VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Tapurarang site, which is located on the shores of the Kokas, Fakfak Regency, West Papua, is the object of paintings of palms and feet, eyes, dolphins, lizards, plants, leaves, human faces, and boomerangs. This site seems to tell about past events that were painted through several red hands and footprints on the cave walls.

The painting looks ordinary, but it is enough to describe humans and their daily lives. The painting technique was also unique because the objects were made like sprayed using red and yellow ink. Splotches of paint were on the edges of each object. The painting material was confirmed to come from natural dyes. Even so, the color is still preserved to this day.

The Kokas people consider this site a sacred place because in this place, there are human skeletons that are believed to belong to the ancestors of the Kokas people. In ancient times, the people here had a habit of placing the bodies of their deceased ancestors on cliffs, niches, headlands, big trees and caves which they considered sacred.

The uniqueness of this place is the presence of a lush mangrove forest and clear water flowing through the large shady trees around it. Here too, you can find hundreds of bird species, such as cranes, cockatoos, parrots, birds of paradise, which live in the wild and dare to fly over the heads of visitors.

To reach this site, you have to travel overland from Fakfak City to Ubadari pier. The journey takes about 2 hours by motor vehicle. After arriving at Ubadari pier, you can take a boat or longboat. This water trip will take 2 hours. If the tide is high, you can go up to the cliff and see this painting up close. However, if the water recedes, the beauty of this cliff painting can only be enjoyed from the top of the longboat.

Indonesia has again captivated the international market with its flagship products. Indonesia managed to gain potential transactions worth around Rp 2.6 billion with the number of potential buyer contacts reaching 50 companies at the HOMI 2021 handicraft and home decoration exhibition, in Milan, Italy.

Indonesia's participation in HOMI 2021 which was held in early September 2021 was a synergy of the Ministry of Trade through the Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) Milan in collaboration with the Rome Trade Attaché by cooperating with the leading Italian home decoration distributor, Aladdin Srl Massimo Vento.

In this exhibition, Indonesia displayed wood and stone carvings, home decorations, aromatherapy, such as resins and candles, as well as handicrafts from bamboo and rattan. By having good quality, these products managed to attract the attention and interest of buyers who were present. This was stated by the Roman trade attaché, Silvi Charlote Sumanti.

HOMI is an international exhibition in the field of crafts and home decoration in Italy that involves all relevant parties, from producers to distributors. At this year’s exhibition, HOMI 2021 featured 300 participants from 22 countries.

Aladdin Srl Massimo Vento, founder of HOMI said that he was very satisfied with the results of this exhibition. Indonesian products are beautiful and unique products that are rarely found in Italy, making them very popular and appreciated in Italy.

Head of ITPC Milan, Sri Bimo Adhi Yudhono explained that after being hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic and a strict lockdown followed by massive vaccinations, the Italian economy is now back to life. This should be used by Indonesia to reach the market as one of the countries producing high quality handicrafts. Moreover, currently the Italian government is providing discounted prices for those who build or buy houses, thus, making the opportunities for the home decoration sector even greater.

The trend for 2021 in the interior design field is environmentally friendly products as well as sustainable ones. Indonesian products have these two characters because they are made from natural materials and not from artificial ones or chemical industry products. This year, the public interest in furniture and products for verandas, terraces and yards has increased sharply because many people still have to work from home.

The total trade between Indonesia and Italy in the January-July 2021 period was worth US$ 2.40 billion, an increase of 31.54 percent compared to the same period last year. Of this value, Indonesia's exports to Italy amounted to US$ 1.39 billion. Meanwhile, Indonesia's imports from Italy amounted to US$ 1.01 billion.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo inaugurated the groundbreaking for the construction of an electric vehicle battery factory in Karawang, West Java last Wednesday (15/9). The project worth US$1.1 billion or equivalent to Rp 15.6 trillion will be the first such a battery factory, not only in Indonesia, but also in ASEAN region or Southeast Asia.

President Joko Widodo in his speech said that the glorious era of raw material commodities is over. Therefore, Indonesia must have the courage to change its economic structure, which has been commodity-based, to enter into down-streaming and industrialization. Thus,  Indonesia can become a strong industrial country based on the development of technological innovation.

By accelerating the revitalization of the processing industry and by removing dependence on imported products or imports from exports of raw materials, Indonesia will be able to obtain higher economic added-value.

According to President Joko Widodo, Indonesia has the largest nickel reserves (an important mineral for battery products) in the world. With this extraordinary potential, in the next 3-4 years, through good management, Indonesia is believed to be a major producer of nickel-based finished goods, including lithium batteries, electric batteries, and electric vehicle batteries. If nickel is processed into cell batteries, its value can increase 6-7 times. In fact, if it becomes an electric car, the added-value will increase even more to 11 times.

To attract public interest in switching from oil-fueled vehicles to electric vehicles, the Indonesian Government certainly needs to conduct a massive campaign about the benefits of using this type of vehicle. The government should also issue a policy that will make the price of electric vehicles inexpensive. Based on the research of the Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries, it was found that the price of electric vehicles in general is still above Rp 450 million per unit, while the purchasing power of Indonesian people is around Rp 300 million per unit. In addition, the government must also provide sufficient electric vehicle battery charging stations so that people feel confident that they will not face difficulties when they already have an electric vehicle. 

If you are on vacation to Indonesia, just come to Banyuwangi City, East Java. This Banyuwangi City has many beautiful tourism destinations, such as Ijen Crater, Baluran National Park, Blambangan Park, Green Bay, Red Island Beach, Sukamade Beach, and Alas Purwo National Park. Certainly, visiting Banyuwangi is incomplete without trying its special food. One of them is Sego Lemeng. Sego Lemeng is a dish of rice cooked in bamboo and grilled until being cooked. Sego Lemeng is a typical dish of the Osing Tribe from Banjar Village.

Glutinous rice is the basic ingredient needed to make Sego Lemeng. After being washed cleanly, the rice is seasoned with bay leaves, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and salt. Some people add coconut milk to add a savory taste. As a complement, Sego Lemeng can also be added with minced chicken or tuna. All ingredients are mixed together and then wrapped in banana leaves. After it is shaped like rice-cake, it is put into bamboo and burned in the fireplace for up to four hours. When the bamboo turns black, this is a sign that the Lemeng is well-done. When it is eaten, Sego Lemeng produces a distinctive, savory and delicious taste. Because it has been given a side dish in it, Sego Lemeng can be eaten just like when eating grilled rice. However, time by time, Sego Lemeng is served with other side dishes, such as salted egg, omelet, red chili sauce, and anchovies.

Allegedly, Sego Lemeng is food that becomes the supply of the guerrillas who fought against the Dutch colonial invaders. When fighting for independence, many residents fought and hid in the forest. There, they made Sego Lemeng to survive. To enjoy Sego Lemeng, you can find it in many restaurants in Banyuwangi, that sell this typical dish. The price is around from Rp 15,000 to Rp 25,000 per serving. It depends on what side dish you eat.