VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Construction of flyover to ease access to Ahmad Yani International Airport in Semarang, Central Java. ANTARA/HO-PUPR Ministry - 

The Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry has built an access road to Ahmad Yani International Airport in Semarang, Central Java, to support its operation.

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono said in a statement here on Sunday development of an international airport would need a dedicated lane.

"All international airports in National Strategic Regions (KSN) in metropolitan areas such as Soekarno-Hatta in Jakarta, Juanda in Surabaya, Kualanamu in Medan, Hasanudin in Makassar, and Ngurah Rai in Denpasar have been supported by toll road," the minister said.

The 1.2-km flyover with 10.25 meter in width connecting Madukoro Street with Ahmad Yani Airport divided in four lanes and two lanes to ease access to and from the airport.

Head of the National Road Implementation Agency (BBPJN) Central Java - Yogyakarta regions of the Directorate General, of Road Construction  (Bina Marga )Satrio Sugeng Prayitno said the flyover is expected to ease access of vehicles from and to the airport.

The fund for the flyover construction is sourced from the state sharia bond (SBSN) worth Rp149.3 billion. The construction progress has reached 44.10 percent and is targeted to complete in August 2021 end.

Prayitno ensured that the construction would not disturb traffic to the airport, moreover with the quite traffic situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For erection girder we have coordinated with the police and airport authority to redirect the lane if it will be conducted on working hour," he said.

The access lane to Ahmad Yani International Airport will adopt local culture in its design. The authority will build park and sport facility for the public under the flyover to support tourism in the region, Prayitno said//ANT

BMKG issues warning of torrential rains in several Indonesian regions - 

The Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) has issued an early warning of torrential rains accompanied by lightning and whirlwinds  to occur in several parts of Indonesia on Sunday.

According to BMKG’s website here on Sunday, several provinces that will experience torrential rains along with lightning and blustery winds are Aceh, Banten, Bengkulu, and West Java.

Similar weather conditions can also occur in the provinces of West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, Lampung, Maluku, North Maluku, Papua, West Papua, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, West Sumatra, and South Sumatra.

BMKG explained that the cyclonic circulation was observed in northern Aceh and northern waters of West Papua and Papua where the confluence and deceleration of convergence were elongated from the western coast of North Sumatra to Aceh, from Bengkulu to West Sumatra and in West Papua.

The convergence was also elongated from North Sumatra to western coast of Aceh, northern part of Malacca Strait, Bengkulu, southern coast of Central Java to West Java, North Kalimantan to Karimata Strait, South Kalimantan, South-East Sulawesi, central part of Makassar to southern part of Central Kalimantan and Maluku.

Meanwhile, the confluence was also observed to occur in Sulawesi Sea and northern waters of West Papua.

BMKG stated that such weather conditions can potentially trigger rain growth across the regions where the cyclonic circulation, convergence, and confluence occur//ANT

Papua provincial government secretary Dance Yulian Flassy. (ANTARA/Hendrina Dian Kandipi) - 

In the wake of PT Telkom’s undersea cable break, the Papua provincial administration has urged all community members to remain calm and not to respond to rumors of sabotage.

"This undersea fiber optic cable breakage, which occurred about 700 kilometers away from the waters of Sarmi district, is a force majeure," the Papua provincial government's secretary, Dance Yulian Flassy, told ANTARA in Jayapura on Saturday.

The cable break has disrupted the telecommunication giant's services in Jayapura city and the districts of Jayapura and Sarmi, but PT Telkom customers in the southern parts of Papua province have not been affected, he informed.

The provincial government’s communication and informatics officials have been discussing the matter and ways to address the impact of the cable breakage with their counterparts at the PT Telkom-Papua Office, Flassy said.

"We hope the telecommunication services remain available ahead of the Idul Fitri festivity, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadhan," he remarked.

He also urged people to remain calm and not to get provoked by rumors surrounding the cable break.

The services offered by state-owned telecommunications enterprise PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) in Jayapura city and the districts of Jayapura and Sarmi have been disrupted since Friday, following the breaking of undersea fiber optic cables located between Sarmi and Biak.

"We apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers," head of the PT Telkom-Papua Office, Sugeng Widodo, said earlier.

The company would require a month’s time to resolve the problem, he added.

The telecommunications major tried to provide partial satellite-based services to affected customers, though they could not be optimally served, he said.

ANTARA has reported on repeated disruptions in telecommunication services in Papua over the past few years.In August, 2019, for instance, telecommunication company Telkomsel's services in Jayapura were disrupted after its main fiber optic cables were cut by unknown persons//ANT

Philip Gobang, special staff to the Minister of Communication and Informatics - 

Accelerating digital transformation is among the priority programs in the information and communication technology (ICT) field, as targeted by President Joko Widodo during his second term, Philip Gobang, communication and informatics minister’s special staff, stated.

"Five areas elicit attention in managing digital transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic," Gobang remarked while addressing a webinar and workshop on "Encouraging the Creation and Innovation of Flobamora MSMEs" organized in Maumere, Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara, on Saturday.

The first area of focus is to expedite the expansion of access and increase in digital infrastructure, such as the provision of internet services in 12,500 villages and urban villages and at public service points.

The second aspect is urging relevant authorities to prepare a digital transformation roadmap in strategic sectors, including the government, public services, social assistance, education, health, trade, industry, and broadcasting.The third area of focus is to speed up the integration of national data centers.

The fourth aspect concerns preparing human resources, especially digital talent. Indonesia needs a digital skilled workforce of some nine million over the next 15 years, or approximately 600 thousand per year, he remarked.

The fifth aspect is to prepare digital transformation planning, regulations-related matters, funding schemes, and digital transformation financing.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a sharp increase in the use of internet and expedited digital transformation.

It has additionally pushed for the acceleration of equitable distribution of ICT across Indonesia.

Telecommunication infrastructure, as a national priority infrastructure, has contributed directly to national economic growth and equitable development for society, he stated.

"MSMEs currently rely heavily on online sales since physical activity is restricted to reduce the spread of COVID-19," he remarked.

The Ministry of Communication and Informatics supports MSMEs to properly utilize the existing digital space facilities, so that they can become a pillar of the national economy, according to Gobang//ANT