VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Deputy Minister of Defense M. Herindra reviews the lighthouse and helipad construction in Karang Singa, northern waters of Bintan Island, Riau Islands. (ANTARA/HO-Public Relations of Ministry of Defense) - 

The permanent lighthouse and helipad in Karang Singa, northern waters of Bintan Island, Riau Islands, which borders Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, symbolized Indonesia's sovereignty, Defense Deputy Minister M. Herindra stated.

"We do not want the dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia over the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan, in which Malaysia won in the International Court of Justice in 2002, to repeat," Herindra noted here on Friday.

Construction of the lighthouse and helipad will be conducted by the Ministry of Defense and continued by the Ministry of Transportation.

The Karang Singa Island is located in Malacca Straits and is one of the busiest sea traffic lanes in the world. Hence, it should be guarded and given a sign that it is part of Indonesia's territory, the deputy minister emphasized.

On that international border, Singapore has owned the Batu Putih (Pedra Branca) territory, while Malaysia ruled the Karang Tengah or Middle Rock.

"There should be no land (of the Indonesian territory) taken over by another country. We need to demonstrate our sovereignty," Herindra affirmed.

Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian highlighted that the lighthouse was primarily built to balance out the structures already constructed by the Malaysian Government.

In the Middle Rock, owned by Malaysia, lies a permanent building and a helipad, while Indonesia's Karang Singa Island only has a small float.

"The point is making it to not be lopsided. Malaysia has built permanent infrastructures, though we only have a buoy that too not permanent," Karnavian pointed out.

Defense Deputy Minister M. Herindra also affirmed that his team will start the lighthouse construction soon.

"Maybe this month or in February when the weather conditions improve," he added.

Herindra called to guard the territory on account of the susceptibility to territorial disputes//ANT

Presidential Staff Office (KSP) expert officer Brian Sri Prahastuti while accompanying the Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko in a discussion with staff of an integrated health service post (Posyandu) n Patawang Village, East Sumba, regarding stunting reduction in East Nusa Tenggara, Friday (January 7, 2022). (ANTARA/HO-Presidential Staff Office) - 

Presidential Staff Office (KSP) expert officer Brian Sri Prahastuti affirmed that the program to accelerate efforts to reduce stunting among children must be well-targeted and sustainable.

The step is taken to achieve the targeted three-percent stunting reduction annually.

"The president's direction is clear. The rate of decline of stunting prevalence in Indonesia reaches a minimum of three percent annually. Therefore, the action plans of ministries and agencies are not limited to mobilizing people in the form of certain events, but must be through conducting sustainable activities, with the results being felt directly by the target," Prahastuti noted in a statement received in Jakarta, Friday.

According to Prahastuti, several activities can be conducted by ministries and agencies to accelerate the reduction of stunting, such as focusing on care and supplementary feeding for toddlers and pregnant women that are malnourished as well as providing counseling guidance and vitamin/supplements.

Prahastuti noted that other aspects that should also be taken into account comprise action plans in the form of sensitive interventions, such as the provision of clean water, proper drinking water and sanitation facilities, social assistance, and early childhood education.

“KSP proposes the integration of data on recipients of social assistance. As a result, poor families that have pregnant women, children under two years of age, and young women can receive a complete package, specifically the family hope program (PKH), staple food card, Indonesian smart card (KIP),” she explained.

At a limited meeting on Tuesday (Jan 11), President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had directed government officials to ensure that the stunting prevention program continued beyond symbolic events, such as the year-end distribution of nutritious food packages.

President Jokowi also instructed to expedite efforts to reduce stunting in an integrated manner through coordination with the Ministry of Health and the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN).

A total of 22 children in the Belakangpadang Sub-district, Batam City, Riau Islands, suffer from stunting.

Deputy Mayor of Batam, Amsakar Achmad, stated that the stunting rate recorded in the buffer islands, including in the district of Belakangpadang, located adjacent to Singapore, was relatively smaller than the data on children on the main island.

"This is since the nutrition provided is sufficient. Protein is abundant, and there are lots of fresh fish," he noted on Belakangpadang Island on Wednesday.

Of the 1,168 children of Belakangpadang that were measured, only 22, or 1.88 percent, had stunted growth.

Other buffer island sub-districts too recorded a similar trend wherein their stunting rate was low.

In Galang Sub-district, of the 941 children measured, only 27, or 2.8 of them, experienced stunting, while in Bilang, 63 out of the 971 children were stunted.

"For the entire hinterlands, of the 3,080 children measured, 112 are stunted. The number of children with stunting as compared to healthy children is recorded at 3.6 percent," he remarked.

On the main island, of the approximately 52 thousand children measured, 3,244, or 6.2 percent of them, suffer from stunting//ANT

File photo. A new residential quarter of the Country Garden is seen in Shanghai, China, on Feb 10, 2017. (Photo: Reuters/Aly Song) - 

China's state planner is making a nationwide push to boost the country's nascent real estate investment trusts (REITs) market, as Beijing seeks to speed up infrastructure investment.

The National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) urged its local bureaus to step up publicity, cut red tape, and improve services, so that more infrastructure projects can be listed in the form of REITs, according to a notice posted on the agency's website on Friday (Dec 31).

China launched a public REITs market in Shanghai and Shenzhen in June, allowing infrastructure projects - ranging from tollways to sewage plants - to be listed as part of an effort to ease the debt burden on local governments.

Nine REITs were listed at launch, but since then only three others have been added. Analysts have said the market faces challenges, including a shortage of quality and profitable projects to list, as well as legal and tax issues.

The NDRC notice dated Dec 29 said that local bureaus should tell infrastructure owners how REITs can help them reduce leverage, ward off debt risks and improve efficiency, and encourage them to list good projects.

In addition, the NDRC urged its local bureaus to coordinate more with other government agencies, such as securities and environmental regulators, to speed up the issuance of REITs.

NDRC said the proceeds of REIT listings should be recycled into new projects, and the agency will step up its monitoring of the money flows.

China has vowed to step up infrastructure investment to support the economy.

Chinese regulators have said REITs widen the financing channel for infrastructure projects, provide investors with more options, and help reduce China's macro leverage ratio and fend off financial risks.

Under the pilot scheme, eligible underlying assets are limited to infrastructure projects, and exclude commercial properties such as shopping malls or offices//CNA

FILE PHOTO: People walk inside the Bank of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand, August 5, 2016. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom - 

Thailand's overall financial system is stable and the economy is gradually recovering, but rising household debt and an uneven recovery pose risks, the central bank said on Friday.

Household debt continued to rise, while the Omicron variant of the coronavirus casts doubt over the recovery, Bank of Thailand senior director Don Nakornthab said.

The economic recovery remained uneven, especially in tourism-related sectors, Don said.

However, commercial banks and financial institutions were strong enough to cope with uncertainty with adequate liquidity to support credit and the recovery, the BOT said in a statement.

Going forward, accelerating debt restructuring, improving household debt and support for access to business capital will be crucial to ensure financial stability//CNA