VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 9 - The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, expressed gratitude to the press for helping the government in educating the public about health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I am very grateful to the people of the press for helping the government to educate the public to implement health protocols and to help people to get correct and accurate information," the President said at the 2021 National Press Day commemoration, held at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The President congratulated all members of the press in the country on National Press Day.

He said he is aware that during the pandemic, all press personnel in the country continued working and were at the forefront of reporting on any developments in the situation. They served as a communication bridge between the government and the community while helping maintain optimism and hope, he remarked.

The President also said that he realizes the press is also facing difficulties in the current pandemic era.

"We all know that health and economic problems are burdening all countries including our country, Indonesia. I know that the press industry, like other private sectors, is also facing corporate problems, financial problems, which are not easy, as conveyed by the Chairman of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI)," he explained.

Widodo said the government is trying to ease the burden on the media industry. The income tax payment (PPh 21) for media crews, for instance, has been included in the list of taxes to be borne by the government, which means the tax will be paid by the government until June, 2021, he added.

The President also asked that this matter be taken up by the Minister of Finance.

For the media industry, the reduction of corporate income tax (PPh badan) and exemption of import income tax (PPh impor), as well as acceleration of restitution and incentives will be valid until June, 2021.

"The incentives given to other industries have also been given to the media industry, including the exemption of electricity subscription. The relief is indeed insignificant, I know. I need to convey that the government's fiscal burden is also in a very heavy position. Apart from dealing with health problems it is also hard to move the economy when the private sector experiences a significant slowdown," the President explained.

Widodo said that one of the government's big expenditures right now is on vaccines for the COVID-19 vaccination program.

At present, the government is working hard to continue obtaining vaccines, he stated. (Antaranews)

Feb. 9 - Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi highlighted his ministry’s efforts to step up non-oil and gas exports to bolster recovery of Indonesia's economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic by optimizing international trade agreements.

"To achieve the non-oil and gas export growth target, we must open up the Indonesian market and collaborate with various countries through existing trade agreements. This is also an effort to increase the added value of each exported product," Lutfi noted in a statement here on Tuesday.

The minister spoke of his plan while addressing the 2021 National Seminar on the Indonesia Economic Outlook (IEO) held by the Indonesian Economic and Development Study (Canopy), the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), the University of Indonesia.

The existing international trade agreements comprise the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Indonesia-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IKCEPA), Indonesia-Pakistan Preferential Trade Agreement (IP-PTA), and Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Partnership Economic Agreement (IA-CEPA).

Indonesia's trade balance in 2020 posted a surplus of US$21.7 billion, the highest since 2012. However, the large surplus was owing to a sharp decline in imports.

Exports in 2020 only dipped by 2.6 percent year-on-year (YoY), while imports plunged by 17.3 percent YoY.

Related news: Thohir points to Indonesia's economy faring better than other nations

Lutfi pointed out that the countries contributing to Indonesia's trade balance surplus were the United States, (US$11.13 billion surplus); India, (US$6.47 billion); and the Philippines, (US$5.26 billion).

The top five export products clocking the highest positive growth during the 2019-2020 period YoY were steel, at 46.84 percent; jewelry, 24.21 percent; crude palm oil (CPO), 17.5 percent; furniture, 11.64 percent; and footwear, 8.97 percent.

Last year, the steel commodity ranked third in Indonesia's non-oil and gas exports, with a contribution of seven percent, or US$10.85 billion. Indonesia is the second-largest producer of iron and steel in the world after China. In fact, over 70 percent of Indonesian steel was exported to China.

In 2020, jewelry products ranked fifth in Indonesia's non-oil and gas exports, with a contribution of 5.3 percent, or a value of US$8.2 billion. Almost 80 percent of the jewelry products had been exported to Singapore, Switzerland, and Japan.

Furthermore, the government will continue to oversee and ensure the security of Indonesian products traded overseas through the application of trade diplomacy. (Antaranews)

Feb. 9 -  President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) confirmed that the government had readied five thousand doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to be given to media crew members at the end of February 2021 until early March of 2021.

"Later, out of PT Bio Farma Persero’s (as many as) 12 million doses, we will give five thousand doses to the media crew," the Indonesian president stated during the commemoration of 2021 National Press Day at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Tuesday.

The head of state highlighted the government’s current focus on vaccinating health workers for COVID-19 followed by the inoculation of community service officers.

The president admitted to the myriad challenges that media workers face during the COVID-19 pandemic, right from health risks to their welfare.

Widodo spoke of the government having prepared several incentives to placate the burden on the media industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, including an exemption from income tax payment (PPh 21) valid until June 2021 for media crew members.

President Jokowi has urged Finance Minister Sri Mulyani to oversee the realization of fiscal incentives for the media industry.

"For the media industry, the reduction in corporate income taxes (PPh badan) and exemption of import income tax (PPh import), as well as the acceleration of restitution and incentives, is also valid until June 2021. The incentives given to other industries are also offered to the media industry, including the exemption of electricity subscription," the president noted.

The head of state expressed gratitude to members of the press for maintaining the hopes and optimism of the community amid the tough times arising due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Helping the government to educate the public and helping people to get correct and precise information," he stated. (Antaranews)

Feb. 9 - Facebook Inc said Monday it will help users find out where and when they can receive the coronavirus vaccine and will expand a list of false health claims it bans from the platform.

The social media group said in a blog post that people can learn how to get vaccinated “in just a few taps” on the platform as more information about the vaccine rollout becomes available from public officials.

Facebook will expand the list of false claims about the coronavirus and vaccine that it will remove from its site, including that COVID-19 is a man-made virus, and that vaccines are toxic and cause autism. Such claims are already prohibited in ads on the platform.

Enforcement will begin immediately on pages, groups and accounts that post the false information, and Facebook will expand enforcement over time, the blog post said.

Facebook said it will also partner with Johns Hopkins and the AARP to reach Black, Latinx, Native Americans and people over 50 with educational content that addresses concerns those groups may have about the new vaccine. (Reuters)