VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

FILE PHOTO: A logo of Publicis Groupe is seen at its exhibition space, at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 15, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo - 

Voinews, Jakarta - Publicis, the world's largest advertising group by market value, said on Thursday it will invest 300 million euros ($326.94 million) in artificial intelligence (AI) over the next three years, as part of its new plan to become "the industry's first AI-powered intelligent system".

The group said in a film presentation - ahead of it annual results publication in February - that it will invest 100 million euros in 2024 alone, fully funded by "internal efficiencies" and with no dilutive impact on its operating margin.

The maker of the Heineken and Barilla pasta campaigns reported in its presentation organic growth in 2023 of 6.3 per cent, exceeding the 5.5 per cent to 6 per cent guidance range shared in October.

"In terms of strategy, it was important for us to show the financial market that we were starting from a position of strength," said CEO Arthur Sadoun in a press conference, regarding the early figure.

Publicis said in its presentation that it plans to integrate AI further into its current platform model, connecting every individual in the company to an entity called "CoreAI", that the group started engineering in the second half of 2023, to start implementing it in the first half of 2024.

"CoreAI is based on the data we have acquired, but also the one that we have built over this past decade," Sadoun said.

Half of the 2024 investment will be focused on upskilling and training people as well as recruitment, while the other half will be dedicated to tech, licences, software and cloud infrastructure.

Asked about prospective acquisitions, Sadoun answered, "our transformation is behind us", adding that the group will now focus on lesser investments in tech, IP and talent.

Publicis' recent strong performance runs counter to a general slowdown in the advertising industry, seen as a bellwether for broader economic health//VOI

File - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. (ANTARA FOTO/Fikri Yusuf/YU) - 

Voinews, Jakarta - Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan denied that mining industry downstream projects in the country were dominated by foreign workers.

"The number of foreign workers is now only around 10-15 percent," he stated in a video on his Instagram account on Wednesday.

Those foreign workers were needed during the initial stage of mining operations, he explained.

"We did not have the quality of human resources to do it at that time," he said.

Nevertheless, he ensured that the number of foreign workers would decline as more local human resources were being trained for the downstream industry.

"Now, in stages, the percentage is declining because there have been many people that we have trained. That is a process that we must go through," he explained.

Pandjaitan said that a metal industry polytechnic had also been established in Morowali District, Central Sulawesi, in order to create a competent industrial workforce. He also stated that several students of the polytechnic were sent to learn in China, and currently, those students have become part of a smelter construction project in Sulawesi.

"A polytechnic has been established there. I think it is good, and the lecturers are high-class. There are some from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the University of Indonesia (UI) that we invite to teach there," he remarked//ANT-VOI

Kompolnas members pose for a photo on the sidelines of monitoring security preparations for the 2024 elections for Indonesian citizens in Berlin, Germany, on January 23, 2024. (ANTARA/HO-Humas Kompolnas) - 

Voinews, Jakarta - The National Police Commission (Kompolnas) commended the security policy and strategy implemented by Indonesian Ambassador to Germany, Arief Havas Oegroseno, for the upcoming polling day.

“Engaging external security on the voting day (on February 10 in Germany) is positive with regard to respecting local cultural adaptation,” Pudji Hartanto Iskandar, one of the Kompolnas delegates who recently visited Germany, stated.

Kompolnas also suggested that the National Police collaborate with the Overseas Election Committee (PPLN) to anticipate any potential security disturbance on the voting day, he said in a statement from the commission on Tuesday (January 23).

Iskandar visited Germany to observe the preparations for the upcoming polling day along with his four colleagues from the commission: the delegation head Albertus Wahyurudhanto, Yusuf Warsyim, Mohammad Dawam, and Musa Ikipson Tampubolon.

During the visit, they were received by Ambassador Arief Havas Oegroseno who said that the German government has allowed Indonesia to hold election-related activities in Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfurt.

ANTARA reported earlier that PPLN in Berlin has announced that eligible voters in Germany could vote through postal service on January 10 or at ballot booths on February 10.

According to Head of PPLN-Berlin Roni Susman, Germany’s postal service was reliable, so the ballot papers were expected to be received by the Overseas Polling Station Working Committee (KPPSLN) within a day.

"This is due to the fact that Germany's postal service is so good that Indonesia's General Elections Commission (KPU) disagrees on a proposed opening for mobile ballot boxes," he added.

The PPLN-Berlin recorded that 4,049 registered voters would cast their votes at voting booths, while 496 voters would do so through postal service, Susman remarked.

Some 1,075 of the 4,545 registered voters are concentrated in Berlin, he noted, adding that PPLN-Berlin serves voters in Berlin, Brandenburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Niedersachsen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Thüringen.

Some 60 percent of the total number of voters in Berlin are university students, while the remaining 40 percent are employees. Susman noted that PPLN had received the election logistics on December 29, 2023//ANT-VOI

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Kabaparekraf Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno in a meeting with the diaspora at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Laos  -

Voinews, Jakarta - The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Kemenparekraf/Baparekraf) invites the Indonesian diaspora in Laos to actively participate in promoting Indonesia's tourism and creative economy (parekraf) potential in the international market through the culinary industry.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Kabaparekraf Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno in a meeting with the diaspora at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Laos, Wednesday (24/01/2024) said, in promoting the potential of tourism and creative tourism in Indonesia, especially the culinary industry, strong collaboration is needed from various parties. Including the Indonesian diaspora abroad.

"By strengthening synergy and collaboration, the tourism and creative sector will rise stronger and the target of the export value of creative economy products of 27.53 billion US dollars in 2024 can be achieved and provide economic benefits for the Indonesian people," said Sandiaga.

Through strong collaboration, the Indonesian tourism and creative sector was able to survive the COVID-19 pandemic and was even able to develop itself to the point of receiving a lot of positive responses from the international community.

"Indonesia is still in third place on the map of creative economic industry power after the United States and South Korea, we must improve this because the added value is extraordinary and the quality of Indonesian culinary strength is well known abroad. This is an opportunity to prioritize Indonesian culinary tastes and "not only winning the hearts of the people of Laos but also of people throughout the world," said Sandiaga.

Sandiaga said the presence of Indonesian cuisine restaurants in the country would really help the economy in the diaspora. Because various foods from Indonesia are quite popular abroad and can be combined with the tastes of local residents.

"So Indonesian food and local food in Laos have almost the same taste, and will be liked by many people. So this is part of us pushing the Indonesia Spice of the World program so that we can use it to promote our tourism," he explained.

Indonesia Spice Up the World is the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy's flagship program launched by the President in 2022 in Dubai and aims to promote Indonesian culinary delights. Apart from also increasing the number of spice exports from Indonesia throughout the world with a target export value of 2 billion US dollars and 4,000 Indonesian restaurants abroad by 2024.

According to Sandiaga, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy will continue to support the development of the Indonesia Spice Up the World program. Among them is Indostar, which is a derivative of Indonesia's Spice Up The World program which provides marketing, funding, training and development assistance to encourage access to financing and promote Indonesian herbs and spices abroad.

On the same occasion, the Indonesian Ambassador to Laos, Grata Endah Werdaningtyas, explained another fact discovered by his team in the field, namely that the Lao people really need daily consumption products. Consumption demand is greater than product production. But this also makes it difficult to bring Indonesian products to Laos.

"We are working with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Young Entrepreneur Association of Laos to promote Indonesian products to the Laotian market. This is an opportunity for Indonesia to introduce Indonesian products. The challenge now is how to open channels for this supply-demand. This requires collaboration and coordination "It would be more optimal with other ministries or institutions," said Grata.

At the end of the event, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy encouraged more young people and the Indonesian diaspora to be optimistic about developing the culinary business so that it could encourage the creation of jobs in the community.

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga is optimistic that there will be more and more culinary entrepreneurs from among young people who can revive the Indonesian economy. "So I am very proud that we are trusted and Indonesia can become a champion not only at home but also abroad," said Sandiaga//VOI