VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Member of the Indonesian National Energy Council (DEN), Satya Widya Yudha, at the Asia Solar Forum hosted by the Indonesian Renewable Energy Society (METI). (ANTARA/HO-DEN) - 

The number of rooftop solar panel users reached 4,262, with the total electricity produced touching 39.28 MWp (Megawatts-peak) as of September 2021, a member of the Indonesian National Energy Council (DEN) has highlighted.

"Most rooftop solar panel users are scattered in West Java, followed by Jakarta, Central Java, and Yogyakarta," Satya Widya Yudha informed at the Asia Solar Forum hosted by the Indonesian Renewable Energy Society (METI), according to an official statement received in Jakarta on Friday.

Energy transition must continue until new and renewable energy completely replaces fossil-based energy, he opined.

"Indonesia would strive to accelerate the development of new and renewable energy, such as electric vehicles, smart grid, smart energy, and energy conservation technology," he said.

President Joko Widodo, during COP 26 in Glasgow, committed to supporting the development of the electric vehicle industry, a green industrial park in North Kalimantan, and the largest solar power plant in Southeast Asia, Yudha pointed out.

"President Jokowi reiterated that international support and contributions from developed countries are necessary to achieve our mission in green technology development," he stated.

Indonesia's nationally determined contribution (NDC) in the energy sector reached 64.4 million tons by 2020, which was higher than the target of 58 million tons set earlier, the DEN member noted.

"Utilization of new and renewable energy enabled us to reduce up to 34 million tons of emissions, and energy efficiency could further reduce 12.9 million tons of emissions. Besides, the utilization of low-carbon fuel contributed to the decrease of 8.3 million tons, clean power technology 5.9 million tons, and other efforts taken to reduce emissions successfully diminished around 2.7 million tons of emissions," Yudha expounded.

Meanwhile, Nizhar Marizi, who represented the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) at the event, confirmed that the authority has conceived a regulation that requires new structures to install solar panels.

He informed that government-owned buildings are now required to cover a minimum of 30 percent of the total roof area with solar panels, while commercial buildings are required to cover at least 25 percent of the roof area.

"We are prioritizing rooftop solar panel installation as one of the most affordable methods in our pursuit to develop new and renewable energy," Marizi said//ANT

A poster for Madani International Film Festival (MIFF) 2021. (ANTARA/Madani International Film Festival/FR) - 

The Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry has affirmed the government's commitment to supporting film festivals held by the film community and figures, such as the Madani International Film Festival (MIFF) 2021.

MIFF 2021 is being supported by the ministry along with the Jakarta Art Board (DKJ) and is ready to be held in a hybrid format from November 27 until December 4.

"This Madani Film Festival has a unique characteristic that differentiates it from other film festivals," the ministry's film, music, and new media director, Ahmad Mahendra, noted at an online press conference on Friday.

"In addition, the theme that it presents aligns with the tolerance campaign conducted by the ministry," he elaborated.

Meanwhile, chairman of DKJ, Danton Sihombing, said he feels that it is important to hold MIFF to celebrate diversity and make film the medium to do so.

"This is the second year that DKJ fully supports Madani Film Festival," he added.

"We hope that, in the coming years, we can continue to support it so that we can spread humanitarian values displayed in the Madani International Film Festival," he affirmed.

The theme of Madani Film Festival this year is 'Light: Sufism and Humor'.

"The theme this time concerns Sufism and humor, two terms that provide a huge space to happily express and contemplate the religious journey," filmmaker and member of MIFF's Festival Board, Garin Nugroho, noted.

The film festival will showcase movies from Indonesia and abroad to reflect the diversity of Muslims in the world, he said.

"Celebrating Muslim diversity has become the tagline that Madani Film Festival brings up every year. From these films, we want to learn and enjoy Muslims' diverse cultures," MIFF festival director Sugar Nadia expounded.

The opening ceremony for MIFF 2021 will be held on Saturday in an online format at XXI Epicentrum, Jakarta, he said.

Pesantren (2019) a film by Shalahuddin Siregar has been chosen to open the festival, he added.

The film premiered during the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) in 2019, he said.

This year's MIFF will showcase 13 films and seven discussions that will feature international speakers such as Hassan Abdul Muthalib (Malaysia), Amir Masoud Soheili (Iran), dan Dag Yngvesson (Malaysia) as well as Indonesian speakers, he informed.

MIFF will also collaborate with a number of institutions to liven up the film festival such as East Cinema, Binus University, GusDurian network, and Kineforum, Nadia said.

Kineform has prepared an online viewing space for the films on kineforum.eventive.org, he said.

The film chosen to close the festival is set in Casablanca, Morocco, and features rap music titled "Casablanca Beats".

This film was a primary nominee for Cannes Film Festival 2021 and will be shown online on December 4 at XXI Epicentrum, Jakarta//ANT

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, visited a mangrove forest in Bali on Thursday (November 25, 2021). (ANTARA/HO Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment) - 

The G20 Summit in Bali in 2022 will emphasize the importance of the Indonesian government's mangrove restoration program, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, has said.

"President Joko Widodo will convey a message to world leaders about the importance of mangrove restoration in generating carbon credits (at the summit)," Pandjaitan remarked while inspecting mangrove plantation sites in Bali on Thursday.

The program has received funding of US$1.2 billion, he said in a written statement in Jakarta on Friday. Countries and world leaders in the forum must take concrete action on mangrove restoration, he added.

Currently, the government is running a mangrove restoration program in an area of 600 thousand hectares and mangrove planting in Bali is part of the mangrove restoration program, the minister said.

"To date and next year, we will restore almost 200 hectares and most of the funds will come from the state budget," he noted.

The extent of mangrove restoration carried out by Indonesia will provide value in the form of carbon credits and prove more valuable for the nation, Pandjaitan informed.

Therefore, the ministry, along with the state-run electricity company (PLN) and the financial services authority (OJK), is finalizing the derivative rules related to the carbon credit in question, he said.

"We are currently completing derivative rules regarding the implementation of carbon pricing and carbon trading because Indonesia is one of the superpower countries in carbon credits," he added.

Indonesia's high carbon credit will become a strength, he opined. This potential must be managed and utilized optimally, he added. With this, the nation could make hundreds of dollars over the next few years and generate jobs for generations to come, he explained.

The Coordinating Minister said his working visit to Bali was intended to ensure that there are no problems and obstacles during the G20 Summit, which is scheduled to be held in 2022.

Things like handling waste problems and the use of clean energy should be started before preparing for the event, he remarked.

He said he also hopes all preparations and needs related to the G20 Summit will be completed soon.

"Because we have experience with the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last time. The obstacles are minor. There are 20 meeting spots (for the G20 Summit), so it is not only in Bali. The target is to finish in August next year," Pandjaitan affirmed//ANT

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, held a meeting with the Moroccan Ambassador to Indonesia Ouadiâ Benabdellah, at the Sapta Pesona Building, Kemenparekraf/Baparekraf Office, Friday (11/26/2021).

In the meeting, the two discussed the potential for cooperation in the creative economy sector, because previously Indonesia-Morocco did not have an MoU in this sector. In addition, the two countries also discussed the potential for cooperation in organizing international events.

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy hopes that this cooperation will strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, especially in the tourism and creative economy sectors.

"Hopefully we can work together and collaborate with each other in developing tourism and the creative economy in both countries. Especially in the creative economy sector, because there is no MoU and cooperation agreement in the creative economy sector between Indonesia and Morocco. And can help promote and present quality and sustainable tourism," he said.

Morocco is one of the countries that contributes the largest tourism to Indonesia, from quantity to spending money. It was noted that before the COVID-19 pandemic, Moroccan tourist visits to Indonesia in 2017 reached 11,000.

The Moroccan Ambassador to Indonesia, Ouadiâ Benabdellah, said that Moroccan tourists have something in common with Indonesian tourists, namely they tend to stay long enough and buy creative economy products.

"Indonesia and Morocco have something in common when they travel, they come to stay for a long time, then they are both happy to buy handicrafts typical of that country, and come home with lots of suitcases to share with their relatives," said Ouadiâ.

Furthermore, Ouadiâ said that in 2019, the art of Moroccan sahrawi was present at the opening of the 2019 International Creative Crafts Exhibition. He hoped that in the future Morocco could be involved again in international events owned by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.

Ouadiâ also hopes that international events owned by Morocco such as the Rabat Festival can be collaborated with Indonesia.

"We also have the Rabat Festival, this event is the 2nd largest in the world, there are one million visitors who come and this event is also included in UNESCO. Hopefully this can be collaborated," he said//VOI-NK