VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

An officer of the Pertamina Marketing Operation Region VI in Kalimantan handed a COVID-19 alert package to a loyal customer in South Kalimantan (ANTARA/HO-Humas Pertamina)

State-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina has guaranteed safe nationwide fuel supplies to the public in spite of the ongoing novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Daily fuel consumption in the retail sector has risen to 122 thousand kiloliters, or seven percent below the pre-pandemic average, ever since Indonesia began easing large-scale social restrictions and adapting to a new normal.

Pertamina has guaranteed its fuel stocks are safe and remains committed to ensuring the smooth supply of all types of fuels, including subsidized gasoline Premium and Pertalite, Pertamina Vice President for Corporate Communication Fajriyah Usman noted in a written statement released on Friday.

Usman remarked that national fuel stocks were currently sufficient for 26 days of consumption.

"All types of products are available in adequate quantities to meet the needs of the public across Indonesia. Hence, they should not harbor concerns. They can purchase fuel to meet their daily consumption," he stated.

Usman pointed to an upward trend in fuel consumption ever since the country eased large-scale social restrictions early last June.

During the period of large-scale social restrictions, national fuel consumption dropped by some 25 percent and also by nearly 50 percent in several regions. However, fuel consumption has risen steadily to inch close to the normal level. (ANTARA)

Jakarta (VOI News) - The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi chaired Foreign Policy and Global Health Ministers' Virtual Meeting (FPGH MVM) on Thursday (3/9/2020). Via teleconference, Friday (4/9 / 2020), Foreign Minister Retno said at the meeting she conveyed three things related to the health sector. First, said the Foreign Minister, the importance of global cooperation to ensure equal and equitable access to vaccines. The second thing Retno conveyed was the importance of governance or health systems global strong.

"The second is the importance of governance or a strong Global Health system. FPGH countries must strengthen WHO, especially regarding the ability to carry out early detection and respond to the challenges of Global Health in the future,” Retno Marsudi continued.

Meanwhile, the last thing she conveyed was to build a strong national health system for each country. In the teleconference Friday, Foreign Minister Retno also hoped that Foreign Policy and Global Health (FPGH) could become a motor for strengthening the spirit of international cooperation and collaboration in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Retno Marsudi conveyed that the Virtual Ministerial Meeting on Foreign Policy and Global Health (FPGH) was attended by seven ministers from FPGH countries, namely South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia, France, Norway, Senegal, and Thailand and was also attended by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghbreyesus.

Quoted from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, FPGH was founded in 2007 and consists of seven countries that attended this session. This forum was formed with the aim of promoting the importance of global health issues in the framework of foreign policy. This year, Indonesia was appointed as chairman. (VOI / YOUTUBE KEMLU/ AHM)

Jakarta (VOI News) - The Indonesian government strongly condemns the Charlie Hebdo tabloid in France for republishing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi expressed criticism in a virtual press conference held on Friday (4/9). Retno Marsudi called this action irresponsible, provocative, and injured hundreds of millions of Muslims in the world. Retno said that this action had the potential to cause division when the world needed to unite against COVID-19.

"The fifth issue is the series of actions of burning and destroying the Koran in Sweden and Denmark as well as the re-publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad by the tabloid Charlie Hebdo. Indonesia strongly condemns all these acts. This act is irresponsible, provocative, and has been injuring the hearts of hundreds of millions of Muslims in the world. All of these actions are against the principles and values ​​of democracy, which have the potential to cause divisions among religious communities, at a time when the world needs unity to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic," Retno said.

The criticism was also directed against a series of acts and acts of burning and destroying the Koran in Sweden and Denmark, some time ago. (YOUTUBE KEMLU / NOUVA)

The signing of Prelimenary Agreement of Purchase and Supply of Bulk Production of COVID-19 Vaccine by Bio Farma President Director Honesti Basyir seated left) and General Manager of Sinovac Gao Xiang (seated right) as State-Owned Enterprises Minister concurrently Executive Chief of the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Erick Thohir and Foreign Minister Retno L Marsudi looked on ini Hainan, China. on August 20, 2020 (ANTARA/HO-Kementerian BUMN)

Indonesia's Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto revealed on Friday that the government has disbursed funds to the tune of Rp3.3 trillion for this year for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.
"The total amount of funds that the government will prepare for this multi-year program will reach Rp37 trillion," he told journalists after attending the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee's meeting in Jakarta. 
Hartarto also highlighted Indonesia's recovery and death rates, saying the country's recovery rate has reached 71.7 percent, which is higher than the global recovery rate, while its mortality rate has been recorded at 4.2 percent.
Indonesia has been taking steps to secure a COVID-19 vaccine. At present, clinical trials of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine are being conducted in Bandung, West Java province.
A state-owned pharmaceutical holding company, Bio Farma, recently collaborated with China’s Sinovac to produce the COVID-19 vaccine for Indonesia. The materials provided by Sinovac for the vaccine arrived in Indonesia on July 19, 2020.
To tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia is leaving no stone unturned to develop a vaccine to fight the virus.
Currently, in addition to the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, Indonesian scientists are working on a vaccine named after the country's national flag, Merah Putih (Red and White). (ANTARA)