VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The University of Indonesia hinted on Sunday that it was ready to work with the Ministry of Agriculture's Veterinary Research Agency to conduct animal testing and clinical trials regarding the ministry's innovation of eucalyptus-based COVID-19 treatment.

"The University of Indonesia's Faculty of Medicine and the Indonesia Medical Education and Research Institute (IMERI) have intensively been conducting COVID-19-related research projects," Dean of UI's Faculty of Medicine Prof.Ari Fahrial Syam said.

According to Syam, further research on the ministry's eucalyptus-based COVID-19 treatment was needed to unveil the antiviral effects and effectiveness of the eucalyptus-based products for handling the novel coronavirus cases.

The research projects focusing on the efficacy of the eucalyptus-based products for handling the COVID-19 cases remain at the cell level, and in vitro stage. They are not yet directed specifically for the SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that triggers COVID-19.

Regarding the handling of COVID-19, he said the Indonesian people, media, and government show a high expectation. As a result, research projects that are still conducted at the cell level are then claimed to have produced antivirus drugs.

Meanwhile, Head of the Veterinary Research Agency at the Ministry of Agriculture Indi Dharmayanti revealed earlier that the ministry's COVID-19-related innovations remain in the in vitro stages that demand further research efforts.

She clarified that the eucalyptus-based COVID-19 innovative product is, actually, not a medicine because a further research on it still goes on.

"Instead, it is an extraction resulting from distillation method to kill the virus that we have used at laboratory. After a screening process, the eucaplyptus is able to kill the influenza virus and even coronavirus," she claimed.

Regarding this COVID-19-related innovative product, the Ministry of Agriculture has officially received a patent for its innovation. It has also collaborated with PT Eagle Indo Pharma (Cap Lang) for its massive production.

The Indonesian Government has supported various parties to conduct research and innovation projects to assist the nation's battle against the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The government-sponsored research and innovation projects prioritize four areas: prevention, filtering and diagnosis; medical equipment and supporting devices; medicines and therapies; and, social humanities.

To this end, several leading universities in Indonesia have also joined the nation's fight against the coronavirus pandemic and made concrete contributions to efforts to save lives — from developing much-needed devices to research on COVID-19 treatment.

A team of scientists from the faculties of medicine and engineering at the University of Indonesia (UI), for instance, has developed a ventilator called COVENT-20 for patients suffering from the novel coronavirus disease.

As published on UI's official website, the Indonesian Health Ministry has declared the ventilator has passed human clinical trials.

The Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) has also developed a ventilator for COVID-19 patients, in collaboration with the Pembina Masjid Salman Foundation and Faculty of Medicine, Padjadjaran University (UNPAD). (ANTARA)

The Government of Norway will for the first time pay up to Rp812.86 billion or 530 million NOK to Indonesia for being able to reduce emissions from deforestation.

The money was result-based payment as agreed in cooperation in REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation plus), The Indonesian Embassy in Oslo said in a statement on Sunday.

Indonesian Ambassador to Norway Todung Mulya Lubis lauded the Norwegian Government's support to Indonesia in carbon emission reduction.

"We welcome the announcement on the result-based payment by Norway's Minister of Climate and Environment, Sveinung Rotevatn," Ambassador Lubis said.

Indonesia and Norway have established cooperation in the environmental affairs over the last 10 years.

Lubis held a meeting with Minister Rotevatn on June 17, 2020. The Norwegian Government considered Indonesia as an important partner in the efforts to slow down the climate change impact and to cut greenhouse gas emissions which have triggered global warming.

"We hope that this cooperation continues and will be intensified in coming years," the ambassador said.

Under the REDD+ cooperation agreement in 2010, Norway agrees to allocate funds amounting to six billion NOK or some RP9.2 trillion for Indonesia if successful in reducing carbon emissions.

"This is the first time Norway pays for Indonesia's results in emission reductions. After 10 years of hard work, deforestation in Indonesia is going down. Emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in Indonesia were lower in 2016-17 than in the preceding decade," the Norwegian Government said on its official website dated July 4, 2020.

An independent third party has verified Indonesia's results for the forest year 2016-17.

The report confirms that Indonesia – home to the world's third largest rainforest – has reduced emissions amounting to approximately 17 million tons of CO2. This is equal to one third of all annual emissions from Norway.

This is a groundbreaking moment. Indonesia has embarked on a remarkable journey, and the forest and land use reforms undertaken by President Joko Widodo and Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya are yielding impressive results, Minister Sveinung Rotevatn said.

"These are good news for Indonesia, for the world, and for our partnership. Indonesia is all set to continue delivering further reduced deforestation, and we are delighted to make our first results-based payment and enter a new phase of our partnership," he remarked.

The disbursement is the first manifestation of the two countries having completed the two first phases of their partnership and entered the results-based phase, as announced in 2019. The calculation of Indonesia's results is based on jointly agreed rules.

The statement also quoted recently published reports from the Indonesian government that indicate that deforestation has stayed at the same level or lower in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

"This is very encouraging. These numbers will, if and when verified, be the basis for further results-based payments from Norway to Indonesia, enabling us – if Indonesia continues to deliver over the next few years – to continue to fulfill our 6 billion NOK pledge from 2010 through results-based payments," Rotevatn stated.

Indonesia is working to finalize the establishment of the government's Environment Fund (the BPDLH), which will be Indonesia's official channel for receiving results-based payments.

The full disbursements will happen when the Fund becomes operational and a grant agreement is signed, which is planned to happen this fall, the Government of Norway said in its statement .

The maximum number of emission reductions Indonesia can be rewarded for by Norway and other financiers is 11,2 mill tons CO2, after the deduction of a 35% set-asides for uncertainty, other risk factors, and Indonesia's own ambition, as agreed between the two countries.

For the result year 2016-17, Norway will provide result-based payment for all results available. The price is 5 USD per ton CO2 of the reduced emissions, totaling 530 million kroner (56 million USD) to Indonesia. (ANTARA)

Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian has expressed his hope that the voter turnout in simultaneous regional head elections (Pilkada), scheduled to be held late this year, will reach at least 50 percent.

"The target of voter turnout that we expect is above 50 percent. If possible higher than that, it will be better," Tito Karnavian said while speaking during an online seminar in Jakarta on Saturday.

The minister hoped at least some 53 million people would cast their votes in the upcoming elections this year.

Based on June 9 data, the number of eligible voters in the 2020 local elections is 106,774,112 people, according to Arief Budiiman, chairman of the National Elections Commission (KPU).

The 2020 simultaneous regional head elections will be held in 270 regions on December 9 to elect governors in nine provinces, district heads in 224 districts, and mayors in 37 cities

The local elections were initially scheduled to be organized on September 23, 2020, but owing to th COVID-19 pandemic, it is decided to be postponed.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) issued Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) number 2 of 2020 on May 4, 2020 concerning the postponement of the elections to December.

Arief Budiman said that the implementation of the local elections will follow the health protocols to prevent the COVID-19 transmission.

The commission will provide face masks, hand washing sinks, soaps, and hand sanitizers for officers of the local elections and eligible voters.

"(We will provide) more than 13 million pieces of cloth masks and 304,927 boxes of disposable masks for election officers. So we will give two boxes for every poling station (TPS). In addition to, there are also 609,854 boxes of disposable masks for voters at polling stations. Besides, there are also hand sanitizer, disinfectant, and so on, " Arief Budiman said.

Every election officer will also receive vitamins to maintain endurance of their bodies, and boost their immunity against the COVID-19.

Officers and eligible voters must keep physical distance and the number of voters at one time will also restricted to prevent a big crowd. They are also obliged to wear masks while on duty.

The commission will set up a total of 304,927 polling stations throughout Indonesia, with each polling station has a capacity to accommodate some 500 voters> But the presence of voters will be regulated in accordance with the health protocols. (ANTARA)

The Ministry of Trade is looking to tap into the North African market to boost exports of food and beverages produced in Indonesia — one of the country’s main export items — amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"The North African region, especially Egypt, is a promising market for processed food products from Indonesia," noted director general of National Export Development at the Ministry of Trade, Kasan, at a web seminar on ‘Access for Indonesian Food Products to the Egyptian Market in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era’.

"Through this virtual seminar, we hope that market access for food products to Egypt can be utilized optimally,” he said in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday.
Indonesia has an opportunity to increase exports of processed food in the global market, he remarked.

"At the moment, we see the opportunity for processed foods to be an alternative sought by the public, as they can be stored longer compared to fresh food. People also tend to prefer cooking at home and [using] products that are nutritious, safe, and hygienic," Kasan observed.

He said the pandemic has affected global trade in many ways: global trade patterns have changed, logistics costs have increased, trade cooperation has been rendered ineffective, and the threat of a global economic recession is looming.

The COVID-19 crisis has also had an impact on domestic trade: it has increased potential for inflation in prices of staples and important goods due to logistics and distribution disruptions, inter-island trade has been interrupted, there have been changes in consumption patterns, and purchasing power of people has weakened.

In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has developed several strategies to increase exports of Indonesian processed foods in the global market. The first strategy involves determining the focus of the market and making superior export products, Kasan said.

Five Indonesian processed food products dominated exports to Egypt in 2019, including sauces, herbs and spices; processed fish, tuna; sugar confectionery, excluding, cocoa; and, processed sardines. In addition, fishery products, food preparations, coffee, chocolate, biscuits, and snacks are some food products Indonesia could potential ship to Egypt, he pointed out.

The second strategy involves increasing market penetration by completing negotiations and overcoming trade barriers, as well as strengthening trade promotions and branding. Efforts to increase market penetration can also be carried out through the organization of virtual seminars, exploration of virtual trade agreements, and exportation of assistance during the pandemic, Kasan said.

The third strategy involves strengthening the role of foreign trade representatives, and the fourth centers on providing export and import relaxation for export destinations.
"We continue to strive to [find ways to] contribute to increasing exports, one of which is facilitating trade activities,” Kasan said adding, the potential of different markets needs to be explored so that exports of Indonesian products, especially processed food, can continue to increase.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Trade Attache in Cairo, Irman Adi Purwanto Moefthi, said that trade representatives will soon form a forum to promote trade activities in Egypt.

The aim is to help businesses connect with buyers and capitalize on available market opportunities, he noted. (ANTARA)