VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will augment the flow of investment into Indonesia by over 20 percent, according to Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Mahendra Siregar.

"RCEP is a vehicle to increase Indonesia's role and contribution in world trade and investment," Siregar remarked during a webinar on RCEP here on Wednesday.

According to Siregar, RCEP will have a positive impact, including a rise in exports, and the gross domestic product (GDP) that is expected to increase in the next decade.

Over 60 million micro- small-, and medium-scale enterprises also stand to benefit from RCEP.

"In parallel, the government has approved the law on job creation. This law is a crucial element to address investment-related issues. Hence, RCEP and the law on job creation must be utilized as a momentum to bring about sustainable economic recovery this year," he affirmed.

The minister noted that the trade deal will facilitate national businesses, as they would only require one Certificate of Origin (COO) to export their products to all RCEP countries.

RCEP is the locomotive for the global economy for the subsequent one to two decades. It will also make Asia a locomotive for the world’s economic growth, Siregar remarked.

"Asia has become the producer, market, and motor for the world economy. Hence, Indonesia must benefit from the RCEP to increase its exports. This is because most Indonesian export destinations are currently RCEP countries," he explained.

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Shinta Kamdani stated that Indonesia’s contribution to international trade was still limited, as the country had yet to maximize its global market potential to boost its economic growth. (antaranews)

Indonesia has recorded a total of 154 natural disasters in the first three weeks of 2021, as per data from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

“(The disasters) were mostly floods, storms, and landslides,” spokesperson for BNPB’s COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, said at an online press conference originating from the BNPB building in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The disasters claimed 140 lives and left 776 people injured, he informed.

“The current high rainfall coupled with extreme weather has caused floods in several areas, including Malang and Puncak, Bogor,” he said.

The occurrence of the disasters suggests that Indonesia is geographically and geologically vulnerable to natural disasters, he added.

"It is the obligation of the Indonesian people, particularly those living in disaster-prone areas, to mitigate the impact of natural disasters and stay alert for disasters, in accordance with the Home Affairs Ministry's circular. Regional governments are also expected to be able to increase vigilance and use all energy to prevent disasters," Adisasmito said.

Since early this year, President Joko Widodo has visited the disaster-affected districts of Mamuju in West Sulawesi province, which bore the brunt of a 6.2-magnitude earthquake, and Banjar in South Kalimantan, which was severely hit by floods.

The floods hit the districts of Bangka Belitung; Bener Meriah, Aceh Timur, Jember, Jombang, Sampang, Sidoarjo, Indramayu, Polewali Mandar, Tasikmalaya, Nunukan, Halmahera Utara, Maluku Utara, Kolaka Utara, Solok Selatan, and Bintan.

While whirlwinds hit the districts of Cirebon, Natuna, landslides were reported in Batam, Cianjur, Sumedang, Manado, and Lues. (antaranews)

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, has outlined three key steps to accelerate Indonesia’s economic growth and help put the economy back on the positive trajectory in 2021.

“The first key is maintaining household consumption to push the people's purchasing power since it contributes 57 percent to the national gross domestic product (GDP),” he said at a CEO Forum webinar in Jakarta on Tuesday.

To achieve this end, he underscored the importance of pushing middle and upper classes' confidence in the national economy so that they spend on domestic goods and services.

The purchasing power of lower and middle classes can be maintained by intensifying social assistance and social protection programs and empowering micro, small, and medium businesses through People's Business Credit (KUR), among others, he said.

The second key step is accelerating fiscal and structural reforms through job creation law, budget reforms, and creation of an investment management institute (LPI), he added.

The Investment Priority List (DPI), or positive list, is also expected to increase investment flows to the country, he said.

The third key step is related to vaccination, which will serve as a game-changer in restoring the national economy, the minister remarked.

The number of Indonesian citizens who need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity is 181.5 million, or 70 percent of the country's total population, and the vaccination program will target citizens aged above 18 years and people with controllable comorbidities, Hartarto said.

Nearly 1.2 million vaccine doses have been sent to each province in the country between January 3 and January 15, 2021. The provincial health offices will distribute the vaccines to each district for the vaccination program, he added.

"In the first stage of the vaccination period from January to April, 2021, the vaccination (program) will target 1.3 million medical workers in 34 provinces, 17.4 million public officers, and 21.5 million senior citizens," he said.

However, senior citizens aged above 60 years will be vaccinated after the government receives the results of the third phase clinical tests on the safety of the vaccine for this group, he added.

During the second phase from April, 2021 to March, 2022, the vaccination will be administered to an estimated 63.9 million vulnerable citizens, who live in red zones or areas with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, the minister said.

The vaccination program will later target 77.4 million citizens using a cluster approach, in accordance with the availability of vaccines, he added. (antaranews)

An earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale rocked Alor district in East Nusa Tenggara province on Tuesday, but no tsunami warning was issued, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

The epicenter of the quake was located in the sea, 119 kilometers northeast of Kalabahi, capital of Alor district, at a depth of 434 kilometers, chief of the BMKG’s Earthquake and Tsunami Center, Bambang Setiyo Prayitno, said.

Judging by its epicenter and the hypocenter depth, the quake was a deep quake caused by subduction activity in the Banda Sea, he informed.

He said the analysis of the source mechanism showed the quake had a downward movement mechanism (normal fault).

The quake was felt at  Oelamasi II MMI in Kupang district, Timor Island.

No material damage or fatalities were reported, Prayitno said. (antaranews)