VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 11 - The unemployment rate has risen significantly in Indonesia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Manpower Minister Ida Fauziah said.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of unemployed people increased by 1.84 percent to 9.7 million, with the open unemployment rate reaching 7 percent, in August, 2020 compared to a year earlier, she said while opening competency-based training for the budget year 2021 at the Surakarta job training center on Wednesday.

"In the previous five years, we managed to keep down the unemployment rate to 4.99 percent in February, 2020," she remarked.

In August, 2020, the number of unemployed people just in Central Java had reached 1.21 million, an increase of 396 thousand compared to the previous year, she said quoting BPS data.

"The unemployment rate rose significantly by 2.04 percent compared to the previous year. Around 3.97 million working-age people in Central Java are believed to have been affected by the pandemic," she added.

She said the pandemic has no doubt added to the issues faced by the manpower sector, in addition to the existing challenges related to the quality of human resources, competency, and productivity.

National data shows nearly 57 percent of employed people graduated from junior high school and below, with limited skills, she informed.

"For Central Java province, the percentage of employed people with low education is higher at 65 percent," he said.

She expressed the hope that all parties would collaborate and synergize to resolve the latest problem in the manpower sector. (Antaranews)

Mar. 10 - Chairman of the Indonesian Nephrology Association (PERNEFRI) Dr Aida Lydia emphasized that hypertension and diabetes medications consumed by people must be based on a doctor's recommendation to avoid kidney damage.

"The medications for hypertension and diabetes do not damage the kidneys. What damages the kidneys is the disease itself. It is not the drugs," Lydia stated during a virtual media briefing themed "Commemoration of World Kidney Day 2021" here on Wednesday.

The association’s chairman cautioned that the continuous intake of painkillers without the doctor's recommendation could increase the risk of kidney problems.

Hence, Lydia has advised people with hypertension and diabetes, which are the most common causes of kidney failure, to keep the disease in check to prevent complications arising in other organs, including the kidneys.

In addition to a healthy lifestyle coupled with proper dietary intake and physical activity, medication and timely blood checkups are crucial in treating both diseases.

"Diabetes and hypertension must be kept in control, for which one can start by adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet according to the doctor's recommendation. If that is not sufficient, the patients can take medications. Medications for diabetes and hypertension recommended (by doctors) are safe. Today, there are many good options in terms of the available drugs," Lydia stated.

The doctor dismissed the prevalent public perception that the symptoms of blood pressure or blood sugar are apparent, so checkups were not necessary, as the patients would become aware once their blood pressure or blood sugar levels spiked.

Meanwhile, speaking in connection with kidney failure, Lydia revealed that in the early stages, the disease was generally asymptomatic. Hence, patients visiting the doctor were generally those whose condition was severe and when their kidney functioning had dropped significantly and had begun experiencing acute complications. In such situations, the available treatment options were limited.

Hence, Lydia stressed on the significance of disseminating information on kidney disease, complications, management, and treatment options for people with chronic kidney disease before the ailment reached its final stage. Patients and their families must be involved in every decision made on the patient's health condition by prioritizing the role, values, priorities, and goals of the patient.

Global epidemiological data indicated that one in 10 people in the world suffered from chronic kidney disease, while nine out of 10 people were unaware of having kidney problems.

Based on the Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) in 2013, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Indonesia was two per 1000 population and had climbed to 3.8 per 1000 population in 2018, or nearly doubled.

In the meantime, PERNEFRI screening in 2006 involving 12 thousand people found the prevalence of chronic kidney disease to have reached 12.5 percent. (Antaranews)

Mar. 10 - Core zones in conservation areas can be changed to serve national strategic interests only if the changes take biodiversity and ecosystem conservation into account, according to the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry.

“Changes to the core zones are only going to be allowed (if they seek) to serve the national strategy and support a better life for people at large by always conserving the ecosystem,” director general of marine space management at the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, Tb Haeru Rahayu, said in a press statement issued on Wednesday.

After the issuance of government regulation number 27 of 2021, the directorate general of marine space management is drafting several regulations to implement the new rules, which pertain to making changes to the status of core zones in conservation areas, terms and conditions for construction, placement and demolition of buildings and installations at sea, and control of salt imports.

According to the directives issued by Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, regulation number 27 of 2021 is part of the government's efforts to solve the issue of overlapping regulations which obstruct investment.

The new regulation is also aimed at protecting marine and fishery resources, including coral reefs, so that they can be well-managed, he said.

To change core zones in conservation areas, the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister will have to set up an integrated research team comprising personnel from the ministry and related ministries and institutions to propose a national strategic project.

Members of the research team will also be drawn from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), institutes of higher learning, provincial governments, district governments, non-governmental organizations, local social institutes, and locals living near the conservation areas.

"The integrated research team will conduct a study and consult the public. The recommendation from the integrated research team will serve as the basis for the minister to re-endorse the change in the status of the core zone and/or the category of the conservation area," Rahayu said.

A change in the status of core zone and the category of conservation areas will not reduce the allocation of space for conservation areas in the plan for the zoning of coastal areas and islets (RZWP-3-K), the plan for the zoning of inter-regional areas (RZ-KAW), the plan for the zoning of certain strategic national areas (RZ KSNT), or the space pattern in the national marine/spatial layout plan, he added. (Antaranews)

Mar. 10 - Australia will subsidise 800,000 domestic flights, help its two main airlines and offer cheap loans to small tourism operators as part of A$1.2 billion ($921 million) package to revive the travel sector, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will say on Thursday.

Tourism is one of Australia’s biggest industries, worth more than A$60 billion and employing about 5% of the country’s workforce. But the sector was crippled when the country shut its international borders in March 2020 to curtail the spread of COVID-19 - leaving tens of thousands of people on the country’s wage-subsidy scheme.

Seeking to prop up the industry when the subsidy scheme ends this month, Morrison will pledge another stimulus package for the travel sector, according to extracts of an announcement seen by Reuters.

Morrison will say Australia will subsidise the flights of 800,000 domestic flights between Apr. 1 and July 31 while its international borders remain closed. It will pay 50% of the cost of flying to 13 destinations, he will say. Airlines have agreed to provide additional flights to those places.

“This is our ticket to recovery - 800,000 half-price air fares to get Australians travelling,” Morrison will say.

The premier will also say that his government will provide financial support to Qantas and Virgin Airways between Apr. 1 and Oct. 31 - when international flights are expected to resume.

Morrison did not disclose the scale of the funds, which will be used to keep 8,600 workers employed, planes in “flight-ready condition” and international passenger services at a pre-pandemic levels.

Australia will also offer loans of up to A$5 million to tourism businesses such as tour companies, with two-year repayment holidays, the prime minister will say.

“We need Australians to do their patriotic duty and book a holiday this year,” trade minister Dan Tehan will say. (Reuters)