VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Besides offering natural beauty, almost every lake in Indonesia also have many stories about  the lake  such as angler and his caught in Lake Toba, North Sumatra as well as Pertapa and Dragon in Rawa Pening, Ambarawa, Central Java.  In today’s segment of Indonesian Wonder I present to you about a lake in eastern Indonesia,   with its  interesting background story of forbidden love. However,  behind that unique folklores, Lake keeps a different charm and it is very interesting to visit. Likewise lake Tolire in Ternate, North Maluku which is located at the valey of Mount Gamalama.

Ternate Island is an island that has been famous for centuries because of its spices. The history of the emergence of western colonialism was mainly because its spices. In Ternate there are also many attractions that must be visited both historical tourism and natural charm. One of the natural beauty that become a tourist destination in Ternate is Lake Tolire. If you want to visit Lake Tolire, you have to visit first Ternate City, in North Maluku. From Ternate the distance is approximately 10 Km south of the city to Lake Tolire. After traveling for about 20 minutes passing the seashore and hills, you will arrive at Lake Tolire. You don't need to worry, there are directions on the side of the road to Lake Tolire. According to the local people’s belief, Lake Tolire was formed due to the wrath of Almighty GOD because of the forbidden love between a father and his daughter. Lake Tolire consists of two lakes, Lake Tolire Besar and Lake Tolire Kecil, which is only 200 meters away. Behind the folklore, Lake Tolire provides a unique tourism object besides the natural beauty along with living things around it. 

With its background of the  active and beautiful Gamalama volcano, Lake Tolire Besar looks enchantment and exotic with turquoise green color sea water around it. Behind the beautiful panorama of the lake, visitors can also feel mysteriousity of the lake.  It may be the effect of folklore about this lake. Moreover,  there is a unique story of throwing a stone if we visit the Lake Tolire Besar.  The position of the lake is  more than 50 meters below, the visitors have to stand around 3 meters from the lip of the cliff above the lake. The story is that if we throw a stone to the lake, we will not be able to see the position of the stone, but someone else can see it.  The green of the forest trees combined with the black color of the land from the effects of the eruption of Mount Gamalama  and  birdsong, make the scenery and atmosphere on the Lake Tolire Besar  more beautiful and charming. 

Until now, there has  not anyone who examines how deep Lake Tolire is, but local people believe its depth is difficult to reach because it connects to the sea. Lake Tolire Besar also has a story about white crocodile that  guards the presence and sustainability of  the lake.  While  for  Lake Tolire Kecil which is located approximately 200 meters from Lake Tolire Besar  is closer to the shoreline. The Lake just  like a shrimp or fish pond on the edge of the beach which is grown by  coconut trees and various species of trees around it . It is  not too special if it is  compared with Lake Tolire Besar.

Indonesia's sea wealth is enormous and its sea area reaches 2.3 million square kilometers. If managed properly, Indonesia can be independent in producing sea fish without importing from other countries. In this regard, the student of the Sepuluh November Technology Institute (ITS), Alfian Bimanjaya tried to make a new breakthrough named the Fisheries Potential Information System -SIRIPIKAN in the international competition Esri Young Scholars Award 2020 last March. He won two achievements at the same time. He successfully came out as runner-up and he was favorite among the finalists.

SIRIPIKAN was made with the primary objective to provide geospatial information about the potential of fisheries to improve the effectiveness of fishing activities and fish distribution activities. In addition, SIRIPIKAN also comes with several spatial analysis features, such as proximity analysis, direction search, route, and travel time which are still rarely provided by other similar applications today. In making SIRIPIKAN, Alfian used remote sensing technology, specifically the Moderate Resolution Imaging Specter-radio-meter satellite imagery to determine the Potential Fishing Zones. Geographic Information System (GIS) Technology is also used to analyze and present geospatial information on the distribution of Potential Fishing Zones.

Alfian explained that from the features possessed, the use of SIRIPIKAN can be used by not only fishermen as a supplier of capture fish, but also distributors and fish traders. The community as fish consumers can also use this technology, as well as the government as the party that takes the policy. SIRIPIKAN still needs a lot of development, especially in terms of data updating. At present, information on Potential Fishing Zones is still available periodically on a monthly basis. In the future, SIRIPIKAN can provide Potential Fishing Zones information every week, even updated every day.

The Tax Directorate General of the Indonesian Finance Ministry waives value-added tax (PPn) towards some goods and services for Covid-19 handling. That was official statement of Tax Directorate General received by Antara news agency on Saturday, April 11 2020.

In the statement, it was mentioned that Indonesian government supported the availability of goods and meds needed in Covid-19 handling by waiving the value-added tax or the government pays it.

Such facility is given to government agency or institution, referral hospital, and other parties appointed to aid the Covid-19 handling for importing goods.

The goods that will not be subject to a 10 percent tax are medicine, vaccine, lab equipment, detecting equipment, protective gear, patient treatment equipment, and other supporting equipments.

Meanwhile, the services needed in Covid-19 handling include construction, consulting, engineering, management, rental, and other supporters.

Not only value-added tax, the regulation also exempts three income taxes (PPh). The first is Article 22 or Import Income Tax, for import of goods by government agency or institution, referral hospital, and other parties appointed to aid the Covid-19 handling. The Article 22 Income Tax exemption is also given to the seller.

Second, Article 21 Income Tax exemption will take effect to domestic individual taxpayer as payment given by government agency or institution, referral hospital, and other parties appointed to aid the Covid-19 handling.

Third, exemption of Article 23 Income Tax for income received by government agency or institution, referral hospital, and other appointed parties for engineering, management, or other kinds of services required in Covid-19 handling.

Reference proposal for Article 22 and Article 23 Income Taxes exemption is submitted to tax office head where the taxpayer is registered, through official email of the tax office.

Value-added tax and income tax incentive will take effect from  April 2020 until September 2020.

Mountain Ijen, which has an altitude of 2,443 meters above sea level, has amazing enchantment. The mountain, which is located at the borders of Bondowoso and Banyuwangi regency, is quite often climbed by many tourists, both domestic and foreign tourists, because it is well known on its natural phenomenon at Ijen crater, namely blue fire. Climbing Mt. Ijen takes around 3 – 4 hours with sandy and steep rocks’ terrain.  Ijen crater has a depth of 200 meters with an area of 5,466 hectares. The enchantment of blue fire can be seen in the crater.

Blue fire is a coincidence that happens on an ongoing basis. Ijen Crater with huge sulfur content has high-pressure geothermal heat so that oxidation reaction occurs. The sulfur combustion reaction produces heat and light, and then this is accepted as blue color by the receptors of the human eyes. The best time to watch the blue fire in Ijen Crater is at dawn during  02.00-04.00 am of local time. To climb the mountain, we suggest you to climb it at night around 10.00 pm in order you can be relaxed. The trip to bottom of the crater is not easy to be passed because there is uphill track along 3 kilometers and about 700 meters downhill.

Besides the challenging tracks to Ijen crater, when going down to the crater, you should share space with sulfur miners who transport tens of kilograms of sulfur. Its condition will be more difficult if there are many climbers. The best month to watch the blue fire of Ijen crater is December because fog intensity is lower. Such a condition, you can watch the blue fire and blue water of lake without fog. If fog is high and thick, the blue fire is only faintly visible and it tends to dim, even it is not seen at all. After enjoying the blue fire, you can continue your trip to peak of Mt, Ijen which is located around 1 kilometer from the crater.  Over there, you can watch beautiful sunrise. From the peak of the mountain, you can enjoy beautiful panorama and even peak of Mt. Merapi which is located at the East of Ijen crater. So, what are you waiting for? Set your time to go to Bondowoso, East Java province to enjoy the blue fire.