VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand, Tantowi Yahya on Monday (March 26, 2018) responded to the writing of Audrey Young, the political redactor of the NZ Herald. The response was issued towards Audrey Young's writing entitled "Visiting leaders show disrespect by failing to share the platform with Jacinda Ardern" published in the NZ Herald Daily on 25 March. Ambassador Tantowi Yahya stated that he had loudly protested to the redactor and urged him to make a clarification because what he wrote did not match the true reality.

Rapid steps from Ambassador Tantowi Yahya should be appreciated. Because, this could pose a misperception about President Joko Widodo. Ambassador Tantowi Yahya underlined Audrey Young's writing about the President Joko Widodo’s refusal to meet the press and to give explanation   after a bilateral meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern at Parliament House on March 19, 2018. This attitude was later translated by Audrey Young as the president’s disrespect.

Ambassador Tantowi Yahya denied the allegations, and gave an explanation of the decision not to make the press statement. This is a proposal from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which was then adopted into a joint decision. For public consumption, the results of the meeting will be summarized in a joint statement which will be posted on the official website of both countries. He added that Indonesia appreciates the position taken by the host, and fully supports it because there is nothing wrong with that attitude.

Indonesia through the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Wellington has issued the joint statements. Both President Widodo and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern noted the importance of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and New Zealand. This is something that has to be built on a strong foundation of relationships between nations and has developed into the most valuable relationship for both countries. President Widodo's visit to New Zealand also marked an increase in bilateral relations with the comprehensive partnership.

Firm stance should indeed be taken to anyone who might pose a wrong opinion about Indonesia. Moreover, if the opinion is published in the media, this may lead to different perceptions.

Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arcandra Tahar said Indonesia`s proven oil reserves at present are recorded at around 3.3 billion barrels. Based on data collected by ANTARA from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources here on Monday with constant assumption of 800,000 barrels a day Indonesia would no longer be an oil producer in the next 11 to 12 years unless new reserves are discovered.

"Perhaps it may not happen in the next 11 or 12 years as production will keep dropping. Next year it will drop to 700,000 barrels a day and so on," he said.

Technological and new reserve factors are key to sustaining oil production in Indonesia, Arcandra said. He said oil exploitation technology at present is only able to take 40 to 50 percent of reserves. "There has so far been any technology that could do more. If our later generation could find the technology we could produce more than that. With regard to gas, the situation is better as we still have reserves for up to the next 25 to 50 years," he said.

Arcandra said the proven oil reserves in Indonesia were not abundant. Compared to the world`s proven reserves they make up only 0.2 percent while Indonesia`s Reserve Replacement Ration is also considered still low, he added.

"We are still able to achieve 50 percent reserve replacement ration. That is about how much we can take from reserves we have found. We take twice more than we discover while RRR in our neighboring countries have been above 100 percent," he said.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani has said that the government`s debts are used prudently in line with the principles of good budget management so far.

"To those who have called on the government to be careful in using debts, I can assure that their demand has been what the government has always done so far," she said in a press statement received here on Friday evening.

She said debts were used as part of budget management in stages and very carefully with regard to preventing possible shock on the economic engine that may slow it down. Debts and tax revenues are fiscal policy instruments used by the government to improve infrastructure, education, health or social security, she said. Sri Mulyani said there is nothing to worry about with regard to current debt because it is well managed to remain below the level allowed by the law.

"Mere focusing on its amount while neglecting the big context and the government`s policy would be incomplete and even misleading," she said.

Sri Mulyani said it was important to put the issue in the right context so that people or political elites would not become hysteric and worry too much to make them unproductive.

"It would be different if it is what they have intended to always raise the issue to make people uneasy, threatened and panic for certain political gains," she said.

Sri Mulyani said the destructive political efforts really ran counter to the spirit of building a good democracy. ( antara ) 

Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Erik Solheim, praised Indonesia`s efforts in restoring its peat ecosystems, saying it should serve as an example for other countries.

"The destruction of peatlands around the world will be a major blow to the Paris Treaty and for younger generations," Solheim said in a press release issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) on Friday.

Solheim says the international community is paying attention to Indonesia as one of the world`s largest peatlands with over 15 million hectares (ha). After the great forest and land fires in 2015, particularly peatland fires which are highly difficult to put out, the Administration of President Joko Widodo made peat improvement and governance a national priority.

After a meeting on Thursday of the Peatland Global Initiative Partners (GPI) in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, Solheim requested the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo to learn from Indonesia`s experience in the recovery of peat ecosystems. "The Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo must learn from Indonesia," he said.

Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar was the event`s keynote speaker. Also present was Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo, Clement Mouamba, Minister of Environment of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Amy Ambatobe Nyongolo and Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Congo, Arlette Soudan-Nonau. Bakar explained the great land and forest fire in 2015, especially the peat fire, was a valuable lesson for the Indonesian Government which it responded to through policies to improve peat governance and prevention of peat fires.

"Indonesia managed to reduce the fires as much as 93.6 percent. This success is a testament to the seriousness of President Joko Widodo to make the most common land and forest fire prevention in peatlands as a national priority," Bakar said.

One of the key successes of Indonesia is the ability to effectively engage all parties across the board, including encouraging the involvement of the private sector to meet its legal obligation on peatland management. The real efforts of President Joko Widodo in managing the peatland saved millions of Indonesians from forest and land fires in the 2016-2017 period, after occurring annually for almost two decades. Strong and thorough peat governance undertaken by the Indonesian government is an exact example for all countries in the world who have similar problems.

This achievement is in line with President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla`s instructions in November 2015 which should be recognised internationally.

"Because the majority of land and forest fire problems in peatlands are universally applicable," Bakar said, during her visit to the 3rd Peatland Initiative Global Partner (GPI) meeting in Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo.

In the future, two countries with the largest peat in the world, the Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo will soon undertake a study in Indonesia. "Indonesia will lead south-south cooperation to tackle the Congo Basin peat for the world," Bakar said.

The Congo Basin covers three countries that have the second largest peatland in the world. The three countries are Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon. In addition to Indonesia and the two Congos, the other largest peat country in the world is Peru. ( antara )