VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin speaks in the closing ceremony of a meeting of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Bali, Dec 4, 2021. ANTARA/HO-Setwapres - 

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has said that the social welfare gap in various regions remains a serious problem that must be resolved in Indonesia.

Based on the data of the National Socio-Economic Survey conducted by the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) in 2019, only 21.9 percent of the Indonesian population enjoyed economic prosperity, Amin said.

"In fact, economic prosperity in Indonesia is only enjoyed by no more than 21.9 percent of the top tier population. This means that inequality remains a serious problem in Indonesia," he remarked in a statement here on Sunday.

Based on the 2019 BPS data, 9.4 percent of the Indonesian population is categorized as poor, 20.6 percent as vulnerable people, 48.2 percent as transitional toward middle class, 21.5 percent as middle class, and only 0.5 percent as high incomes.

To lift people out of poverty, more people should be involved in business activities, he said.

Meanwhile, the 2021 data of the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises showed that as many as 64 million residents are engaged in business activities, including 98.6 percent engaged in micro businesses, 1.2 percent in small businesses, 0.09 percent in medium scale businesses, and 0.01 percent in major businesses.

"This means that serious steps are needed to be taken to increase the number of people engaged in medium and large scale businesses," he added.

The Vice President said those data showed that redistribution of people's welfare remains a homework that must be done by various parties.

"It shows that the redistribution of welfare is a crucial homework for this nation, in order to make social justice a reality, and not just written in the state principle and the constitution," Ma'ruf Amin remarked//ANT

Illustration: Indonesia's national waters. (ANTARA/HO-Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry/uyu) - 

The Continental Shelf Bill could strengthen Indonesia’s stance on the issue, Acting Director General of Marine Spatial Management at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry Pamuji Lestari has said.

The bill was initiated by the government to strengthen Indonesia’s legal standing in negotiations or claims for settlement of maritime boundaries with neighboring countries, she informed in a press release here on Saturday.

"Since 2017, the ministry has initiated in submitting the bill to the President, while the related ministries and institutions have reviewed it," she added.

She also noted that the bill has currently been included in the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) of the 2021 Priority Bill.

Hence, the ministry will continue to accommodate the aspirations of academics and experts in the marine sector to refine the contents of the bill, the acting director general said.

The utilization of the continental shelf in Indonesia currently covers fisheries activities, exploration of oil, gas and minerals, establishment of submarine pipelines and cables, construction of marine structures, research on geophysical-based conservation and submarine volcano locations, she informed.

The ministry plans to encourage the use of marine bio-pharmacology, marine biotechnology, the use of sea waves apart from energy, marine tourism, salt production, and retrieval of valuable objects from sunken ships (BMKT), she added.

"The Continental Shelf Bill will not only regulate the utilization of marine environment, but also attempts to protect it, such as preventing pollution and environmental destruction, as well as mitigation, rehabilitation, and recovery efforts," Lestari added.

Meanwhile, Gadjah Mada University academic I Made Andi Arsana said that to maintain Indonesia’s marine ecosystem well, it is necessary to conduct patrols

"If we do not want the environment to be misused by other parties, we must be able to detect, guard, and patrol the waters," he said//ANT

Cars parked on a road in Malang district, East Java, are covered in volcanic ash expelled by Mount Semeru in Lumajang District, East Java, on Saturday (December 4, 2021). (ANTARA/HO-BPBD Malang) - 

Volcanic ash expelled by Mount Semeru in Lumajang District has reached Malang District, an official from the Regional Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), Malang, confirmed on Saturday.

Acting head of the emergency and logistics department of the Malang BPBD, Sadono Irawan, said that the agency has received reports of volcanic ashfall in Malang District, which is located west of Mount Semeru.

"Though Malang District has not directly been affected by the eruption, the volcanic ash has reached several regions in the district," Irawan informed.

Volcanic ashfall has been reported in Ampelgading, Tirtoyudo, Wajak, and Bantur Sub-districts of Malang, he said.

Meanwhile, Ampelgading sub-district head Achmad Sovie confirmed that despite the volcanic ashfall in the region, the sub-district, located close to Lumajang district, is relatively safe as the eruption has not directly affected it.

"Regions in Malang are relatively safe from the Semeru eruption in Lumajang," Sovie said.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) informed that there was an increase in volcanic activity on the 3,676-meter Mount Semeru, which led to an eruption at 3.20 p.m. local time (UTC +7) on Saturday afternoon.

The agency confirmed that the eruption dispersed volcanic ash over several regions, and the pyroclastic flow was headed to Besuk Kobokan in Pronojiwo sub-district, Lumajang district.

The Mount Semeru volcano observation post in Gunung Sawur reported that pyroclastic flow from the volcano occurred from 2.47 p.m.

The observation post later informed that by 3.10 p.m., a clear visual of the volcanic ash reaching Besuk Kobokan had been obtained, with reports of a strong sulphuric odor.

Lumajang District Deputy Head Indah Amperawati instructed officers from Lumajang BPBD and the Social Office to set up evacuation centers and public kitchens for residents affected by the eruption and inspect affected areas to pick up residents confined to their homes by the thick volcanic ash//ANT

A screenshot of the head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, Major General Suharyanto, addressing a press conference on the Mount Semeru eruption on Saturday (December 4, 2021). (ANTARA/Andi Firdaus/uyu) - 

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) responded quickly to the eruption of Mount Semeru in Lumajang district, East Java province, by evacuating residents and sending humanitarian aid for them.

"The Lumajang District Regional Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD) has urged the community and miners to avoid the area around the Mujur and Curah Kobokan Rivers,” BNPB head Major General Suharyanto informed at a press conference that was broadcast on BNPB’s YouTube channel here on Saturday.

As soon as the eruption was reported, a team from Lumajang district's BPBD along with other joint rescue teams headed to the disaster location in Candipuro and Pronojiwo sub-districts to monitor the situation, collect data, take quick action, and evacuate residents, he said.

Furthermore, it established a number of evacuation sites for victims, he added.

Currently, the evacuation sites are located in Supiturang village and Curah Kobokan village in Pronojiwo sub-district and Sumberwuluh village in Candipuro sub-district.

The BNPB head said that on Saturday night, the agency dispatched a Quick Response Team along with a Health Crisis Center team from the Health Ministry to assist the Lumajang district BPBD and East Java provincial BPBD.

The teams were dispatched at 9 p.m. Western Indonesia Standard Time (WIB) by land to deliver logistics assistance consisting of tents, cloth masks, medical masks, N95 masks, and hand sanitizers, he said.

"We ask the public, especially in affected areas, to remain calm, stay alert, and continue to follow the instructions from the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG), BNPB, and other government officials," Suharyanto added.A Mount Semeru Observation Post officer in Poncokusumo hamlet reported pyroclastic flow emanating from the volcano at 2:47 p.m. WIB, with a maximum amplitude of 20 mm.

"At 3.10 p.m. WIB, the Gunung Sawur Post reported that volcanic ash from the pyroclastic flow was clearly observed flowing towards Besuk Kobokan village, which smelled of sulfur," the BNPB head noted.

According to the PVMBG, lava avalanches were observed sliding 500 to 800 meters, with the center of the avalanches lying approximately 500 meters below the crater, he said//ANT