VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 25 -  Fires have laid to waste 248.95 hectares of land and forests in Riau province since early this year, chief of the Riau Provincial Natural Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD), Edwar Sanger, said here on Tuesday.

Bengkalis district was hit the hardest, with 82 hectares of peatland catching fire, according to data provided by the BPBD.

The land and forest fires also damaged 45 hectares of land in Siak district, 40 hectares in Dumai City, 40 hectares in Indragiri Hilir district, 26 hectares in Pelalawan district, 4 hectares in Meranti Islands district, 5 hectares in Indragiri Hulu district, and 5 hectares in Rokan Hilir district.

Riau Governor Syamsuar has declared an emergency standby status for land and forest fires from mid-February to October 31, 2021.

"We have also fielded a joint team of personnel from the Indonesian military, police, and BPBD, not to mention firefighters from companies surrounding the scene of fires," he informed.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Station in Pekanbaru reported on Tuesday morning that the Tera and Aqua satellites have detected 20 hotspots indicating land and forest fires in Sumatra, of which 15 were located in Riau.

In Riau, 10 hotspots have been detected in Siak, 2 in Dumai, 2 in Palawan, and 1 in Indragiri Hilir.

Riau Vice Governor Edy Narat Nasution has appealed to all sides to assist the local government in fighting land and forest fires.

“If the land and forest fires are widespread, (firefighting) will be costly. The cost may run into trillions of rupiahs, much time will be spent, and more personnel will have to be involved to put out the fires. So preventive measures must be taken from now on,” he said. (Antaranews)

Feb. 25 - Deputy Minister of Trade Jerry Sambuaga expressed belief that the free trade agreement will boost the diversification of exports from the perspective of products and destination regions.

"There is a need to diversify, both in terms of the destination country and type of product, one way for it being through the trade deal. The trade agreement will provide incentive, in terms of tariff and non-tariff, for several Indonesian export products," Sambuaga noted during a webinar on Economic Diplomacy for National Leader organized by the central bank, Bank Indonesia.

In a statement here on Wednesday, Sambuaga remarked that Indonesia’s top 10 export products had contributed over 59 percent to the country's total export value, and 10 top importer countries, with 60 percent of the contribution to Indonesia's exports.

"For instance, the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) offers zero-percent tariff for some 6,900 Indonesian products. Similarly, with other trade deals, this is an opportunity for alternative products to grow," he expounded.

Additionally, the trade agreement will open up new markets for Indonesia. The country has targeted Africa and South America as potential markets in addition to East Europe, Southeast Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East.

Indonesia finalized the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Mozambique that is projected to help the country make inroads into potential markets in central and southern parts of Africa.

"In South America, we have the Indonesia-Chile CEPA that has proven to significantly increase the benefits of the letter of origin. Hence, Indonesia could penetrate other markets around the country," he remarked.

Indonesia's exports to some potential regions have grown considerably in January. Exports to South Africa grew 138.15 percent year-on-year (yoy) and 57.7 percent yoy to East Africa.

Export to other regions that have trade deals with Indonesia also increased, including to Southeast Asia, with a growth of 10.86 percent, and Australia, 22.77 percent.

"Market expansion and wider access for alternative products to the market will also attract both domestic and foreign investors. Hence, economic growth would be followed by labor absorption and improvement of the people's welfare," he stated. (Antaranews)

Feb. 25 - All international travelers, including Indonesian nationals, entering Indonesian territory will have to compulsorily undergo five-day self-isolation at government-designated facilities from now on, a Health Ministry official said.

The guideline has been included in the COVID-19 Handling Task Force’s Circular No. 8 of 2021 on health protocols for international travelers amid the pandemic, the ministry's sub-coordinator for the territorial health quarantine and land border cross post, I Made Yosi Purbadi Wirentana, said during an online discussion held here on Wednesday.

"The obligation to follow health protocols for international travelers applies not only to foreign nationals, but also Indonesian nationals," he added.

The preventive screening of foreign and Indonesian nationals traveling to Indonesia will start from an examination in the country of origin and end with an examination at the self-isolation facility, he said.

All foreign or Indonesian nationals traveling to Indonesia will be required to secure a negative RT-PCR test certificate, issued a maximum of three days prior to departure, he informed.

Upon arrival in Indonesia, international travelers will need to undergo another RT-PCR test and a mandatory five-day centralized quarantine, he said.

International travelers categorized as Indonesian migrant workers, students, and government officers will be required to undergo a five-day quarantine at the Pandemangan House in Jakarta upon arrival.

Meanwhile, Indonesian citizens outside the category and foreign nationals will be required to quarantine at 20 recommended hotels for 20 days at their own expense.

International travelers will have to undergo another RT-PCR test after completing the five-day quarantine. If they test negative for COVID-19, then they will be allowed to proceed with their journey in the country.

If both the first and second RT-PCR tests show positive results, they will be referred to a COVID-19 hospital. The government will only bear the medical bills of Indonesian nationals, while foreign nationals would have to pay the treatment costs themselves.

Foreign nationals who hold diplomatic visas, and official visas related to official or state visits for minister-level foreign officials, and foreign nationals traveling to Indonesia under the Travel Corridor Arrangement scheme will be exempt from mandatory quarantine, Wirentana informed. (Antaranews)

Feb. 25 -  A total of 1,363,138 Indonesians have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Wednesday, with 825,650 people receiving their second vaccine dose, too, according to the Health Ministry.

The number of people receiving the COVID-19 vaccine rose by 93,233 on Wednesday compared to the day before. Meanwhile, the number of people receiving their second dose increased by 35,684, as per ministry data.

The 1,363,138 Indonesians mainly comprised healthcare workers, who have been prioritized under the first phase of the vaccination program, and public service officers, who are being vaccinated under the second phase of the program.

A total of 1,468,764 healthcare workers across Indonesia are expected to get vaccinated in the first phase of the vaccination program.

The government has set a target of inoculating 181,554,464 people, or 70 percent of the total population of Indonesia, with the aim of building herd immunity against the coronavirus.

It launched the second phase of the vaccination program on February 17, 2021, with the inoculation of traders in the textile market Tanah Abang in Jakarta.

The next targeted group under the vaccination program are public service officers, including police and military personnel, and journalists.

The government is planning a mass vaccination program for journalists and media workers at the Basket Hall of the Bung Karno Sport Stadium in Jakarta on February 25, 26, and 27 this year. (Antaranews)