VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono lauded the smooth flow of cars transported aboard ferries at Merak Port in Banten Province and Bakauheni Port in Lampung Province during Christmas and New Year holiday season.

"We praise the smooth transportation of cars and passengers at the Merak and Bakauheni ports during this Christmas and New Year holiday season," he remarked while observing the e-ticket service at Merak Port's executive pier on Tuesday.

While referring to the figure furnished by Director of state-owned ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry Ira Puspadewi, the total number of cars crossing Bakauheni Port in Lampung to Merak Port in Banten rose some 20 percent while those crossing from Merak to Bakauheni ports just increased about 11 percent than those recorded last year, he noted.

The Trans-Sumatra toll road in the provinces of Lampung and South Sumatra might have driven the rising trend of vehicles crossing from Bakauheni to Merak ports, he noted, adding that the to-and-fro flow of cars at Merak and Bakauheni ports can be better served in future.

Hadimuljono also vowed to inform those handling the Trans-Sumatra toll road projects in Lampung to ensure the provision of basic necessities, such as reliable rest areas and sanitary facilities, to provide better services to toll road users.

In connection with the mode of transportation preferred by travelers during the Christmas and New Year holiday season, a recent study of the Transportation Ministry's Research and Development Division showed that 48 percent of the 2,500 respondents preferred traveling by car than train.

Despite the research finding, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi recently pointed to traveling by train to cities in Java Island being a popular choice among Indonesians keen on celebrating this year's Christmas and New Year holiday season.

Sumadi admitted to a drop of up to six to eight percent in the number of passengers over these past two days than the count recorded in the corresponding period in 2018.

"This downward trend is just recorded in short-distance trips, such as Jakarta-Cirebon and Jakarta-Pekalongan," he was quoted by ANTARA from the ministry's official website as saying.

In its place, the number of passengers for long-distance routes, including the Jakarta-Solo and Jakarta-Yogyakarta ones, remains high.  

"We still need to look at this trend in a week," he stated.

The downward trend in the number of the train passengers undertaking short-distance trips might partly be owing to those looking to use the Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road recently inaugurated by President Joko Widodo, he expounded. 

Radio Republik Indonesia launched the National Integrated Newsroom on the 7th floor of the RRI Building, Jakarta, Monday (12/23/2019). In his remarks, Minister of Communication and Informatics Johnny Gerard Plate underlined RRI as a public broadcasting institution must return to the spirit of Tri Prasetya RRI. Tri Prasetya RRI is a promise made by RRI broadcasters, firstly to save all radio equipment from anyone, secondly to drive RRI broadcasts as a means of struggle and revolutionary tools, and thirdly to stand on all group, beliefs, and parties by prioritizing national unity and state safety. The Minister of Communication and Informatics said that the contents of Tri Prasetya RRI were in the human resources which are currently being prioritized by President Joko Widodo’s administration.

"What we want to see is that not only what is physically seen, it is returning to khitah, the spirit of Tri Prasetya RRI. How do we update Tri Prasetya RRI again through facilities and infrastructure that are becoming more modern. That's what we have to fill. Do not forget it. Where is that? It is the in human resources. That is in line with the Onward Indonesian Cabinet program which is currently President Joko Widodo and Vice President Prof. KH. Ma'ruf Amin prioritizes," said Johnny Gerard Plate.

Minister of Communication and Informatics Johnny Gerard Plate added, RRI as a public broadcasting institution must be the leading institution to socialize the Pancasila philosophy and state constitution.

Present at the inauguration of the RRI's National Integrated Newsroom, were among others the Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy and Member of the House of Representatives Commission VI Herman Khaeron. (VOI / AHM)

President Joko Widodo launched the implementation of B30 program in Jakarta on Monday. (Dec 23, 2019).

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) brought to the fore the basis for expediting the implementation of the biodiesel program until the country could avail the benefits of using B100, or 100 percent biodiesel.

"For me, it is not sufficient only to have B30 biodiesel. I have ordered the ministers and Pertamina to produce B40 by next year and B50 in early 2021," Jokowi remarked at the launch of the B30 program here on Monday.

The head of state spoke of his plan to conduct daily monitoring on the development of the program.

The government has at least three reasons behind speeding up the implementation of its biodiesel program.

Jokowi explained that the first reason was Indonesia’s keenness to seek renewable energy sources and end its dependency on fossil fuel, which, in future, will become depleted.

The development of renewable energy has also demonstrated Indonesia's commitment to preserving planet earth, producing clean energy by reducing carbon emissions, and improving the quality of the environment.

The second motive was the country's continued high dependence on imported fuel oil despite being the world's largest producer of palm oil.

"With such palm oil production potential, we have plenty of sources for biofuel to replace diesel oil," he explained, adding that the potential should be explored further to support national energy resilience and self-sufficiency.

"If we can consistently apply B30 biodiesel, we can save more than Rp63 trillion in foreign exchange," he pointed out.

Thirdly, the president pointed out that the implementation of B30 biodiesel will also step up the demand for domestic crude palm oil and furthermore have a multiplier effect on 16.5 million palm oil farmers in Indonesia.

It means that the B30 biodiesel program will impact small- and medium-scale farmers.


"I remind you here that the key to the success of the B30 biodiesel program or also B100 is whether we can put an end to imports," he stated.

B15 -- a fuel blend of 15 percent palm fatty acid methyl ester and 85 percent of conventional diesel fuel -- was made mandatory in 2015 for diesel-reliant industries.

A year later, B20, which has a bio-content of 20 percent, was produced to replace B15, and the government made it mandatory for the respective industries.

Furthermore, the government has decided that B30 will be made mandatory from January next year.

A decision was taken in August on the policy to make B30 mandatory in 2020 after the European parliament issued a resolution in 2017 to phase out palm oil in biofuel on grounds that it has caused deforestation.

With B30, the government is estimated to save Rp60 trillion from fuel imports in 2020.

If the migration to B30 is successful, President Jokowi is keen that the country begin planning for B50. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) left Jakarta for Surabaya on Saturday morning to conduct a working visit to observe the PT Trans Pacific Petrochemical Indotama (TPPI) Plant in Kedu Sub-district, East Java.

Presidential Secretariat's Press, Media, and Information Bureau confirmed that President Jokowi was accompanied by First Lady Iriana Jokowi and several cabinet members, including State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir.

The president and his entourage departed from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta aboard the presidential aircraft.

ANTARA noted that President Jokowi was channeling attention on Indonesia's endeavors to make it the world's exporter of petrochemical products.

On Dec 6, 2019, Jokowi expressed optimism while inaugurating the national petrochemical company PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical Tbk's new plant in Cilegon, Banten Province.

During that time, he was optimistic that Indonesia would become one of the world's exporters of petrochemical products within the next four to five years owing to rising investment in this sector.

"I feel, four or five years from now, we will no longer need to import petrochemicals. Instead, we will become an exporter," he stated at an event to inaugurate the national petrochemical company PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical Tbk's new plant in Cilegon.

President Joko Widodo and First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo departed from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta to Surabaya aboard the presidential aircraft. (Biro Pers Media dan Informasi Setpres RI.)

President Jokowi justified his optimism by highlighting PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical Tbk's plan to develop the second phase of its petrochemical complex in Cilegon, with investment totaling Rp60 trillion-Rp80 trillion.

The company's petrochemical complex will be built during the period from 2019 to 2024. Once operational, Chadra Asri's production capacity will rise to eight million tons annually, he stated.

Based on a government road map called Making Indonesia 4.0, the chemical industry is one of the five sectors that will become the pioneers in the application of industry 4.0 in the country.

Hence, the chemical industry should be developed to become more productive, innovative, and competitive on the global scene. (ANTARA)