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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
President issues regulation to expedite development ahead of 2022 G20
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) signed a presidential regulation on accelerating infrastructure development to support implementation of the 2022 G20 Presidency, 2023 ASEAN Summit, and various international events at the Mandalika Special Economic Zone.
As quoted from Presidential Regulation Number 116 of 2021 posted on the website of the State Secretariat’s Legal Information and Documentation System here on Monday, the task has been assigned to the public works and public housing (PUPR) minister.
The president has pushed to expedite the construction or renovation of various supporting infrastructure and facilities of international events that will be conducted in the provinces of Jakarta, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
"It is necessary to accelerate the development or renovation of infrastructure and facilities at the venue of international events," according to the regulation, which was signed and promulgated on December 31, 2021.
Article 1 of paragraph 2 of the regulation stipulates that construction or renovation are being conducted at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in Jakarta, Mandalika area in NTB Province, 2022 G20 Summit venues in Bali Province, as well as 2023 ASEAN Summit venues in Tana Mori, Labuan Bajo Village in NTT Province.
Meanwhile, article 2 of the regulation stated that in conducting the assignment, the PUPR minister can apply direct appointment for the procurement of government goods and services in accordance with the laws.
Jokowi has also emphasized that the PUPR Ministry must always be heedful of the five working principles of prudence, transparency, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability.
"Funding required for implementation of the assignment will be sourced from the state budget (APBN)," according to article 6 of the regulation.
Apart from the 2022 G20 Presidency and 2023 ASEAN Summit, the government is also preparing for the MotoGP and World Superbike events planned to be conducted on March 18-20, 2022, and November 11-13, 2022, respectively. (Antaranews)
January
Coal export ban will not impact state revenues: official
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Indonesian government has assured that the ban on coal exports will have no impact on state revenues.
Coal is not a commodity that is subject to export duties, director general of customs and excise at the Finance Ministry, Askolani, explained at a press conference on the 2021 state budget in Jakarta on Monday.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has temporarily banned coal exports from January 1 to January 31, 2022, to ensure coal supplies for domestic power plants.
The ban applies to the holders of mining permits (IUP), special mining permits (IUPK) during production operation stage, and special mining permits (IUPK) as a continuation of contract operation, the ministry informed.
Meanwhile, Vice Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Suahasil Nazara, said the temporary ban on coal exports is a short-term solution to ensure coal supplies for thermal power plants in the country.
"We must find a short-term solution to ensure the reliability of the system and the supply of electrical power, while at the same, we must also find medium- and long-term solutions where coal, as an export commodity, can continue to meet domestic needs and export demand to obtain foreign exchange earnings," he said.
The policy will be implemented cautiously to meet the electrical power needs for domestic activities, which have begun to revive, he added. (Antaranews)
January
Indonesian President asks mining firms to meet DMO
Written by Nur Yasmin
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has reminded mining companies of their obligation to meet the percentage of coal sales for domestic needs (domestic market obligation/DMO).
"There has been DMO mechanism necessitating mining companies to meet state electricity firm PLN's needs. This is absolute and must not be violated for whatever reason," the President said in an online press statement released from Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday.
Mining companies found violating the DMO mechanism would be liable to sanctions, including refusal of applications for export permits and revocation of business permits, he warned.
The President further ordered the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry, and state-owned electricity company PLN to find the best solution in the people's interests.
"The priority is to meet the domestic needs of PLN and domestic industries," he said.
All companies—private companies, state-owned companies, and their subsidiaries—engaged in mining, plantation, and natural resources processing businesses must accord priority to domestic needs over exports, he reiterated.
"This is the mandate of Article 33 paragraph 3 of the 1945 Constitution that the state controls land, water, and natural wealth in the country for the benefit of the people's prosperity," he said.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has temporarily banned coal exports from January 1 to January 31, 2022, to ensure coal supplies for domestic power plants.
Director general of minerals and coal at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Ridwan Djamaluddin, said if coal supplies to domestic power plants are delayed, more than 10 million PLN subscribers, households and industries, will be affected.
If coal export is not banned, 20 thermal power plants with a capacity of 10,850 megawatts will impose a blackout, he said.
"This will potentially disrupt national economic stability. When coal supplies to power plants are met, coal can be exported again. We will evaluate the policy after January 5, 2022," he informed. (Antaranews)
January
Spatial design crucial matter in national capital bill: legislator
Written by Nur Yasmin
A member of the special committee for drafting the National Capital Bill (RUU IKN), Guspardi Gaus, has emphasized that spatial design should be a serious discussion in formulating the National Capital Law.
"A lot of people question, highlight, and take the existing spatial design as an important issue," Gaus said in the webinar "The Draft of the National Capital Bill in The Perspective of Government Studies" here on Sunday.
He pointed out, some problems that are related to the spatial design of the new capital are land structure, forests, and floods that often hit the Kalimantan region.
However, after he confirmed with the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), he figured that the flood that occurred recently in Kalimantan is not in the location for the new capital of Indonesia.
"The purpose of relocating the capital city is to avoid flooding and so on," he added.
In his presentation, Gaus explained that the relocation of the capital city aims to solve the problems that currently exist in Jakarta, such as traffic congestion, flooding, inequitable development, and others.
Therefore, Gaus who is also a member of Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) affirmed that spatial design is a crucial topic in creating the National Capital Law.
Moreover, the goal of the nation's capital is not only for the next 10 to 20 years but also to answer the challenges in the next 50 years, he highlighted.
"Hopefully, under the leadership of Jokowi, the relocation of the capital city will be realized. At the very least, with the IKN Bill, there is certainly a legitimacy tool of the government's and the House's sincerity about it," Gaus explained.
Furthermore, he revealed that his team had held a public hearing for five days, and currently, the discussion of the IKN Bill has reached the problem inventory stage.
"The special committee has invited scientists and experts from many fields to give inputs and suggestions. This is also a part of being transparent and accountable in our discussion," he concluded. (Antaranews)
January
No vaccine-related fatality in Indonesia so far: KIPI Commission
Written by Nur Yasmin
The National Commission (Komnas) for KIPI (adverse event following immunization - AEFI) has said there has been no death caused by COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia so far.
"As of November 30, 202, as many as 363 serious AEFIs have been reported in all provinces in Indonesia. However, there have been no deaths," Komnas KIPI Chairman Prof Hindra Irawan Satari said in a statement here on Saturday.
He issued the statement in response to news that two children had died after receiving COVID-19 vaccine in Jombang and Bone Districts respectively.
On behalf of the government, Safari expressed deep condolences for the deaths. The government hoped that such incidents would not happen again in the future, he added.
As a credible and independent institution, Komnas KIPI was tasked with conducting causal studies. Accurate, complete and fast reports can help to establish a diagnosis, according to him.
He said that he had carried out a joint audit with the local offices of Komnas KIPI and the local Health Offices on December 30, 2021. After being investigated, the results showed that both deaths were not related to the COVID-19 vaccination.
"The death case in Jombang District was concluded to be unclassifiable or having insufficient data. Meanwhile, the death in Bone District was because of congenital heart disease," he said.
Spokesperson for Vaccination of the Ministry of Health Siti Nadia Tarmizi said that anticipating the occurrence of AEFI is one of the government's focuses.
Hence, Komnas KIPI would always cooperate with the local KIPI offices to continue to monitor and provide education to the public, he said.
"For vaccination recipients who feel post-vaccination side effects, they can come directly to the health service facility where the vaccination was carried out to report. No conditions are needed," he said. (Antaranews)
January
Indonesian national football team goes home with honor: ambassador
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Indonesian National Football Team (Timnas) who has completed the 2020 AFF Cup match in Singapore has returned to the country on Sunday with pride, Indonesia's Ambassador to Singapore, Suryopratomo, has said.
According to him, the national football team under the coaching of Shin Tae-Yong could advance until the summit of the biannual tournament.
Suryopratomo also thanked the national team , which consisted of Asnawi Mangkualam and his teammates. at a hotel in Singapore as he bid farewell to the team
"You have shown an extraordinary fight and pride for all of Indonesia. Even though you did not win as a champion, you have united the nation and built hope to a better football achievement," the ambassador said in a press release.
He expected all Timnas players to diligently train and spur themselves to achieve the highest achievements.
"Your journey is still long. Elkan Baggott, Alfeandra Dewangga, Witan Sulaiman, Pratama Arhan, Ramai Rumakiek, and others have six to ten years to gain a higher achievement," he said.
He also praised Shin Tae-Yong as the Timnas coach in developing better Indonesian football sports.
Shin Tae-Yong's young team formation has made football lovers support the team together.
Meanwhile, Garuda Timnas manager Sumardji expressed his gratitude for the support given by the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore.
"The Indonesian Embassy in Singapore helped a lot in procuring equipment for weight training that was needed by the team," Senior Commissioner Sumardji added.
Shin Tae-Yong was grateful for the attention and support to his team. The Indonesian Embassy in Singapore was very helpful for the coaching team to run the training program, according to him.
All the players have returned to the country, except Baggott, a center-back who will fly to London on Sunday night.
In Saturday night's final match (Jan 1), the national team played out a 2-2 (1-0) draw against Thailand and had to settle for being a runner-up. In the last match, Ricky Kambuaya was selected as the best player, and Timnas was awarded the Fair Play Team. (Antaranews)
January
Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has temporarily banned coal exports from January 1 to 31, 2022, to ensure the availability of coal stocks for domestic power plants.
The export ban is aimed at the holders of mining business permits (IUPs) and coal mine company work contracts (PKP2Bs), Director Ggeneral of Mineral and Coal at the ministry Ridwan Jamaludin informed in a statement here on Saturday.
Declining coal supply could affect more than 10 million customers of state-run electric company PT PLN (Persero), he explained.
This figure constitutes both the general public and the industry, he elaborated.
If the export ban is not enforced, it could cause an outage at 20 coal-fired power stations generating 10.850 megawatts of power, he said.
"This could potentially disturb the stability of the national economy. When the coal supply for the power plants is enough or returns to normal, then we can export," Jamaludin informed.
"We will evaluate it after January 5, 2022," he said.
The government has reminded coal entrepreneurs to fulfill their commitment to supplying coal to PLN, he added.
However, in practice, the coal supply for PLN has been below the obligated coal sale percentage for domestic requirement (DMO) each month, he pointed out.
This caused PLN to experience a coal supply deficit at the end of 2021, he informed.
According to Jamaludin, a secure coal supply at PLN's coal-fired power station is above 20 days of operation.
Until January 1, 2022, of the 5.1 million metric tons targeted by the government, only 35 thousand metric tons were delivered, or less than one percent, he noted.
"This figure could not fulfill the need of every power plant. If we do not make a strategic move, there will be a widespread power outage," he affirmed.
The government has issued the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministerial Decision No. 139.K/HK.02/MEM.B/2021 that specifically regulates the obligation to fulfill domestic coal demand, which is at least 25 percent of the agreed production plan, he said.
Meanwhile, the price of coal for the provision of electric power for the general public is US$70 per metric ton, he added.
Jamaludin emphasized that complying with the obligation to fulfill domestic coal demand would preserve the investment climate and the national economy.
In addition, he informed that coal entrepreneurs understood and supported the policy of temporarily banning coal exports to support domestic coal demand.
As a coal entrepreneur, he urged PLN to fix the coal supply procurement mechanism in order to improve it.
"At the same time, we also ask PLN to make an effort and take a step to support a quality and reliable electric energy provision for all of Indonesia," he remarked. (Antaranews)
January
Realization of infrastructure spending for 2021 reaches 94.21 percent
Written by Nur Yasmin
The budget realization for infrastructure spending in 2021 was recorded at 94.21 percent until the end of December, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR).
PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono reminded his staff to continue to enhance the quality of budget spending by taking into account the three principles of budget reform: economic or less spending, effective or spending well, and efficient or spending wisely.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, economic growth experienced a decline due to a decrease in investment, including exports and imports. Hence, to support economic growth, the government relies on budget spending for infrastructure development," Minister Basuki noted in a written statement received here on Saturday.
The ministry has continues its work program by spending on infrastructure in PUPR-related areas, such as the construction and maintenance of dams, irrigation, roads, bridges, sanitation, drinking water systems, regional planning, infrastructure in strategic tourism areas, houses for low-income people in the context of improving competitiveness, as well as supporting the National Economic Recovery (PEN) Program due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on monitoring data until December 31, 2021, some Rp143.29 trillion, or 94.21 percent of the total budget ceiling of Rp152.09 trillion for 2021 has been absorbed for the program.
The 2021 budget includes a budget for the infrastructure development program with the Cash Intensive Work (PKT) scheme. The program includes the construction of small irrigation, sanitation, production roads, and self-help houses.
The program has absorbed 89.59 percent of the budget, or as much as Rp21.74 trillion. The budget realization has absorbed 1.52 million workers from the total budgeted Rp24.27 trillion for the Cash Intensive Program, with a target of absorbing 1.23 million workers.
"The Cash-Intensive Program at the ministry is implemented through infrastructure development that involves local communities as development actors, especially for the development of small-scale infrastructure or simple jobs that do not require technology," Minister Basuki noted.
The minister emphasized that this program aims to distribute funds to villages, maintain the people's purchasing power and absorb labor. The ministry's 20 activities are expected to accelerate the PEN Program after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apart from the Cash-Intensive Program, the ministry also has four other programs to support the national economic recovery, including a tourism development support program of Rp3.01 trillion that has absorbed 99.12 percent of the budget and a food security program of Rp24.82 trillion that has absorbed 96.39 percent of the budget. Moreover, the support program for development of the Batang Integrated Industrial Estate of Rp1.7 trillion, with an absorption of 98.85 percent, while the last is Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) of Rp162 billion that has absorbed 97.62 percent of the budget. (Antaranews)
January
Some 68 additional confirmed cases of Omicron were recorded in Indonesia on December 31, 2021, the Health Ministry’s spokesperson, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, noted in a statement here on Saturday.
"Thus, the total number of confirmed Omicron cases in Indonesia has reached 136," she stated.
The spokesperson noted that the 68 new patients comprised international travelers. Out of the total figure, some 11 were Indonesian citizens.
"Most of them just arrived from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States," she noted.
With regard to the patients’ condition, 29 were asymptomatic, 29 exhibited mild symptoms, one showed moderate symptoms, while the condition of the rest was still unclear.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has forecast that based on the transmission rate and the risk of severity of the virus, the new Omicron variant can be causal to a swifter surge in the number of cases as compared to the Delta strain.
Moreover, Tarmizi stated that despite the high transmission rate of the Omicron variant, it had a low risk of causing serious illness.
"However, so far, there is a lower bed occupancy rate at health facilities as compared to the peak period of transmission of the Delta variant," she remarked.
Nonetheless, the people should stay vigilant since the situation may change quickly.
"Hence, COVID-19 prevention and mitigation endeavors must continue to be made,” Tarmizi emphasized.
Furthermore, the spokesperson urged the public to refrain from traveling to countries with very high transmission of the Omicron variant, such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
"Please, do not be selfish. You must refrain from traveling abroad. We must work together to protect the people around us from COVID-19. Let us hold back (from having a vacation abroad)," she added.
Taking into account the fact that the Omicron variant can spread quickly, the government has planned to administer booster vaccination to the general public in January 2022.
Earlier, the booster doses were only given to medical workers. (Antaranews)
January
Ministry endorses Indonesia's G20 priority agendas
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Communication and Information Technology Ministry has said it will support Indonesia's priority agendas at the G20 forum.
"Indonesia, through the Communication and Information Technology Ministry, will prioritize three issues in the Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) (meetings)," spokesperson for the ministry, Dedy Permadi, said in a press statement released on Friday.
Apart from holding the G20 Presidency, Indonesia has been elected to lead the first Digital Economy Working Group, he noted.
At the Digital Economy Working Group meeting, the ministry will bring up three priority issues: connectivity and post-COVID-19 recovery, digital skills and digital literacy, and cross-border and trust-based free data flow, he informed.
"These three issues are expected to highlight the unequal digital economy landscape and can encourage concrete collaboration among the G20 member countries to create a more inclusive, secure, and sustainable digital economy ecosystem for the global world," Permadi remarked.
The discussions on the issues will aim to support the overall priority agenda of Indonesia's G20 Presidency, the spokesperson said. One of the priority agendas proposed by Indonesia during the Presidency is digital transformation, he noted.
The three priority agendas of Indonesia's G20 Presidency comprise the global health architecture, digital and economic transformation, and energy transition, he said.
The majority of G20 member countries have expressed support for the agenda and priority issues raised by the Indonesian Presidency and DEWG, he added.
Indonesia's Presidency of the G20 is expected to encourage real collaboration between member countries to create a more equitable and sustainable digital transformation, Permadi said. This collaboration will entail joint efforts to recover and reinforce resilience together, he added.
Digital transformation is expected to diminish the digital divide, both in terms of access to connectivity, people's digital skills, and the use of cross-border data, he informed.
Digital transformation is also expected to bolster economic resilience during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, he added. (Antaranews)