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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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February
President must be prudent in selecting capital authority head: DPR
Written by Nur Yasmin
President Joko Widodo must exercise prudence in selecting the head of the first capital authority for the new capital, Nusantara, and judge candidates by capability and experience, Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) Puan Maharani said.
"The President must be prudent in selecting the head of the capital authority by observing the qualifications necessary to develop a smart, green, sustainable, and beautiful new capital," Maharani remarked in a statement issued in Jakarta on Thursday.
The capital authority head must have the capability and competence to commit to the mammoth task of developing the new capital city, she noted.
The capital authority head must be capable of translating plans and design concepts properly to ensure consistent development implementation with the envisioned goal, she highlighted.
"The leadership of the new capital Nusantara must also understand the sustainable development concept, particularly as the national capital relocation is a long-term commitment," Maharani said.
She further said that public confidence in the candidate must also be considered before the President makes his final pick.
"Despite the appointment being within the Presidential prerogatives, the appointed official must have the confidence of the public," the speaker added.
Public confidence in the new capital authority head is essential, as the parliament and the public would continue monitoring all aspects relevant to the capital relocation process to ensure the new capital is realized as envisioned, Maharani remarked.
The new capital authority head must be able to meet public expectations while referring to the National Capital Bill in performing their mandate and learn from challenges faced during development to enhance the new capital in the future, she added. (Antaranews)
February
Rp186.6 trillion disbursed as social protection assistance: President
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesia has distributed social protection assistance of up to Rp186.64 trillion to ease the burden on the community, including workers, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said.
Social assistance covers assistance distributed under the family hope program and through staple food cards, direct cash assistance, and electricity subsidies, he said.
"We have allocated at least Rp186.64 trillion for social protection," he said in his remarks at the ILO Global Forum for a Human-Centred Recovery from COVID-19, accessed online from Jakarta on Wednesday.
The President said that social protection assistance must continue to be strengthened for workers. According to him, currently, 4.14 billion people, or 53.1 percent of the world's population do not have any social protection.
In addition to fiscal budget support, the implementation of the social protection program also requires a high level of political commitment, he said.
"In Indonesia, social protection is an important part of the national economic recovery program, including the family hope program, staple food cards, direct cash assistance, and electricity subsidies," he added.
President Jokowi also invited ILO members to create a safe working environment for workers. One way to do this is by stepping up COVID-19 vaccinations for workers and families, for those working in the formal as well as the informal sector, he said.
He also asked ILO members to work together to create new jobs.
"Partiality and innovation are needed to create more job opportunities," he remarked.
Furthermore, he advised ILO members to strengthen the competitiveness of workers for facing future challenges along with building human resource capabilities, especially in digital literacy education. That way, workers can survive in the midst of a digital transformation wave, he explained.
"The Indonesian government has launched a pre-employment card for job seekers, as well as those who have dropped out of work to acquire new skills, or unlock entrepreneurial potential," President Jokowi said. (Antaranews)
February
Indonesia, Britain agree to strengthen trade, investment relations
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesian Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi met with British Minister of International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan in Jakarta on Wednesday as part of efforts to strengthen trade and investment relations between the two nations.
The meeting—the first of its kind—was held as part of the Indonesia-United Kingdom Joint Economy and Trade Committee (JETCO), which was agreed upon in April 2021.
"At the meeting, we discussed several issues, including ways to increase trade transactions between the two countries," Lutfi informed at an online press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The two countries also discussed cooperation in renewable energy, foods, beverages, and agriculture as well as the membership of the two countries at the G20 Forum and the World Trade Organization (WTO), he said.
"We also discussed further steps that the two countries can cooperate in the future," he added.
The two countries have also set up two working groups to follow up on cooperation agreements in the fields of green energy, foods, beverages, and agriculture, the minister said.
It is hoped that through the working groups, the two countries will be able to reach concrete agreements, including a free trade agreement (FTA) in the future, he said.
According to Trevelyan, the total value of trade between Indonesia and Britain has reached 2.6 billion pounds sterling.
The British government is keen to strengthen JETCO and look at the great potential for cooperation between the two countries, she said.
"Indonesia and the United Kingdom have the potential to strengthen cooperation in the fields of trade and investment " she added. (Antaranews)
February
Indonesia, Singapore strengthen cooperation on climate change
Written by Nur Yasmin
The governments of Indonesia and Singapore have agreed to strengthen cooperation in efforts to overcome the impacts of climate change and achieve sustainable development at the recently concluded 2nd Working Level Meeting.
The meeting, which was held from February 21–22, 2022, was a follow-up to a meeting held on January 24, in Bintan.
Deputy for Coordination of Environmental and Forestry Management at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment Nani Hendiarti, and Deputy Secretary of the Singapore Prime Minister's Office Strategy Group Cindy Khoo led the meeting, which covered four main topics.
The topics were carbon pricing and markets, nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approach, clean technology and solutions, and green and blended finance, Hendiarti informed in a statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday.
"We are committed to working together with Singapore to tackle climate change and achieve sustainable development and believe that this cooperation will provide many benefits for both countries," she remarked.
The meeting is expected to produce a concrete agreement, she added.
"I hope our discussion this time can be more in-depth regarding the forms of cooperation that can be implemented in the near future through pilot project activities on the four topics," she said.
Khoo also agreed that Indonesia and Singapore should quickly develop concrete projects revolving around the four issues.
"We already know the issues that we want to discuss. Now what is more important is how we do it. Starting from the agenda or timeline of each project," she said.
Singapore is committed to controlling climate change by transforming industry, economy, and society, adopting low-carbon technologies, and promoting effective international collaboration between countries, she added.
At the end of the session, the two countries agreed on 11 activities and timelines for cooperation on the four topics discussed, which will be included in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries, Hendiarti said.
The MoU is expected to be signed in March 2022, she added. (antaranews)
February
Indonesia urges close cooperation in handling human trafficking
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi called for close cooperation for dealing with human trafficking while leading an international meeting in Paris on Monday.
The Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Bali Process Steering Group (SGMM) was initiated by Marsudi, the Foreign Ministry said in a written statement released on Monday.
The Australian Foreign Minister served as co-chair and the foreign ministers of Thailand and New Zealand as members of the Bali Process Steering Group at the meeting, which was also attended by senior officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
"Our main task is to increase the role of the Bali Process through new and concrete steps for handling a variety of unique and complex migration cases in the region amidst the (COVID-19) pandemic and the increasing challenges to regional stability,” Marsudi said.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the meeting also discussed the significance of reviving and revitalizing the Bali Process, the plan to commemorate 20 years of the Bali Process this year, and the plan to hold the eighth Bali Process Ministerial Conference (BPMC) at the end of 2022.
All the steps to be taken will hopefully strengthen the Bali Process to thwart human smuggling, human trafficking, and other transnational crimes, Marsudi said at the meeting.
She also called for close cooperation under the Bali Process mechanism to address regular migration issues collectively and proportionally in the region, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has increasingly added to the challenge of handling regular migrants.
She noted that the pandemic has raised the risk of human smuggling and trafficking, particularly the exploitation of children and women.
To that end, she said that efforts to handle regular migrants must constantly be made to enable the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of regular migrants.
She reiterated the significance of involving the business sector in helping ensure transparent supply chains, ethical recruitment, and compensation for workers, particularly in view of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on migrant workers.
"Looking ahead, the Bali Process must serve as an adaptive and responsive regional mechanism to face the challenge to regular migration in the region. For this part, we need to increase capacity, build self-confidence and coordinate more closely various mechanisms in the Bali Process," she said.
The Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (Bali Process) is the only regional consultation process addressing regular migration issues in the region, according to the Foreign Ministry.
In the 20 years of its existence, it has contributed not only to building dialogue on regular migration but also developing regional guidance and capacity, it added.
The Bali Process was set up by Indonesia and Australia in 2002. Its members comprise 45 countries and entities and four international organizations—UNHCR, IOM, UNODC, and ILO. (antaranews)
February
Indonesia aims to put 2 million electric vehicles on Indonesian roads
Written by Nur Yasmin
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said his government is targeting to put at least two million electric vehicles on the road by 2025.
"The target is two million electric vehicles to be used by Indonesians and will continue to the export market," he remarked while launching an electric vehicle ecosystem at MT Haryono gas station, Tebet, South Jakarta on Tuesday.
Indonesia is very serious about transitioning to the use of new renewable energy, he said. The use of electric vehicles is one of the efforts to accelerate this transition, he added.
He then lauded business players who are contributing to developing the electric vehicle ecosystem, both in the upstream and downstream sectors.
Indonesia can become an electric vehicle manufacturer and leader with the support of the electric vehicle ecosystem, from upstream to downstream, Widodo affirmed.
To support the development of the electric vehicle industry, it is hoped that electric battery factories with a large production capacity can be completed soon in Indonesia, the President said.
"The production capacity (of electric vehicles) will be increased, maybe in collaboration with companies from Taiwan, such as Gogoro, so that the (Indonesian) electric vehicle ecosystem can be made ready to compete with other countries," he explained.
Moreover, the electric vehicle ecosystem is one of the main foundations for environmental preservation because such vehicles do not cause pollution, Widodo said. In addition, electric vehicles will enjoy robust demand since their energy source is readily available, he added.
"I have witnessed how the vehicle is charged, which takes a short time. I think this kind of management is desired by vehicle users," he said.
Tuesday’s launch event was attended by several business leaders supporting electric vehicle ecosystem development, such as state oil and gas firm PT Pertamina, Electrum, Gojek, Goto, Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC), and Gesits. (Antaranews)
February
Indonesia, South Korea ink pact on critical mineral development
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesia and South Korea have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on critical mineral development.
The latest cooperation is a follow-up to the meeting of the 12th Indonesia-Korea Energy Forum (IKEF), Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Arifin Tasrif, informed here on Tuesday.
"Through this MoU, the two countries can exchange information and human resources in the sector of critical minerals and support project collaboration between their private sectors," Tasrif said.
Cooperation on energy and mineral has been established between the two countries since 2002, and they have enjoyed good relations both at the government and private-sector levels, he noted.
The agreement on critical minerals was signed by the ministry's director general of minerals and coal, Ridwan Djamaluddin, and the director general for resources industry policy of the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), he informed.
Furthermore, the government-to-government (G to G) model was first initiated by South Korea at the 12th Indonesia-Korea Energy Forum, he said.
On January 19, 2022, South Korea had again conveyed the need for an agreement on minerals and proposed the draft MoU on critical minerals, he added.
Furthermore, the urgent need for such an agreement between the two countries was also stressed through the Joint Statement for Cooperation on Establishing Cooperative Partnership for Critical Minerals between Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corporation (KOMIR) and state-owned mining industry holding Mind ID.
Earlier, bilateral cooperation in mineral and coal sub-sectors had been established for the acid mine water project in Kutai Kartanegara district, East Kalimantan for 2014–2016. The project was valued at US$3.2 million.
The two countries have also extended their cooperation to support the mercury-polluted soil remediation program in Kalimantan by five years (2020–2025). The program is valued at US$4.6 million. (Antaranews)
February
Ministry to prepare tourism development plan for new capital city
Written by Nur Yasmin
Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahudin Uno has said that his ministry will prepare for the development of the tourism and creative economy sectors at Indonesia’s new national capital (IKN), Nusantara.
"We will plan and prepare the budget for developing the tourism potential in the new capital city based on eco-tourism," he informed during a weekly press briefing on Monday.
The development of tourism and creative economy sectors at the new IKN is one of the government’s concrete actions to advance the economic sector, he said.
Hence, strong cooperation among the stakeholders is required, he said.
The location for the new capital city, East Kalimantan Province, boasts various attractive cultural, natural, and artificial tourist destinations, the minister said.
"Since the IKN Law has been ratified, we will immediately follow up on the development of tourism potentials in the new capital city," he added.
The new capital city will be constructed according to the principles of a green city, Uno said. Thus, there will be many sustainable development opportunities, including for quality, eco-friendly tourism, he added.
“Hence, I believe that it is a great opportunity for business actors, especially novice entrepreneurs, to develop the potential of the new capital city," he remarked.
Uno said he expected that a blueprint for the development of the tourism and creative economy sectors in the new capital city can be completed in the next three months at most. Thereafter, a master plan will be made, he informed.
“We must protect the environmental sustainability of East Kalimantan province. Hopefully, our culture and nature-based eco-tourism concept will strengthen our attempts in prioritizing environmental sustainability in the development of the new capital city," he added.
The process to establish the new capital city has been accelerated after the Indonesian House of Representatives agreed to ratify the IKN Law at a plenary meeting on January 18, 2022. (Antaranews)
February
Indonesia must prudently plan transition to endemic stage: minister
Written by Nur Yasmin
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has warned against a rushed transition from the pandemic to the endemic stage, saying the country needs to be prudent in planning such a transition.
With the government continuing to learn from foreign countries that have commenced their transition to the endemic stage, Indonesia will eventually enter the endemic stage with due care and consideration given to scientific data, the minister remarked.
Residents must not compare the transition to the COVID-19 endemic stage in foreign countries with the situation in Indonesia, he said in a press statement on activities restriction enforcement, broadcast from Jakarta on Monday.
"Though some countries, such as the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Singapore, have revoked most of their COVID-19 restrictions and commenced the transition to the endemic stage, we need not jump on the bandwagon," Pandjaitan said.
Indonesia will enter the endemic stage with prudence gradually, with due consideration given to health indicator data, economic status, and other factors, he said.
"Last night, we have discussed this issue with health experts and epidemiologists to agree on this conclusion, and we will continue evaluating our readiness to enter the endemic stage," the coordinating minister said.
Pandjaitan informed that the government will monitor the preconditions for the endemic, which include a high level of immunity in citizens, low COVID-19 case count as per WHO indicators, and sufficient healthcare and health response facilities.
"Those preconditions must have continued for a relatively long period and reached a stable condition," he said.
The coordinating minister affirmed that proposals, criteria, and indicators for the transition to the endemic stage would be enhanced with inputs from experts.
To advance the transition to the endemic stage, the government will first exert efforts toward enhancing the second vaccine coverage and booster vaccine distribution, particularly among the elderly group, he said.
Regional governments and relevant officials have also been urged to bolster booster vaccinations for eligible residents, he added.
"I also ask residents who have received their third vaccine ticket or have completed their second vaccine dose within six months to attend any vaccination drive and get the booster vaccine," Pandjaitan appealed. (Antaranews)
February
G20 framework on international taxation to benefit Indonesia: CORE
Written by Nur Yasmin
The G20's clear framework for the two pillars of international taxation will add to Indonesia's income, Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) Indonesia economist Yusuf Rendy Manilet has said.
"A clear framework on international tax will certainly benefit Indonesia in terms of potential income," he told ANTARA here on Monday.
The meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors has resulted in a 14-point communiqué, which includes international taxation.
According to Manilet, international taxation has two pillars, the first is the imposition of taxes in the digital sector and the second is global minimum taxation for international companies.
These two pillars will be effective at the global level, starting from 2023, he added.
"What is proposed in the international tax pillars is actually a predetermined agenda, especially for BEPS and AEoI," Manilet said.
Through the regulation, Indonesia's income will be boosted through many avenues, such as the imposition of taxes in the digital sector, he highlighted.
This can happen because of the large potential of the digital economy, he said adding, Indonesia has potential as a market for digital ecosystem development over the next few years.
While the imposition of corporate income tax on digital companies would intersect with the tax treaty among Indonesia, developing countries, and countries where the digital corporates originate, he noted.
The tax treaty can continue to be discussed in the G20 forum, he added.
However, there will be challenges to implementing the corporate income tax, such as having to stress that this policy is not a unilateral step by the countries where the digital companies originate, he said.
"The challenge is how the corporate income tax implementation is not deemed as a unilateral step," he added. (Antaranews)