VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed relevant ministers to establish a tourism fund to support world-class tourism in Indonesia, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno stated on Wednesday.

"We received direction in a meeting with President Jokowi regarding the Tourism Fund to support quality and sustainable tourism in Indonesia," Uno stated at the Presidential Palace Complex.

He said that several other countries that prioritize the tourism sector, such as Singapore and Saudi Arabia, have also established tourism funds.

The Tourism Fund in Indonesia will be started with good governance and prioritizing sustainable and quality tourism by highlighting domestic cultural excellence, he noted.

"Tourists visiting Indonesia will not only be measured by their quantity but also by the quality of their stay," Uno remarked.

He stated that quality tourists will bring economic effects to the country, such as an impact on job creation.

He noted that the government will form a special team to determine the Tourism Fund mechanism.

One of the options is through an endowment fund supported by foreign exchange from tourism that could generate US$20-25 billion annually before the pandemic, he added.

"We will form a special team to study this matter. We want to provide sustainable funding for the Tourism Fund," Uno stated.

He highlighted that the government had looked at the progress of other countries that can hold international-quality events with their tourism funds.

"We will find ways to cover the Tourism Fund without a burden to our state budget. It has to be sustainable," he affirmed.

He also revealed that the government will propose a revision of Law Number 10 of 2009 on Tourism. The funding aspect of the Tourism Fund will be part of the revised Tourism Law.

The determination of the institution that will manage the Tourism Fund is still being studied, he stated.

"We already have some options, such as a fund management institution from the Finance Ministry or state-run tourism holding, InJourney," Uno explained.

He stated that the formation of the Tourism Fund is targeted to start in 2024, so the new cabinet resulting from the 2024 election can run the fund.

(Antara News)

Thailand will close legal loopholes relating to firearm classification and online sales in its gun control efforts, its police chief said on Wednesday, a day after a teenager was arrested following a deadly shooting at a mall that left two people dead.

The gun used by the alleged 14-year-old shooter was modified and originally designed to fire blank rounds, meaning it wasn't classified as a lethal weapon, and it was likely purchased online, Torsak Sukvimol said in a television interview.

Authorities were preparing to charge the teenage boy with premeditated murder on Wednesday.

There are more than 10,000 such legally imported guns in circulation in Thailand, and police will work with other government agencies to reclassify them as deadly firearms to block their import, Torsak said

"We want to make sure these guns are a controlled firearm because their modification makes them a deadly weapon," he told Thailand's Channel 3 television channel.

Krisanaphong Poothakool, a criminologist at Rangsit University, said modifying a blank gun is illegal but perpetrators could easily learn how to make modifications and there were criminal services offering this.

A Reuters search of e-commerce platforms Lazada and Shopee, among the most popular in Southeast Asia, on Wednesday showed several types of blank guns for sale at prices starting at around 5,000 baht ($135). Shopee, owned by Singapore's Sea Ltd (SE.N) and Alibaba-owned Lazada did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters.

'LESSONS FROM PAST SHOOTINGS'

Authorities can boost gun control by improving enforcement, including creating a faster mechanism to block websites and online services that offer to sell or modify firearms, said Krisanaphong.

The political will to push for long-term gun control is also essential, he added.

Torsak, who took over as the country's top police official earlier this week, said police will form a team to tackle the illegal sale of firearms on the internet.

Existing Thai laws on the possession of illegal firearms carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to 20,000 Thai baht($539.67).

Laws have tightened after mass shootings in recent years in Thailand, including a requirement for a medical evaluation for those who want to buy a gun or renew their gun license.

Last October, a former policeman killed 35 people, including 22 children, at a nursery in northeastern Thailand. And in 2020, a soldier shot and killed at least 29 people in another northeastern Thai city.

Following the October shooting, Thailand's previous administration drafted a gun amnesty bill allowing those with unregistered weapons to register them or hand them over to authorities during a grace period. The bill, however, did not make it through parliament ahead of a May general election.

"The government should learn the lessons from past mass shooting incidents, review the proposed solutions and quickly implement them," Krisanaphong said.

($1 = 37.0600 baht)

(Reuters)

APEC member economies have renewed their commitment to universal health coverage (UHC) and pledged to accelerate progress toward achieving UHC by 2030 at the recent United Nations High-Level Meeting on UHC in New York.

Through the APEC Health Working Group, a regional forum dedicated to demonstrating the value of health for economic growth and development, APEC members delivered a consensus statement on UHC at the meeting, according to a statement received from the working group on Wednesday.

In the statement, the working group underscored the interdependence between health and the economy, as shown by the COVID-19 pandemic and its unprecedented impact.

Citing this, APEC members reaffirmed their efforts toward strengthening health systems and especially in enhancing preparedness and response to public health emergencies.

"Achieving UHC will ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all through the life course, as well as build a healthier world for all," chair of the APEC Health Working Group, Narong Aphikulvanich, said.

He stated that healthy communities and healthy people contribute to healthy economies in the region because "'there is no wealth without health".

"Keeping this in mind, we must strive to improve our health system as well as security and invest in it," he continued.

In the statement, APEC members reiterated their commitment to achieving UHC through the primary role and responsibility of governments, and a multi-sectoral approach involving the private sector and civil society for finding solutions.

Last August, on the sidelines of the APEC High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy in Seattle, governments, private sector players, and non-governmental stakeholders from APEC members convened to advance understanding and further align on key priorities related to UHC.

The meeting included an expert panel and an open discussion to drive collective action toward the achievement of UHC by 2030.

Notable actions discussed at the meeting included multi-stakeholder contributions to unlock transformative innovations and ways to foster effective partnerships, as well as the need for collaboration to finance critical gaps and ensure that the path to UHC empowers individuals, families, and communities.

(Antara News)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) opened the International Handicraft Trade Fair (Inacraft) 2023 at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), Jakarta, on Wednesday.

In his opening speech at the event, President Widodo said that the exhibition has become better and more interesting.

“As the year goes on, I observe that the Inacraft exhibition has become better and more interesting because we have recognized the brand as one of the biggest handicraft exhibitions in Southeast Asia,” he added.

He said that the Inacraft exhibition has consistently presented the best creations that have been carefully and strictly curated and selected.

“At first glance, I observed a slight difference in this year’s Inacraft, a different feel and ambiance. The products are better, and I saw a lot of participants. There are 18,700 square meters of space divided into 772 booths, which is plentiful, and it means that the area is fully utilized,” he observed.

He then expressed the hope that the exhibition would attract more visitors, more buyers, and generate a larger turnover.

He also lauded the execution of Inacraft, which was initiated by the Association of Exporters and Producers of Indonesian Handicraft (ASEPHI), which seeks to offer a space for young entrepreneurs and artisans and focuses on creative works made by Generation Z.

“I am optimistic that this country can become even better with the presence of young people. Bismillahirahmanirrahim (in the name of God), I officially open Inacraft in October 2023,” President Widodo stated.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of ASEPHI, Muchsin Ridjan, thanked the President and the First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo for gracing the opening of the October 2023 edition of the Inacraft.

Ridjan reported that the target for the exhibition was to draw 100 thousand visitors and record retail transactions of Rp50 billion from October 4–8, 2023.

After opening the exhibition, the President and the First Lady toured several areas at the exhibition stand.

(Antara News)