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August
Better Disaster Mitigation Expected If Disaster Mitigation Bill is Ratified
Written by Maryati
Indonesia is a country with a high potential of natural disaster. When disaster happens, it takes lots of lives. Many casualties make people wonder how the mitigation is done by the government and the people.
Indonesia has several laws about disaster handling. There is a law number 24/2007 on Disaster Mitigation. This law mandates the state to handle disaster. However, it is still deemed to have weaknesses so that disaster mitigation efforts until now are judged not maximal.
So far, the disaster risk handling in Indonesia has not been systematically implemented in specific and various disaster domains. The handling is mainly executed during emergency, reactive when disaster hits, with minimum data and information, not done proactively to prevent and reduce the impacts on the disaster risks.
Central government had issued policies on disaster risk handling in the form of regulations and laws, but in their implementation, they have not included proper mechanisms, mainly in regions or regencies.
Region’s capacity in handling disaster risk is still imperfect. Regional policy in disaster mitigation is not integrated yet in the Regional Budget. Until now, uncertain direction and policy are reflected in the reactive and emergency actions in facing disaster risks.
President Joko Widodo in a National Coordination Meeting on Disaster Mitigation 2020 in Sentul, Bogor, West Java some time ago asked the related ministers to strengthen the disaster mitigation. Following the president's instruction in disaster mitigation strengthening and management, the Ministry of Social Affairs has prepared some measures. Basically, the Ministry supported and encouraged Disaster Mitigation Bill discussion that is included in the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).
The key substances in the bill are disaster handling procedures such as prevention, mitigation, emergency alert, emergency response, emergency transition, reconstruction, and rehabilitation.
Besides, related parties’ involvement is necessary in handling disaster. Until now, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency had performed maximally. Still, disaster impact is quite great. Therefore, the bill discussion needs to be paid serious attention to a more systematic mechanism and all related parties can be coordinated.
The Disaster Mitigation Bill is expected to be ratified this year. So, it can be implemented during disaster and the impact will not be so massive.
August
This week marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. The bombings were the world’s first nuclear attack ever, which took hundreds of thousands of lives and resulted in many further casualties due to the nuclear radiation.
Referring to world history, on August 5, 1945, an allied or rather American aircraft, the B-29 Flying Superfortress flew over the city of Hiroshima in Japan. The plane was carrying 'Little Boy', the nickname for the nuclear bomb capable of releasing an equivalent to 12,500 tonnes of TNT dynamite. Another bomb codenamed "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki three days later with roughly the same impact.
Every year, a commemoration is held of the bombing in Hiroshima which took a very devastating toll. Not only local people, but also foreign visitors from other parts of the world are also willing to come there to recollect the most terrible tragedy in the world. They want to see how powerful the atomic bomb explosion was as well as pray for the victims who died.
Now, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is a historical place, a tourism destination that is visited by many foreign tourists. In a way you can call it a blessing in disguise, especially for the Japanese tourism. In fact, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has been on the TripAdvisor list for the second year in a row as the most visited place. Hiroshima seems to be a message of peace to the world. It is a proof of how the destruction of cities and the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent people were due to the war interests.
This place is also touted as a place of real learning on how nuclear can be very dangerously devastated if used as a weapon of war, especially when the nuclear is in the wrong hands.
Even though it still brings a deep sorrow, Hiroshima is now a place where humans learn to appreciate others’ lives
August
The world was shocked by the devastating explosion that occurred in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on Tuesday 4 August. At least 78 people died and more than 4,000 were injured in the blast located in the port area.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said that there was one Indonesian citizen who was injured but the condition was stable. In Lebanon, there are more than 1400 Indonesian citizens, consisting of the community and extended family of the Indonesian Embassy and Indonesian Military troops, members of the Garuda contingent in the UN Peace Keeping Mission..
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said 2,750kg of ammonium nitrate, which is agricultural fertilizer, is suspected to be the cause of the incident. The fertilizer had been stored for years in a warehouse by the sea and triggered a quite powerful blast.
Lebanon's Head of Public Security, Abbas Ibrahim, said several years ago the "high explosive material" had actually been secured. The material is stored in a warehouse located a few minutes walk from the nightlife district and shopping centers. Why such a big explosion occured, the cause is still being investigated. So massive was the incident that the explosion could be heard in neighboring Cyprus .
Of course what happened in Beirut was very alarming. This incident no doubt is a shared lesson that national or even international safety will depend on the element of caution and compliance of all parties to safety protocols and handling of explosive, hazardous materials such as ammonium nitrate.
August
On 2 July 2020, the Toba Caldera or better known as Lake Toba was designated as the UNESCO Global Geopark at the 209th Session of the UNESCO Executive Council in Paris, France. At that time, the Government of Indonesia succeeded in convincing the United Nations Agency for Education, Science and Culture that the Toba Caldera has high geological links and traditional heritage with local communities, especially in terms of culture and biodiversity.
In addition to the Toba Caldera or Lake Toba, there is another earth park in Indonesia which is also proposed as a UNESCO Global Geopark, the Maros-Pangkep Earth Park in South Sulawesi. Through the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO on Sunday (2/8) officially submitted a letter of request that the Maros-Pangkep Earth Park in South Sulawesi could become a UNESCO Global Geopark.
The letters and files signed directly by Daily Chairperson of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, Prof. Arief Rachman were addressed directly to the Secretary of the UNESCO International Geoscience and Geoparks Program (IGGP) in Paris, France. General Manager of Maros-Pangkep Geopark, Dedy Irfan, Sunday (2/8) said that his side was very grateful for the response from the central government that sent submissions for membership of Maros-Pangkep Geopark in UNESCO's Global Geopark.
Maros-Pangkep Earth Park has been designated as a national geopark since 24 November 2017. The status was granted by the Indonesian National Geopark Committee at the Belitung Geopark National Seminar with the presentation of a certificate. The certificate is also the main requirement for the Maros-Pangkep Geopark to be submitted as a UNESCO Global Geopark. One reason is that because the area of more than 43 thousand hectares is a karst area, which is an expanse of ancient rock ranks called the second most beautiful karst area in the world after China. The karst region also holds a large geological wealth.
Until now, there have been four geo-parks or Earth Park in Indonesia that have been designated as UNESCO Global Park. They are Mount Batur in Bali, Sewu Mountains in Yogyakarta, Ciletuh Palabuhan Ratu in West Java, Mount Rinjani in West Nusa Tenggara and the Toba Caldera or Lake Toba on Samosir Island, North Sumatra.
A lot of benefits are obtained from the entry of Indonesian National Geopark as a UNESCO Global Geopark. One of them is in terms of tourism development; the geopark will be increasingly known to the world. Of course, this will increase the number of tourist visits. The government will certainly pay more attention to the development of tourism in the geopark, which can indirectly provide employment opportunities and increase income for the local community. In terms of environmental preservation, the area designated as UNESCO Global Park can function to preserve natural resources, conservation activities, and educate the public.
Hopefully, the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO can convince the UN agency to make the Maros-Pangkep Earth Park the next UNESCO Global Geopark Indonesia. The stipulation is expected to encourage economic development and sustainable development in the region. Through sustainable development, of course, there will be opportunities for local communities to promote local culture and products and create broader employment opportunities. However, at the same time, the government and local communities also have an obligation to improve and continue to preserve the environment and intactness in the region.
July
The United States is scheduled to withdraw nearly 12,000 troops from Germany in what has been described as a 'strategic' repositioning of troops in Europe. Around 6,400 troops will be withdrawn, and the rest will be transferred to other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries such as Italy and Belgium.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday (29/7) that the move was a response to Germany's failure to meet NATO targets related to spending on defense. Trump has long asked that European NATO members provide more defense budget for themselves. According to Trump NATO members should no longer depend so much on the US to bear the costs of maintaining an alliance. The target agreed by all NATO members on defense spending must reach 2% of GDP by 2024. Germany, along with many other countries, has not met this target.
However, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper gave a different tone when announcing the decision. He said the move was part of a broader plan to reposition US troops in the region. That step is a major strategic and positive change that will no doubt reach core principles. Namely to increase the defense power of the United States and NATO against Russia. This step will reduce the US military presence in Germany by more than 25%. A squadron of fighter jets will be moved to Italy while some troops can be moved to Poland.
The decision to withdraw US troops from Germany in large numbers turned out to have been criticized not only in Germany but also from within the US. The Chair of the German Foreign Affairs Committee said the US decision would weaken the NATO alliance. Meanwhile, there is also bipartisan criticism in Washington. Democratic Senator Jack Reed said the withdrawal of troops was detrimental to the interests of the United States itself. Republican Senator Mitt Romney described the decision as "a big mistake, and a slap in the face of a friend and ally.
July
The statement of WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus, Monday (4/27), that the Corona pandemic is far from over, has shaken many parties. According to WHO, Corona virus or Covid19 has changed the world. Since it was discovered late last December until now the number of infected continues to fluctuate. WHO calls this the worst health emergency the world has ever faced. Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he would re-convene the WHO emergency committee this week to conduct a review.
When referring to the course of human history, Covid 19 is not the first outbreak to attack mankind. Throughout history, human life has been influenced by various infectious diseases. But Covid19 has separated connected regions and countries due to physical or Social distancing and lockdown meant to break the spread of the virus. This has had a severe economic impact throughout the world. When WHO said that the covid-19 challenge was far from over, what needs to be done is adjustments. Life continues to rotate. The economy of each country must still revolve. But as of Monday (7/27/2020), more than 16 million cases of Covid-19 have been reported since January, with more than 650,000 deaths. In fact, many countries do not enter the same phase in facing the outbreak. Some are entering the second lockdown phase. However, there are countries that have sought the so-called New Normal Order though the number of infected is still increasing.
For this reason, the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) is needed to oversee, initiate any protocol development that might be needed. Compliance in running the Covid 19 protocol simultaneously which inevitably changes a lot of world habits, seems to be a key word in order to adjust to a pandemic situation. So that countries can continue to turn the wheels of their economy amid a pandemic like today.
July
The Indonesian Government and the House of Representatives –DPR agreed to keep holding regional elections simultaneously, even in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic. According to the plan, the election will be held on December 9, 2020 in 270 regions throughout Indonesia, covering 9 Provinces, 224 districts, and 37 cities.
Even though it is to be held amid the Covid-19 pandemic, all Indonesian people, especially in the regions to carry out the elections, are expected to make it successful. Acting Secretary General of Home Affairs Ministry, Muhammad Hudori said in Jakarta, Sunday (26/7) that the simultaneous Election 2020 is a national agenda. This national strategic program must be implemented successfully.
The simultaneous election in 2020 will continue to be held after being delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was originally to be carried out on September 23, but was postponed to December 9, 2020.
Meanwhile, the campaign will take place from September 26 to December 5, 2020. Chairperson of the General Elections Commission, Arief Budiman stated in Surabaya, East Java Sunday (26/7) that the open campaign in the elections next must follow the health protocols. For example, every voting booth must be attended by a maximum of 40 percent of the capacity of the place or room. In addition, for direct campaign activities, the campaigners must also have recommendations from the task force for handling Covid-19.
To ensure mutual safety amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the implementation of the 2020 Regional Head Election also gets an additional budget from the government that will be used at each stage to provide personal protective equipment, vitamins and rapid tests for officials so as not to contract the Covid-19 virus while working.
The regional head elections this time is indeed different from previous ones. Because it is carried out under abnormal conditions when Indonesia, like other countries in the world, is still dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, in addition to being carried out in accordance with democratic principles, this year's Regional Head Election must also prioritize health protocols to ensure safety.
Hopefully, the 2020 simultaneous regional elections can be carried out safely, peacefully and successfully, and result in qualified regional heads.
July
After fighting against Covid19 pandemic since December 2019, many countries are now entering the recession stage.
Australia announced that the country's economic growth would shrink and the budget deficit would be the largest since the Second World War. This condition occurs because of the impact of the corona virus pandemic that infects the world. Quoted from AFP, the Australian government revealed that the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted 7 percent in the second quarter of 2020 or the April-June period. This contraction has the potential to push Australia into the brink of economic recession for the first time in nearly three decades. Finance Minister Josh Frydenberg said the budget deficit would surge and the Australian government had rolled around 289 billion Australian dollars in economic stimulus to protect the country from the effects of the pandemic. This funding includes support for workers, businesses and retirees. Australia's unemployment rate is currently the highest in two decades at 7.4 percent, expected to peak at around 9.3 percent in December 2020.
Apart from Australia, South Korea also officially experienced a recession in the second quarter, which has been the country's worst economic downturn in more than two decades with exports having fallen sharply due to the corona virus pandemic crisis. Singapore is also officially hit by a recession. The country experienced minus economic growth for two consecutive quarters due to the Corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Executive Director of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF), Tauhid Ahmad in Jakarta, said that those estimated to experience a recession in the second quarter of 2020 are the European Union (EU) countries.
Recessions can affect a number of people who would lose their jobs or are more difficult to get new opportunities and promotions. There will be fewer vacancies available for new graduates looking for a first job. Those who continue to work may not experience salary increases, have to work longer hours or receive salary deductions.
It is hoped that governments around the world are ready and able to face the economic recession that has occurred due to the Covid 19 pandemic. So that the adverse effects caused can be minimized and not prolonged.
July
European Union Commitments anticipate the impact of Covid 19
Written by Maryati
After going through four-day discussion and argumentation, the EU leaders finally reached an important agreement to overcome the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. The European Union summit which ended on Tuesday, July 21 agreed to raise around 2 trillion euros to deal with the problem. Although it was hampered by Hungary and Poland, European Council President Charles Michel said the summit was a success. The 4-day marathon discussion finally succeeded in providing new hope for handling the Covid 19 impacts. French President Emanuel Macron even said that the results of the summit this time was a historic moment for the European Union.
Funds of around 2 trillion Euros which were agreed by the EU leaders will be channeled in the form of grants and loans, for EU members who need it due to significant impacts from the Covid19 pandemic. However, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had expressed disappointment because of budget cuts for research and innovation.
The commitment and agreement of EU leaders is noteworthy as a joint success in dealing with Covid-19 and its impact. Leaders have used the organization they formed to discuss urgent and important issues related to the Covid19 pandemic. The provisions of the summit could serve as examples for other regional organizations in viewing and resolving the problem which has hit almost every country in the world. For organizations outside the European Union, different views and commitments are often an obstacle for reaching agreement. The European Union is fortunate because none of its member states are involved in conflicts, let alone civil war, as is the case in other regions of the world. The economic conditions of the main buffer countries of the European Union, such as Germany and France, are quite capable of contributing to the realization of funding commitments and joint efforts.
Covid 19, in a number of European Union countries, is believed to have begun subsiding. However, anticipating the impact in the future, especially in the economic field must indeed be considered as the EU leaders did.
July
Indonesian Government Encourages Investment amid Covid-19 Pandemic
Written by Maryati
The Investment Coordinating Board is targeting to attract foreign investors to invest in Indonesia amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Spokesperson for the Investment Committee, Tina Talisa in a discussion held by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency in Jakarta, Friday (17/07) said that the target is in accordance with President Joko Widodo's announcement last June 30th. At that time, the President revealed there were seven foreign companies that are interested in relocating investment to Indonesia, including companies from Thailand, Malaysia, and China. The Investment Coordinating Board has the task to catch the investment relocation signal.
The government focuses on encouraging the realization of industrial sector investment in the country, both from foreign and local investors. This strategic step aims to strengthen the manufacturing structure in the country so that it can strengthen the supply chain and competitiveness.
Head of the Ministry of Industry Data and Information Center, Janu Suryanto said that he would continue to oversee investment in the industrial sector. Therefore, the investment is believed to spur production capacity to meet the needs of the domestic market to export.
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the achievement of Foreign Investment during the first quarter of 2020 reached only Rp 98 trillion, a decrease of 7 percent compared to the realization of the same period in 2019.
Attracting foreign investment, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, is certainly not easy. Reformative steps are needed. Satu Kahkonen, World Bank Representative Head for Indonesia and Timor Leste, in a virtual discussion on the Indonesia Economic Prospects, Thursday (16/7) said that to rebuild Indonesia's economy, there are three key reforms.
First, there is a removal of business restrictions through the Omnibus Law so that it can remove obstacles for investors to enter Indonesia. Second, reformation of State-Owned Enterprises is needed to promote investment. While the third point is that it’s necessary to accelerate tax policy.
According to Satu Kahkonen, Indonesia is currently experiencing a huge gap in the realm of infrastructure. This cannot be overcome solely based on public funds or the State Revenue Budget. The World Bank Representative for Indonesia and Timor Leste said that Indonesia must be able to mobilize finance from the private sector.