VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta (VOI News) - The Indonesian Embassy, Panama City, Panama, in cooperation with the US ship company, Holland America Line, repatriated 53 Indonesian ship crew by chartering Garuda Indonesia aircraft, Thursday afternoon Panama time (25/06). This was conveyed by Rheinhard Sinaga, Counselor at the Indonesian Embassy in Panama City in his statement by telephone to Voice of Indonesia, Friday morning Indonesia Time (26/06). He conveyed, in the history of Indonesia-Panama relations, this was the first time a Garuda Indonesia plane had landed in Panama.

"We would like to convey that the Garuda Indonesia flight to Panama is unique and historic and has received the attention of the people of Panama and Indonesia because it is the first time Garuda Indonesia landed in Panama since the establishment of relations between Indonesia and Panama," said Rheinhard Sinaga..

Rheinhard Sinaga further said that the 53 repatriated Indonesian ship crew members are scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on Saturday afternoon (6/27). He added all repatriation costs are borne by the Holland America Line company. The Indonesian Embassy in Panama City only facilitates in terms of the completeness of documents and related permits which are the main tasks of the Indonesian Embassy in Panama City. (VOI / ADVENT / AHM)

Lake Tambing is located in the Lore LIndu National Park in Central Sulawesi. (Antaranews Sulteng/Rangga)

The Lore Lindu National Park (TNLL) Office in Central Sulawesi intends to reopen Lake Tambing for tourists by adhering to stringent health protocols to safeguard against the COVID-19 pandemic in the upcoming new normal era.

"Yes, we plan to reopen it in early July 2020," Head of the TNLL Office Jusman stated in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Thursday.

According to Jusman, during the past three months that the pandemic has protracted, the major tourist destination in Central Sulawesi was closed temporarily to break the chain of spread of COVID-19 in the province.

The reopening of the main tourist attraction will be coordinated with Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola, as chairman of the COVID-19 task force in the province.

In line with the COVID-19 health protocols, tourists are required to wear a mask, maintain a safe required distance from one another, and wash hands before entering and leaving the location.

Moreover, only 500 people per week will be allowed entry. Under normal conditions, the number of tourists visiting, including from foreign countries, had reached up to three thousand per week.

The Lake Tambing tourism attraction is located in Sedoa Village, North Lore Sub-district, Poso District, some 90 kilometers from Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi Province. The lake is situated at 1,700 meters above sea level.

Ecotourism has gained significant popularity among local and foreign tourists, as it has several unique features in terms of both flora and fauna.

The lake is surrounded by a thick tropical rainforest that is home to endemic flora, including leda tree (Eucalyptus deglupta Bl) and black orchids as well as fauna, including deer pigs, anoa, eagles, black monkeys, and pythons.

The facilities in place at the lake enable visitors to observe various species of birds.

TNLL has no less than 270 species of birds, and 30 percent are endemic animals. It is not surprising if the tourist destination is thronged by several foreign tourists, particularly researchers and bird-watchers from across the globe.

"Lake Tambing is also known as a paradise of various bird species," he added. (ANTARA)

A researcher urged Indonesia’s government to take preventive measures against the impact of climate change on the country's stockpiles of rice and other food commodities amid the ongoing global novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The extreme drought that Indonesia reeled from in 2019 led to a nearly 7.76 percent decline in the country's rice production, Galuh Octania, a researcher at the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS), stated in Jakarta on Thursday.

"Hence, there is an urgent need to take precautionary measures against climate-related uncertainties as they may impact rice absorption during this year's second harvest period that the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) forecast between September and November," he explained.

Referring to the Information Center for Strategic Food Price (PIHPS), the price of a kilogram of rice tends to hover at Rp11,900 since April 2020, he remarked while emphasizing on the need to maintain stability in rice prices across the country.

To this end, Bulog must optimally maintain the distribution of rice stocks across Indonesia to avoid price disparities between regions with rice surplus and those with a deficit, he stressed.  

The government is sentient of the importance of boosting the nation's food security amid this ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

On April 21, 2020, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had called on officials to ensure that their assessment of Indonesia's rice stocks was accurate.

The president's directive came on the back of a warning issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations that forecast the COVID-19 pandemic to trigger a global food crisis.

Speaking in connection with Indonesia's rice stocks, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto has earlier revealed that the country's rice stocks were estimated to reach 4.7 million tons until the end of 2020.

Hartarto informed the press following a virtual limited cabinet meeting chaired by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in Jakarta last May that the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) was tasked with maintaining rice stocks of over one million tons.

Hartarto noted that Bulog will absorb 900 thousand to 1.4 million tons of grains of the farmers.

Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo noted that the national stocks of 11 commodities were projected to remain safe until June.

The commodities comprise rice, corn, shallots, garlic, large chili, cayenne pepper, beef, buffalo meat, chicken eggs, cooking oil, and granulated sugar. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is scheduled to embark on a working visit to East Java Province on Thursday under stringent health protocols amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

President Jokowi's work visit to Surabaya and Banyuwangi, East Java, is his first during the transition period toward a new normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Members of a limited presidential entourage partaking in this working visit have undergone medical examinations and rapid tests as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19," Heru Budi Hartono, head of the Presidential Secretariat, stated at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta on Thursday.

Hartono expounded that the presidential secretariat had implemented a strict health protocol, in line with which before departing, the president's entourage comprising ministers and presidential security guards, undergo rapid tests to diagnose COVID-19.

Hartono noted that the capacity of the presidential aircraft deployed during work visits was also limited to half following the applicable health protocols.

Initially, the Indonesia-1 Presidential Aircraft accommodated up to 55 passengers during each trip. In the midst of this pandemic, the capacity was reduced to 25 passengers.

"We will continue to implement the security protocol, according to which they (other groups) will leave first, so that the number of passengers in the aircraft reaches only 50 percent," he stated.

He expressed hope that President Jokowi's first working visit during the transition period for this new protocol would run well, with reference to the application of existing health protocols.

"It is expected that the president’s visit for the first time in the new normal scenario can be followed by other economic activities that are inseparable from the tightening of health protocols. We are certainly optimistic of this going well," he added. (ANTARA)