VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation held the 2024 Planning and Signing Conference for Regional Marine Pollution Exercise (Marpolex) on July 24-27, 2023, in Bali.

In a statement received on Monday, the ministry's Directorate of Sea and Coast Protection (KPLP) said that the event would accommodate the final discussions and signing of documents for the 2024 Regional Marpolex.

Marpolex is a joint training on handling oil pollution at sea that will be participated in by Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan.

The conference will also be attended by the newly elected Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco, from Panama.

"The three coastal countries are preparing to carry out the 2024 Regional Marpolex exercises in the Philippines, while the signing of the training document will be witnessed directly by the newly elected IMO Secretary-General Velasco," said KPLP's Director, Rivolindo.

In the 2024 Regional Marpolex, the three countries will be represented by their respective coast guards.

"This joint exercise has been routinely carried out by the three coastal countries every two years. It usually takes place in either Indonesia or Philippine waters, while the Japanese Coast Guard will become the observer," Rivolindo stated.

Dominguez will be a speaker at the workshop on "The Regional Cooperation in the Implementation of IMO Instrument on Marine Environmental Protection" on the same day as the signing of the 2024 Regional Marpolex training documents.

It will also be followed by activities on "Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response, and Cooperation in ASEAN Perspective" by the Global Initiative for Southeast Asia (GISEA) in the same place.

In addition to the discussions and document signing, the event will also hold workshops attended by coast guards from the three countries in Bali.

The workshops will also be attended by representatives of Indonesia's Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas), state-run port operator Pelindo, National Shipowners Association (INSA), and Indonesia Classification Bureau (BKI).

"With the presence of Secretary-General Velasco in Bali, it shows that IMO considers Indonesia's strategic position as a member of the IMO Council and certainly shows IMO's concern for Indonesia's commitment to seriously improve its shipping safety and security and protect the maritime environment," he stated. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan stated that greater certainty will be gained on the government’s plan to stop liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports at a meeting with President Joko Widodo.

When met after the signing of the Implementing Arrangement (IA) of UK PACT Carbon Pricing here on Monday, Pandjaitan noted that the halting of exports will apply to contracts that have been completed.

"Later, when the contracts have been completed, we will not renew them, but we will wait for a meeting with the president," he remarked.

According to the minister, LNG export is being stopped, so that gas in the country can be processed first.

Nevertheless, he ensured that the government would continue to respect the contracts that had been signed. Thus, the export ban would only apply to new contracts.

The minister could not confirm as to when the plan to stop LNG exports would be carried out, as gas sales and purchase contracts have different tenors.

He only highlighted that the government is focusing on encouraging downstreaming in all sectors, including gas.

He further revealed that the government would consider not extending gas export contracts in the future.

Earlier, Pandjaitan stated that the government would ban LNG exports in order to build the domestic industry.

The minister highlighted the government's keenness to use natural gas supply for meeting domestic needs as currently, the demand for production of chemicals, from methanol to petrochemicals is high.

The minister also noted that Indonesia is currently still importing petrochemicals. To this end, the government is encouraging development of the petrochemical industry in North Kalimantan. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesian and the United Kingdom (UK) governments signed the Implementing Arrangement (IA) on UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT) Carbon Pricing to support development and coordination of carbon economic value policies (carbon pricing).

The signing, which was witnessed by Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, and the British Ambassador to Indonesia, Owen Jenkins, on Monday, showed the UK's commitment of 2.7 million pound sterling (equivalent to Rp52.2 billion) to provide technical assistance in the development and coordination of carbon pricing policies.

“We carry out many efforts and strategies to mitigate climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon pricing. Various countries have adopted and applied these efforts to encourage the transition towards more sustainable and low-carbon practices," Pandjaitan remarked.

He said the Indonesian government realized that the country needs support and collaboration with other parties to achieve ambitious targets.

Hence, the two countries realize the importance of partnership to address global challenges related to climate change and agreed to sign this MoU on the UK PACT, he remarked.

According to the minister, the Indonesian government has started the foundation of carbon pricing by enacting the Presidential Regulation on the Economic Value of Carbon. In addition, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) issued a Ministerial Regulation concerning the Governance of Carbon Economic Value in the Power Generation Sub-sector.

Meanwhile, other complementary instruments, such as the Sectoral Carbon Pricing Roadmap, Carbon Exchange regulations, International Carbon Trading regulations, and Online GHG Emission Reduction Inventory, are simultaneously being developed, the minister affirmed.

"We plan to launch carbon trading in September 2023 as part of the efforts to increase the use of renewable energy and achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 or sooner," he remarked.

Through the UK PACT, the UK aims to provide technical assistance to support the development and coordination of carbon pricing policies. This program will also support the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment in chairing the Indonesian Carbon Pricing Steering Committee in addition to backing the Ministry of Finance in drafting a carbon tax.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Jenkins affirmed that both Indonesia and the UK had shared experiences and expertise with each other in carbon pricing through technical assistance, capacity building, and knowledge exchange.

“The first year of this partnership has shown significant results in helping Indonesia to build a database for its carbon pricing policies and achieve key milestones, such as setting a carbon floor price. We hope we can continue to support Indonesia's Net Zero ambition in the future," he stated. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has called on Indonesians to run the 2024 General Elections joyfully and make the fiesta of democracy free from hate speeches, hoaxes, and slanders on social media.

"There should be no more hate speeches and hoaxes like we witnessed during the previous elections. Do not spread slanders, especially on social media. I repeat, do not slander each other, especially on social media," he stressed.

President Jokowi made the statement while attending the ceremony of the 100th anniversary of Nahdlatul Ulama and 25th anniversary of the National Awakening Party (PKB) at the Manahan Stadium in Solo, Central Java, on Sunday.

He also emphasized that elections constitute a fiesta of democracy, where the people are supposed to fest, rather than being occupied by disputes.

"Sometimes, I shake my head when I read (posts) on social media. Why would brotherly people fight each other? We are all brothers, we should not be fighting, especially on the name of religions. That must not happen" he noted.

President Jokowi then stressed that differences in democracy are common in nature, urging people not to respond to the differences by quarreling and throwing hate speeches at each other.

"In fact, political elites, such as party leaders and presidential candidates, can be seen having dinner and drinking coffee together. Then, why would people exhaust themselves with prolonged fights? We are all brothers within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia," he elaborated.

The head of state also urged all Indonesians to reunite as a one great nation after the elections.

"Why do people continue fighting on social media even after the elections conclude? Sometimes, this makes me shake my head," he said.

On the occasion, Jokowi was accompanied by First Lady Iriana and extended his best wishes to PKB as it entered its 25th year of age.

He expressed hope that the party will become more successful, manage to increase its number of votes in the upcoming elections, and make more contributions to the government in the future.

"I would also like to congratulate Gus Muhaimin Iskandar, the PKB leader who has been leading the party for 18 years while maintaining its status as a big party," he remarked. (Antaranews)