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Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limbo (center) in Svarga Bumi agrotourism destination in Magelang, Central Java.

Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limbo has called on regions across Indonesia to promote farming areas as agricultural tourism destinations.

"I think this is a progressive step that agriculture is not only producing rice, maize, beans, but actually with a better arrangement , it could give added value to the economy of the community," Limbo said in a press release here on Saturday.

He gave the statement after attending a rice harvest event at Svarga Bumi Borobudur, an agrotourism area in Magelang District, Central Java. The Swarga Bumi agrotourism destination is located around three kilometers from Borobudur Temple.

The Magelang rice fields have become a popular photo location and turned into a new economic source for the local community. The agricultural tourism could double the incomes of local farmers, he said.

The ministers urged other provinces to imitate the Swarga Bumi agrotourism destination and develop similar tourism destinations in their respective regions."This (agrotourism) area is certainly an interesting collaboration between agriculture and tourism. In the future, we will discuss this with the Ministry of Tourism. We will duplicate it in other areas," he said.

Currently, agriculture is a sector which is supporting Indonesia's economy and it would very interesting to combine agriculture and tourism, according to him.

In Indonesia, Bali is known for agrotourism destinations where tourists not only can enjoy beautiful scenery, but also participate in various agricultural and plantation activities.

Among the best agrotourism destinations in Bali are Bali Pulina, Bali fruit garden, Basanta Agro Organic, and Bagus Agro Pelaga//ANT

Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir, UAE’s Minister of Energy and Industry, Suhail Mohammed Al Mazroui, Solo Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and officials laid the cornerstone for the construction of the Grand Mosque Sheikh Zayed in Solo, Central Java, on Saturday (March 6, 2021). (ANTARA/HO/Pemkot Surakarta)

The Indonesian government has started construction of the Grand Mosque Sheikh Zayed in Solo, Central Java, which is being built as a symbol of Indonesia-United Arab Emirates friendship.

"This mosque that has a contemporary history will be dedicated to all Muslims and will be managed by the Indonesian government. Insya Allah (God willing), this mosque will bring great advantage to the public," Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said while laying the cornerstone for the mosque here on Saturday.

He said the mosque, which is being built using a grant from UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed An Bahan to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, will serve as a symbol of Indonesia-UAE friendship."This mosque will serve as one of the means to disseminate the greatness of Islam in the archipelago and a symbol of modernity in adhering to religion to create global peace and social justice," he remarked.

The mosque is expected to serve not only as a place for congregational prayers, but also as a center for propagation, social activity, mental development, and as a religious tourist destination, he said.

Meanwhile, UAE’s Minister of Energy and Industry, Suhail Mohammed Al Mazroui, said the UAE government is trying to make the architecture of the mosque resemble that of the mosque in Abu Dhabi."As we all know, the mosque is the symbol of the very special architecture. It will serve not only as a place of worship, but also a tourist destination. The mosque built here would not only reflect the superiority of building architecture, but could also become a source of foreign exchange earnings," he said//ANT 

Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita. ANTARA/HO-Industry Ministry/sh

The Industry Ministry has mapped nine challenges for the country's industry and increased coordination with stakeholders in pursuit of solutions and to expedite development of the competitive manufacturing industry.

"We have mapped at least nine challenges and actively coordinated with all stakeholders to seek solutions," Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita noted in a statement here on Saturday.

The nine challenges pertain to issues regarding raw and supporting material, infrastructure, utility, availability of experts, import pressures, plastic waste, hindrance to small- and medium-scale industries, logistics and data as a basis to strengthen the industry sector.

"We are determined to ensure that the industry would receive the supply of raw and supporting material, including of gas," he remarked.In June 2020, the government had reduced the price of natural gas for seven industry sectors: fertilizer, petrochemical, oleochemical, steel, ceramic, glass, and rubber gloves.

"As many as 176 companies in the seven sectors have currently enjoyed the facility of gas price reduction, with total volume of 957.3 thousand to 1.18 million BBUTD (Billion British Thermal Unit per Day)," Kartasasmita stated.

In the context of infrastructure and utilities, the government has encouraged the development of industrial estates. The number of industrial estates has increased, from 89 in 2016 to 128 in 2020.

The government has initiated the education program and vocational training with a dual system concept to produce competent experts in the sector."We have nine SMK (vocational schools), 10 polytechnic schools, and two community academies, with 18,743 students ready to meet the industry’s demand," the minister remarked.

Speaking in connection with the challenge of import pressures, Kartasasmita highlighted the ministry’s program of 35-percent import substitution in cooperation with the Trade Ministry, among others.

"The collaboration encompasses limited ban for several commodities, entry point arrangements at ports for certain commodities, increase the Most Favored Nation (MNF) tariff, and boost the implementation of trade remedies," the minister expounded.

To encourage SMEs, the ministry has strengthened the digital platform for SMEs operators through various programs of Smart Sentra, Smart Material Center, Smart Packaging Center and Smart SME."Furthermore, to address the issue of logistics and data, we will strengthen the SIINas that has currently collected 18,522 accounts of industrial companies, 134 industrial estate accounts, and 11,918 service company accounts," Kartasasmita stated//ANT

Indonesia and UEA agree to strengthen cooperation in developing creative economy ANTARA/HO-Birkom Kemenparekraf

Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to cooperate in developing the creative economy, especially in the sub-sectors of architecture, fashion, design, art, and publication.

"I believe that bilateral ties between Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates will increasingly become stronger due to the G-to-G that we signed today. Two of them deal with cooperation for development of the creative economy," Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy /Chief of the Tourism and Creative Economy Board Sandiaga Uno stated on Friday.

The cooperation was marked with the hybrid signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Sandiaga Uno from Manado, North Sulawesi, and UAE Minister of Culture and Youth Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi from Abu Dhabi.

The MoU was inked in the presence of Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Vice Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Vice Chief of the Tourism and Creative Economy Board Angela Tanoesoedibjo, Indonesian Ambassador to UAE Husin Bagis, and UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei on the occasion of "Indonesia-Emirates Amazing Week (IEAW) 2021 in Jakarta.IEAW 2021 was initiated by the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and several relevant ministries and institutions under the efforts to intensify cooperation between both nations in various fields.

The two countries got into discussions over the MoU on creative economy when they attended the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) held in Bali in 2018. The conference, the first of its kind held at the global level, was initiated by Indonesia as a legal umbrella to hold the second WCCE in Dubai in December 2021 on the sidelines of the World Expo 2021.

In addition to the MoU on creative economy, Deputy for Resources and Institution at the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Wisnu Bawa Tarunajaya and Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth Mubarak Al Nakhi signed the Technical Arrangement WCCE 2021 (TA WCCE 2021) virtually.TA WCCE 2021 focuses on outlining role and responsibility of parties pertaining to the preparations for and the holding of WCCE 2021.

Uno highlighted that Indonesia, as the pioneer of WCCE, is proud of the UAE's plan to organize the next WCCE in Dubai on the sidelines of the World Expo 2021.

Hence, the signing of the MoU and WCCE Technical Arrangement document is relevant to the current situation//ANT