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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
Number of electric vehicle charging stations reaches 240
Written by Nur Yasmin
The number of charging stations for electric vehicles in Indonesia reached 240 units in the first half of this year, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has reported.
"In the first semester of 2021, the number of the charging infrastructure reached 240 units out of the target of 390 units installed across Indonesia until the end of 2021," secretary of the ministry's Directorate General of Electricity, Munir Ahmad, said in a statement issued here on Thursday.
He informed that the infrastructure had been installed at shopping centers, offices of the state-owned electricity services provider PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), gas stations, sports arenas, airports, toll roads, office buildings, official dealers, as well as taxi pools.
The 240 units consist of 166 electric vehicle general charging stations (SPKLU) and private installations of electric vehicle charging stations as well as 74 electric vehicle general battery-swap stations (SPBKLU), he said.
Furthermore, the government has supported the electric vehicle ecosystem by issuing the ministry’s Ministerial Regulation Number 13/2020 on the provision of electricity charging infrastructure for battery-based electric motor vehicles, he noted.
It regulates the responsibility of business entities, the licensing process, electrical scheme, electricity tariffs, incentives, as well as business safety, Ahmad said.
The government is providing a bulk tariff incentive of Rp714 per kWh to SPKLU business entities with a maximum sales rate of Rp2,467 per kWh, he disclosed.
In addition, the government has set relief for electric power connections and subscription guarantee costs, as well as a waiver on minimum account payment for the first two years for SPKLU business entities collaborating with PT PLN (Persero), he added.
Meanwhile, according to the ministry’s Ministerial Regulation Number 5/2021, the determination of the area for the SPKLU no longer requires recommendation from the regional government as it can be replaced with the ownership document of the area or cooperation agreement with the landowner, he noted.
However, SPKLU business entities are obliged to provide an integrated information and reporting system to the directorate general, he added.
Furthermore, the government is also providing incentives to owners of electric vehicles, Ahmad said.
They will get a special installation fee for adding power up to 11 thousand VA at a cost of Rp150 thousand for one phase, while adding power up to 16,500 VA will cost Rp450 thousand for three phases, he added.
Moreover, the government is also providing incentives for home-charging electricity tariffs such as a 30-percent discount for seven hours from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m to owners of electric vehicles whose home charging is connected to the PLN system.
The number of electric motor vehicles in Indonesia has so far reached 1,478 four-wheeled, 188 three-wheeled, and 7,526 two-wheeled vehicles. (Antaranews)
September
Women entrepreneurs must become technologically literate: ministry
Written by Nur Yasmin
Women entrepreneurs need to become technologically literate to compete amid the pandemic, assistant deputy for gender equality policy formulation at the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), Muhammad Ihsan, has said.
"They need to adapt by using information technology so that they can increase their capacity and are ready to compete, even in this pandemic situation," he explained at a webinar entitled 'The Role of Women in the Pandemic Period', which was accessed from here on Thursday.
According to Ihsan, the COVID-19 pandemic has widened the gender equality gap.
The pandemic, which has lasted for around 1.5 years, has had a negative impact on women: for example, it has increased the domestic burden on women, led to a rise in the number of domestic violence cases, layoffs, and divorce rates, and a decrease in family incomes, especially for women entrepreneurs, he noted.
"This more or less interferes with the development of gender equality and women's empowerment," he said.
The PPPA Ministry has made efforts to overcome this by assisting women entrepreneurs, especially women from vulnerable groups, through online training on entrepreneurship, Ihsan said.
Women from vulnerable groups include family heads, survivors of disasters, and survivors of violence, he added.
"Dissemination and assistance to women entrepreneurs, especially women from vulnerable groups, is being done by providing online training assistance on entrepreneurship," he said.
The ministry's efforts are aimed at emphasizing the importance of the role of women during the pandemic, especially in rebuilding the society, he added.
To provide the training, the PPPA Ministry is collaborating with the Indonesian Women Entrepreneurs Association (IWAPI) community group and marketplace, he said. (Antaranews)
September
Govt bolstering workers' social security through policies: VP
Written by Nur Yasmin
Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has said the government is providing social security support to protect workers by issuing a number of policies and regulations.
The first is Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 02 of 2021 on Optimizing the Implementation of the Workers Social Security Program, he noted while symbolically presenting the 2020 Workers Social Security Award, or Paritrana Award, via videoconferencing on Thursday.
"This regulation instructs 24 ministries and non-ministerial government agencies, governors, district heads, and mayors, according to their respective duties, functions, and authorities," he said from his official residence in Jakarta.
The Presidential Instruction also directs regional heads to optimize the implementation of the social security program to members of the community working in the private sector, he added.
In particular, the instruction directs them to improve the protection of non-state apparatus workers by preparing budgets and regulations that support the execution of the program, Amin noted.
Furthermore, the government, through the Ministry of Home Affairs, has also issued Ministerial Regulation (Permendagri) No. 27 of 2021 on Guidelines for the Drafting of the Regional Budget (APBD) in 2022.
"One of the contents in the regulation is to organize the budgeting of social security for the protection of non-state apparatus workers, election organizers, vulnerable workers, and workers in region-owned enterprises throughout Indonesia," Amin expounded.
With the issuance of the Inpres and Permendagri, it is hoped that all regional heads will play an important role in encouraging the protection of all workers in ministries, institutions, and local governments, he said.
"I hope that with the presence of these regulations and policies, we have a foundation to be more prime in motivating comprehensive protection for workers," he remarked.
Meanwhile, Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah said several social assistance programs have been offered by the government to meet workers' basic needs and maintain national economic sustainability.
"One of them is the wage subsidy program, which had been distributed in 2020 and then continued in 2021 using the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS-TK) database," Fauziyah informed. (Antaranews)
September
Indonesian, Australian foreign, defense ministers to meet on Thursday
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesia will host the seventh Indonesia-Australia Foreign and Defense Ministers 2+2 dialog in Jakarta on Thursday to discuss a plethora of strategic issues at the bilateral, regional, and global levels.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton are scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on Wednesday for a three-day visit, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry noted in a written statement released on Wednesday.
The meeting will serve as a means to promote cooperation between the two neighboring countries to contribute to regional stability, peace, and prosperity, according to the statement.
The two countries last held the annual meeting on the sidelines of the 12th Bali Democracy Forum in Denspasar, Bali, on December 2019.
At the Bali meeting, the two countries reiterated their commitment to combating terrorism in the region and intensifying cooperation between the National Defense Forces of the two countries in peace-keeping missions.
Both nations also agreed to intensify cooperation in cyber security, exchange expertise, and experiences in the fields of relief aid and disaster response.
Before attending the 2+2 dialog, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto will hold talks with his Australian counterpart, Peter Dutton, while Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi will hold a one-on-one meeting with her Australian counterpart, Marise Payne. (Antaranews)
September
500 thousand AstraZeneca vaccines from Australia arrive in Indonesia
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesia has received 500 thousand doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the Australian government under a bilateral vaccine-sharing mechanism as part of the 51st batch of vaccine shipments.
"The first batch (of vaccines) from Australia arrived last September 2 (2021), with a total of 500 thousand doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine," Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi informed in a written statement here on Wednesday.
The second batch arrived one day before the 2+2 (Foreign Affairs Minister-Defense Minister) Meeting between the two countries, she added.
"The two countries continue to strive to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including in challenging situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic," Minister Marsudi said.
The arrival of the vaccines is part of Australia's plan to provide 2.5 million doses of vaccine for the Indonesian people in 2021, she informed.
The Australian government has also committed to providing support for vaccine procurement to Indonesia to the tune of 77.1 million Australian dollars (Rp810 billion), which will be channeled through UNICEF.
"On behalf of the Indonesian government, I would like to thank the Australian government and the people of Australia for their cooperation in handling COVID-19. Thank you, Australia!" Marsudi said.
With the arrival of the AstraZeneca vaccines, Indonesia has received as many as 225.9 million doses of vaccines from various brands, both in bulk or ready-made form, she added.
The vaccines comprise 33 million doses of ready-made Sinovac vaccines, 153.9 million doses of Sinovac vaccines in bulk, 20 million doses of AstraZeneca, 8 million doses of Moderna, 2.75 million doses of Pfizer, and 8.25 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine.
To slow the spread of COVID-19, the Indonesian government launched a nationwide vaccination program on 13 January, 2021, with President Joko Widodo becoming the first vaccine recipient in the country. (Antaranews)
September
Indonesia targets 2.5 million COVID-19 vaccinations per day
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Indonesian government is targeting to increase the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations to 2.5 million per day in September this year, an official has said.
"Our target is to pursue 2-2.5 million vaccinations per day with targets in Java-Bali regions of 1.5 million each day -- optimizing the vaccination programs in seven agglomeration areas -- and one million per day for regions outside Java-Bali," Health Ministry’s spokesperson for the COVID-19 Vaccination Program, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said at a webinar entitled ‘COVID-19 Vaccination Now and Later’, accessed from here on Wednesday.
The challenge for the current COVID-19 vaccination program is the large demand, while the availability of the vaccines depends on their delivery from abroad and the process of producing the vaccine from semi-finished into finished form, she pointed out.
Hence, the rate of vaccinations can be increased by increasing the number of vaccines distributed, Tarmizi said.
So far, Indonesia has received 225 million vaccine doses, she noted.
According to the ministry’s Electronic Logistics and Immunization Monitoring System (SMILE), 106 million doses have been used out of the 155 million doses disbursed as of Tuesday. Thus, vaccine utilization has reached 69 percent per day, Tarmizi said.
Furthermore, COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer have also been given to the general public and pregnant women for the first and second doses, and as boosters to health workers, she added.
In addition, Pfizer vaccines will be distributed to other provinces since the vaccination coverage in Jakarta has been quite extensive, the spokesperson said.
However, distributing the vaccines to all 34 provinces across Indonesia will be quite a challenge as the vaccines need to be stored at a temperature of -70 degrees Celsius, she pointed out.
Thus, they cannot be given to remote areas of Indonesia, she said.
"Hence, the vaccines are only disbursed to the vaccination sites around the vaccine warehouse in frozen form and must be diluted, thus they require a special refrigerator. They only last 30 days – it is the challenge of using Pfizer's vaccine," Tarmizi added.
Furthermore, she informed that cases of the Delta variant have continued to dominate the confirmed case tally in the last 60 days.
"It becomes our vigilance. West Sulawesi has become the only region that has not reported any finding of Delta variant," she added. (Antaranews)
September
President aims to realize vaccination goal by year end
Written by Nur Yasmin
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said he expects to see 70 percent of the population in each province vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of 2021 to meet the goal of achieving herd immunity.
In a written statement received from the Press Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat here on Tuesday, the President expressed the hope that the target would be achieved by each province, including West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), which is scheduled to host the International World Superbike event in November this year.
"We want (the population in) each province to be vaccinated at least 70 percent by the end of this year. We hope that before the event opens, especially those around the venue, can all be inoculated," Widodo remarked during a vaccination event held by K.H Syamsuddin Islamic boarding school, Ponorogo district, East Java.
In a dialogue with regional representatives, he also requested that vaccinations continue to be accelerated so that COVID-19 transmission in Indonesia can be checked immediately.
Meanwhile, representatives from West Nusa Tenggara affirmed that they are ready to speed up daily vaccinations to 15 thousand to support the International World Superbike event.
"We are ready and committed. The National Defense Forces, National Police, government, vaccinators, and our 500 health facilities will (support the vaccination acceleration)," a representative from West Nusa Tenggara said.
Meanwhile, representatives from Palangkaraya city said that the vaccination program in Central Kalimantan is being bolstered by dividing the province into three vaccination zones.
"There is an eastern zone in Das Barito, a central zone in Palangkaraya and surrounding areas, then a western zone in Kotawaringin," a representative from Palangkaraya city said.
The representative also informed that vaccination coverage in Central Kalimantan has continued to increase. According to him, the target achievement has been the result of synergy and collaboration between the National Defense Forces, National Police, and vaccinators.
"There are those who came from the province, the National Defense Forces, House of Representatives, Regional State Intelligence Agency, and port health office. The mass vaccinations will benefit from their support," the representative added. (Antaranews)
September
East Aceh now national center for vannamei shrimp farming
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has declared East Aceh district as a center for vannamei shrimp farming and set a production target of two million tons per year for the district.
"We expect the shrimp production here to reach as much as two million tons per year, so the region manages to become a center for shrimp production in Aceh and Indonesia," the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said in East Aceh district on Tuesday.
He visited the district to review a sustainable vannamei shrimp farming cluster in Matang Rayeuk village, Peudawa sub-district.
The region already has the potential to develop shrimp farming, given its large cultivation area and adequate infrastructure, the minister noted.
"Moreover, the characteristics of the sea in East Aceh district cannot be found on Java Island as the sea water in the district is still clean. Thus, the potential will be maximized for shrimp cultivation," he said.
Hence, with the existing potential, the ministry will build 500 to 1,000 hectares of ponds for the cultivation activity, he informed.
Currently, the ministry is building eight plots of shrimp farming ponds, spanning three thousand square meters each, Trenggono said. The construction of the ponds is planned to be completed in November 2021, he added.
"The establishment of the ponds will increase the cultivation productivity, which so far has reached an average of 600 kilograms, to two tons per hectare in every harvest," Trenggono said.
In addition to building a pond cluster, the ministry also plans to build a modern shrimp farming area in the district, he disclosed.
"We are working with the regional government to provide the area by involving the local community as the owners and managers of the ponds. The program is expected to be started next year," he added. (Antaranews)
September
Industry Ministry lauds health devices exports to Thailand, Ireland
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Industry Ministry has lauded PT Taishan Alkes Indonesia for exporting medical devices to Thailand and Ireland, saying this demonstrates the competitiveness of the Indonesian medical industry in the international market.
"The medical device industry is one of the government’s priority sectors, especially in preventing the transmission of COVID-19 and increasing the use of domestic medical device products," Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said.
The company’s products were competitive in terms of quality, cost, and delivery, he noted while flagging off export consignments of PT Taishan Alkes Indonesia's antigen rapid test cassette COVID-19 products to Thailand and Ireland here on Tuesday.
“The prices of PT Taishan’s products are very competitive for the domestic market compared to imported ones. It creates its own added value for consumers," he added in a written statement.
Furthermore, he emphasized that the ministry will always support attempts to increase industrial competitiveness and advance domestic industries.
"We are optimistic that our human resources will manage to realize the attempts," he said.
In addition, the minister said that PT Taishan Alkes Indonesia has invested in the medical devices sector to manufacture 1.2 million pieces of antigen rapid test cassettes per day and absorb a workforce of up to one thousand people.
“Considering its investment and employment aspects, this industrial sector provides a broad multiplier effect for the national economy. Thus, we will continue to encourage this company to expand its business to promote import substitution," he added.
For its rapid test antigen swab, PT Taishan Alkes Indonesia has obtained a distribution permit for domestic medical devices from the Health Ministry, he noted.
"Moreover, the product has been certified by CE marking – which means the product is in conformity with European standards -- which will support export activities to the European market," he said.
In addition, the product already has a local content requirement (TKDN) of 48.6 percent and is included in the category of mandatory goods used in the procurement of medical devices at government-owned health service facilities, he added.
“With the achievement of the TKDN value, it is expected that the stock of finished goods that have been manufactured by PT Taishan Alkes Indonesia as many as five million pieces can be absorbed, especially in government procurement, thereby contributing to increasing the use of domestic medical device products and supporting the government's program to increase the import substitution by 35 percent in 2022," Kartasasmita informed.
Furthermore, he also added that the ministry was determined to realize Indonesia's independence in the health sector, both in medical devices and medicines.
Hence, the government has restricted imported products from appearing in the e-catalogue of the Government Goods/Services Procurement Policy Agency (LKPP), he added.
Around 79 out of a total of 358 types of domestically manufactured medical devices have been able to replace imported products in the LKPP e-catalog, he disclosed.
"Most of the domestic products already have a TKDN value above 40 percent, which means that they have to be purchased, while the imported products are taken down from the e-catalog display," the Industry Minister remarked.
Meanwhile, president director of PT Taishan Alkes Indonesia, Eko Sihombing, said the company was determined to provide quality and competitive products, according to the existing standards, to support the government’s programs in fulfilling the demand of the people amid the pandemic as an attempt to prevent and handle the transmission of COVID-19. (Antaranews)
September
23 districts, cities outside Java-Bali extend Level 4 PPKM: govt
Written by Nur Yasmin
Twenty-three districts/cities outside the Java-Bali regions will continue to enforce Level 4 community activity restrictions (PPKM) from September 7-20, 2021, Economic Affairs Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto announced on Monday.
"Outside the Java-Bali regions, the extension of the enforcement of the PPKM will also still be carried out. The Level 4 PPKM will continue to be enforced in 23 districts/cities, while previously it was implemented in 34 districts/cities," he said at an online press conference on the 'Evaluation and Implementation of PPKM' here.
The 23 districts/cities comprise Aceh Besar, Aceh Tamiang, Banda Aceh, Balikpapan, Bangka, Banjarbaru, Banjarmasin, Bolaang, Jambi, Kotabaru, Kupang, Kutai Kartanegara, Mahakam Ulu, Makassar, Mandailing Natal, Manokwari, Medan, Palangkaraya, Padang, Palu, Poso, Sibolga, and Tarakan, he informed.
Meanwhile, Level 3 PPKM will be implemented in 314 districts/cities, an increase from 303 districts/cities previously, he said adding, Level 2 PPKM will be applied to 49 districts/cities — the same number as before.
According to Hartarto, the number of active cases outside Java-Bali regions have declined and have contributed 60 percent to the overall COVID-19 case count.
"In Sumatra regions, the contribution to the number of national cases is 14.63 percent, the recovery rate is 88.87 percent, the fatality rate is 3.39, while the development of active cases between August 9 and September 4 (2021) has decreased to 50.69 percent," he informed.
Whilst, Nusa Tenggara regions have contributed 2.1 percent to national cases, with a recovery rate of 93.83 percent, a mortality rate of 2.27 percent, and active case development of 2.18 percent — reflecting a 73.76-percent decline, he said.
Kalimantan regions have accounted for 8.08 percent of COVID-19 national cases, with a recovery rate of 91.79 percent, a fatality rate of 3.11 percent, and a decrease in active cases of 64.45 percent, he said.
"Meanwhile, the contribution of Sulawesi regions to the national cases is 5.46 percent while having a recovery rate of 91.78 percent, fatality rate of 2.55 percent, and decline in active cases of 62.39 percent," Hartanto stated.
As for Maluku and Papua regions, the number of cases is 1.97 percent, with a recovery rate of 82.04 percent -- which is below the national level, the minister disclosed.
However, the mortality rate is slightly better than the national average at 1.55 percent, while the contribution to national active cases is 8.6 percent —reflecting a 28.77-percent decline, he added. (Antaranews)