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PLN Gradually Recovers Electricity Supply (0)
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.
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September
Indonesia’s exports hit a 10-year high of US$21.42 billion in August 2021 due to an increase in export volumes and global commodity prices, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS).
"Exports in August were a new record for Indonesia. The country earlier recorded the highest export of US$18.60 billion in August 2011,” BPS chief Margo Yuwono said at an online press conference on Wednesday.
He attributed the higher exports in August 2021 to an increase in export volume and global prices of commodities, such as palm oil and coal.
"Both the volume and prices increased. The prices of palm oil and coal in the international market rose,” he said.
Indonesia’s exports in August 2021 reflected an increase of 20.95 percent compared to July 2021 and 64.10 percent compared to August 2020, he informed.
China was the largest market for Indonesia’s non-oil/non-gas exports in August 2021, with the value of exports reaching US$4.78 billion, followed by the United States (US$2.25 billion) and India (US$1.72 billion), Yuwono said.
Exports to the three countries accounted for 42.28 percent of Indonesia’s exports in the month, he added.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s exports to ASEAN and European Union (EU) member states reached US$3.37 billion and US$1.63 billion, respectively, he said.
Cumulatively, Indonesia’s exports in the January - August 2021 period touched US$142.01 billion, up 37.77 percent compared to the same period of last year. (Antaranews)
September
Indonesia Reveals Seven Priorities In G20 Presidency's Finance Track
Written by Nur Yasmin
Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati revealed the seven priority agendas for the finance track for Indonesia's G20 Presidency in 2022 when speaking at a virtual press conference from Jakarta on Tuesday.
The first one, she explained, is coordination on global policies to recover the economy, including on the exit policy, or the gradual and coordinated lessening of extraordinary and unsustainable macro policy interventions by G20 member countries.
She further said that the exit policy will assist economic growth in each country, as well as globally, and at the same time, ensure that it becomes more sustainable.
"This is not an easy endeavor as every country has different conditions," she said.
The second agenda is regarding the COVID-19 impact on health and economic sectors, which has led to supply disruption and corporations struggling with their balance, she informed
"Discussions on productivity and economic recovery, as well as how policies are designed will be the second agenda in the finance track," she said.
The third one is the central bank digital currency (CBDC), she said.
Within the agenda, there will be discussions on the formulation of CBDC development, covering five main sectors, which include implications towards central bank functions, implications on monetary policy transmission, implication towards the financial system's stability, design and technology needs, and cross-border aspects, she added.
Sustainable finance is fourth in the agendas and covers the roles of the financial sector in supporting important agendas at the global level, including climate change and green finance facility that is aimed to create green and sustainable economic transformation, she said.
"There will also be discussions on how digital infrastructure regulation can elevate leverage and mobilize private sector investment," she explained.
The fifth agenda is on cross border payment and will focus on taking advantage of the optimization of digitalization for boosting productivity, and at the same time, address risks and challenges that may emerge, she added.
This will also touch on the enhancement of payment systems, especially on cross-border payments to promote speedy, affordable, and transparent payments, she informed.
The sixth agenda is financial inclusion, which includes SMEs, focusing on the use of open banking to encourage productivity and support economic and financial inclusion, including on cross-border aspects, the minister said.
“This is a very important and relevant topic for Indonesia. This will be a priority in the G20 discussions," she stated.
The last agenda is the progress and implementation of the approval and development of global taxation principles, including the ones related to tax incentives, she said.
There is also digitizing taxation, tax avoidance practices, especially related to base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), tax transparency and tax certainty, she noted.
"Indeed, this is one of the important priorities for Indonesia, which is currently carrying out tax reform," she explained. (Antaranews)
September
490,217 Schools In Indonesia Conduct Limited Face-To-Face Learning
Written by Nur Yasmin
As many as 490,217 schools in Indonesia have started conducting limited face-to-face learning, an official from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) has said.
“A total of 490,217 schools in areas with level 1 to 3 PPKM are allowed (to conduct face-to-face learning). However, the speed of regions in conducting limited classroom learning varies greatly," director general of early childhood education, basic education, and secondary education at Kemendikbudristek, Jumeri, said in a statement released here on Tuesday.
Jumeri said that currently, Aceh province is in the top rank in the implementation of limited face-to-face learning, with 81 percent of schools conducting face-to-face learning. Nationally, Jumeri informed, 50 percent of the schools that have been allowed to do limited face-to-face learning have started conducting it.
“We have one voice to open schools immediately, to relax our children, to help our children. The matter of different opening times is only a matter of regional considerations," he said.
Head of the East Java Provincial Education Office, Wahid Wahyudi, lauded the steps taken by the Ministry of Education and Culture for making regulations regarding classroom learning to maintain the quality of learning during the pandemic.
He also invited all stakeholders to support limited face-to-face learning by continuing to implement strict health protocols.
“Education should not stop under any circumstances. Let us support this limited face-to-face learning together," Wahyudi remarked.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccinations at the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said that educators and education personnel would continue to get priority for vaccinations. The ministry has always reminded the health offices in all provinces, districts, cities to immediately coordinate with the education office to accelerate the vaccination of educators and education personnel, she added.
Tarmizi also assured that there is no requirement for students to get vaccinated first to be able to participate in the face-to-face learning. (Antaranews)
September
PeduliLindungi Adds Feature For People Vaccinated Abroad
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Indonesian Health Ministry has updated the PeduliLindungi application to allow foreign nationals (WNA) and Indonesian citizens (WNI) who received the COVID-19 vaccine abroad to get a vaccination certificate.
"We have prepared the website vaksinln.dto.kemkes.go.id for Indonesians and foreign nationals to register and they will be verified later," Head of the Digital Transformation Office of the Health Ministry Setiaji informed while making a press statement on the Ministry's YouTube channel, accessed from here on Tuesday.
He said the feature was added by the government in an effort to verify foreign travelers who have received the vaccine outside Indonesia.
People who register on the PeduliLindungi app will be required to fill out information about their identity, travel history, and the type of vaccine they have received on a form, he said.
The Health Ministry will check the submitted form. Indonesian citizens will be verified by the ministry, an foreign nationals by their respective embassies, Setiaji said.
"Next, they will get a confirmation through their registered email. This process will take a period of three days," he added.
Notification via users' email will be a requirement to access the PeduliLindungi application to obtain vaccination certificates, he informed.
"The vaccination certificate can be used to access a number of public spaces in Indonesia, such as shopping centers, public transportation, entertainment venues, and so on," he said.
"With this feature and by using a simple model, it is expected that the rights of Indonesian citizens and foreign nationals can be fulfilled. The (ministry) hopes the feature can facilitate and smoothen the accommodation of public facilities," he added.
As of Monday, 42,104,839 Indonesians have received their second COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to the Health Ministry.
According to Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, Indonesia has sufficient COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate 77 percent of the country's total population and build herd immunity.
Apart from CoronaVac, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Moderna, and Comirnaty (Pfizer), Johnson & Johnson's vaccine was recently approved for emergency use in Indonesia by the BPOM (National Agency of Drug and Food Control). (Antaranews)
September
Tax reform to help Indonesia escape middle-income trap: minister
Written by Nur Yasmin
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said that tax reform is part of efforts to help Indonesia escape the middle-income trap.
“To avoid the middle-income trap, we must conduct fiscal consolidation, particularly as a result of the pandemic, to create a sound state budget and (for) that we need tax reform,” the minister explained during a working meeting with Commission XI of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Monday.
Tax reform will be able to revive the state budget, which has currently come under pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indrawati said. Through the tax reform, the tax foundation will become fairer, healthier, more effective, and accountable, she added.
Tax receipts, which rose 47.4 percent in 1992 compared to 22.81 percent in 1983 and further climbed to 65.1 percent in 2020, are the main source of state revenue, she noted.
A fair taxation system is one where all business sectors share a balanced burden, she said adding, till now tax receipts have hinged on only one or two sectors.
Other sectors, such as the service sector, which have continued to grow have not contributed a lot to tax receipts, though they have also received state facilities, she noted.
This justice also applies to all income groups, with low income groups receiving assistance and remaining exempt from tax obligation and high income groups paying higher taxes, she said.
“This is what we need to say that the public will eventually receive financial benefit from the state in accordance with their situation,” Indrawati said.
Under a sound taxation system, taxes may serve as an optimum source of state revenue, she added. Such a system can adapt to any change and is designed in accordance with international best practices, she further said.
Meanwhile, an effective tax system provides optimum services, while at the same time, curbs taxpayer expenses, the minister explained.
According to Indrawati, the number of registered taxpayers in Indonesia have swelled 20-fold in the past 20 years to reach 50 million in 2021 from 2.59 million in 2002.
The ratio of individual taxpayers to employed people has also climbed to 34.66 percent in 2021 from 1.8 percent in 2002, she noted. This means that individual taxpayers have contributed significantly to tax receipts and are equal to those in OECD countries, she added. (Antaranews)
September
Papua, West Papua among 8 provinces with highest budgets: govt
Written by Nur Yasmin
The value of special autonomy funds for Papua and West Papua has been increased to about 2.25 percent of general allocation funds, placing them among eight provinces with the highest budgets, the Home Minister has said.
"Papua and West Papua's regional budgets are top eight among provinces in Indonesia though their total population is less than five million," Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian observed while visiting Sota sub-district in Papua's Merauke district, which is located near the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea land border, on Sunday.
He was accompanied by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD.
According to Karnavian, compared to the regional budget of South Sumatra province, which has a population of more than 12 million, for instance, Papua and West Papua's regional budgets are higher.
However, as Papua is larger than Java Island in terms of size, there is a "specialty" pertaining to the need for accelerating regional development there, he explained.
To this end, the government is deliberating on the public's aspirations in Papua about the need for creating three more provinces, including South Papua, through a regional division mechanism, the minister said.
He noted earlier that the Home Ministry is currently deliberating and preparing a government regulation in this regard.
Coordinating Minister Mahfud MD has given his ministry a deadline to complete the government regulation on the regional division by October 19, 2021, Karnavian said. It still needs to be merged with the aspirations of those at the grassroots level, he added.
Karnavian then urged community leaders and all societal elements at large in the districts of Merauke, Boven Digoel, Mappi, and Asmat to stand united to express their aspirations for the creation of South Papua province.
He also asked them to write to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, adding that Merauke district has vast potential in agriculture and fisheries.
Owing to its huge potential and sufficient availability of human resources, he said he is confident that South Papua would rise to become the most developed province in the land of Papua. (Antaranews)
September
Over 42.10 million Indonesians fully vaccinated against COVID-19
Written by Nur Yasmin
As many as 42,104,839 Indonesians have received their second COVID-19 vaccine dose as of Monday, according to the Health Ministry.
The number of fully vaccinated Indonesians rose by 370,105 on Monday compared to the day before, the ministry said in a press statement released on Monday.
Meanwhile, the number of Indonesians receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine jab increased by 544,363 to reach 73,310,563.
The ministry also said the number of people receiving their third or booster shots reached 784,374, an increase of 5,544 compared to the previous day.
Overall, Indonesia is seeking to vaccinate 208,265,720 citizens to build herd immunity against the coronavirus under the nationwide vaccination drive, which was rolled out on January 13, 2021.
Indonesia added 2,577 COVD-19 cases in the 24 hours ending Monday afternoon, while the number of recoveries increased by 12,474, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, 276 patients succumbed to the infection the same day.
The number of active cases or patients receiving treatment 0and conducting self-isolation fell by 10,173 to reach 99,696.
A total of 177,234 specimens were examined on Monday, with the positivity rate reaching 2.14 percent. (Antaranews)
September
Over 2.5 million Jakarta residents have not been vaccinated
Written by Nur Yasmin
Some 2.5 million Jakarta residents have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said.
"As of September 11, 10.3 million Jakarta residents have been vaccinated, while 2.5 million others have not," Anies said at Al-Wiqoyah Mosque in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, on Sunday.
Most of them have not been vaccinated because they are not willing to get vaccinated for various reasons, he said.
In addition, many of the unvaccinated residents are still registered as Jakarta residents, while in fact. they have changed their domicile, he said.
He said efforts will be made to persuade the unvaccinated residents to receive vaccination in order to complete the vaccination program in Jakarta soon.
“So, if 100 thousand (residents) in Jagakarsa (have not been vaccinated) Insya Allah (God willing) they will be vaccinated soon. After that, we will vaccinate unvaccinated residents in other areas so the number of unvaccinated residents will come close to zero,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) Branch in Jagakarsa Sub-district Sulaiman Rohimin said his side has set up a vaccination center to help the provincial government accomplish the vaccination drive.
He said almost 1,300 people come to the vaccination center to get vaccinated everyday, surpassing the daily target of 1,000 people. (Antaranews)
September
Minister highlights challenges in educating children with disabilities
Written by Nur Yasmin
Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Bintang Puspayoga highlighted the challenges in implementing education for children with special needs or with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, I have witnessed how difficult it is for children to get optimal education, especially for children with disabilities," she said in a press release here on Sunday.
"They are special children who need special assistance as it is difficult for them to participate in online learning, especially for those who do not have adequate facilities," Puspayoga noted.
This condition, she said, requires parents and teachers to be more creative in educating children, especially children with disabilities.
She said that parents and teachers need to identify every uniqueness possessed by children with disabilities and develop it as well as possible.
Meanwhile, Yaswardi, Director of Teachers and Education Personnel for Secondary Education and Special Education of the Education Ministry, highlighted the importance of sincerity and compassion in assisting students with disabilities.
"Children with special needs really need love and cooperative learning patterns. They must be accompanied with empathy and compassion, both by their peers, parents, teachers, and other people," he said.
"Collaboration among these parties needs to be done to provide quality learning for children with special needs,” he added.
Yaswardi also said that the education for children with special needs must be adapted to the child's condition and technological developments. (Antaranews)
September
Vaccination in industrial sector reduces COVID-19 risk by 80 percent
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Industry Ministry has said vaccination of a large number of workers in companies reduced the risk of transmitting COVID-19 by 80 percent.
"Company workers who have not been vaccinated have a risk of contracting up to 35 percent. Meanwhile, if they are vaccinated, the risk of contracting infection can be reduced to around 7 percent," said Acting Director General of Agro Industry Putu Juli Ardika in a written statement here on Sunday.
Ardika said that the industrial sector played a strategic role in accelerating national economic recovery program and handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two programs, however, must be supported by the implementation of strict health protocols in the industrial sector.
"Regarding the issuance of the Circular of the Industry Minister 5/2021, we also appreciate PG Trangkil for submitting IOMKI (Operational Permits and Mobility of Industrial Activities) reports on a regular basis in accordance with applicable regulations," he said during a working visit to Pati, Central Java.
The circular contains changes to the Circular Letter of the Industry Minister 3/2021 concerning IOMKI during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Period.
The ministry also gave appreciation to the Djarum Foundation for organizing vaccination activities for workers and others.
The vaccination program carried out by Djarum Foundation targets 500 thousand people in Kudus District, Central Java, and is carried out in stages over 25 working days.
In the meantime, PG Trangkil in Pati also carried out vaccinations for more than 1,100 people comprising employees, partner farmers , and the community living around the company.
Ardika said industry players in the country have understood how to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We assess that the understanding (of how to deal with the impact of COVID-19) in the industrial sector has progressed tremendously. In fact, Indonesia is considered as one of the countries succeeding in economic recovery and the pandemic handling," he said.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the performance of the non-oil and gas processing industry in the second quarter of 2021 increased quite significantly by 6.91 percent, in line with the national economic growth of 7.07 percent.
The manufacturing sector also contributed 17.34 percent to the national gross domestic product (GDP), higher than other sectors.
Pati's Deputy District Head Saiful Arifin expressed his gratitude to the Industry Ministry and PT Kebon Agung for their initiation and facilitation so that the COVID-19 vaccination can be carried out.
The vaccination is considered very useful, especially in helping local governments to facilitate access to vaccination services for the community, he said. (Antaranews)