VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

G20 member states - 

Indonesia, having assumed the G20 Presidency mantle, should propose the formation of international tax commission, Publish What You Pay’s (PWYP’s) National Coordinator and C20 Indonesia's, G20 official partner from civilian organization, Co-Chair Aryanto Nugroho stated.

"G20 should push for the formation of an international tax commission under the UN," he told ANTARA here on Saturday.

According to Nugroho, the presence of an international tax commission under the UN is expected to address the problem of injustice and legal uncertainty in handling illicit financial flows due to tax evasion.

In addition, the existence of an international tax commission could avoid an unhealthy tax war between nations, he opined.

Moreover, the nation requires a strong taxation system on account of large-scale digital economic development, with market capitalization exceeding US$7 trillion, he noted.

However, this digital economy has not yet provided its best contribution in increasing tax revenue, he noted.

To this end, large-scale inclusive action is deemed necessary wherein advanced and developing nations collectively formulate a tax regulation that is more fair.

The Indonesian Government managed to achieve tax revenue realization of Rp1.277.5 trillion, or 103.9 percent of the targeted Rp1.229.59 trillion in 2021.

This achievement should be followed by maximizing the realization of a fair taxation concept.

"There should be justice in which the rich should pay higher taxes and not be given several reduction or remission facilities," House of Representatives' (DPR's) Commission XI member, Anis Byarwati, noted.

Last year, Indonesia had recorded an increase in commodity prices that supported the tax revenue, she stated.

However, based on the tax revenue performance in 2021, the revenue structure has not changed.

Byarwati attached greater importance to the government's commitment to maximizing revenue, specifically a fair taxation.

Fair tax is one aspect that the government should take into account to change the taxation revenue structure, especially concerning employees and non-employees' personal income tax, she emphasized.

In addition, in 2022, the government should ready a systematic strategy and planning to ensure that the policy package within the Taxation Regulation Harmonization (HPP) Law could proceed well, such as the voluntary publishing program (PPS)//ANT

Illustration : a Farmer in paddy field - 

President Joko Widodo has urged farmers to penetrate the post-harvest sector in order to take advantage of the added value of the agricultural sector.

He delivered his statement during a virtual event broadcast from the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, on Saturday.

By getting involved in the post-harvest sector, farmers can also take part in the downstream activities of agricultural commodities, he said. This is also part of Indonesia's structural transformation, which includes a natural resource downstreaming program, he added.

“We have to conduct this downstreaming in all sectors. Farmers must be strong in farm (cultivation). So, innovation in agriculture and animal husbandry must be expedited. But don't stop there," Widodo remarked.

Downstreaming should be implemented in every sector that utilizes Indonesia's natural resources, he said.

He stressed his commitment to ceasing the exports of raw materials, such as bauxite, copper, tin, and gold, in the next few years.

The government banned the export of nickel ore starting January 1, 2020, based on the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministerial Regulation Number 11 of 2019, he noted. Several years prior, the government had also extensively implemented a nickel downstreaming program, Widodo said.

"Not only nickel('s export) I stop. This year we may stop (exporting) bauxite, next year copper, next year tin, next year gold. There is no such thing as exporting raw materials anymore," he remarked.

Steel, as one of the nickel derivative products, could generate exports of up to US$20.9 billion, a significant increase compared to 2014, when the exports of steel were valued at just US$1.1 billion, he pointed out.

"In 2022, I think we can achieve nickel-specific exports, which can reach US$28–30 billion, that is around Rp420 trillion. That's an estimate," he informed.

Apart from downstreaming, there are several agendas for Indonesia's structural transformation, including digital economic transformation, energy transition, and the development of the national capital in Kalimantan, he said//ANT

Indonesia received 2,968,000 vaccine doses from Germany and Sweden on Friday (January 28, 2022). (ANTARA/HO/Kementerian Kominfo) - 

The Indonesian Government received nearly three million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by the governments of Germany and Sweden on Friday.

The arrival of the 2,968 thousand vaccine doses marked the 202nd stage of vaccine arrival in Indonesia, Director General of Information and Public Communication at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics Usman Kansong said in a press statement issued on Friday.

"On behalf of the government and people of Indonesia, we express our deepest gratitude to the governments of Germany and Sweden for this vaccine donation," he remarked.

The COVID-19 vaccine doses were donated via the COVAX mechanism, he informed.

Earlier, the German Government donated 2,389,400 Moderna vaccine doses to Indonesia on December 22, 2021, and 2,688 thousand Moderna vaccine doses on December 24, he noted.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global problem that must be handled together by all nations, including support in vaccination efforts, Kansong emphasized.

Due to the effectiveness of the bilateral cooperation that Indonesia has established with other countries since the beginning of the pandemic, the nation has received a lot of assistance, including donations of free vaccines, he said.

"Cooperation between countries is one of the important things to jointly handle the pandemic that has been going on for around two years," he remarked.

He emphasized that the government has continued efforts to expand COVID-19 vaccinations, especially amid increasing COVID-19 transmission in the country due to the Omicron variant.

He assured that the vaccine stocks received on Friday will be immediately distributed to regions in the country.

He further informed that Indonesia has surpassed the vaccination target set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

However, several regions in the country still need to increase their vaccination coverage, he pointed out. To this end, the central government is encouraging regional governments to make the best efforts to increase vaccination coverage, he said.

He also urged unvaccinated people to get vaccinated immediately and those who are eligible to receive the third dose vaccine to get the booster shot promptly in order to increase protection against the virus.

"The increase in Omicron cases is also a reminder for us to always comply with the health protocols," he remarked//ANT

Perkumpulan Prakarsa Executive Director, Ah Maftuchan - 

Steps offered by the government in the G20 priority agenda were on the right track, Executive Director of the Prakarsa and Sherpa C20 Indonesia, official G20 partner from the civil society organization, Ah Maftuchan, stated.

The three main priorities put forth by Indonesia are reform of the global health system, transformation of the digital economy, and energy transition.

"I think Indonesia's offer is right, as it reflects the real conditions in the country and in several developing countries, both G20 members and non-members," Maftuchan told  ANTARA here on Saturday.

He noted that out of the three priorities, the second was more specifically related to the economy wherein Indonesia suggests a redesign of world economic governance through digital technology that relies on strengthening Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the creative economy, and the participation of people with disabilities, youth, and women in the labor market.

"What Indonesia needs to do is to ensure that some of these priorities can be translated into more operational and measurable steps that can be agreed upon as a consensus at the G20," he remarked.

Maftuchan affirmed that these priorities reflected the current global conditions and challenges.

He noted that the main challenge is to ensure that Indonesia's proposals are approved by the G20 countries unanimously for which it needs to be more active in communicating with G20 countries and other related parties.

Maftuchan stated that emphasis on the issue of MSMEs, participation of persons with disabilities, youth and women's empowerment, as well as reform of the world health system and acceleration of energy transition was a strong indication that Indonesia is pushing the G20 to become more realistic and more accommodative of the voices of developing countries and the public in general.

In the meantime, Daily Chairperson of the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen Association (KNTI) Dani Setiawan had earlier emphasized the importance of raising various aspects in the Indonesian maritime sector during the government's G20 Presidency.

"The promotion of Indonesia's maritime and marine potential must gain an important impression," Setiawan noted here on Saturday.

According to the KNTI daily chairperson, Indonesia should bolster maritime diplomacy steps as its national identity before the G20 forum.

Hence, Setiawan noted that the Indonesian presidency should be used to provide an understanding and concurrently to place a measurable emphasis on facilitating the entry requirements for fishery and marine products from Indonesia to other countries, especially in G20 member countries.

He also encouraged multi-regional cooperation to support mutually beneficial and sustainable management and the use of fisheries and marine resources.

At the forum, Indonesia should also encourage the strengthening of protection for small and traditional fishermen, especially in supporting global food security//ANT