VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian  Ambassador to Fiji, Dupito D. Simamora, symbolically handed over a grant of USD  25,000  to the Prime Minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka at the Fiji Prime Minister's Office on Thursday ( 18/1). The grant is  to support the Bula coffee  project in Fiji. The Indonesian Embassy  in Suva, as quoted on its website, stated that agriculture has become an important development priority for Indonesia, Fiji and the Pacific region. According to the Indonesian Embassy, as one of the largest coffee producing countries, Indonesia is very suitable to be Fiji's partner in developing its coffee industry to meet domestic demand and support its growing tourism industry. The Bula Coffee project, originally proposed by the Fiji Prime Minister's Office, aims at equipping approximately 10,000 residents of 41 villages in the Sigatoka region with the knowledge and skills needed for coffee cultivation and processing. The Indonesian Embassy in Suva said that this project also aims to empower rural communities in Fiji through sustainable coffee cultivation. As a follow-up, Indonesia and Fiji will conduct a consultation and training program which is scheduled to be implemented in the first quarter of 2024. This program will provide further training and capacity building to Bula Coffee project participants, to ensure long-term sustainability and guarantee success of their coffee farming business. Ambassador Dupito has  conveyed that Indonesia is happy to support the Bula Coffee project. According to him, this project empowers Fiji in the agricultural sector. At the same time, it also build rural development, food security, alternative development and livelihoods for people at the grassroots level. Ambassador Dupito also pointed out that Indonesia and Fiji are also building a Regional Agricultural Training Center and Demonstration Farm in Rakiraki this year. According to him, this collaboration is an important marker in relations between the two countries. Indonesia and Fiji this year celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations. Dupito claims, with this collaboration Indonesia is showing a very significant commitment to helping increase agricultural resilience. This momentum is an opportunity for the two countries to partner and help the region achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and the Blue Pacific Strategy by 2050. Moreover, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka appreciated the grant and the cooperation that has existed between Indonesia and Fiji. According to him, Indonesia’s grant is an important step to achieve Fiji's development goals. The Prime Minister also said  that the grants will empower rural communities, promote sustainable agriculture, address excessive imports and contribute to poverty reduction in Fiji. The Bula Coffee Project is an initiative led by the Government of Fiji, with support from international partners, to empower rural communities by promoting sustainable coffee cultivation and processing. The project aims at equipping residents with the knowledge and resources needed to improve their agricultural capabilities, improve livelihoods and contribute to economic development in Fiji.

The Japanese government via the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), has expressed interest from several Japanese companies in building and operating airports in Indonesia, especially Sultan Aji Muhammad Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan. This was conveyed at the Air Transportation Working Group (ATWG) event, on January 18-20, 2024 in Bandung, West Java. Director for Airports at the Transportation Ministry's Directorate General of Civil Aviation Lukman F. Laisa, in a statement received in Jakarta, Saturday (20/01) said that Japan introduced four companies: Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd, JALUX Inc., Taisei and SECOM. Co. Ltd, all of which had experience in the construction and operation of major Japanese airports, such as Haneda and Narita. The four companies expressed their desire to collaborate in developing airports in Indonesia, especially in Balikpapan. These improvements would improve the function of Sultan Aji Muhammad Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, as the entrance to the capital of the archipelago. ATWG was one of the agendas for the 11th Vice-Ministerial Level Meeting between Indonesia and Japan in the transportation sector. Furthermore, Lukman said that Japan's extensive experience, technological capability, and expertise in airport development and operation both in Japan and abroad, is expected to help further develop Indonesia's aviation industry. Indonesia's proposal to improve travel routes to Japan was also discussed. With final discussions focusing on the Indonesia State Safety Program, and also developments in the use of alternative fuels for sustainable aviation (bioavtur), for flights across Indonesia.

Tulungagung, East Java has a number of interesting beach attractions to visit. One of them is Gemah Tulungagung Beach. This beach has blue, clear and clean sea water. The location is in Keboireng village, Besuki district, Tulungagung regency. From Tulungagung city center, you have to travel 37 kilometers or approximately one hour if traffic conditions are smooth. The entrance ticket price to tourist locations for weekends is IDR 7,500 (0.48 US dollar) per person, while on weekdays it is IDR 5,000.Gemah Beach has 2 kilometers of brown sand. The combination of sand and blue sea water adds to the charm of the beach. The beach area is also surrounded by pine trees, large rocks and coral cliffs. The beach has waves that are not too high, so it is safe for those of you who want to swim at this beach. You can also enjoy the beach atmosphere by sitting on a mat while looking at the surrounding views and breathing in the fresh air.To enjoy the beauty of the surrounding nature, you can try riding an ATV motorbike. You only need to pay IDR 20,000 (1.48 US dollar) to rent an ATV motorbike for 20 minutes. You can also rent a boat from fishermen while enjoying the clear waters of Gemah Beach. The price is around IDR 10,000 per person. Around the beach, there are towering pine forests. You can take photos with a pine forest as a background. Don't forget to watch the beautiful sunset at Gemah Beach.

The Indonesian Muslim University of Makassar collaborates with educational centers in France The French Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor Leste and ASEAN, Fabien Penone, said that he supports the international cooperation program between the Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) of Makassar and educational centers in France. Ambassador Fabien Penone, in a release from UMI Makassar, which was received by Antara, Saturday, January 20, admitted that he really appreciated the collaboration that had been established so far. His party ensured that they would follow up on various programs that would be implemented by UMI Makassar. The Chancellor of UMI Makassar, Prof. Sufirman Rahman, revealed that UMI has collaborated with several universities in France and has produced several programs. UMI Makassar partnership with universities in France has been running since 2016 until now. This collaboration includes the French Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB), which has sent students to study and conduct research at UMI Makassar who are also supervised by UMI Makassar lecturers. Sufirman hopes that the French Ambassador will provide support in partnership programs, especially in human resource development, including further study in doctoral programs, teacher visits and student exchanges. The Chancellor of UMI Makassar also conveyed the development of UMI Makassar as a missionary educational institution which was founded in 1954. Currently UMI Makassar is listed as the best university outside Java with superior accreditation and fostering 61 undergraduate study programs in 13 faculties and postgraduate programs.