VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Pratikno, issuing a press statement on Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki evacuees in Jakarta on Wednesday (November 20, 2024). (ANTARA/Asep Firmansyah/rst)

VOInews, Jakarta : The government has stepped up efforts to build temporary housing for people who evacuated to safety following the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki to ensure their comfort and security amid the approach of the rainy season.

"We are speeding up the work of this temporary housing because of the rainy season and ahead of the Christmas holiday," Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Pratikno, said on Monday.

"The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) will immediately build temporary housing," he added.

According to him, based on reports from ministries/technical institutions, the volcano is continuing to erupt, but showing no sign of increased activity.

In addition, the radius for the security area has been reduced, while evacuation services are still being maintained.

The number of centralized evacuees has also shrunk to around 5,117. However, the number of independent evacuees is still high at 6 thousand, the minister informed.

"The number of independent evacuees who join their relatives is higher, more than 6,417 people," he added.

Besides building temporary housing, the government will also assist in the process of independent relocation, home renovation, and preparation for permanent housing.

At a ministerial meeting on Wednesday, Pratikno said that the central and regional governments have mapped out the locations for permanent housing.

"We will further explore the administration and we have discussed it with residents. The dialogue with residents is intensively being carried out to determine permanent housing," he added.

Later, permanent housing will be constructed at several locations, rather than being concentrated in a single area.

Pratikno assured that the data collection process would involve affected residents.

"Once again, the house renovation, independent relocation, the construction of temporary housing, and the construction of permanent housing will be carried out simultaneously," he emphasized//Antara-VOI

Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana during a meeting with Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Wednesday (November 20, 2024). (ANTARA/Hreeloita Dharma Shanti)

VOInews, Jakarta : Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana has said that her ministry will propose an increase in its budget ceiling to Rp2.254 trillion (around US$141.72 million) to support its priority programs for next year.

"Considering that the budget ceiling decreased significantly from 2024 to 2025, we are currently planning to propose an increase in the 2025 budget ceiling to Rp2,254,706,954,000," she informed.

She conveyed this during a meeting with Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Wednesday.

She informed that the budget ceiling for the Ministry of Tourism for 2025 is Rp1.489 trillion (around US$93.62 million).

Of the proposed Rp2.254 trillion budget, Rp1.837 trillion (around US$115.5 million) is planned to be allocated for work units at the central level, Rp123 billion (around US$7.73 million) for tourism authority agencies, and Rp294 billion (around US$18.48 million) for tourism polytechnics.

Wardhana said that the increase is reasonable because the budget ceiling for 2025 is significantly lower compared to Rp3.182 trillion (around US$200 million) in 2024.

She also outlined the four Quick Wins programs that the Ministry of Tourism is carrying out.

The first program is the intensification of the Proud of Traveling in Indonesia (BBWI) program, which includes campaigns, tourism package integration, transport cost efficiencies, and improvement of tourist destinations' competitiveness.

The second program is Tourism 5.0: Marketing and Calendar of Events, which includes the digitalization of the Calendar of Events and the development of AI Travel Planner Assistance features, as well as organizing and supporting national and international events.

The third program is making airfares affordable, and the fourth program is improving the quality of human resources and business players.

In this regard, she affirmed that her ministry is continuing to collaborate with relevant ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Manpower.

Quality improvement is also being encouraged through the tourism sectoral committee, revitalization of vocational education and vocational training, as well as empowerment of communities in tourism villages//Antara-VOI

President Prabowo Subianto delivering his remarks at the third session of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday (November 19, 2024). (ANTARA/HO-Presidential Secretariat Press Bureau)

VOInews, Rio De Janeiro : Indonesia is committed to providing US$30 million to support the World Health Organization (WHO), President Prabowo Subianto announced during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday.

"We are willing to commit US$30 million to bridge funding gaps for WHO activities. We hope this can positively contribute to the noble work done by the United Nations," he said.

He then invited fellow G20 nations to continue the grouping's positive impact on collective action to address global challenges, including health, climate change, as well as hunger and poverty.

"The G20's convening power must unite and bring together advanced and emerging economies, converging different views in response to the world's most urgent challenges, in the spirit of transparency, inclusivity, and consensus as important principles in our G20," he said.

On the sidelines of the summit, Prabowo had a talk with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati revealed. In a post on her Instagram account, she said that the two figures discussed the current challenges faced by the WHO amid the dynamic global situation.

"President @prabowo conveyed Indonesia's commitment to supporting WHO activities in strengthening a fair and quality global health system," Indrawati wrote//Antara-VOI

A screenshot of the bilateral meeting between President Prabowo Subianto and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G20 Summit at the Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday (November 19, 2024). (ANTARA/HO-Presidential Media Team/rst)

VOInews, Rio De Janiero : President Prabowo Subianto has said that diplomatic relations between Indonesia and France have experienced positive progress in several fields.

He made the remarks after a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G20 Summit at the Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday local time.

"We have a lot of progressed cooperation with France," he remarked, according to a statement released by his office on Wednesday.

As per the statement, the meeting between the two presidents was an important momentum to strengthen bilateral relations in many sectors. They discussed several strategic issues ranging from the economic sector to defense equipment.

The meeting took place in a warm and productive environment, which reflected the closeness between the two nations that has continued to grow. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sugiono; Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani Indrawati; and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya accompanied President Prabowo to the meeting.

As reported earlier, Hartarto stated that several issues were raised at the meeting on the cooperation between the Indonesia-France Economic Forum and the procurement of fighter jets and submarines.
"We surely discussed the economy sector because we have the France-Indonesia bilateral economic forum. President Macron asked for the continuation of this program," he said.

Defense equipment was another topic raised at the meeting, with President Macron expressing appreciation for Indonesia's plan to procure military equipment, including Rafale fighter jets, and to seek cooperation in submarine production.
"President Macron appreciated Indonesia's plan to procure military equipment, including Rafale and submarines," the minister added.

Earlier, Indonesia and France collaborated in the production of high-tech Scorpène Evolved submarines to strengthen the independence of the archipelagic nation's maritime industry.
The Indonesian Ministry of Defense completed the purchase of 42 Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault Aviation after the third-phase purchase contract for 18 units became effective//Antara - VOI