VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia is targeting exports to Taiwan to grow by 7.8 percent in 2018. Director General of National Export Development (PEN) Arlinda in the Indonesia-Taiwan Business Forum in Taiwan on Friday (23/3/2018) said that Indonesia and Taiwan have very large potential to enhance trade cooperation. She is optimistic to achieve the target, as Indonesia and Taiwan recorded positive economic growth. According to Arlinda, Indonesia's total exports to Taiwan reached 1.89 percent of Taiwan's total imports. Meanwhile, Taiwan's total exports to Indonesia last year amounted to 2 percent of Indonesia's total imports worldwide. The main export products from Indonesia to Taiwan are coal, bituminous coal, tin, plywood, coffee, copper waste, and scrap. Meanwhile, five main products imported from Taiwan to Indonesia are woven and knitted fabric, generating set, other of electronic integrated circuits, and spare parts for electronic integrated circuits and micro-assemblies.Arlinda said coffee is one of Indonesia's potential export commodities especially to Taiwan. Indonesia is the fourth largest coffee producer in the world and ranked seventh as the world's largest coffee exporter. Arlinda said Indonesia's coffee exports last year increased by 17.71 percent compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, coffee export from Indonesia to Taiwan reached 2.89 million US dollars.To strengthen trade relations between Indonesia and Taiwan, since  2016 a Working Group on Trade meeting has been held within the framework of the Joint Committee of Trade and Investment (JCTI) . It is a bilateral meeting forum to discuss trade and investment increase between the two parties. The next JCTI meeting will be held in Bali on March 27, 2018.During the business forum, Arlinda invited Taiwanesebusinessmen to attend the 33rd Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI)which will be held from 24-28 October 2018 at IndonesiaConvention Exhibition (ICE) BSD City, Tangerang, Banten.Trade Expo Indonesia 2018 is targeted to be attended by more than 28,000 International buyers and followed by 1,110 participants. After the business forum she expects there will be more buyers from Taiwan.Meanwhile, Chief of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Taiwan Robert James Bintaryo, said, during the last three years Taiwan's coffee imports from Indonesia have increased. The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Taiwan regularly invites Taiwanese businessmen to visit several locations listed as the best coffee producers in Indonesia such as East Java and Aceh. But until now Indonesia's coffee imports in Taiwan still occupy the third position. So Indonesia should try to continue to increase the number of sales and export of coffee to Taiwan.

We will present keroncong songs performed by Indonesian female keroncong singer, Wiwik Sumbogo. Bengawan Solo is a fairly famous keroncong song from Indonesia. This song tells about the longest river in Java, namely Bengawan Solo. The song was composed by Gesang Martohartono or better known as Gesang, in 1940, when he was 23 years old. Not only in Indonesia, this song is also famous, especially in Japan. Bengawan Solo was once used in one of Japan's big-screen movies. The song is translated into 13 languages, including English, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. This original keroncong song has been sung by many singers, including Gesang and Wiwik Sumbogo. Initially, Wiwiek was known as keroncong and Javanese pop singer. Her name is popular, especially in Central Java and East Java regions. This song entitled Sampul Surat tells about someone who is disappointed when receiving a letter, it is an envelope only. With a sense of sadness and disappointment, the cover of the letter is kept as a memory. Wiwiek Sumbogo's career began to rise when she released an Indonesian pop album entitled “Loyang dan Besi”. In the era of 80s, Wiwik had released several albums. In addition to launching a number of albums, the singer who has the original name Dewi Prasetyawati Sumbogo also often performed on the music show on national television station, TVRI. In addition to having a melodious voice, Wiwik also has a beautiful face.

Indonesia confirmed that ASEAN must show its key role in solving Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership negotiation because the negotiation is targeted to be solves this year. This was stated by Director General of International Trade Negotiation at the Trade Ministry,  Iman Pambagyo who is RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) Chair after leading the 2nd meeting of Senior Economic Officials' Meeting for 49th ASEAN Economic Ministers which was held on March 21-24, 2018 in Nusa Dua, Bali. The ASEAN members discussed the results of inter-sessional meeting of the 4th  RCEP ministers and the target is expected to be able to be reached on the next round. The element of RCEP cooperation which must be pursued to be resolved  includes trade cooperation of goods, rules of origin, service trade, investment, and competition. The meeting also discussed preparedness of the 5th RCEP Inter-sessional Ministerial Meeting which will be held on July 1, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. The 2nd day of the meeting also discussed some internal issues of ASEAN in service sector.

Indonesian entrepreneurs succeeded to record potential transaction worth $30.7 million dollars in one-on-one business matching which was held in Taiwan on Friday (23/3). The one-on-one business matching is a trade mission of Indonesian Trade Ministry to Taiwan which ended on Sunday (25/3). Employment service dominated the potential transaction. Director General of National Export Development, Arlinda explained that the biggest contribution on the potential transaction came from employment service with the value more than $15 million dollars. The second biggest one was investment worth $9.5 million dollars, followed by trade of goods worth $6.2 million dollars. The attractive products in the one-on-one business matching were like beauty care, coffee, instant food, skilled manpower service as well as investment in various sectors, namely logistic and warehousing; cosmetic industry; recycling cable industry; recycling copper industry; medical equipment industry; and coating material services industry. In the event, there is potential investment project of factory’s development on waste products of palm oil as raw materials of  fiber glass for airplane’s body by Yeu Fong International Technology Corp (Taiwan). The potential will be followed up by Association of Indonesian Plantation Entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, retail transaction in one day of the Indonesian Week 2018 exhibition on Sunday (25/3) was worth $33 thousand dollars. The products which were in demand for retail are furniture, coffee, food and beverage, silver and pearl accessories and leather product.

Indonesian Tourism Ministry prepares various strategies to develop Indonesian culinary. One of them is through culinary destination certification and co-branding ‘Wonderful Indonesia’ with restaurant overseas. Chairman of Team for the Acceleration of Culinary Tourism Development and Shoppingof Indonesian at the Tourism Ministry, Vita Datau Messakh said that her side will sign 10 restaurants in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Netherlands, France and the United States of America. According to the target in 2018, there are 100 agreements with  restaurants of diaspora Indonesia in various countries.

West Java has various kinds of traditional weapons such as Kujang, Balincong, Patik, Bedog, and many others. Kujang is one of West Java traditional weapons, which is quite known because of its unique shape. Kujang began to be made around the 8th century or the 9th century. It is well-known as Sundanese traditional weapon which has sacred value and magical power. Kujang is also as a weapon of West Java farmers and has root on agricultural culture. Generally,  Kujang has understanding as heirloom from the God. As a weapon, since the past until now, Kujang has possessed a very special position  among Sundanese people. In the past, Kujang could not be separated from Sundanese people’s life because of its function as agricultural tool. With development of technology, culture, social and economy of Sundanese people, Kujang also develops and experiences its form, function and meaning. From an agricultural tool, Kujang develops to become a thing which has own character and tends to be weapon which has symbolic and sacred values. Every part of Kujang has its own name, beginning from a pointed tip which is used for incision or gouging. This is called ‘Papatuk’ or Congo until Ganja or Landaian, namely sharp corner which directs similar direction with Papatuk. In general, Kujang has 5 until 9 eyes, Kujang which has no eyes, is called as Kujang Buta or in English blind Kujang. Besides its shape, the characteristic of Kujang material is also very unique, because it tends thick; its material is dried, and it has porous and many  containing natural metal elements. According to elders, some give a very noble philosophy to Kujang as “Ku-jang-ji rek neruskeun padamelan sepuh karuhun urang” meaning, promise to keep struggling of the ancestors, namely by enforcing the characteristic of human and nation. There are 5 human characteristics Welas Asih (love), Tatakrama (attitude), Undak Usuk (speaking ethic), Budi Daya Budi Basa, Wiwaha Yuda Na Raga. In addition, there are 5 national characteristics, namely Rupa (figure), Basa (language), Adat (tradition), Aksara (letter), Kebudayaan (culture).