VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has targeted Indonesia's sharia economic literacy index to reach 50 percent, an increase from the current position of 23.3 percent.

"I believe that, with Indonesia's enormous potential, these figures can be increased, in fact, Indonesia's sharia economic and financial literacy (index) in the future must be able to reach at least 50 percent," Amin said at the 6th National Conference of the Sharia Economic Community (MES) in Jakarta, Sunday.

The Vice President said, the increased public literacy on sharia economy would be followed by the increased use of sharia economic and financial products. This will result in the growing contribution of the sharia economic and financial sector to the national economy.

According to Amin, the current sharia economic and financial literacy index of 23.3 percent is not an ideal level. The literacy level has also affected the sharia financial market share in Indonesia which stood at only 10.9 percent.

Indonesia has recorded significant progress in sharia economy and finance development with its global ranking continued to increase in the sharia financial sector, Muslim-friendly tourism, and others, Amin remarked.

In addition, he said, Indonesia is also now the third largest shareholder in the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

"With this position, Indonesia's concrete role will become stronger globally, especially through increasing cooperation, providing assistance between member countries, as well as the role of Indonesian human resources in the IsDB," he said.

For national development, Amin explained that the existence of sharia economics and finance will also be able to encourage the achievement of the Golden Indonesia 2045, especially through the pillars of sustainable economic development and equitable development.

So far, the vice president said, the support of sharia economy and finance towards MSMEs and small communities has been proven, among other things, by the growth of various sharia financing, such as through BMT, Islamic boarding school cooperatives, and others.

"Therefore, I often say that the contribution of sharia economics and sharia finance to the national economy must continue to be increased. At least we must focus on targeting two key factors, namely literacy and market share," he said. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - The Manpower Ministry said the country's human resources quality needs to be increased in order to face artificial intelligence (AI) development. The ministry's Secretary General, Anwar Sanusi, said in his statement received here on Sunday that the rapid development of AI in Indonesia will both provide benefits and challenges in the labor sector.

"For this reason, upskilling and reskilling are necessary to improve human resource skills in facing the development of AI technology," Sanusi remarked virtually at the forum "Preparing the Workforce to Maximize the Benefits of Artificial Intelligence".

He said that AI can increase efficiency and productivity, so Indonesian human resources need to quickly adapt to its development.

On the other hand, he argued, AI can replace some human jobs, which can lead to a reduction in workers in some sectors.

Sanusi added that although AI technology can replace some human jobs, it opens up new opportunities in the technology sector.

"However, AI technology also opens up new opportunities for jobs in the technology sector, such as data analysts, data scientists, and machine learning engineers," he explained.

To that end, he urged companies to train their employees with new skills to compete in the increasingly advanced digital era.

Previously, the Manpower Ministry encouraged college students to master digital technology skills, considering that almost all lines of life have been digitized, including work patterns.

"The digitalization era will increase demand for certain jobs and also decrease other types of work," Sanusi said.

According to him, the demand for job positions that utilize digital technology, such as data and AI analysts and scientists, machine learning engineers, digital marketing specialists, and database architects, is expected to increase.

"While the demand for jobs that are clerical and routine, such as cashiers, secretaries, data entry, and tellers, is expected to decline," he said, (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Erick Thohir has unveiled the Indonesia Incorporated website, which provides information for foreign partners in conducting business with SOEs.

"This website serves as the official source of information for doing business with Indonesia Incorporated," he stated in a release issued on Thursday.

Indonesia Incorporated is a joint office set up for state-owned companies operating abroad, aimed at fostering cooperation and enhancing their competitiveness.

The launch of this website follows the opening of the first Indonesia Incorporated joint office in Hong Kong in June 2023.

He expressed hope that the website will facilitate SOEs in expanding their global reach.

Visitors to the website will have easy access to the SOE business ecosystem and its performance, he said.

The website provides a breakdown of state-owned companies by business sector and offers the consolidated annual report of SOEs. It also provides links to the official website of each SOE.

Furthermore, the website furnishes information on the services provided by Indonesia Incorporated.

These include business matching of companies, investment centers focusing Indonesia's key sectors, and international financial products and services.

"SOEs operating abroad will continue to collaborate in order to ensure that the implementation of these services can provide comprehensive solutions for customers," Thohir said.

The website also has a "Contact Us" feature, enabling visitors to directly communicate with the website's staff.

The feature is designed to allow visitors to get more information on business matching, potential investment sectors in Indonesia, as well as international banking services from the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara).

In an earlier statement, Thohir underscored the government's commitment to positioning Indonesia as a leader in the global industry and services sector.

It has expressed its eagerness to establish a strong and healthy investment ecosystem for both foreign and domestic projects. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - The Directorate General of Village Government Development at the Ministry of Home Affairs has emphasized the importance of commitment from all stakeholders to accelerate sustainable village development.

The development must not only be in terms of infrastructure, but also the quality of village human resources, Mohammad Noval, the Ministry's Director of Village Development Evaluation, said in a statement issued on Thursday.

"Excellent resources and human resources will be able to manage natural resource constrains, leading to community prosperity and enhanced village economies," he added.

Noval said that Law Number 6 of 2014 on Villages aims to elevate the prosperity of village communities while also fostering democratization within villages.

This, he noted, aligns with President Joko Widodo's third Nawacita (nine development priorities) goal, namely developing Indonesia from the periphery by strengthening regions and villages within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

As part of its commitment to village development, the government has been allocating village funds, serving as a source of financial support for villages. From 2015 to 2022, a total of Rp468.9 trillion (around US$30.14 billion) in village funds were disbursed by the government.

There has been a consistent increase in the disbursement of village funds year by year, Noval stated.

The allocation of village funds amounted to Rp20.67 trillion (around US$1.32 billion) in 2015 and surged to Rp68 trillion (around US$4.37 billion) in 2022.

The quantum of village funds received by each village also climbed from Rp280.3 million (around US$18,029) in 2015 to Rp907.1 million (around US$58,347) per village in 2022.

"It is hoped that the government's great attention to villages will enhance services to village communities and narrow the gap between villages and urban areas," Noval said. (Antaranews)