VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 8 - China reported no new locally transmitted mainland COVID-19 case for the first time in nearly two months, official data showed on Monday, adding to signs that it has managed to stamp out the latest wave of the disease.

The total number of COVID-19 cases rose slightly to 14 on Feb. 7 from 12 a day earlier, the National Health Commission said in a statement, but all were imported infections from overseas. Seven of the cases were in Shanghai, the rest in the southeastern Guangdong province.

This marked the first time China has had zero local infections since Dec. 16, suggesting the aggressive steps taken by authorities managed to stop the disease spreading further from major clusters in Hebei province surrounding Beijing and the northeastern Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces.

The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed COVID-19 cases, rose to 16 from 10 a day earlier, the National Health Commission said in a statement.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in mainland China stands at 89,706, while the death toll is unchanged at 4,636. (Reuters)

Feb. 8 - State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir drew attention to Indonesia's economy being currently better placed than other countries, including the Philippines, Singapore, Germany, Italy, France, and the United States.

Indonesia's economy shrank by 2.07 percent year-on-year (yoy) in 2020, with the fourth-quarter realization of minus 2.19 percent, or better than the 3.49-percent yoy contraction in the third quarter.

"(Countries in) Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines and Singapore, and in (other parts of) the world, such as Italy, France, Germany, and the US, (they) also recorded negative (growth). We should be proud. Although we cannot speak about the future being the best, but we are at a point that is definitely much better now," Thohir stated while speaking at a National Mass Media Convention here on Monday.

The minister projected the Indonesian economy to accelerate well in 2022, with this year's transition momentum.

In a bid to facilitate faster economic recovery next year, the government will continue to channel undivided attention to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic that has emerged as a major crisis.

If the COVID-19 transmission can be handled effectively, the Indonesian economy would be able to work, move, and grow better, the minister emphasized.

Thohir ensured that SOEs would continue to be at the forefront in the fight against the impacts of the pandemic.

Indonesia's SOEs are not only working commercially but also offering public services, such as ensuring the number of beds are sufficient to meet the needs of COVID-19 patients and converting Jakarta's Athletes' Village into an emergency hospital for COVID-19.

Moreover, SOE firms have played an active role in developing Indonesia's indigenous COVID-19 vaccine -- the Red and White vaccine -- as the nation does not intend to rely on imported vaccines that are expensive at the time, according to the minister.

"Now, we have collaborated with seven institutions, so we can accelerate it or we can support it, so that we would not rely on other countries," he remarked while referring to the development of the Red and White vaccine. (Antaranews)

Feb. 8 - Indonesian President Joko Widodo has said the quality of public services determines whether a state is present for its people or not.

"Public service is the concrete face of the state's presence in people's daily lives," said Widodo in video remarks at the virtual submission of the Ombudsman 2020 annual report from Jakarta on Monday.

A state is considered to be present if it is able to provide excellent, fast, professional, and just public services, the President emphasized.

Therefore, the President reiterated the importance of sustainable efforts from all levels of government to ensure excellent services to the people. In addition, it is necessary to transform systems, governance, and change the mindset and work culture of the bureaucracy in Indonesia, he pointed out.

Public service officers must prioritize their duty to serve, rather than being served, Widodo observed.

Future public services, he said, must be innovative, fast, and result-oriented. Public services must leave the rigid working model behind and avoid getting trapped in procedural and administrative hurdles, he added.

"(It is) A great work for all of us, (and it) requires the participation of all elements of society," he remarked.

To improve public services, the government needs supervision from the Indonesian Ombudsman, Widodo said. Supervision can be provided in the form of suggestions, support, or even criticism, he added.

"So that public services in our country will be of higher quality," he continued.

The former DKI Jakarta Governor lauded the performance of the Ombudsman in monitoring and supervising the provision of public services in Indonesia.

He said the Ombudsman has thus far overseen public services provided by central government, regional governments, state-owned enterprises and private bodies, as well as individuals appointed to provide certain public services.

"I express my appreciation, I express the highest appreciation to the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia, who continues to oversee, supervise the implementation of public services,” the President remarked. (Antaranews)

Feb. 8 - The Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) proposed Jakarta as a candidate to host the 2032 Olympics to the IOC. This is because Jakarta, as well as its surrounding supporting areas, have proven successful in holding the 2018 Asian Games and Asian Para Games.

KOI or NOC Indonesia continues to work hard and guerrilla in seeking the support of countries in the world, after Indonesia successfully conjured up the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in its nomination presentation to host the 2032 Olympics before the IOC Future Host Commission.

Secretary-General of the Indonesian NOC, Ferry Kono explained in the scientific studies that have been carried out so far, that in the future Indonesia will become a magnet for the world economy.

"We describe ourself as the Gravity of Asia from our study that Indonesia will become an economic magnet, especially in the Asian region from 2030 to 2040. The magnitude of this economic power can encourage countries in the Asian region to collaborate with Indonesia. to ensure that Indonesia will host the Olympics in 2032, ”said Ferry Kono in the Sports Dynamics Radio Republic of Indonesia (RRI) program, Monday (8/2/2021).

"When we propose this concept, we are not oriented towards the development of a country to meet the needs of the organization, no," he explained.

"In fact, we show more of the progress of our country, from the existing city (DKI Jakarta), what we are building. We describe urban, progress, and infrastructure, especially in the city of DKI Jakarta with all forms of integration which we then describe," he explained.

Ferry Koni saw the success of the Asian Games and the Asian Para Games in 2018 with the support of all parties, including Jakarta, making the plus point of Indonesia appearing confident in front of the IOC as representatives of Southeast Asian nations who want to write history again at the world level, as the host of the 2032 Olympics.

"Because we presented what we have today, most of the venues we offer are in DKI Jakarta, considering that these venues are already integrated, both in terms of transportation and adaptation to the surrounding environment. Plus some international standard venues, we know we want to host the U20 World Cup so that several stadiums have been upgraded by the government, and even then have been presented. We do all of this, considering that 80 percent of the legality of the Asian Games and Asian Para Games (2018) is in Jakarta, including GBK, ”he said.

"One side, Jakarta is building the Jakarta International Stadium, we also present it to the IOC. We offer ourself as the IOC Future Hosts if they wish, today we (Indonesia) are ready to hold the Olympics," he said optimistically. (RRI)