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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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January
Indonesia hopes for conducive condition for Rohingya repatriation
Written by Nur YasminIndonesia hopes that Myanmar can immediately create a conducive situation in Rakhine State to support the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Rohingyas from refugee camps in Bangladesh, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said.
"So that voluntary, safe, and dignified repatriation can be carried out immediately," Marsudi said at a media briefing after a virtual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers (AMM Retreat) on Thursday.
At the meeting, Indonesia also requested that the work preparation for a comprehensive needs assessment (CNA), which is a further step from the preliminary needs assessment (PNA), be started to prepare for repatriation.
Based on a report by the Secretary General of ASEAN, the implementation of the CNA is ongoing with two of the four priority projects having entered the implementation stage, while the other two projects are still under discussion.
Additional project proposals covering various fields, including road infrastructure, health, education and livestock, are also being followed up on by a support team from the ASEAN Secretariat and the Myanmar government.
Apart from preparing livelihood opportunities for the Rohingya once they return to Myanmar, the aim of the CNA is to assess the readiness of reception and transit centers, including potential relocation sites that have been identified by the local government.
"Indonesia emphasizes the importance of working harder so that implementation (PNA) can be more intensified," Marsudi said.
In a press statement released after the meeting by Brunei Darussalam, which is acting as chair of ASEAN this year, the ASEAN foreign ministers have reaffirmed their support for Myanmar's efforts to create peace and stability, promote harmony and reconciliation among various communities, and promote inclusive and sustainable development in Rakhine State.
"We also reaffirm ASEAN's readiness to play a more visible and enhanced role to support Myanmar in these efforts and, therefore, reiterate our appreciation to the Secretary General of ASEAN for his efforts in leading the implementation of recommendations from the PNA," according to the foreign ministers' statement on the AMM Retreat.
More than 730,000 ethnic Rohingya people fled Myanmar in 2017 due to military persecution in Rakhine, the state where they lived.
According to the United Nations (UN), the military operation was motivated by the intent of genocide, or mass killing.
Myanmar denied the accusation and said that its forces only targeted Rohingya extremist groups that attacked police headquarters.
Amid tough repatriation arrangements between Myanmar and Bangladesh, thousands of Rohingyas face the threat of being relocated to the remote and flood-prone island of Bhasan Char, Bay of Bengal.
Muslim Rohingya refugees have refused to return to Rakhine for fear of persecution and also since their citizenship status is not recognized under Myanmar law.
Some of them have become victims of human-trafficking while trying to seek a better living in neighboring countries, including Indonesia, by entering them illegally via the sea route. (antaranews)
January
Sriwijaya search operation officially ends, declares minister
Written by Nur YasminMinister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, on Thursday said the search and rescue (SAR) operation for the victims and the wreckage of the Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182 has been officially terminated.
"Today is the last day of the extension (operation) of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). With various considerations, we close the SAR operation today," the minister said at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday.
Basarnas conducted the operation for seven days and extended it twice by three days each. A total of 324 body bags were found during the operation.
"We express our gratitude to the DVI team at the Police Hospital for identifying 43 victims and God willing, I hear that today at 5 p.m. WIB, there will be more identified, and of the 43 victims, 32 (bodies) have been handed over to families," Sumadi informed.
PT Jasa Raharja has provided compensation to 39 families and Sriwijaya has compensated one family so far, he added.
"I also heard that there are already additional heirs, at least five people who will be delivered (compensation) soon," he said.
The Minister of Transportation also expressed his gratitude for the hard work of the joint search and rescue team, which comprised personnel from the Ministry of Transportation, Basarnas, the military, the police, the National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC), and volunteers.
Even though the search was stopped, Sumadi said he will ensure search efforts continue, such as diverting operations to the NTSC.
The NTSC has reached an agreement with the military and the police to carry out further operations on Lancang Island, Seribu Islands, Jakarta.
"Of course, what is being done includes efforts to find a CVR, where the President also hopes that a CVR can be found. So that the analysis carried out by the NTSC will be complete," he said.
The Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182, bearing the registration number PK-CLC, lost contact on Saturday (January 9, 2020) at 2:40 p.m. Western Indonesia time (WIB) shortly after take-off and crashed between Lancang Island and Laki Island, Seribu Islands, Jakarta. The flight was traveling on the Jakarta-Pontianak route.
The Boeing 737-500 aircraft lost contact at a position 11 nautical miles north of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang after crossing an altitude of 11 thousand feet and while climbing to an altitude of 13 thousand feet.
The plane took off from Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 2.36 p.m. Western Indonesia time (WIB) on Saturday. Its schedule was delayed from the previous flight schedule of 1.35 p.m. WIB due to weather conditions.
Based on the manifest, the aircraft, which was produced in 1994, was carrying 62 persons: 50 passengers and 12 crew members. The passengers comprised 40 adults, seven children, and three babies. (antaranews)
January
1,040 quakes in West Papua's Sorong district in 2020: BMKG
Written by Nur YasminThe Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Sorong office, recorded 1,040 earthquakes in various parts of West Papua province in 2020, with 27 quakes jolting the province in the month of September alone.
The average magnitudes of the earthquakes that intensively rattled West Papua in September, 2020 was recorded at three and four, the agency's head, Rully Hermawan, said here on Wednesday.
Sorong district is vulnerable to earthquakes as it lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire. Its vulnerability is also a result of the "Sorong fault”, which runs through the fault zone in Sulawesi Island, which triggered the Palu and Majene earthquakes.
Sorong district has repeatedly been rocked by strong earthquakes over the past decades. In 2009, for instance, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake jolted Manokwari district and triggered a tsunami in Ransiki town.
On September 26, 2015, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake jolted Sorong district's Tanjung Kasuari, Hermawan said.
"This reality needs to be responded to cautiously. We must stay alert, but we do not need to get panicked," he remarked.
Earthquakes regularly strike various parts of Indonesia since the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activity.
This year, two strong earthquakes rattled several parts of Sulawesi Island in eastern Indonesia.
On January 15, 2021, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake, followed by several aftershocks, rattled the districts of Majene and Mamuju in West Sulawesi, claiming 81 lives.
Meanwhile, the deadliest earthquake was reported in Central Sulawesi on September 28, 2018. The magnitude of the earthquake was recorded at 7.4, and it was followed by a tsunami that ravaged Palu City and the districts of Donggala, Paringi Moutong, and Sigi.
The catastrophe claimed 2,102 lives, left 4,612 people injured, and rendered 680 others missing. A total of 68,451 homes were seriously damaged, while 78,994 people were displaced by the disaster.
The authorities and humanitarian workers had to resort to burying the large number of rotting corpses in mass graves.
Meanwhile, material losses inflicted by the twin deadly disasters were estimated to be Rp15.29 trillion.
The provincial capital of Palu bore the brunt of the disaster, with material damage and losses recorded at Rp7.6 trillion, or 50 percent of the total estimate, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
The material damage and losses in Sigi district were recorded at Rp4.9 trillion, or 32.1 percent of the total estimate; Donggala district Rp2.1 trillion, or 13.8 percent; and Parigi Moutong district Rp631 billion, or 4.1 percent.
The material damage in the four affected areas reached an estimated Rp13.27 trillion, while the material losses were reportedly around Rp2.02 trillion, the agency revealed in October, 2018. (Antaranews)
January
Police chief candidate must prioritize war on drugs: MP
Written by Nur YasminNational Police chief candidate Com.Gen.Listyo Sigit Prabowo must continue Indonesia's war on drugs by intensifying law enforcement against domestic and trans-national rings, which remain a threat to the entire nation, a legislator said.
"I have appealed to him to keep focusing on handling the drug crimes," said Andi Rio Idris Padjalangi, a member of Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR), which oversees legal affairs, here on Wednesday.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the national police chief candidate's fit-and-proper test at the parliament building, Padjalangi said the Indonesian police's performance in the war on drugs has been remarkable.
The police have successfully uncovered several big drug-trafficking cases and seized large quantities of illegal drugs from suspects, he noted.
However, the remarkable performance under Listyo Sigit Prabowo's leadership as the chief of National Police's Criminal Investigation Directorate in fighting drug lords and offenders can still be improved, he added.
To this end, the National Police needs to maintain good synergy with the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and other related agencies as well as continue improving infrastructure and equipment needed for the fight against drug crimes, Padjalangi said.
The Golkar Party politician also suggested that Prabowo keep improving the quality of human resources amid the fact that domestic and trans-national drug lords have intensified the use of digital technology for their crimes.
President Joko Widodo has nominated Com.Gen. Listyo Sigit Purnomo as the successor to National Police chief, General Idham Azis, who will retire on February 1, 2021.
Domestic and trans-national drug dealers perceive Indonesia as a potential market owing to its vast population and millions of drug users. Drug trade in the nation is valued at nearly Rp66 trillion.
People from all strata of society are falling prey to drugs in the country, regardless of their socio-economic and professional backgrounds.
The Indonesian government has taken harsh punitive action against drug kingpins found smuggling and trading drugs in the country over the past few decades.
BNN chief Com.Gen.Heru Winarko has sought capital punishment for those involved in drug trade in the country.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has also issued shoot-at-sight orders against drug kingpins.
However, this has failed to deter drug traffickers, who continue to treat Indonesia as a main market, prompting Indonesian law enforcers to tighten vigilance against them. (Antaranews)
January
Indonesia highlights protection of citizens' personal data
Written by Nur YasminThe Ministry of Communication and Informatics has highlighted the issue of personal data protection for Indonesian citizens during the First ASEAN Digital Senior Officials Meeting (ADGSOM) held virtually.
"Indonesia has intensively participated in discussions and working groups on digital data governance during 2020. We are aware that a data management framework is very important to effectively protect the data of Indonesian citizens (WNI) if the data flows across regional boundaries," Mira Tayyiba, the ministry's secretary general, noted in a press statement here on Wednesday. At the virtual meeting, discussions centered on efforts to create an inclusive, safe, and reliable digital ecosystem for the grouping amid the COVID-19 pandemic by adopting the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 (ADM 2025).
At the meeting, Tayyiba remarked that on the basis of various inputs, she could not as yet adopt the ASEAN Digital Master Plan in order to protect the personal data of Indonesian citizens.
At the meeting, Indonesia encouraged collaboration to bolster data management among ASEAN member countries. Expediting digital transformation is one of the key tasks of the forum.
Indonesia also voiced support for the adoption of the master plan at the next meeting.
"Hence, Indonesia expresses its support for the guidelines for adoption approval during implementation of the ADGMIN (ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting) later," she remarked.
Senior officials from 10 member countries of ASEAN as well as representatives of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Japan, the United States, India, South Korea, and the European Union participated in the meeting. (Antaranews)
January
Indonesia has recorded a total of 154 natural disasters in the first three weeks of 2021, as per data from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
“(The disasters) were mostly floods, storms, and landslides,” spokesperson for BNPB’s COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, said at an online press conference originating from the BNPB building in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The disasters claimed 140 lives and left 776 people injured, he informed.
“The current high rainfall coupled with extreme weather has caused floods in several areas, including Malang and Puncak, Bogor,” he said.
The occurrence of the disasters suggests that Indonesia is geographically and geologically vulnerable to natural disasters, he added.
"It is the obligation of the Indonesian people, particularly those living in disaster-prone areas, to mitigate the impact of natural disasters and stay alert for disasters, in accordance with the Home Affairs Ministry's circular. Regional governments are also expected to be able to increase vigilance and use all energy to prevent disasters," Adisasmito said.
Since early this year, President Joko Widodo has visited the disaster-affected districts of Mamuju in West Sulawesi province, which bore the brunt of a 6.2-magnitude earthquake, and Banjar in South Kalimantan, which was severely hit by floods.
The floods hit the districts of Bangka Belitung; Bener Meriah, Aceh Timur, Jember, Jombang, Sampang, Sidoarjo, Indramayu, Polewali Mandar, Tasikmalaya, Nunukan, Halmahera Utara, Maluku Utara, Kolaka Utara, Solok Selatan, and Bintan.
While whirlwinds hit the districts of Cirebon, Natuna, landslides were reported in Batam, Cianjur, Sumedang, Manado, and Lues. (antaranews)
January
Maintaining fiscal reform, vaccine key to growth: Hartarto
Written by Nur YasminCoordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, has outlined three key steps to accelerate Indonesia’s economic growth and help put the economy back on the positive trajectory in 2021.
“The first key is maintaining household consumption to push the people's purchasing power since it contributes 57 percent to the national gross domestic product (GDP),” he said at a CEO Forum webinar in Jakarta on Tuesday.
To achieve this end, he underscored the importance of pushing middle and upper classes' confidence in the national economy so that they spend on domestic goods and services.
The purchasing power of lower and middle classes can be maintained by intensifying social assistance and social protection programs and empowering micro, small, and medium businesses through People's Business Credit (KUR), among others, he said.
The second key step is accelerating fiscal and structural reforms through job creation law, budget reforms, and creation of an investment management institute (LPI), he added.
The Investment Priority List (DPI), or positive list, is also expected to increase investment flows to the country, he said.
The third key step is related to vaccination, which will serve as a game-changer in restoring the national economy, the minister remarked.
The number of Indonesian citizens who need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity is 181.5 million, or 70 percent of the country's total population, and the vaccination program will target citizens aged above 18 years and people with controllable comorbidities, Hartarto said.
Nearly 1.2 million vaccine doses have been sent to each province in the country between January 3 and January 15, 2021. The provincial health offices will distribute the vaccines to each district for the vaccination program, he added.
"In the first stage of the vaccination period from January to April, 2021, the vaccination (program) will target 1.3 million medical workers in 34 provinces, 17.4 million public officers, and 21.5 million senior citizens," he said.
However, senior citizens aged above 60 years will be vaccinated after the government receives the results of the third phase clinical tests on the safety of the vaccine for this group, he added.
During the second phase from April, 2021 to March, 2022, the vaccination will be administered to an estimated 63.9 million vulnerable citizens, who live in red zones or areas with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, the minister said.
The vaccination program will later target 77.4 million citizens using a cluster approach, in accordance with the availability of vaccines, he added. (antaranews)
January
Indonesia exploring electricity exports to Singapore: minister
Written by Nur YasminThe Indonesian government is currently exploring exporting electricity to Singapore as there could be potential over-capacity of power supply in the country, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Arifin Tasrif, informed on Tuesday.
Speaking to legislators during a parliamentary hearing, Tasrif said Indonesia has excess power supply, especially amid the pandemic which has led to a fall in power consumption.
“We are looking at Singapore. Singapore needs to import electricity. This is what we are exploring: whether or not we may export our excess power. We could connect from Java to Sumatra, Riau then Singapore, or we could make an entry through the ASEAN Power Grid from Sumatra to the Malaysia peninsula,” Tasrif said.
The government is seeking to boost inter-islands connectivity to support the plan as well as to allow equal power supply across the country, he added.
Another option to manage the excess power supply issue is relocating existing power plants, Tasrif added. Besides, the government will continue to encourage people to use electric vehicles and stoves as part of efforts to revive power consumption, he continued.
“Relocation of existing power supply, aged 20 to 25 years, might be conducted in several places that need it the most, such as locations with smelter industry potential. Because by using coal, the cost will be cheaper, and our industry would be more competitive,” he said.
The potential over-supply could also be contributed by the 35 thousand-MW mega power plant project currently under-development and additional 7 thousand MW of power from the previous project, Tasrif said.
"(Once the project of 35,000 MW is completed), the over-supply will be in high number, around 40 to 60 percent. Thus, our margin reserve could reach 50 percent of its ideal number of 30 percent. This (export of power), indeed, should meet the solution," he noted. (antaranews)
January
Air Force carries 14 tons of aid for Sulawesi quake victims
Written by Nur YasminTwo Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) planes transported 14 tons of relief aid on Monday for victims of the 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Mamuju and Majene
Districts, West Sulawesi Province, last Friday.
The two airplanes, a CN-295 and a Boeing 737, belonged to Air Squadron 2 at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in Jakarta.
Air Force Chief of Staff, Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo, said the TNI AU is ready to transport aid for quake victims from various agencies in Jakarta.
He said the TNI AU had earlier sent relief aid for the quake victims from President Joko Widodo.
TNI AU has transported more than 87 tons of logistics supplies to Banjarmasin for flood victims and to Mamuju for quake victims, as well as dispatched 216 medical workers and volunteers to the affected areas, he added.
"We have sent assistance in the form of fast food, blankets, medicines, and tents (as well) as personnel to help (people) in affected areas," Prasetyo informed.
The powerful earthquake rocked the districts of Majene and Mamuju early on Friday last week. The epicenter of the quake was located on land, six kilometers northeast of Majene, at a depth of 10 kilometers.
The shallow quake, which the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) believes was caused by a local fault, destroyed several buildings, including the governor's office, a military office, and the Maleo Hotel.
The earthquake damaged many houses and a public health center and even triggered three landslides along the Majene-Mamuju road section, disrupting the transportation of people and goods, Chief of the Center for Disaster Data, Information and Communication at the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Dr. Raditya Jati said at an online press conference in Jakarta on Sunday.
The death toll from the 6.2-magnitude earthquake stood at 73, with 27,850 people taking refuge as of Sunday evening, according to the BNPB.
As per BNPB records, a total of 826 people sustained injuries in the quake, while 27,850 people fled their homes as of Sunday evening, Dr. Raditya said. (antaranews)
January
Malaysia halts safeguard probe into Indonesian ceramic products
Written by Nur YasminThe Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) officially halted a safeguard investigation into Indonesian ceramic floor and wall tiles on January 11, 2021.
"The safeguard investigation was halted only four months after it commenced on September 13, 2020. The Malaysian authorities decided to stop the investigation on three considerations," Indonesian Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi said in Jakarta on Monday.
First, there was no absolute rise in import volume during the investigation period, he said. Second, the impact of import volume hike on Malaysian ceramic products could not relatively be ascertained, he added.
Third, the Malaysian authorities could not ascertain the linkage between an import surge and serious losses suffered by Malaysian ceramic producers, he continued.
The ceramic products that are exempt from safeguard duties belong to HS codes 6907.21.21, 6907.21.23, 6907.21.91, 6907.21.93, 6907.22.11, 6907.22.13, 6907.22.91, 6907.22.93, 6907.23.11, 6907.23.13, 6907.23.91, and 6907.23.93.
Malaysian ceramic manufacturers have claimed that there was a surge in ceramic imports which resulted in losses or potential losses for the domestic ceramic industry.
The safeguard investigation was launched in September, 2020, based on a petition from the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers – Malaysian Ceramic Industry Group. However, the Malaysian authorities could not find evidence supporting the claim.
The investigation was then terminated without the imposition of temporary safeguard import duties.
According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia's ceramic exports subjected to the investigation were valued at US$7.12 million in 2019, a decline of 27.21 percent compared to exports of US$9.78 million a year earlier.
In the January-November, 2020 period, Indonesia exported US$8.35 million worth of ceramic products, an increase of 24.41 percent compared to exports of US$6.71 million the year before.
Indonesian ceramic products, which have very competitive quality, are believed to have the potential to disrupt the performance of the Malaysian ceramic industry. Indonesia is also one of the main suppliers of ceramic products to Malaysia.
"Statistical data of Malaysian imports in 2019 shows Indonesia was ranked second after China as the largest country of import origin for Malaysia. The MITI's decision creates large opportunities for Indonesia to increase ceramic exports to the neighboring country," Minister Lutfi said. (antaranews)
