domestic product) contribution target of 3.6 percent was also achieved. The export value of creative economy products, which was projected to reach 25.33 percent (of Indonesia’s total exports), reached US$24.8 billion as of November 2022,” Uno informed.
Meanwhile, the added value of the creative economy sector reached the target of Rp1,236 trillion, he stated.
The overall realization of the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry’s 2022 budget reached Rp3.49 trillion as of January 17, 2023, or 97.13 percent of its budget ceiling of Rp3.59 trillion, he added.
According to the type of programs, the realization of the budget allocated for tourism and creative economy programs, vocational education and training programs, as well as management support programs has reached 98.14 percent, 97.1 percent, and 95.5 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, based on the type of expenditure, the budget for working units was realized 97.8 percent, tourism authority boards (BPO) 93.8 percent, the higher educat
Minister for National Development Planning (Bappenas) Suharso Monoarfa has provided five recommendations for the proposed development of R-80 aircraft, which is being pushed by PT Regio Aviasi Industri (RAI).
The development of the aircraft has become one of the government's initiatives, as outlined in the 2022–2045 Road Map for the Development of the Indonesian Aerospace Industry Ecosystem.
"The first (recommendation) is that PT RAI's input has been accommodated in the 2022–2045 Indonesian Aerospace Industry Ecosystem Development Road Map," Monarfa said on his Instagram account @suharsomonoarfa, after a meeting with RAI officials in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Second, his ministry will conduct a roadshow at ministries/institutions (K/L) to ensure the adoption of the road map. The roadshow is expected to build stronger support, especially for research collaboration and strategic partnership building.
"Third, a request for support for the formation of a PMO (Program Management Organization), specifically for the R-80 can be facilitated through the PMO recommended by the 2022–2045 Indonesian Aerospace Industry Ecosystem Development Road Map to be formed under the coordination of the aerospace industry policy committee," Monoarfa said.
Furthermore, the R-80 aircraft is included in the Turboprop type aircraft category and has a capacity of fewer than 100 passengers, which is the focus of the aerospace product pillar of the 2022–2045 road map.
The potential market for R-80 aircraft is considered to be prospective, but with tough competition from global players such as Avions de transport régional (ATR), Bombardier, and China COMAC.
"Fifth, the need for PT RAI to build strategic partnerships with production partners can be facilitated by the government in the form of an endorsement without strings attached (acknowledgment without providing guarantees or funding)," Monoarfa said. (Antaranews)
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said that all countries are competing for investment and the latest technologies.
"It seems so, for example, there are G20 meetings, and it looks like they are greeting each other, but they are competing with each other,” he observed.
He made the statement during the “National Working Meeting on Strategy for Family Development, Population, and Family Planning and the Program to Accelerate Stunting Reduction” in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Not only at the global level, as seen during the meeting of G20 countries that control 85 percent of the world's economy, neighboring countries in the Southeast Asian region are also competing fiercely for investment and technology, he pointed out.
"In ASEAN itself, you see us hugging, greeting, but we are competing. All countries are fighting over investments and technology,” he remarked.
Therefore, the President said improving the quality of human resources (HR) has become an important key to building the nation's competitiveness to attract investment to develop technology.
"The key is having a good quality of human resources," he added.
Given the importance of human resource quality, the President asked the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) to carry out its duties to help maintain balanced growth and improve the quality of families.
"Creating a quality family is not easy, but I believe 1.2 million extension workers at the BKKBN and their assistants are able to do that. This means that good human resources are the key to the nation's competitiveness," he said.
The government is relying on investment to maintain the trend of economic recovery in 2023. In this regard, President Jokowi has set this year's investment target of Rp1,400 trillion or higher than that of last year which stood at Rp1,200 trillion.
With investment support, Indonesia is targeting economic growth of 5.3 percent in 2023. (Antaranews)
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi separately received the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambian Citizens Abroad, H.E. Dr. Mamadou Tangara, and the visit of the Guinean Minister of Transport, Y.M Felix Lamah. The two meetings were held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tuesday (24/1) in Jakarta.
The meeting with the Gambian Foreign Minister discussed cooperation within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) forum and various opportunities to increase bilateral cooperation.
Regarding Gambia's plan to host the 15th OIC Summit at the end of this year, Foreign Minister Retno expressed hope that the OIC Summit could produce concrete deliverables.
"Indonesia supports Gambia to be able to produce cooperation that benefits the people of OIC member countries, including through cooperation to fulfill the right to education for Afghan women, as well as cooperation to strengthen capacity in agriculture," said Retno.
Foreign Minister Retno also conveyed Indonesia's readiness to provide protocol training and international trials to Gambia in order to increase Gambia's readiness to hold the OIC Summit.
"Indonesia wants to be part of the success story of African economic development," said Foreign Minister Retno.
In particular, the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs discussed the follow-up of several initiatives in the 2018 Indonesia-Africa Forum and the 2019 Indonesia-Africa Infrastructure Dialogue. Foreign Minister Retno also conveyed Indonesia's commitment to help renovate the Agricultural Rural Farmers Training Center (ARFTC) in Jenoi, Gambia, which Indonesia built in 1996. With this renovation, it was hoped that ARFTC would become a regional hub for training farmers in West Africa.
Foreign Minister Retno and Foreign Minister Tangara also discussed the Preferential Trade Agreement plan between Indonesia and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which was proposed by Indonesia since 2017. Foreign Minister Tangara expressed Gambia's readiness to follow up on this PTA plan.
In the health sector, Foreign Minister Retno informed that the Covid-19 vaccine made in Indonesia, IndoVac, is currently in the process of submitting an Emergency Use Listing from WHO. Foreign Minister Retno wants Indonesia to be further involved in the Gambia health program.
Meanwhile, in her meeting with the Guinean Minister of Transportation, Y.M Felix Lamah, Foreign Minister Retno discussed increasing bilateral relations, especially in the strategic industrial, infrastructure and transportation sectors.
Foreign Minister Retno welcomed the plan to sign a Letter of Intent (Loi) in the field of transportation between the Minister of Transportation RI and Guinea on January 26 2023.
"We will translate this agreement into real cooperation, especially in the fields of air, maritime and land (rail) transportation, both G-to-G and B-to-B," said Retno.
Apart from that, Foreign Minister Retno also encouraged cooperation between Indonesian BUMNs and their partners in Guinea. Furthermore, the two Ministers also discussed capacity building cooperation, including for the development of the aviation industry and the establishment of Guinea Air, which could include pilot training, mechanics and aircraft maintenance.
Apart from meeting with the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Guinean Minister of Transportation is also planning to visit PT Dirgantara Indonesia to discuss support for the formation of Guinea Air and PT Wika Industri Manufaktur to explore cooperation in the development of the electric vehicle industry. (VOI/Andy)