VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

FILE PHOTO: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian attends a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia January 20, 2022. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS - 

Indirect talks between Tehran and Washington could succeed "at the earliest possible time" if the United States makes the necessary political decisions, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said at the Munich Security Conference.

"I would like to emphasise here that we are ready to achieve a good deal, at the earliest possible time, if the other side makes the needed political decision," Amirabdollahian said in a panel session.

He added that establishing security and calm in the Middle East was possible with the participation of regional countries, "without foreign interference"//CNA

A cargo ship docks at the Makassar Container Port in Makassar city, South Sulawesi province, on July 14, 2021. (ANTARA PHOTOS/Arnas Padda/yu/wsj/uyu) - 

Indonesia's balance of payments (BOP) in 2021 was quite resilient amid global pressure caused by the escalation of the pandemic and the US Fed’s tapering, according to the Finance Ministry's Fiscal Policy Agency (BKF).

"It is quite a crucial achievement since BOP is one of the pillars of our national macroeconomic stability," BKF Head Febrio Kacaribu said in a statement issued here on Saturday.

The BOP showed a positive performance in 2021 by recording a surplus of US$13.5 billion or 1.13 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), which was substantially higher than the surplus of US$2.6 billion recorded in 2020, he noted.

Furthermore, Indonesia's current account balance recorded a surplus of US$3.3 billion or 0.3 percent of the GDP compared to a deficit of US$4.4 billion in 2020, he said.

In addition, the capital and financial account balance surplus rose to US$11.7 billion, or 1 percent of the GDP, in 2021 from US$7.9 billion in 2020, the BKF head.

Meanwhile, direct investment surplus increased to US$16.49 billion in 2021 from US$14.14 billion in 2020 thanks to the domestic economy, which started to recover, he said.

Structural and policy reform to improve Indonesia’s investment climate -- such as the issuance of the Tax Regulation Harmonization Law in October 2021 -- was able to retain investors' confidence for investing long term in the country, he added.

Hence, in the fourth quarter of 2021, there was an increase in the direct investment surplus, which reached US$3.4 billion, he said.

"The positive impact of the policy reform is expected to further strengthen the trust of foreign investors to invest in Indonesia," he added.

However, there is still high uncertainty in global financial markets, in line with the tightening of monetary policies of developed countries, which are likely to affect investment in Indonesia, he said//ANT

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), Basuki Hadimuljono. (ANTARA/HO-Kementerian PUPR/FR) - 

The development of the nation's capital is a major opportunity for Indonesian architects, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), Basuki Hadimuljono, said in a written statement on Saturday.

"The relocation of the capital city is a huge leap toward a new Indonesia, which will bring a huge opportunity and challenge for architects, city planners, urban design specialists, and engineers to contribute and collaborate," he added.

"We very much welcome new ideas and creativity based on the combination of a modern city philosophy and local culture," he remarked.

The minister asked architects to channel their ideas and creativity for supporting the infrastructure development of the nation's capital, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan.

The contribution of architects is necessary for the development of the nation's capital that is implementing three pillars, he said.

The pillars comprise mirroring the national identity, ensuring social, economical, and environmental sustainability, and realizing a smart, modern, and world-class city, he added.

According to Hadimuljono, the development of the nation's capital is not just about changing cities and moving central government buildings, but also planning a modern city center to realize the Future Smart Forest City of Indonesia.

The ministry has designed a planning document for the macro and meso stage, he informed.

It is now time for the document to enter the micro design stage, including Detailed Engineering Design, which will serve as a guideline for the physical development of Nusantara, he added.

The minister said he expects the three visions and mission pillars of the nation's new capital to be a reflection of the nation's advancement.

With this, it can serve as an example for the development of other cities in Indonesia, he added.

The urban design of the capital should mirror the nation's identity and be philosophically based on the nation's pillars: the Pancasila ideology, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), and the 1945 Constitution, Hadimuljono said.

Next, the new capital should promote social, economical, and environmental sustainability, he added.

To this end, the new capital's development concept seeks to minimize intervention in nature, integrate green and blue spaces, and preserve Kalimantan's forests, he said.

The new capital should be a cohesive city and prioritize information and communication technology to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he added//ANT

The Ministry of Law and Human Rights inked contracts with legal aid providers for providing legal assistance to poor people. (ANTARA/HO-Ministry of Law and Human Rights' East Java Regional Office/KT) - 

The Law and Human Rights Ministry has allocated a budget of Rp4.1 billion for a legal aid program for poor people in East Java, which will be distributed through 65 verified legal aid providers (PBH).

Acting head of the ministry's East Java Regional Office, Wisnu Nugroho Dewanto, advised legal aid providers to utilize the budget well.

"The Rp4.1-billion budget will be divided into two sectors, one for litigation assistance of Rp3.4 billion and the rest for non-litigation assistance. There are 65 PBHs that have the right to take advantage of the budget, and the value will depend on the accreditation of each PBH," he explained in Surabaya on Saturday.

Currently, there are 48 PBHs with C accreditation, 14 PBHs with B accreditation, and three PBHs with A accreditation, he said.

"We will conduct an evaluation every three months. If they do not meet the target then the budget will be shifted to a legal aid provider that has better performance," Dewanto added.

He said the PBHs have signed a contract and performance agreement with the ministry's East Java Regional Office.

The step has been taken to optimize the distribution of legal aid budget for the poor by the ministry, he explained.

According to Dewanto, his team has implemented a reward and punishment system for the management of the legal aid budget for the poor.

"Everything has been automated through the Legal Aid Database Information System Application (SIDBanKum). The data on budget absorption and PBH performance can be checked in real-time," he pointed out.

Therefore, after the agreement signing, he urged PBH leaders or directors to immediately carry out their activities, in accordance with their rights and authority for helping the poor facing legal troubles.

Legal assistance is an effort to protect the citizens and guarantee their human rights as well as access to justice and equality before the law, Dewanto said//ANT