VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has lauded the innovative products developed by Indonesians in the health sector with the spirit of “gotong royong” (mutual help) to aid the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are grateful that there have been various innovations by Indonesians to create various products in the health field that we had previously imported (in) plenty,” Jokowi said at the opening of the Extraordinary Congress of Gerindra Party, held online in Jakarta on Saturday.

The conditions under the pandemic have indeed been difficult, however, the difficulty has fostered a spirit of mutual help, cooperation, and sharing of burdens among various elements of the society, he noted.

Jokowi said no country was ready to face such a crisis. More than 18 million people have been infected with COVID-19 globally and the death toll has reached 696 thousand so far.In addition, the economic growth in various countries has also experienced a deep contraction.

Some of the figures have been quite grave, including those for France (minus 19 percent), India (minus 18.9 percent), Britain (minus 17.9 percent), and the European Union (minus 14.4 percent), Jokowi said.

He also cited IMF’s prediction that the global economy is facing its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of 1930.

However, Jokowi urged the Indonesian people to keep their hopes up that the Indonesian nation would be able to deal with the challenges created by COVID-19 by itself.

This is because the Indonesian nation is a nation of fighters, he said.

“This fighting spirit is what we must continue to promote in facing this very, very difficult situation,” he remarked.

Gerindra Party was founded by Prabowo Subianto, the current Defense Minister, in February, 2008.

Subianto ran against Jokowi during the presidential elections in 2014 and 2019, but lost in both of them. Jokowi belongs to the ruling PDIP.

Nearly all political parties, including Gerindra, have currently joined the coalition of the Jokowi administration, except PKS (Justice Prosperous Party) which has remained in the opposition.  (ANTARA)

A phinisi ship in the Golo Mori waters, Komodo Sub-district, East Nusa Tenggara District, NTT Province. ANTARA FOTO/Kornelis Kaha.

The Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) will develop Tana Mori in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), into a high-end tourist resort and facilities to support G20 and ASEAN Summits in 2023.

"We plan to make Tana Mori a high-end resort in Labuan Bajo akin to Bali's Nusa Dua," Development Director of state-owned ITDC Edwin Darmasetiawan stated during a video conference on Friday.

The central government has urged ITDC to develop priority tourism destinations, such as Mandalika in NTB, Labuan Bajo in NTT, and Likupang in North Sulawesi.

With the objective of supporting implementation of the G20 Summit and ASEAN Summit planned to be held in NTT in 2023, ITDC has been tasked with developing its infrastructure and facilities in Tana Mori and Tana Naga, in cooperation with PT PP (Persero) Tbk.

The development projects will comprise MICE (meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions) facilities and two five-star hotels to accommodate leaders of G20 member countries, including the United States, China, and Russia.

"They do not want to be in one hotel, so there must be at least two or three hotels for other delegates too" he pointed out.

Funding has been proposed through state equity participation (PMN) in addition to private investment.

"I am very optimistic that we would be able to complete it at least in 2022. The event will be held in 2023, but our obligation is to prepare the venue with all supporting aspects, both property and infrastructure, by the end of 2022," he stated.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of the Labuan Bajo Tourism Authority Agency Shana Fatina estimated that 10 thousand guests would be attending the international events.

The agency has begun making preparations for the development of requisite infrastructure and facilities to support the summits as well as for meeting the long-term targets of the tourism sector. (ANTARA)

Mount Sinabung erupts on Saturday (Aug 8, 2020)

Mount Sinabung, located in Karo District, North Sumatra Province, erupted on Saturday morning, producing an ash column that reached nearly two thousand meters high above the volcano’s peak, or some 4,460 meters above sea level.

This eruption was the first to have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic following the one on June 9, 2019, that created a massive column of ash reaching a height of up to some seven thousand meters above the peak, or approximately 9,460 meters above sea level, according to a press statement issued by the Sinabung Volcano Observation Post of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) in Medan, North Sumatra, on Saturday.

The ash column was observed to be gray to brown in color, with moderate to thick intensity, and leaning eastward.On the seismogram, the eruption was recorded with a maximum amplitude of 120 mm and a duration of approximately 1 hour and 44 seconds.

Currently, the alert status of Mount Sinabung is at Level III. Local residents and visitors are also prohibited from venturing within a three-kilometer (km) radial radius of the summit of Mount Sinabung and a sectoral radius of 5 km for the south-east sectors, and 4 km for the east-north sectors.

In the event of an ash rain, the people are advised to wear masks while venturing outdoors to lower the health impact of the volcanic ash.

Local people living near riverbanks, whose upstream are in the vicinity of Mount Sinabung, are urged to remain vigilant to the dangers of lava floods. After remaining inactive for four centuries, Mount Sinabung has sprung back to life since 2010 and erupted sporadically. The natural disaster has led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people.

The government relocated the displaced people to new permanent settlement areas away from the volcano.

Mt Sinabung's eruption had claimed two lives in 2010 and 15 lives in 2015. The last known eruption, prior to recent times, occurred in the year 1600. (ANTARA)

Jakarta (VOI News) - The COVID-19 pandemic will leave a profound impact on the world in various fields. Rivalries between great powers are intensifying, trusts among countries are diminishing, the virtue of international cooperation is being questioned. This was conveyed by Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi in her keynote speech at the virtual 53rd ASEAN Day celebration, Saturday (8/8). She said the COVID-19 pandemic had tested the values ​​of ASEAN solidarity and cooperation. For this reason, she invited all ASEAN Member States to continue to work together in fighting the pandemic.

"Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has put the ASEAN values of solidarity and cooperation to the test. But since the start of the outbreak, ASEAN has been quick to respond from sharing information to facilitating repatriation of citizen; from keeping trade moving, to helping those who are in need. Support from our external partners is also essential in building our regional health resilience and preparedness. This crisis has shown that being inward looking is not an option. Cooperation and collaboration are central to ASEAN response to the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond," said Retno Marsudi.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi added that ASEAN must always work together to maintain regional peace and stability and not to be dragged into the storm of geopolitical tension or being forced to choose sides. Therefore, she continued, ASEAN must remain at the forefront of turning rivalry into cooperation and turning distrust into strategic trust. (VOI / AHM)