VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government is collaborating with UNICEF to present an effective and affordable Covid-19 vaccine. Both parties are also determined that the COVID-19 vaccine should be available for all elements of society.

Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto said they use the COVAX Facility scheme fronted by the vaccine alliance, GAVI. Indonesia will have safe, fast, and equitable access to the Covid-19 vaccine when it is found and then produced.

"UNICEF and its partners are committed to countries that have joined COVAX, including Indonesia, to procure and deliver a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine quickly and on a large scale," Terawan said at the Siwabessy Auditorium, Ministry of Health, Jakarta, on Wednesday.

The procurement and purchase of vaccines will be carried out through the Supply Division of UNICEF based in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Through this division it is possible to place orders for large quantities of vaccines at a lower price, resulting in significant savings.

"This partnership will enable Indonesia to purchase new vaccines such as the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) at 1/3 of the current market price. If measured nationally, this could prevent nearly 10,000 child deaths every year," Debora Comini, UNICEF Representative Indonesia said.

Comini explained, the Covid-19 pandemic motivated this agreement Confirmed cases that continue to increase and put the country with the highest number of deaths in Southeast Asia, it is important for Indonesia to get easy access to new medicines and vaccines.

He considered that in the future, many countries would strive to meet the needs of vaccines and drugs in their regions.

For this reason, through this cooperation agreement, he believes Indonesia will get many benefits including reducing the price of vaccines and drugs as well as establishing vaccine development cooperation between Indonesian domestic producers (Biofarma) and UNICEF.

"While we are looking forward to the COVID-19 vaccine, we have to remember to focus on the basics. Routine immunizations for children, strong supply chains, trained health workers, and community awareness of the benefits. This is a basis that we must not forget," he said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, Indonesia has been actively establishing international and multilateral cooperation, including through the WHO Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator - COVAX Facility, to strive for easy access, safety, and affordable vaccine prices.

With Indonesia's entry into the COVAX Facility, Indonesia is guaranteed access to affordable and quality COVID-19 vaccines for 20 percent of the population at risk by the end of 2021.

Until now, the Indonesian government has continued to maintain intensive communication with GAVI and the COVAX Facility to know the timing of vaccine supplies and the price.

"Hopefully this endeavor will work well and cooperation both inside and outside is no longer an option, but a necessity so we can win. the war against COVID-19," he concluded. (RRI)

The contemporary art market in Indonesia has developed because of the "Asian art boom" of the last two decades, during which the increasing global attention to art from China has helped to increase the popularity and price of Indonesian artworks in the market.

This was conveyed by Director of David Zwirner Gallery from Sisi Art Gallery, Galuh Sukardi in a discussion on Indonesian Contemporary Art, virtually, on Tuesday.

"More Indonesian artworks are selling due to the increase in collectors, both in Indonesia and abroad, who is looking for works by Indonesian artists," she said.

Galuh explained the historical perspective of the development of contemporary art in Indonesia in the last two decades, Indonesian artists are increasingly aware of their identity and have a better understanding of colonial history, she said.

Indonesian artists are now taking advantage of the development of access to information and technology in the production of works. The popularity of contemporary art in Indonesia is also supported by private parties such as the MACAN Museum and active communities such as Ruangrupa.

Indonesian contemporary art shows the entrepreneurial spirit of Indonesian artists, who are independently active in producing bottom-up works of the community in cooperation.

The Indonesian Embassy in London held the Indonesian Contemporary Art discussion in collaboration with the Anglo-Indonesian Society (AIS) organization, which comprises British and Indonesian citizens.

In addition, the discussion also featured British Balinese artist Sinta Tantra who made paintings with an architectural scale, such as bridges. Sinta Tantra wants to make art more of a part of people's daily lives, presenting the social and economic functions of art.

"Art in the public sphere can reach a wider audience and across borders," she said.

One of Sinta Tantra's latest exhibition shows, entitled Modern Times, is inspired by the experience of Charlie Chaplin's visit to Bali in 1932.

Modern Times presents Sinta Tantra's signature paintings on new mediums such as woven fabrics in honor of Balinese culture and metal cutting (inspired by features industrial in the Charlie Chaplin films).

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the two speakers have the view that both artists and galleries will be required to explore the use of new media in exhibiting works, such as virtual exhibitions through augmented reality. (Antaranews)

The Indonesian Embassy in Moscow and the Moscow Museum plan to collaborate in the form of various artistic activities such as exhibitions to workshops.

Various workshops for the arts and culture of Indonesia that will be held include; batik, gamelan, and traditional dances to film screenings on Indonesian Day at the Moscow Museum.

"The Russian public, especially in Moscow, can find out about the diversity of Indonesian culture through joint activities that are planned to be held at this museum," said the Chargé d'affaires (KUAI) who is also the Deputy of the Indonesian Ambassador to Russia and Belarus, Azis Nurwahyudi, in a meeting with the Director of Moscow Museum, Anna Trapkova, at the Moscow Museum, on Tuesday local time.

Azis said that Indonesia and Russia have a very close relationship.

"In 2020, Indonesia and Russia will commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations, besides that both are multi-cultural and multi-ethnic countries," Azis said.

Azis said that cooperation plans could also be carried out with museums in Indonesia, including museums in Jakarta within the framework of a sister city between Jakarta and Moscow which began in 2006. Anna Trapkova welcomed the proposal which she considered very attractive.

"The museum is not only for promoting Moscow, but also for the home for citizens of other countries in Moscow. Cooperation can be established in two directions," said Anna Trapkova.

Azis Nurwahyudi and Anna Trapkova also stated that these activities and cooperation are expected to be realized freely after the pandemic COVID-19 ends. (Antaranews)

Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir emphasized that the government and the Indonesian people must have great optimism to bring Indonesia out of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

"There must be optimism that Indonesia can get out of this crisis," he said at the HSBC Economic Forum in Jakarta, on Wednesday.

Erick said that currently, Indonesia is experiencing an improvement in mortality rate, from eight percent in April to 3.99 percent.

"Indeed the global rate is still better [3.18 percent], but with hard work and mutual cooperation we are sure that we can continue to suppress this fatality figure," he said.

Not only that, Erick said that Indonesia have a very good trend of the economy when compared to G20 countries such as India, France, and the UK.

"We are better, therefore President Jokowi's decision not to lock down is the right decision," he said.

Indonesia is better when compared to countries in Asia such as Singapore and Malaysia, but still below Taiwan and South Korea.

"Yesterday, an observer informed us that compared to several countries in the world we are still in an optimal condition," he said.

In addition, he explained that Indonesia has a large market share from a demographic perspective, namely the number of middle-class people continues to grow from 7 percent to 20 percent or 52 million of the total 237 million population.

"If our total population is 273 million, then our middle income will grow by a third, which is approximately 90 million," he explained.

Erick said that the growing middle class brings great potential to the market, even bigger than some of the big countries in the world.

"Compared to other countries such as the population of South Korea, 55 million is almost the same, South Africa 56 million, and even Spain 46 million," he said. (Antaranews)