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Communications and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate and Marshal (Ret) Hadi Tjahjanto during a press conference at the Communications and Informatics Ministry on Monday, December 27, 2021. (ANTARA/Fathur R/rst) - 

Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate held discussions with Marshal (Ret) Hadi Tjahjanto, for preparations for the 2022 MotoGP at the Mandalika Circuit, especially pertaining to the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure sector.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had earlier appointed Tjahjanto as field commander for the 2022 MotoGP race at the Mandalika Circuit, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

"Me and Tjahjanto discussed several aspects regarding the ICT infrastructure sector for the 2022 MotoGP in Mandalika," Plate said during a press conference on Monday.

The minister highlighted several important aspects discussed at the meeting, with the first related to the readiness of adequate ICT infrastructure, including the additional frequency spectrum for the paddock area.

"The ministry has prepared an additional frequency spectrum of four Megahertz (MHz) in the 400's frequency range during the race," Plate stated.

The meeting was held to ensure the availability of an adequate fiber optic network for data transmission from Mandalika across Indonesia and the world to run optimally.

Plate and Tjahjanto also discussed the provision of bandwidth and Base Transceiver Station (BTS) from cellular operators. The ministry had held a meeting with cellular operators to ensure that communication services sufficed during the MotoGP event in March 2022.

"Two major cellular operators -- Telkomsel and XL -- are operating in Mandalika. I have held meetings with them, and they have confirmed their readiness to provide adequate telecommunications services during the MotoGP event," Plate affirmed.

Communication services will also be boosted in the lodging area for MotoGP. To this end, Plate and Tjahjanto had discussed the location where the telecommunication signals will be strengthened.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Communications and Informatics, through the Directorate General of Information and Public Communication, is also aggressively promoting the 2022 MotoGP at the Mandalika Circuit by presenting public service advertisements, speeches, outdoor advertisement, and others.

"We also discuss how to maintain a healthy digital space and expect no circulation of hoaxes on MotoGP in Mandalika. Let us contribute to useful information regarding MotoGP Mandalika," Plate emphasized.

Meanwhile, Tjahjanto remarked that in February 2022, Mandalika Circuit would hold a pre-season MotoGP match. Later, the match will be serve as an evaluation to finalize preparations for the MotoGP event in March.

"On February 11-13, we will hold the MotoGP pre-season that will be attended by 900 riders and officials. Through the event, we will evaluate our readiness and preparations for the MotoGP racing in Mandalika on March," he added.

Tjahjanto also ensured that the 2022 MotoGP Mandalika will implement strict health protocols, starting from screening spectators through the PeduliLindungi application to providing PCR and antigen test facilities and regulating audience capacity to maintain social distancing//ANT

A passenger passes by a train. ( ANTARA/HO-PT Kereta Api Indonesia/uyu) - 

State-owned train operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) served 146,634 long-distance train customers, or an average of 48,878 customers per day during the 2021 Christmas holiday period on December 24-26, 2021.

"The number reached 60 percent of the passenger capacity provided or 242,466 seats," the company’s Vice President of Public Relations, Joni Martinus, said in a statement here on Monday.

Martinus remarked that most passengers were recorded on the Jakarta - Cirebon, Jakarta - Purwokerto, Yogyakarta - Purwokerto, and Surabaya - Madiun shuttle routes.

He emphasized that KAI had consistently implemented strict health protocols to curb the transmission of COVID-19 in modes of transportation by limiting the passenger capacity to a maximum of 80 percent of the total seats.

“Furthermore, we ensure that only customers that have met the requirements are allowed to ride by train amid the 2021 Christmas and 2022 New Year holiday period in accordance with government regulations,” KAI’s vice president stated.

Meanwhile, 10,432 customers were unable to embark on trips during the 2021 Christmas holiday period due to various reasons.

Some 2,115 customers had not received the first and second vaccination doses; 5,373 customers under 12 years of age had not brought along the PCR test results; 36 customers were sick; while 2,908 others did not have the antigen test results.

“According to the Transportation Ministry's Circular Letter Number 112 of 2021, from December 24, 2021, to January 2, 2022, prospective customers over the age of 17 years should have complete vaccination, while children under 12 years of age must bring negative results of the PCR test taken within 72 hours," Martinus explained.

Meanwhile, for the 2022 New Year holiday period, 154,154 long-distance train tickets were booked, or an average of 17,128 tickets each day. The number is still below 30 percent of the provided capacity, which is 658,670 seats.

However, the corporation’s vice president projects the figure to still increase, as ticket sales are still ongoing//ANT

Director general of environment and forestry law enforcement at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Rasio Ridho Sani, joining the virtual 2021 Year-End Reflection event from here on Monday (December 27, 2021). (ANTARA PHOTO/Prisca Triferna) - 

Potential land and forest fires remain a huge concern from the environmental and forestry perspective, director general of environment and forestry law enforcement at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Rasio Ridho Sani, has said.  

During the virtual 2021 Year-End Reflection event here on Monday, he noted that forest and land fires remain a big challenge besides environmental pollution and forest encroachment.

Based on data gathered through the ministry's observations, system monitoring, and public submissions, as many as 8,152 potential environmental and forestry issues were recorded between 2015 and 2021, he noted.

Potential forest and land fires made up the largest chunk of these at 2,118, followed by environmental pollution (1,641), and forest encroachment (1,295), he informed.

The locations of these potential problems were also spread out across various points in Indonesia, he said.

There were upward and downward trends seen in various cases, he explained. One of the factors behind this was the public's social dynamic,and some issues attracting people's concerns.

This was because the potential data was also collated based on people's reports, Sani explained.

He cited a decline in the number of illegal wildlife and endangered plant cases  in 2021 despite the fact that it reached 167 cases in 2020 and 150 cases in 2019.

This can be attributed to the operations that the ministry carried out or a reduction in the opportunities to carry out crimes, he said.

"This is what we continue to delve into for the sake of strategic law enforcement steps that we conducted," Sani affirmed.

Earlier, the ministry had highlighted an increase in the area of forest and land burnt during the January–November 2021 period to 353,222 hectares from 296,942 hectares in 2020//ANT

Indonesian President Joko Widodo reviews the Bali Bangkit Small and Medium Industry exhibition in Denpasar City, Bali Province, on December 27, 2021. (ANTARA/HO-Press Bureau of Presidential Secretariat/uyu) - 

Indonesian President Joko Widodo reviewed the Bali Bangkit Small and Medium Industry (IKM) exhibition at the Werdhi Budaya Art Center, Denpasar City, Bali Province, on Monday.

The head of state assessed that the products were of good quality. 

“I really laud the exhibition. We can see very good quality works made by Balinese IKM actors," he remarked.

The exhibition featured around 35 actors, showcasing various products, such as traditional clothes, folk crafts, traditional jewelries, and furniture.

The president also conversed with several IKM actors, including chair maker, woven clothes craftsperson, and painters.

On the occasion, Widodo was guided by Head of the Bali Provincial National Crafts Council (Dekranasda) Ni Luh Putu Putri Suastini Koster.

The president expressed optimism that one of the local products would be selected to become the souvenirs for the participants of the 2022 G20 meeting to be held in the province.

"We plan to showcase the products at the 2022 G20 event in addition to other products that will be selected from other provinces," Jokowi added.

In addition to Bali Provincial Head Dekranasda, Jokowi was accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Investment Minister/Head of Investment Coordinating Board Bahlil Lahadalia, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, and Bali Governor I Wayan Koster.

Before visiting the exhibition, the president officiated the groundbreaking of the Bali International Hospital in Denpasar City, Bali Province//ANT