VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government has planned to establish a new food estate in the country to ascertain sufficient food supplies for the public as part of the implementation of the National Strategic Program (PSN).

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto noted in a statement here on Tuesday that the new food estate will be located in Pulang Pisau District in Central Kalimantan.

"All parties will be involved in the program. This will be a sustainable program that will benefit the nation," Hartarto remarked.

Development of the food estate has become part of the government's National Strategic Program to be implemented within the next three years.

The Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantage Regions and Transmigration stated that the agriculture intensification program will cover 10,594 hectares of transmigration area in 55 villages.

Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Sofyan A. Djalil highlighted the need for further survey and mapping in the region designed as a food estate.

"The survey must involve ministries and institutions. To determine the boundary of forest area, we must be accompanied by the related institution to identify the limit," Djalil stated.

Furthermore, the minister noted that the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) and National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (Lapan) will have to furnish the basic map to view the region's agricultural data.

Djalil was optimistic that the food estate would become a sustainable program. Moreover, he suggested to establish a Project Management Office (PMO).

"I think the program can run well, but as a precautionary measure against any hindrance, we need to establish a PMO. With the establishment of this PMO, we hope to see no failed project," Djalil affirmed. (ANTARA)

A BNPB representative receives protective and diagnostic gear donated by Hyundai Engineering Co Ltd. (Antara / Personal documentation)

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has received assistance in the form of protective gear and COVID-19 diagnostic equipment from South Korean construction and civil engineering company Hyundai Engineering Co Ltd. BNPB chair Doni Monardo expressed his appreciation for the assistance in a written statement released in Jakarta on Tuesday.

"We are very grateful for this support, and I believe this donation will help Indonesia overcome COVID-19. I also hope it will strengthen relations between Korea and Indonesia," he said.

Hyundai had earlier made a donation to Pertamedika.

The total value of the two donations is pegged at Rp5 billion. The donations comprise 4,800 units of diagnostic equipment, 260 thousand units of masks, and 1,500 units of thermometers. The donated items will be distributed throughout Indonesia by BNPB.

Hyundai has stated that, as a company operating in Indonesia, it has a social responsibility to help the Indonesian people deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hyundai Engineering Co. Ltd is an EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) company from South Korea, which focuses on oil and gas, electricity, and infrastructure projects.

Currently, Hyundai is collaborating with PT Pertamina (Persero) on the construction of a national strategic mega-project, namely the refinery development master plan (RDMP) in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, which is one of six refineries being built by Pertamina.

The six refinery mega-project comprises four RDMP expansion projects and two new grassroots refinery (GRR) projects.

RDMP Balikpapan has said it plans to increase its refinery processing capacity from 260 thousand barrels per day to 360 thousand barrels per day, improve the quality of fuel products from Euro II equivalent to Euro V equivalent, and reduce the diesel import burden by 17 percent as diesel production has increased by 23 percent, or 30 thousand barrels per day .

The RDMP will also produce 230 thousand tons of new propylene products every year. Phase 1 of the US$6.5-billion project is targeted to be complete by 2023, and Phase 2 by 2025. (ANTARA)

Religion Affairs Minister Fachrul Razi highlighted that the Indonesian government had cancelled the departure of pilgrims headed for Hajj 2020/1441 Hijri akin to its decision in the previous years.

"Indonesia also canceled Haj pilgrimage in 1946, 1947, and 1948 owing to the Dutch aggression," Razi noted during a press conference to discuss the government’s decisions on organizing this year's annual Haj in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The government has decided to cancel the departure of pilgrims due to the COVID-19 pandemic that was still endemic in various countries, including Saudi Arabia.

The cancellation decision was made in accordance with Decree of Minister of Religion Affairs Number 494 of 2020 after an in-depth study and communication with the Government of Saudi Arabia, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), and Commission VIII of the Indonesian Parliament.

Based on the study of literature, Hajj pilgrimage during the infectious outbreak had resulted in humanitarian tragedies in which tens of thousands of pilgrims fell victims.

The Government of Saudi Arabia suspended the pilgrimage in 1814 to curb the spread of the infectious disease of plague and thereafter in 1837 and 1858 due to a disease epidemic, while in 1892 owing to the cholera outbreak and in 1987 due to the meningitis plague.

"In addition, the Government of Saudi Arabia has not opened access to Hajj for any country," he pointed out.

Consequently, the Government of Indonesia had insufficient time to prepare services and ensure protection of pilgrims.

Razi further explained that the decision to cancel the pilgrimage departure applied to all Indonesian citizens, both regular and special pilgrims as well as pilgrims invited by the Government of Saudi Arabia.

"This is truly a quite bitter and difficult decision, as we have undertaken various efforts. However, on the other hand, we bear the responsibility to provide protection to pilgrims. The safety of pilgrims is the responsibility of the state," the minister added. (ANTARA)

BPS Head Suhariyanto. ANTARA/Mentari Dwi Gayati/am

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded an inflation rate of 0.07 percent in May 2020 or lower from the corresponding period last year owing to decreased public demand during the Eid al-Fitr celebrations.

"Inflation in May is very small, very far as compared to that during Eid al-Fitr last year when it touched 0.55 percent in June," BPS Head Suhariyanto stated during a virtual press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Thus, the January-May 2020 calendar year inflation rate reached 0.90 percent, while the year-on-year inflation touched 2.19 percent.