VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Four high-ranking officials – Governor of West Sulawesi, Governor of South Kalimantan, Governor of Central Kalimantan and a representative from East Kalimantan – have conveyed the readiness of their respective regions to offer a location for Indonesian new capital.

Governor of West Sulawesi Andi Ali Baal Masdar said that his province offers many advantages in terms of land availability. “That includes the required supporting facilities such as water availability, disaster free area, and so on, ” Andi said in a discussion held by the Office of the Presidential Staff (KSP) in Jakarta, Monday (6/5).

In the meantime, Governor of South Kalimantan Sahbirin Noor also conveyed the readiness of his region to be the new capital. According to him, the province has also prepared land needed as the location of a new capital. “If the capital was located in South Kalimantan, the Meratus Mountains and the beach will dominate the landscape,” Sahbirin said.

Meanwhile, Governor of Central Kalimantan Sugianto Sabran explained that his region has all the conditions requested by the Central Government as a potential new capital. “We have prepared three districts in Central Kalimantan that meet the criteria as the new capital. Moreover, Bung Karno – Indonesia’s first president – once envisioned that Indonesia will move its capital to Central Kalimantan,” said Sugianto.

High-rank official from East Kalimantan also shared his own perspective that the province, which is best known for its beautiful beaches along its east coast, will best represent Indonesia as a maritime country. The city has also prepared itself as a leading candidate as the capital city, he added.

The Governors also said that they are ready to support President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s decision to build a new capital because they believe the decision is definitely the best one.

For the record, President Jokowi has decided to push ahead with his plan to move the capital from Jakarta and to build a new center of government outside Java, citing the need to ensure more equitable development and address overpopulation in Java. The relocation of Indonesia’s capital itself has actually been discussed since the era of President Sukarno, who had proposed Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan as the new capital city. (EN/Humas KSP/ES)

The Pacific Exposition trade, investment and tourism exhibition initiated by the Indonesian government is aimed at opening market access for superior products in Indonesia and countries in the Pacific region.

Through an exhibition held in Auckland, New Zealand, from July 11-14, 2019, Indonesia wants to increase its presence and influence in the Pacific.

According to the Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand, Tantowi Yahya, Indonesia is geographically an integral part of the Pacific community because its five provinces are located in the Pacific Ocean.

Indonesia's population also consists of the Melanesian races in Papua, West Papua, and East Nusa Tenggara, as well as the Polynesian races in Maluku and North Maluku.

Indonesia's presence in the Pacific will expand the market in this region which has a population of 30 million and 1.2 trillion US dollars of GDP.

"We want to provide something different, not help, but open market access. With a population of 260 million, Indonesia can become an easy market for Pacific countries that have excellence in agricultural, fishery and tourism products," Tantowi said.

Indonesia's efforts to capitalize on its geographical location and socio-cultural closeness with the Pacific countries are being made in the midst of the Pacific Reset policy pioneered by Australia and New Zealand to embrace Pacific countries through economic cooperation, increased human resources, and the involvement of a passive society in the world.

However, Tantowi said that Indonesia did not want to compete with the two countries, even with the United States and China, which were also expanding their influence in the Pacific.

"There is no political motive behind the implementation of the Pacific Exposition, unless we want to play a role and contribute in the Pacific," he said.

Through these activities, all countries in the Pacific region including Indonesia and Timor Leste are given the opportunity to showcase superior products and investment potential.

On the sidelines of the exhibition, a number of tourism, trade and cultural forums will be held, as well as business matching events to further the interests of all participating countries.

The tourism forum with the theme "Towards One Single Pacific Destination" is intended to integrate countries in the South Pacific into new tourist destinations.

"This area is projected to become a new giant in the world of tourism," said Tantowi.

This Pacific Exposition supported by New Zealand and Australia will be an annual activity that is sustainable, to develop the interaction between Indonesia and the Pacific region. (ant)

The exchange rate of the rupiah, traded in the interbank market in Jakarta, Tuesday, is estimated to go down following the release of economic growth data for the first quarter of 2019.  At 9:47 am local time, the value of the rupiah went down 11 points or 0.08 percent, from 14,298 to 14,309 rupiah per US dollar.

The economist from Samuel Asset Management, Lana Soelistianingsih, predicted that the value of the rupiah would go down between 14,300 and 14,330 rupiah per US dollar on Tuesday.  Based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics released on Monday, Soelistianingsih said that Indonesia’s economic growth in the first quarter was recorded at 5.07 percent year-on-year (yoy).

The growth rate fell short of the consensus forecast of analysts, which was 5.2 percent (yoy).

“Hence, it now seems difficult for the economy to achieve growth according to the 2019 state budget at 5.3 percent. We estimate the economic growth in 2019 to reach 5.14 percent,” Soelistianingsih said.

Economic growth in the first quarter of 2019 has been relatively stagnant compared to the first quarter of 2018, recorded to have reached 5.06 percent (yoy).

Furthermore, the economic growth in the first quarter of 2019 was recorded at negative 4.52 percent on a quarter-to-quarter (qtq) basis, indicating a decline compared to the first quarter of 2018 with negative 0.51 percent.

In the business field, the services sector contributed the highest growth, followed by the manufacturing sector, and the trade sector.

Meanwhile, household consumption, followed by the investment sector and net exports became the main sources of growth in expenditure.

“Government spending on the general elections did not seem to be strong enough to drive economic growth; rather, the contribution seemed to have slowed down compared to the fourth quarter of 2018, although it was still higher compared to the first quarter of 2018,” she explained. (ant)

President Joko Widodo this morning, Tuesday, May 7, 2019, made a working visit to a number of areas on the island of Borneo. The visit was carried out as a form of follow up to the government's seriousness in the case of the move of the capital city of the Republic of Indonesia.

From Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base Jakarta, the Head of State and his entourage took off using the Indonesian-1 Presidential Aircraft at 09.00 WIB. Arriving in the city of Balikpapan, East Kalimantan Province, at 11.55 WITA, President Jokowi went directly to the location which became an alternative plan to move the capital city.

After that, President Jokowi and his entourage will continue their journey to Central Kalimantan Province. The plan, President Jokowi will spend the night in the city of Palangkaraya, to continue the series of working visits the next day. Among other things, reviewing the location that became an alternative plan to move the capital city.

Previously, President Jokowi reiterated that the government was serious with plans to move the capital city of the Republic of Indonesia. This was conveyed by President Jokowi in the presence of the heads of state high institutions during the break fasting event at the State Palace, Jakarta, yesterday (6/5) afternoon.

"We are serious in this matter because we have discussed it internally since 3 years ago. Then 1.5 years ago we asked Bappenas to conduct more detailed studies both in terms of economy, socio-politics, and also from the side environment, "said the President.

Accompanying President Jokowi on the flight to East Kalimantan Province was Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of PPN / Head of Bappenas Bambang Brodjonegoro, Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning / Head of BPN Sofyan A. Djalil, Military Secretary of President Marsda TNI Trisno Hendradi, and Paspampres Commander Maj. Gen. Maruli Simanjutak. (biro pers)