VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Industry Ministry is seeking to strengthen cooperation between Indonesian and Japanese automotive industry players through the Automotive Spare Parts Business Forum in Nagoya, Japan.

"It is great to see so many Indonesian and Japanese companies participating in the event, indicating that there is a great interest in the (business automotive) opportunities," Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita remarked while attending the forum, according to a statement received here on Tuesday.

Indonesian small and medium industries (IKMs) have the potential to supply 4,500 of the 30 thousand different kinds of auto parts, the minister noted.

However, currently, Indonesian IKMs are only supplying around 900 kinds of auto parts, hence efforts are required to increase their supply.

"The government is committed to promoting the IKMs’ auto parts products and helping them to play a strategic role in the global automotive supply chain," the minister said.

The quality of Indonesian IKMs’ products is excellent since they have obtained various international certifications, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 18001, he added.

The automotive industry has grown well at 14.2 percent in the first quarter of 2022, exceeding the average national economic growth of 5.01 percent, he noted.

The automotive industry can directly absorb up to 38 thousand workers. Furthermore, the sector can absorb an additional 1.5 million workers along its value chain.

Indonesia is seeking to become a global automotive player as well as an export hub for fuel-based vehicles and electric vehicles.

"We believe that collaboration of all stakeholders is very important for increasing production efficiency and product competitiveness through the implementation of Industry 4.0," Kartasasmita said.

The government is committed to creating a conducive business climate by synchronizing the regulations for the automotive sector as well as making Indonesia a production base, he added.

"Indonesia is ready to implement the zero-emission policy in accordance with the (government’s) commitment at COP21 Paris to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 29 percent by 2030 as well as (the commitment) at COP26 Glasgow to continue developing an electric vehicle ecosystem," he said.

Several regulations have been issued to expedite emission reduction and o attract investment in the automotive industry, such as Presidential Regulation Number 55 of 2019 on the Acceleration of the Battery Electric Vehicle Program for Land Transportation as well as Industry Minister’s Regulation Number 36 of 2021 concerning Four-Wheeled Motorized Low-Carbon Emission Vehicles (LCEV).  (Antaranews)

Indonesia recorded a surplus of US$1.12 billion in its trade with China during the January–April period this year.

During the period, Indonesia's exports to China reached US$22.74 billion, while its imports from the world's second-largest economy stood at US$21.62 billion.

"As a result, Indonesia recorded a trade surplus of US$1.12 billion with China," Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun informed on Tuesday.

During the period, bilateral trade between the two countries swelled 34.36 percent year on year to touch US$44.36 billion.

However, Indonesia's processed food and beverage exports to China in the first four months of 2022 fell 23.17 percent to reach US$1.46 billion compared to US$1.90 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The ambassador attributed the drop to the General Administration of Customs China’s (GACC)'s new regulation on processed food imports, which came into effect on January 1, 2022.

The enforcement of the new regulation hindered the unloading of goods from Indonesia at several ports in China for not meeting the GACC requirements.

"The drop must motivate (us) that Indonesia's foods and beverages can be accepted and have the potential to increase their market share in China," he said.

The regulation makes it mandatory for foreign producers of processed foods and beverages to register their production facilities with the GACC before exporting their products to China.  (Antaranews)

Head of the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) has expressed the hope that the indigenous Merah Putih (Red and White) COVID-19 vaccine would be registered with the World Health Organization (WHO).

"So that, in the future, it will not only become an alternative choice for the country but also become an export product," Penny Kusumastuti Lukito said at the launch of the Phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine at Campus A of Airlangga University (Unair), here Monday.

After obtaining a permit from BPOM, Unair has officially commenced the Phase 3 clinical trial of the Red and White vaccine with 4,005 volunteers.

According to the BPOM head, if the vaccine is registered with the WHO and exported, it would be possible for the vaccine's name to be changed to a more universal one.

Lukito said she hoped that the Phase 3 clinical trial would run smoothly and the results would get obtained soon.

The successful development of Unair's Red and White vaccine has become a matter of pride for all elements of the country because it is the first locally-made COVID-19 vaccine, she added.

Meanwhile, Director of Pharmaceutical Production and Distribution at the Ministry of Health Agusdini Banun Saptaningsih expressed her optimism that the development of the Unair vaccine would prove to be a big step in Indonesia's efforts to achieve independence in the field of vaccine production.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted policymakers to strengthen the health system's resilience in the country, Saptaningsih noted.

"We will also transform the health sector, one of which is the resilience of the health system through pharmaceutical resilience," she remarked.

Regarding the target groups, Saptaningsih said that the Red and White vaccine will probably be utilized for booster and children's vaccinations.  (Antaranews)

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) arrived at the venue of the 48th G7 Summit in Schloss Elmau, Germany, on Monday afternoon local time (UTC+1) and was welcomed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

During the official welcoming session by the chancellor, Jokowi was present with the leaders of G7 partner countries, including Argentine President Alberto Fernández, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Senegalese President Macky Sall, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Further, during the photo session, he posed for a picture flanked by the German chancellor and United States President Joe Biden.

All the heads of government will attend two sessions of the G7 meeting.

During the G7 Summit, President Jokowi is scheduled to hold a number of bilateral meetings with other government heads, including the German Chancellor, the Indian Prime Minister, the Senegalese President, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The summit is an annual gathering of G7 member countries consisting of the United States, Britain, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada, and France.

Indonesia is attending this year’s summit as one of the G7 partner countries as well as the president of the 2022 G20 forum.

The Indonesian President took a 30-minute flight on a Sikorsky CH53 helicopter from Munich, Germany, with the Indian Prime Minister to arrive at the venue of the G7 Summit.

At the summit, Widodo will urge G7 member countries to jointly seek peace in Ukraine and also find a solution to the current food and energy crisis as quickly as possible.

"The attempt is not easy, but Indonesia will continue to strive (to realize it)," he said here before leaving for Munich on Sunday (June 26).

Furthermore, he also invited G7 members to invest in the clean energy sector in Indonesia, including the development of the electric car ecosystem.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung are accompanying the President on his working visit to Germany.  (Antaranews)