VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Tourism and creative economy Minister, Sandiaga Uno during the Launching of the 2021 Tourism Village Award, at the Soesilo Soedarman Hall, Jakarta, Friday night (30/4/2021)/Birkom Parekraf - 

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy / Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno hopes that tourist villages in the country can become the locomotive of economic revival, especially in the tourism and creative economy sectors.

Menparekraf Sandiaga Uno during the Launching of the 2021 Tourism Village Award, at the Soesilo Soedarman Hall, Jakarta, Friday night (30/4/2021) explained that the program for the crowning of the 2021 Indonesia Tourism Village Award is one of the ways to restore the Indonesian economy, especially in the tourism sector.

Menparekraf Sandiaga said that the program was carried out to make Indonesian tourist villages a world-class and competitive tourist destination.

"This tourist village is a potential that needs to be developed and empowered to improve the welfare of rural communities so that they have competitiveness and become the locomotive of economic revival in the sector of the economy in the midst of a pandemic," he said.

Menparekraf Sandiaga explained that according to the 2020-2024 RPJMN, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is targeting as many as 244 certified tourist villages to become independent tourism villages by 2024. However, it is hoped that they can exceed the target set considering the large potential of tourist villages which are recorded in 74 thousand villages in Indonesia.

"We map there are 1,200 potential tourism villages in the country that are ready to be developed in a sustainable manner because they have strong local wisdom and cultural values. This is our future target," he said.

In addition, Menparekraf Sandiaga explained that in general tourism villages are classified into three categories. The first is a pilot, a developed and developing tourism village, as well as an independent tourism village, namely a tourism village that has been able to innovate the community in developing the village's potential to become an independent entrepreneurship unit.

People or tourism and creative economy actors who want to join the official tourism village network in Indonesia can register themselves through the official website of the Jadesta.com Tourism Village Network. Participants can register from 7 May to 26 June 2021//Release/NK 

The National Library appointed literacy activist Gol A Gong as the new reading ambassador - 

Passion for reading is the basis for literacy formation. Through reading activities, the literacy ecosystem is maintained. The presence of a Reading Ambassador will reinforce the importance of reading habits and literacy as part of the elements forming superior and competitive human resources. 

The Head of the National Library of Indonesia, Muhammad Syarif Bando, stated  on Friday (Apr 30) that the Indonesian Reading Ambassador was not a member of the library but had the public's trust to carry out this task. 

"The position as a reading ambassador is not a library subordinate. You are chosen as a reading ambassador because there is a very strong foundation of public belief that you are the right person to assume the role and all funding will be borne by the APBN, which means that  it’s people's money that is entrusted to the national library" Syarif Bando said. 

After Najwa Shihab, the baton of Duta Baca Indonesia (DBI) has now continued into the hands of literacy activist Heri Hendrayana Harris or who is familiarly called Gol A Gong. 

The existence, dedication, totality and enthusiasm of Gol A Gong even in the midst of limitations have provided evidence that action is more important than just narrative//VOI/NK

The Ambassador of the European Union to Indonesia, Vincent Piket - 

As part of the European Day celebrations, the European Union is organizing a virtual education exhibition on 2 May 2021 titled EU-Indonesia Scholarships Info Day 2021 which features virtual exhibitions and a series of webinars. 

Exhibitors can meet European education representatives in a virtual room to find information on scholarship opportunities, university applications, student life and much more. 

The Ambassador of the European Union to Indonesia, Vincent Piket emphasized that 11 European Union member countries will also showcase their best universities in this event.

"We are start of full 10 days of activities to celebrate the mark of the Europe day which is on the 9th of May but the activities are starting this weekend and the education fair is one of them. We have a wonderful turnout of the member state in this activity, 11 member state: Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Sweden, Finland, Netherland and Poland who will be exhibiting the education offering in this fair and also exhibits by the delegation of the European Union in Indonesia" Ambassador said. 

Ambassador Piket added that Europe has a very good quality of education at affordable costs. 

In this educational exhibition, the European Union is also working with the Directorate General of Higher Education, the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia to implement a scholarship program for Indonesian students//VOI/NK

The international arrivals area at Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney, Australia. (File photo: Reuters) - 

Australian citizens and residents who have been in India within 14 days of the date they plan to return home will be banned from entering Australia as of Monday (May 3) and those who disobey will face fines and jail, government officials said.

The temporary emergency determination, issued late on Friday, is the first time Australia has made it a criminal offence for its citizens to return home.

The restrictions come into effect from May 3 and breaching the ban risks civil penalties and up to five years imprisonment, Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a statement.

"The government does not make these decisions lightly," Hunt said." However, it is critical the integrity of the Australian public health and quarantine systems is protected and the number of COVID-19 cases in quarantine facilities is reduced to a manageable level."

The government will reconsider the restrictions on May 15.India's coronavirus death toll passed 200,000 this week, and cases are nearing 19 million - nearly 8 million since February - as virulent new strains have combined with "super-spreader" events such as political rallies and religious festivals.

Australia, which has no community transmissions, on Tuesday introduced a temporary suspension of direct flights from India to prevent more virulent COVID-19 variants entering the country.Australia has all but stamped out the coronavirus after closing its borders to non-citizens and permanent residents in March 2020, recording just 29,800 cases and 910 deaths//CNA