VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

BPPT  Building - 

The swift utilization and development of technology amid COVID-19 can expedite the introduction of e-governance in Indonesia, head of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), Hammam Riza, has said.

"On the plus side, the pandemic has driven people to swiftly adapt to technology. For instance, studying and working from home and even electronic signatures can facilitate the creation of e-governance and drive its ecosystem," he observed at an online event on Saturday.

E-governance, or electronic-based government system, involves the application of information and communication technology for government services, information exchange, and communication transactions, Riza said.

It also involves the integration of various independent systems between government-to-citizen (G2C), government-to-business (G2B), government-to-government (G2G), government-to-employee (G2E), as well as back-office interaction and process in all of the government's framework, he added.

This system of e-governance is stipulated in the Presidential Regulation No. 95 of 2018, wherein BPPT has been assigned to coordinate the implementation of the Electronic-based Government System (SPBE), he noted.

Furthermore, the implementation of e-governance was included within the five steps of digital transformation acceleration that President Joko Widodo has declared, he added.

The first step is expediting the expansion of access, improvement of digital infrastructure, as well as acceleration of internet service provision in 12,500 villages and in public service spots, Riza informed.

The second is to hasten the integration of the National Data Center, he said. Next is to prepare human resources in the digital sector, he added.

Then, digital transformation regulation as well as funding and financing scheme has to be prepared promptly, he said.

The last step is to arrange the digital transformation roadmap in strategic sectors in government, public service, social aid, education, health, trade, industry, and broadcasting, he added//ANT

Director general of information and public communication at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo), Usman Kansong, at the TokTokKominfo Talkshow (Episode 74) on Friday (August 20, 2021). (ANTARA/Kominfo/FR) - 

The Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) has said it is seeking to further boost the public's trust in the government.

"Public trust in the government remains high. We want to raise that further. If we're at this level today, then the next day should be better and higher," director general of information and public communication at the ministry, Usman Kansong, said during the TokTokKominfo Talkshow here on Friday.

The purpose of public communication is to raise the public's trust in the government, he observed.

"Which means that the public can welcome the government with all of its programs. (To make them) perceive the government as an entity that has worked hard, has produced a number of things for the good of the public, that is the goal," he elaborated.

To this end, public communication has to be constantly conducted through orchestration and following a single narrative, Kansong said.

The people's trust in the government should also be further bolstered through collaboration with entire ministries and institutions, he added.

Responding to the spread of hoaxes and disinformation amid COVID-19, Kansong asserted the importance of coordination among ministries, institutions, and even regional governments.

According to him, this can be achieved through greater involvement of the Public Relations Coordination Agency (Bakohumas).

"Bakohumas becomes our platform to coordinate information and their spread, including information regarding COVID-19 and its handling," he elaborated.

Kansong also highlighted that the coordination between central and regional governments has improved due to the use of information technology.

Because of this, any misleading information in the public domain can be swiftly handled, he said.

He also expressed the hope that special coordination between Kominfo and Bakohumas can be reinforced so that information regarding government policies can be completely disseminated even in remote regions//ANT

Newly assembled vehicles are parked at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in Baja California, Tijuana, Mexico May 31, 2019. (Reuters/Jorge Duenes) - 

Mexico sought formal consultation with the United States on Friday (Aug 20) over the interpretation and application of tougher content rules for automobiles set out in the USMCA trade pact.

In May, Mexico voiced disagreement over the issue in a three-way online virtual meeting when it cited differences with the United States methods. Canada and Mexico use more flexible interpretations.

"Mexico has identified a divergent position between our governments on the interpretation of ... provisions on rules of origin for the automotive sector," Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier said in a letter.

In her letter on Friday to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Clouthier said Mexico wanted to avoid or resolve a possible dispute.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), requires 75 per cent North American content for a vehicle to be considered as being from North America.

The same percentage will apply for so-called essential parts from Jul 1, 2023, up from 69 per cent now, and compared to 62.5 per cent under the previous trade pact.

But once the level of essential parts hits 75 per cent, it is considered 100 per cent and should be counted as such towards the overall value of the automobile, Mexico says.

Its request for consultation is the first non-contentious stage of a dispute resolution mechanism provided for in Chapter 31 of the pact, with an industry expert saying such talks must be held within 30 days, in this case by Sep 20.

The United States is reviewing the request, said US Trade Representative spokesman Adam Hodge.

"We are reviewing Mexico's request for consultations and remain committed to fully implementing the USMCA, including the strong auto regional content requirements to which we all agreed," he said//CNA

Around 200 different demonstrations were called across the country - 

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the streets of France again on Saturday (Aug 21) against the government's COVID-19 vaccination policies amid concern from rights groups about anti-Semitic sentiment in the protest movement.

Saturday's marches were called for the sixth weekend in a row to denounce a "health pass" system announced by President Emmanuel Macron that they see as unfairly restricting the rights of the unvaccinated.

Under the system, introduced progressively since mid-July, anyone wishing to enter a restaurant, theatre, cinema, long-distance train, or large shopping centre must show proof of vaccination or a negative test.

Around 200 different demonstrations were called across the country, with around 9,500 people counted in southern Montpellier, 4,000 in eastern Strasbourg and 3,400 in Bordeaux, according to local authorities.

At the head of the Paris march, people held up flags and banners with the word "Liberty" on them while shouting "Macron! We don't want your pass!"

The protest movement has brought together conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers, former members of the "Yellow Vest" anti-government movement, as well as people concerned that the system unfairly creates a two-tier society.

Around 200,000 people have marched in previous weekends, according to interior ministry figures, and final tallies for Saturday's demonstrations are set to be released in the evening.

Organisers claim the real number on previous weekends was double the figures estimated by police.

The government insists the pass is necessary to encourage vaccination uptake and avoid a fourth national lockdown, with the unjabbed making up eight or nine out of every 10 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital.

A majority of French people support the health pass system and only around a third agree with the protesters, according to a survey by the Ifop polling group for the Journal du Dimanche newspaper last weekend.

The protest movement has been marked from the beginning by slogans and symbols that have been denounced by Jewish groups and anti-racism campaigners.

Some protesters have worn yellow stars similar to the ones that the Nazi regime forced Jews to display during World War II, leading to condemnation from Holocaust survivors for the offensive comparison.

Left-wing newspaper Le Monde condemned the rise in anti-Semitic behaviour in an editorial this week, calling it a "poison for society, a danger for all of us".

"Although anti-Semitism on the far-right is old, it seems to be encouraged at the moment by the rise in conspiracy thinking," it added.

Tristan Mendes-France, a specialist on the conspiracy movement, called COVID-19 "an accelerator of anti-Semitism because we are seeing a tragedy unfold continuously.

Though disputed, the health pass system has been effective in encouraging people to sign up for vaccinations, with millions of people booking appointments in the days after it was announced on Jul 12.

Around 47 million people have received at least one dose, about 70 per cent of the population, which is a higher rate than in Germany and Italy and only slightly behind Britain.

The most severe COVID-19 hotpots are currently found in France's overseas territories such as the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, as well as the Pacific islands of French Polynesia.

Polynesian authorities announced a tightening of restrictions on Saturday, with schools, restaurants and bars set to close for two weeks, while a nightly curfew will be brought forward by an hour to 8pm.

Tourists have been told to stay in their hotels on the islands where the number of infections has increased by a multiple of 14 in two weeks, according to the head of the islands, Edouard Fritch.

France as a whole reported around 22,000 new infections in the past 24 hours, health ministry figures show//CNA