VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Health and finance ministries of member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) discussed essential measures to strengthen the financial sector to anticipate future pandemics.

"ASEAN countries' finance and health ministers have discussed efforts to improve financial coordination in order to bolster the region's readiness to effectively respond to likely health and economic challenges caused by future pandemics," Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani remarked in Jakarta on Thursday.

The minister delivered the statement at a press conference on the sidelines of the ASEAN Finance and Health Ministerial Meeting (AFHMM) in Jakarta.

During the meeting, ASEAN ministers agreed to accelerate the development of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergency and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED), with the objective of collecting funds for anticipating the pandemic.

The ACPHEED will also serve as a regional hub to help ASEAN countries tackle and respond to public health emergencies and other emerging infectious diseases.

ASEAN health and finance ministers also optimized the meeting, being held under Indonesia's 2023 ASEAN chairmanship, to discuss the economic capability gap both within and between ASEAN countries in anticipating and responding to a pandemic.

To address the issue, Indonesia has encouraged ASEAN countries to formulate an investment modality strategy aimed at boosting all members' contributions to the collective efforts in responding to emergency situations caused by any pandemics, Mulyani stated.

During the meeting, the ASEAN ministers also discussed the importance of optimizing Southeast Asia's resources and working in synergy with global actors to help the region realize sustainable recovery.

In terms of global synergy, Minister Mulyani cited as an example Indonesia's initiative to launch the pandemic fund during its presidency in G20 last year.

"We also want to ensure that we all have to augment our preparedness and capability of responding to potential threats posed to public health induced by new infectious diseases or the recurring ones," she remarked.

Furthermore, the ASEAN health and finance ministers reiterated their commitment to boosting their national investment and exploring other innovative financing schemes by partnering with international actors to support development.

Results of the meeting will be outlined during the 43rd ASEAN Summit that will take place in Jakarta on September 5-7, 2023. (antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Minister of Co-operatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Teten Masduki has invited ASEAN countries to prevent predatory pricing by strengthening SME digitalization.

"ASEAN must support SMEs and unite to become the world's SME production hub. We must offer opportunities for synergizing the export and import of products, goods, and services among ASEAN countries," he said here on Wednesday.

Speaking at the 6th ASEAN Inclusive Business Summit 2023 in Nusa Dua, Bali, he stressed that ASEAN countries must present accurate data on SMEs.

Increasing digital literacy, ensuring equality in e-commerce, and providing easy access to financing based on credit scoring can strengthen the SME digital ecosystem, he explained.

ASEAN can play a role in improving the capacity and quality of SMEs from the aspects of product to business models, the minister said.

According to Masduki, the region has a huge population, a wide market, abundant natural resources, and tremendous tourism potential.

With its population of 679 million, which accounts for 8 percent of the world's population, the region has a very promising market globally, he said.

However, the promising regional market, which is supported by average economic growth of above 5 percent in several ASEAN countries, makes the region a target of products from countries outside ASEAN, he added.

"Therefore, ASEAN must support SMEs and unite to become the world's SME production hub," Masduki said.

The bloc must present wider access for the export and import of products, goods, and services within the region, he added.

Furthermore, he invited all ASEAN member countries to increase their commitment to realizing an inclusive business ecosystem to ensure that the future generation of young entrepreneurs and SMEsembraces creativity and technology.

"Together, let us imagine a future of inclusive ASEAN business with SMEs as the foundation," he said. (antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) will attend the BRICS Summit in South Africa as an invitee, the Presidential Secretariat's Deputy for Protocol, Press, and Media Bey Machmudin informed on Wednesday.

"(The President will attend the summit) in the capacity of (the leader of) Indonesia, that is currently serving as the chair of ASEAN," he informed via a short message received here.

BRICS, which comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is an economic alliance for developing countries.

The bloc holds its summit from August 22–24, 2023, in Johannesburg, South Africa, which has held the BRICS presidency since January 1.

Machmudin said that Widodo's attendance at the summit has nothing to do with Indonesia's membership of the bloc.

There have been news reports of Indonesia's plans to become a member of BRICS. Earlier this month, Widodo said that he would decide on the possibility of Indonesia joining the grouping.

More than 40 countries have reportedly expressed an interest in joining the BRICS, with more than 20 countries formally applying to join the grouping.

Indonesia also reportedly has the potential to join the bloc in the near future.

The 15th BRICS Summit will be attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the meeting.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said more than 30 heads of state and government from across Africa will be attending the summit.

Besides hosting other African leaders, South Africa will also welcome leaders from several countries of the Global South.

President Widodo is making a state visit to four countries in Africa from August 21–24, marking his first-ever visit to the continent after assuming office.

Before leaving for South Africa, he visited Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - The Provincial Government of Jakarta watered plants and protocol streets in order to keep the temperature in the capital city cool ahead of the 43rd ASEAN Summit that will take place on September 5-7, 2023.

The 43rd ASEAN Summit will be the second summit to be held under Indonesia's ASEAN chairmanship this year, succeeding the earlier summit that took place in May 2023 in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara.

"We hope that this watering activity will help us maintain the fertility of the plants, so they can continue to produce oxygen for the public," Herlina Merinda, an official at Jakarta's Office of Parks and Urban Forests, stated in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Merinda remarked that the watering activity involved several water-carrying vehicles that started spraying water from around the Merdeka Palace across West Medan Merdeka Street in Central Jakarta and Bundaran Senayan in South Jakarta.

The provincial government and the Greater Jakarta Regional Police collaborated to deploy the required vehicles comprising four water cannon-equipped cars, four fire fighter cars, and 10 water tank cars, she revealed.

The water used in the temperature-cooling process was basically wastewater that has been processed to ensure that it did not smell, she explained.

Merinda elaborated that her side used water supply from a wastewater treatment plant (IPAL).

"Therefore, we did not take the groundwater supply to execute today's activity," she stated.

She further elaborated that the activity was led by Head of the Jakarta Public Order Security Agency (Satpol PP) Arifin and executed by a joint team comprising dozens of personnel from Satpol PP, the Police, Fire and Rescue Agency, and Jakarta's Transportation as well as Parks and Urban Forests offices.

Furthermore, she affirmed that the watering activity also served as the provincial government's effort to keep trees and plants in Jakarta in prime condition to anticipate the El Nino heat phenomenon that can cause prolonged dry season.

The government is committed to consistently making efforts to make Jakarta a clean, beautiful, comfortable, and healthy city, she stated. (Antaranews)