VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian warship KRI Bontang in Teluk Bayur Port, Padang, West Sumatra, supports Bank Indonesia's "Sovereign Rupiah" mission to provide new Rupiah banknotes to remote islands (Nov 21, 2021). ANTARA/Ikhwan Wahyudi - 

Indonesia's central bank, Bank Indonesia (BI), is committed to continuing the mission to distribute mint-condition Rupiah banknotes across the country despite geographic and money circulation challenges.

"Bank Indonesia has been mandated by the nation to distribute the money to all of the Indonesian territories, and ensure sufficient and quality Rupiah banknotes circulating in public," BI's Banknotes Management Department Head Marlison Hakim said here on Sunday.

Rupiah, besides serving as the recognised medium of exchange, is also the symbol of national sovereignty, according to him.

"This has encouraged us to collaborate with relevant parties to distribute the banknotes and ensure that Rupiah would be available in all parts of the nation," he said.

Hakim informed that besides addressing banknotes availability issues, the central bank currently strives to correct disdained public behaviour potential to damage the banknotes.

"We currently engaged in a campaign to encourage residents to be proud and love our Rupiah currency," he said.

Bank Indonesia is also vigilant to prevent illegal utilisation of foreign currency as the medium of exchange, as Indonesia recognised Rupiah as the only legal tender in the country, he added.

Despite the existing challenges, Hakim reiterated the central bank's commitment to optimising its service coverage to ensure banknotes availability nationwide.

"Bank Indonesia will optimise its 45 regional offices, and we have also collaborated with the Indonesian Navy to distribute mint-condition banknotes to remote and border regions in Indonesia," he informed.

Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia's West Sumatra Office Head Wahyu Purnama confirmed that mint condition banknotes worth Rp4.35 billion (around US$304.5 thousand) are ready for distribution to six remote islands in Sumatra by the Indonesian warship KRI Bontang under the central bank's "Sovereign Rupiah" mission on November 21-29, 2021.

"The expedition will stop at Enggano Island in Bengkulu, and Polaga Island, Sikakap Island, Sioban Island, Mailepet Island, and Sikabaluan Island in Mentawai Islands region," Purnama informed//ANT

A worker showing dry fuli in Ambon, Maluku, on Thursday, August 5, 2021 - 

The Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry encourages further research or better understanding of spices for the benefit of health.

"Not only medicine, for beauty, for food recipes, and that's what we have not explored further. We hope that the role of doctors through PDPOTJI (Association of Indonesian Traditional Medicine and Herbal Medicine Developers) will be strategic in the future," Fitra Arda, the ministry's Secretary of the Directorate General of Culture, said.

The Indonesian people have always known the benefits of using plants from roots to leaves. That knowledge has been passed on from generation to the generation through texts and oral traditions, according to him. He delivered the statement in a webinar entitled 'Reviving the Glory of Indonesian Spices and the Role of Doctors in the Past, Present, and Future' held on Saturday.

"So far we have not managed our ancient wealth (spices) to the fullest," he remarked.

The use of spices for daily purposes had been recorded in the reliefs at Borobudur Temple. The knowledge of the past is reconstructed again through research and study so that this natural wealth can be utilized in today's life.

He said doctors and research institutes have a strategic role in translating past knowledge by relying on Indonesian plants including spices to solve and find a way out of the problems faced.

Indonesia has abundance of natural wealth in the form of spices, which created the Spice Route, a world trade route that has pushed the formation of global civilization. The spice route proves that the archipelago has an important role in shipping and commerce in the world.

The spice route is not just a trade route, but also a cultural route that generates new thoughts and cultural exchanges that has affected today's life. The spice route is believed to be a means of cultural exchange that strengthens Indonesian culture.

He  added that the ministry is ready to work together with parties willing to research past knowledge to be used in today's life, through data and knowledge sharing about spices//ANT

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno officiates the revitalised MURI Gallery in Jakarta on Saturday (Nov 20, 2021). ANTARA/HO-Kemenparekraf - 

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno officiated the revitalised Indonesia World Records Museum (MURI) Gallery in Jakarta and lauded the organisation's work for more than three decades.

"I laud the Indonesia World Records Museum as the first and oldest organisation of its kind, and that  has been active since 31 years ago," Uno said in his remarks in MURI Gallery here, as quoted in the ministry's  statement on Sunday.

The minister expressed hope that records exhibited with unique and modern technology in MURI Gallery would attract residents to learn more about world records in the museum and feel proud of their Indonesian roots.

The gallery has implemented innovative, adaptive, and collaborative principles to develop its gallery as an attractive and educative tourism destination in Jakarta, he said.

While the innovation is made by utilising the digital platform and continuing world record development, the museum is also successful in adopting health protocol measures,  It has also collaborated with academics, businesses, communities, authorities, and media networks for their operation, Uno highlighted.

"We hope the revitalised MURI Gallery will motivate Indonesians to achieve MURI records in their respective fields," he remarked.

The minister also encouraged MURI to enhance collaboration with the ministry to develop a distinct tourism destination, pointing out tourism villages with distinct characteristics as an example.

"I recently visited Kei Islands where locals claimed the beach has the finest sand in the world, and we will prove their claim by inviting MURI to record the feat," Uno stated.

He encouraged tourists, particularly the youth, to visit MURI Gallery in Jakarta to learn about new facts and national records in health, technology, industry, and other fields.

"I invite the youth to visit the gallery because the place is cool, they also have a photo booth where we could pose as if we achieve the MURI record," the minister said.

Meanwhile, the founder and Chairman of MURI Jaya Suprana expressed his gratitude and pride for Minister Uno for his willingness to visit  the MURI Gallery.

"I shed a tear because I was touched by Minister Uno's visit to the MURI Gallery in Jakarta," Suprana said//ANT

Foreign Minister  Retno Marsudi addresses Global Town Hall 2021 held virtually in  Jakarta on Saturday. ANTARA/Azis Kurmala - 

Indonesia has always called for fair and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines at bilateral, regional and multilateral forums, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has said.

“Indonesian President Joko Widodo has expressed his concern about vaccine distribution at bilateral, regional, and multilateral forums. I am also one of the chiefs of multilateral cooperation for COVID-19 vaccine procurement, COVAX Advance Market Commitment Engagement Group (COVAX-AMC EG) established to facilitate aaccess to vaccines for 92 countries,” she said at Global Town Hall 2021 held virtually here on Saturday.

She said vaccine will become scarce and scarce goods is often sold to the highest bidders.

“That is what is happening now. Nearly 64.99 percent of people in high income countries have received their first vaccine dose compared to 6.48 percent in low income countries. More than 80 percent of vaccines have been delivered to G20 member states compared to 0.4 percent to low income countries,” she said.

Everyday there are six times more boosters administered globally than primary doses in low income countries.

As many as 56 countries failed to meet the WHO target of vaccinating 10 percent of their population as of September 2021 and almost 80 countries are unlikely to achieve the target of vaccinating 40 percent of their population at the end of this year, she noted.

Meanwhile, at least 100 million vaccine doses cannot be used in G7 countries in 2021 because they have expired. The number of expired doses may swell to 800 million in mid-2022.

“If all the COVID-19 vaccine doses administered globally were distributed equitably, then our 40 percent vaccination target for each country would be achieved,” she remarked.

However, many countries relied on COVAX facility as the only means to obtain vaccines.

“COVAX has shipped more than 507 million doses. But COVAX does not produce vaccine and has failed to achieve its target of shipping 2 billion doses this year. We still need another 550 million doses to achieve the 40 percent vaccination target set by WHO for each country,” she said.

The minister said the global COVID-19 vaccine production currently reaches 1.5 billion doses per month so that vaccine needs are actually sufficient from the supply perspective ,

“But will they be distributed fairly this time?. The challenge to the global vaccination effort does not stop here. We must get as many vaccine doses as possible. That’s not an easy task,” she added.

There is wrong information to challenge because it has contributed to vaccine doubt. Not all countries are prepared to receive vaccine doses in large quantities much less have national strategy to distribute them, she said.

Low-income countries have to increase their health spending by an average of 56.6 percent to cover the vaccination cost for 70 percent of their population compared to 0.8 percent in high income countries, she said//ANT