VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian Ministry of Investment / Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), joined hands with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in strengthening national economic diplomacy cooperation. A memorandum of Understanding -MoU on Economic Diplomacy Implementation on Investment was signed by Minister of Investment, Bahlil Lahadalia and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi virtually on Tuesday (31/08).

On the occasion, Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said that Indonesian ambassadors and consul generals have an important role in promoting national investment opportunities abroad. Amid the uncertainty of the pandemic Covid-19, it is time for Indonesia to do internal consolidation in a bid to attract foreign direct investment (FDI).

Minister Bahlil further remarked that currently, his side has prepared the Investment Opportunity Map that can be used by Indonesian representatives abroad in promoting investment in the country. To counterbalance other countries' penetration, Indonesia keeps making stimuli, such as the Investment Opportunity Map. Indonesia has 23 good proposals.

Also, the government is making innovation in speeding up business licensing. One of them is the risk-based online single submission (OSS), launched officially by Indonesian President Joko Widodo on August 9 2021. Minister Bahlil admitted, the OSS is not yet 100 percent and it still needs a lot of adjustments.

Meanwhile, Minister Retno Marsudi highlighted the positive development of business climate transformation in Indonesia and the establishment of Indonesia Investment Authority (INA). She also mentioned the challenges in the global contexts, especially Covid-19 pandemic. Amid such a situation, Foreign Affairs Ministry and Investment Ministry synergized more tightly and agreed to work out of the box to accelerate economic recovery.

Minister Retno Marsudi also affirmed that in this framework, the MoU was made, as a strong basis to cooperate in the next three years and to build fast inter-ministerial relations without complicated bureaucracy.

After vaccination has been carried out since the first quarter of 2021 and the strict implementation of Community Activity Restrictions -PPKM, the number of people exposed to the Covid-19 virus has decreased significantly. In addition, continuous socialization carried out by the government and all elements of society is important to maintain health protocols in a bid to prevent wider transmission. This has brought about a positive impact on the red zone turning to a green zone.

Considering the positive situation and conditions, several regions have started face-to-face learning in schools. Although parents are still worried about learning amid the pandemic, a strong desire and enthusiasm for learning continues to emerge amid the confusion about the future of education due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In view of the face-to-face learning, this must be monitored carefully and closely by many parties to prevent the emergence of new clusters of Covid-19.

In fact, some countries have already carried out face-to-face learning after the decline in the number of virus exposures. However, new cases of the Covid-19 cluster in schools can happen, as happened in South Korea. In Indonesia, it happened in several regions and related stakeholders immediately stopped the face-to-face teaching and learning process, especially no vaccination at the time. But now, it has changed; the strict policy of PPKM and vaccination with 2 injection phases has given a positive signal, especially in Java and Bali. This means that the policies taken by the government have run well.

Truly, each individual should be careful in responding to the decreasing trend of the number of people exposed to Covid-9. President Joko Widodo when announcing the extension of the PPKM on Monday (30/8) expressed his pleasure at the improvement in Indonesia's conditions and situation after the high number of exposed cases.

But on the one hand, he reminded the Indonesian people not to be over-satisfied and they have to remain vigilant about implementing the health protocols, protecting the environment even though they have been vaccinated against the threat of the Covid-19 virus. Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Nadiem Anwar Makarim said that in response to the current Covid-19 pandemic, learning in the new academic year 2021/2022 is dynamic, referring to the PPKM policies in each region, and the Joint Decree (SKB), 4 Ministers regarding Guidelines for the Implementation of Learning in the Covid-19 Pandemic Period. According to Minister Nadiem Anwar, educational units must pay attention to their regional zones in determining learning activities.

On the other hand, observers and health experts respond to the rapid mutation changes of the coronavirus. The thing to worry about is the emergence of new types or variants resulting from crosses between viruses to give rise to new and more dangerous types. Thereby, the Indonesian government, academicians and researchers continue to work hard and to find a credible and effective medicine to fight the coronavirus. Moreover, Indonesian researchers have succeeded in dealing with the bird flu pandemic in the early 2000s. This means that everyone needs to be careful in responding to the infection decline. So stay strong, get vaccinated, and follow the health protocols! The calamity is about to shake off sooner!

Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Italy, Esti Andayani held a series of work and promotion of Indonesia in Versilia, Italy in order to strengthen cooperation and collaboration between the two countries.  At the "Olimpiadi del Cuore" charity music concert in Forte dei Marmi City on Friday (27/8), she explained that Indonesia and Italy have similar viewpoints about how important to foster global cooperation and collaboration is in facing many challenges in the world currently, including facing the Covid-19 pandemic. She further said that access to Covid-19 vaccines must be fair for all countries.

She also rremarkd that the spirit of mutually helping is a part of the character of the Indonesian nation. The spirit of helping  and  caring for one another, particularly people who are in trouble and in need for help, has also become a part of the personality character of the Indonesian people and nation. Therefore, Ambassador Esti Andayani  considered that cooperation and collaboration really need to be improved, especially in facing lots of challenges in the world at present, including dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Besides, Ambassador Esti also  hopes that real joint actions need to be continued, such as organizing the charity music concert held at Forte dei Marmi. In addition to attending the charity concert, Ambassador Esti also held a meeting and promoted Indonesia to several parties in the Versilia area on 27 August 2021, including with the ranks of the Forte dei Marmi City Government, Seravezza City Government, hotel and restaurant associations, and other business groups.

Ambassador Esti also explained the potential for investment in Indonesia, information on the Job Creation Law, the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA) and encouraged the participation of Italian entrepreneurs to take part in the 36th Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) which will be held online on October 21 - 4 November 2021.

Nglanggeran Tourism Village in Patuk, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta was chosen to represent Indonesia in the Best Tourism Villages 2021 international competition from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). This tourism village has previously won a number of awards at both national and international levels, including the Sustainable Tourism Village of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy along with 12 other tourism villages in Indonesia. According to  Secretary of the Gunung Kidul Tourism Office, Harry Sukmono, the Nglanggeran area has various unique features, including ancient volcano, reservoirs, and "Kampung Pitu" or an area that is only inhabited by seven families. In addition, the Nglanggeran area has also cocoa plantations from upstream to downstream or starting from planting, processing, to marketing carried out by the local residents, involving women.

If you want to come to the Nglanggeran Tourism Village, you must make an online reservation through the VISITING JOGJA application. The use of the application is to ensure the availability of quotas for visitors. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, visitors’ quota is limited. You can see the availability of daily visitors’ quota in the application. To pay for tourism tickets, you must use non-cash or Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS). Over there, of course, you have to apply health protocols.

To travel to Nglanggeran tourism village, you can interact with a small group of people consisting of seven families who still maintain their local wisdom and culture. This is certainly an interesting tourism activity, especially for those of you who want to interact with the local people who still adhere to traditions. In addition, there is a "Live In" program where you can interact and learn with the community in a few days. Besides the tourism programs based on education and culture, Nglanggeran has also several other interesting tourism objects, ranging from the Nglanggeran Embung, the Kedung Pandang Seasonal Waterfall, to climbing the Ancient Volcano.