VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta: Summer can trigger mosquitoes to breed quickly. The danger is even greater because some types of mosquitoes have the potential to transmit serious diseases such as dengue fever (DHF). Quoting a written statement from the Ministry of Health, DHF is not a mild disease. If not treated properly, it can cause serious complications and is even potentially deadly. It is known that the cumulative number of dengue cases in Indonesia is 114,720 cases with 894 deaths throughout 2023 (Antara data 21/3/2024). Therefore, prevention is a step that should not be ignored.

It is important to apply the right preventive measures, and take early action if symptoms appear. How to Prevent Dengue Fever can be done with 3M Plus:

First, Draining Water Containers
Stagnant water in used goods or holes caused by rain are ideal places for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito to breed. Therefore, draining water reservoirs such as bathtubs, flower pots, or other places that can hold water is the first step in prevention.

Second, Close Water Containers
Make sure all water reservoirs are tightly sealed to prevent mosquitoes from entering and laying eggs in them. This will also help reduce the risk of mosquito bites.

Third, Recycle Used Items
Used items such as plastic bottles, old tyres, and other places that can hold water should be recycled or disposed of properly. Avoid storing used items that can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

In addition to the 3M above, there are several additional (plus) steps that can be taken, among others:

Planting Mosquito Repellent Plants: Some plants such as lavender, lemongrass, and mint have natural mosquito repellent properties. Planting these plants around the house can help reduce the risk of mosquito bites.

Conduct Regular Checks of Water Reservoirs: Apart from draining, conduct regular inspections of water reservoirs to ensure that no mosquitoes breed in them.

Keep Mosquito Breeding Fish: Fish such as guppies and goldfish are mosquito larvae eaters. Keeping these fish in water tanks can help control the mosquito population.

Preventing Dengue Fever (DHF) is a shared responsibility. By recognising the symptoms, implementing the 3M Plus prevention measures, and taking early action if symptoms appear, we can protect ourselves, our families, and the environment from the serious threat of DHF. Let's unite in our efforts to fight this disease for the health and well-being of us all.

Source: Indonesian Ministry of Health

VOInews, Jakarta: The Indonesian government, in this case the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, continues to oversee several important matters related to international economic cooperation. One of them is Indonesia's accession process to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Indonesia became the first Southeast Asian country to become an OECD accession country, after the approval of Indonesia's Accession Roadmap which was officially handed over at the OECD Ministerial Meeting (PTM) on 2-3 May 2024. Currently, there are 7 OECD accession countries, namely Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Croatia, Peru and Romania.

After reaching the stage of adopting the OECD roadmap, the next step that will be taken by the Government is the self-assessment process, and the preparation of an initial memorandum which is planned to be completed within the next 250 days. For the national coordination process, the President of Indonesia has issued Presidential Decree Number 17 of 2024 on the OECD National Team. The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs is appointed as the Chairman of the Implementation Team with the Vice Chairmen being the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Finance.

‘The government has taken strategic steps related to OECD accession, to commit to becoming an OECD member within the next three years, including the integration of OECD accession in the RPJPN and RPJMN to the plan to establish a Project Management Office (PMO) to support the OECD National Team,’ said Deputy for Coordination of International Economic Cooperation Edi Prio Pambudi, in a Media Briefing to journalists at the Media Centre of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Jakarta, Thursday (30/5).

After the OECD PTM, OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann visited Indonesia on 28-29 May 2024. During the visit, the OECD Secretary-General met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, 2024-2029 President-Elect Prabowo Subianto, the Indonesian Parliament, the OECD National Team, and relevant stakeholders such as labour organisations, civil society, business representatives, academics, and others.

‘By becoming a member of the OECD, our access to the markets of other OECD member countries will be more open and will encourage investment as well. There is already a national team consisting of various stakeholders, and even later, media friends will also be involved in terms of press freedom. As a big nation, we must be united to achieve this,’ said Deputy Edi.

Furthermore, the OECD will also help with the development of the semiconductor ecosystem. Indonesia is one of the countries that will be reviewed by the U.S. Department of State in collaboration with the OECD. It is expected that from the results of the review, Indonesia can contribute to strengthening the global semiconductor supply chain through the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund mechanism and increase foreign investment into Indonesia in the semiconductor sector. The review process is expected to last for 6-8 months and the OECD Semiconductor Team is planning to come to Indonesia in early-mid 2024 to complete a fact-finding mission for the review of Indonesia's semiconductor industry.

‘Semiconductors are important as we have continued to negotiate since a long time ago, and there is quite fierce competition in the semiconductor world today. Now the United States still holds many standards for it, for example for smartphone production. You can imagine that if we don't manage that, we will be left far behind. Here we have built a semiconductor ecosystem involving ambassadors, entrepreneurs, and others, because this is a broad industry so we have to know where to start,’ Deputy Edi concluded.

Source: Indonesian Coordinating Minister of Economic

VOInews, Jakarta: In order to increase the capacity of local MSMEs in the export market, the Malang Customs Office pioneered the Export Clinic programme. The programme is an assistance for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that have export potential in their working areas so that they can go international.

Malang Customs Extension and Information Services Section Head Dwi Prasetyo Rini revealed that the Export Clinic is a programme initiated by Customs to assist entrepreneurs who wish to carry out export activities. The Export Clinic is a consultation medium between service users and Customs employees for export activities. "In addition to providing socialisation on export procedures, we also coordinate with relevant ministries or institutions and regional agencies to support the empowerment of MSMEs," said Dwi, quoted from the beacukai.go.id page in Jakarta, Thursday (23/5/2024).

Dwi revealed that during the week, Malang Customs intensively assisted MSME players in the Greater Malang area. The assistance team visited the Sustainable Food Innovation MSME on Wednesday (15/5) and CV Kusuma Wijaya Plants on Friday (17/5). "In addition to conducting visits to MSME players, we also fulfilled the invitation of the Malang City Cooperative Industry and Trade Office to provide export socialisation for MSMEs," said Dwi.

The export socialisation was held at Hotel Montana, Malang, on Tuesday (21/05). In the socialisation entitled "Trade Mission for Leading Export Products", Malang Customs explained the potential and procedures for starting exports for MSMEs.

VOInews, Jakarta: the arrival of Indonesian hajj pilgrims in wave I entered the last day. The Integrated Hajj Information and Computerisation System (Siskohat) of the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) recorded that 89,114 Indonesian pilgrims landed at Amir Muhammad bin Abdul Aziz Airport (AMAA) in Madinah.

They are members of 229 flight groups (kloter). The arrival phase of the first batch of hajj pilgrims took place on 12 May 2024. This phase will end on 24 May 2024. On the same day, the second batch of Indonesian pilgrims will land at King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAAIA) Jeddah. "Some of the Daker Bandara officers today (Thursday) departed for Jeddah. They will prepare to welcome hajj pilgrims in the arrival phase of the second wave which will take place from 24 May to 10 June 2024," said Daker Airport Head Abdillah in Madinah, through a written statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs received by Indonesia Window here on Thursday (23/5/2024).

Meanwhile, some officers are still in Madinah to welcome the arrival of the last batch in the first phase. One of the Wukala leaders in the Madinah Airport Fasttrack lane, Abdullah Ishaq Al Hosah as Wukala Supervisor, felt greatly helped by the presence of Indonesian Hajj officers. "The presence of Indonesian Hajj officers at the airport is very much needed because it really helps us in our work. We can work faster because the officers help direct the pilgrims from the exit to the bus," said Abdullah.

Abdullah said he was impressed with the tenacity of the hajj officers in carrying out their duties. "Indonesian hajj officers are very compact in their work. They are also friendly and polite," Abdullah praised the Indonesian Hajj officers.

Abdullah also gave special praise to the Indonesian pilgrims. According to him, Indonesian pilgrims are easy to manage. "If all pilgrims were like the Indonesian pilgrims, we would be very comfortable at work," said Abdullah.

At the end of the chat, Abdullah invited Indonesian Hajj officers to work together to serve the guests of Allah. "We really appreciate the Indonesian Hajj officers. May we remain united in working together to serve the guests of Allah as well as possible. May Allah bless the Indonesian pilgrims and hajj officers," he concluded.

Before leaving for Jeddah, the Indonesian Hajj officers captured the moment with a photo with the Wukala officers and airport workers (umal). This reflects the good relationship between the two in welcoming the arrival of the congregation as well as supporting the smooth running of the task in the return phase later.