VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government continues to open a wider export access to  New Zealand, especially in  labor market and agricultural products so that bilateral relations continue to improve. Director General of International Trade Negotiations, Iman Pambagyo who was  Head of the Indonesian Delegation at the 7th Senior Official's Meeting on Trade and Investment Framework (SOMTIF) in Wellington, New Zealand on Wednesday, February 12 said.

Iman Pambagyo through his statement in Jakarta On Friday, February 14, revealed that  at the SOMTIF this time, the Indonesian delegation fought for access  to enter New Zealand labor market. In addition, there is also access to Indonesian tropical fruit products, specifically related to solving non-tariff barriers for mangosteen, banana, pineapple, snake fruit, and mango products.

According to Iman Pambagyo, in addition to the issue of labor and agricultural market access, Indonesia also invited New Zealand investors to invest in Indonesia in the livestock, tourism, vocational and tertiary education sectors, as well as the creative economy. Collaborations offered in the creative economy sector include film and animation. He asserted, New Zealand has a fairly advanced film industry. Many box office films are made in New Zealand, such as the Hobbit and Lord of the Ring. Therefore, Indonesia wants to establish cooperation through the forum. He added, the issues that the Indonesian delegation was seeking at the SOMTIF meeting were in line with President Joko Widodo's vision to develop human resources and improve export performance, including to New Zealand. He reiterated, amid of the current world economic slowdown, SOMTIF has an important meaning in increasing cooperation between Indonesia and New Zealand.

The Senior Official’s Meeting on Trade and Investment Framework -SOMTIF is a regular annual bilateral forum between Indonesia and New Zealand. It discusses trade and investment issues and it is a momentum  for  improving trade and investment performance through technical cooperation. SOMTIF was formed in 2005 and was first held in Wellington on July 14 and 15, 2008. Furthermore, the SOMTIF agenda is carried out alternately by the two countries.

Indonesia's main export products to New Zealand are oil cake, coal, wood and tires. Meanwhile, Indonesia's main import products from New Zealand are dairy products, wheat flour, and chemical wood pulp. Data from the Investment Coordinating Board shows the value of New Zealand's investment realization in Indonesia was recorded at US$2.6 million dollars in 81 projects. The majority of investment is in the tertiary / service sector such as hotels, restaurants and tourism. While Indonesian companies investing in New Zealand engage in the distribution of phosphate and surfactant.

This year, Indonesia through the Central Statistics Agency once again is carrying out  a population census by using two methods, namely, online and direct interviews with officials. The online method is carried out independently from Saturday 15 February until 31 March 2020. The conventional method or officials visiting residents' homes begins in July 2020 for people who have not yet been recorded via online.

The results of the seventh population census conducted by Indonesia are expected to be a solution in overcoming the confusion of population data and can be used to optimize the benefits of demographic bonus that will be enjoyed by Indonesia by 2030. The census is intended to get information not only related to when to obtain demographic bonus, but also to what steps the government should take.

Indonesia is expected to experience the demographic bonus, when the number of productive ages between 15-64 years is more than the number of unproductive ages under 15 years and above 64 years.

According to the Deputy for Population and Employment at the National Development Agency, Pungky Sumadi, one of the most important data that will be obtained from the population census is about population poverty. So far, the poverty data is considered to have been inaccurate. So, there must be collaboration between the central and regional governments for data accuracy in overcoming the poverty.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration of the Ministry of Home Affairs, I Gede Suratha said, the 2020 population census will make the life planning of millennials more mature. Thus, the opportunity for success in the future will open wider in various sectors.

The results of the 2020 population census are expected to become an accurate database for determining government policy. Therefore, the public participation in the 2020 population census is very important to assist the government in formulating policies that ultimately aim to prosper the people.

Indonesia takes an export opportunity for food and beverage products to Hungary by participating at Sirha Budapest 2020 on 4th – 6th February. The participation of Indonesia has successfully recorded potential transaction worth US$3.5 million dollars. The Indonesian participation is cooperation between Indonesian Trade Promotion Center Budapest and Indonesian Embassy in Budapest. Secretary General of Trade Ministry, Oke Nurwan as quoted by Antara on Wednesday explained that the participation of Indonesia at the foreign exhibition is a promotional strategy of trade which must be carried out by the attaché trade and Indonesian Trade Promotion Center to open export market opportunity. Oke Nurwan also stated that the effort is done to supply some raw materials of industry for food and beverage to the market of Hungary and central and east  Europe. Therefore, the participation in the exhibition needs to be utilized optimally to obtain actual or potential buyers to increase food and beverage export of Indonesia.  Sirha Budapest 2020 is an international exhibition  and it is prestigious in Hungary for central and east Europe.

Indonesia has distinctionfor British people, particularly in the field of educational sector.  It is assumed from the high interest for British academicians to explore educational partnership with Indonesia. This was stated at The Anglo-Indonesian Society meeting with the theme ‘Higher Education: Indonesian and UK Relationship’, which was held at Indonesian Embassy in London. Indonesian Ambassador to England, Rizal Sukma at Press statement on Wednesday said that higher education has become an important sector at the bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and England. He further stated that this time is an appropriate moment to boost partnership in the field of education with England.  Firstly, because Indonesia needs to prioritize the development of human resources. Secondly, England which has high reputation in educational sector is enthusiastically exploring its international network. For Indonesian university students, the UK is able to provide luxurious study environment, particularly giving practical skills needed at the available employment.  Meanwhile, for the British university students, studying in Indonesia gives special attraction because Indonesian is rich with cultural diversities. The Anglo-Indonesian Society is the association based in the UK which aims at strengthening partnership and understanding between the UK and Indonesia.

Indonesia promoted 5 super priority destinations nemaly lake Toba in North Sumatra, Borobudur in Central Java, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara,  Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara and  Likupang  in North Sulawesi at tourism exhibition of  Borsa Internazionale del Turismo 2020 held in  Fieramilanocity, Milan for 3 days  from 9 – 11 February.Consul of Information and Social Culture of Indonesian Embassy in Rome, Danang Waskito to Antara on Wednesday explained that to reach Italian market and global market, there were 11 Indonesian tourism industries which consists of 6 tourism travel agents or traveling operators, 2 destination companies and 3 hotels or resorts from 4 provinces namely West Papua, Bali, and East Nusa Tenggara and Jakarta participating in the exhibition. Indonesian pavilliun performed tourism destination beauty in Jakarta, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, Central Kalimantan, and South Sulawesi. Meanwhile,   Jakarta and Bali until now become one of main tourism destinations in Italy.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo instructed economic ministers in the Indonesian Cabinet to come up with policies that could reduce the value of iron and steel imports. The large amount of steel imports is one of the sources of Indonesia's trade balance deficit. Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the total value of Indonesia's iron and steel imports in 2019 reached 10.3 billion US dollars, up slightly from 2018 which touched 10.2 billion US dollars. With that much value, iron and steel are now the second largest imported commodity in Indonesia after electronic machinery and equipment. President Joko Widodo at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Wednesday (Feb12) requested that the negative trend be immediately ended. If import policy continues to be opened up on a large scale, local steel mill utilities will never develop and the industry will not be able to progress. In fact, according to president Joko Widodo, the domestic industry has been able to produce some of the imported iron and steel.

Therefore, he urged the economic ministers to provide regulations that could encourage national iron and steel production, such as the provision of easier and cheaper raw materials. The President stressed that Indonesia needs to improve the ecosystem of supplying raw materials for the steel and iron industries, such as the availability and stability of raw material prices. According to the President, raw materials from national mining products can be prioritized in order to increase added value in the country. This is not only to reduce imports, it can also open jobs.

President's request, Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang ensured that he would reduce imports of iron and steel raw materials. The move was taken to strengthen the competitiveness of national industrial production, so that Indonesia does not continuously depend on imported steel.

Of the total requirement of 14 million tons per year, the domestic scrap metal industry is only able to supply 5 million tons, so there are still around 9 million tons that must be imported from abroad. However, with the reason to protect the domestic metal scrap industry and reduce the import of hazardous and toxic waste materials, scrap metal imports are limited to only 5 million tons.