VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta (VOI News) - COVID-19 epidemic does not recognize limitation and time. Since the first case was found at the end 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, until now the outbreak of COVID-19 reaches countries in the Middle East, Asian until Eurpean regions. Italy becomes the country with the most cases of COVID-19 in the European regions. The case has been sticking out to the public since 34 people died due to COVID-19 on February 21.  On February 24, the government of Italy officially closed 10 cities, among others Lombardy and Veneto, which is one of the cities with the highest COVID-19 cases. 

Many of Indonesian citizens are living  in Italy. Based on data of Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, at least there are 2,864 Indonesian citizens at a number of cities in Italy and five of them domiciled in Lombardy.  Director of Europe I of the Directorate General of America and Europe at the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ida Bagus Made Bimantara, said in Jakarta, on Tuesday (3/3/2020), that there is no Indonesian citizen infected Covid-19.

“There is no Indonesian citizen infected Covid-19 in Italy today,” said Ida Bagus.

Ida Bagus added that Indonesian representatives in Italy proactively gives various appeals and the latest report on development of COVID-19 through various media platforms. Indonesian embassy in Rome proactively delivers information on Indonesian citizens’ security and safety, either through social media or other conventional media..// (KBRN/RETNO/trans-yati/AHM)

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the government would speed up construction of a coal gasification plant owned by PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA), since the state-run company has already prepared for using this technology. Hartarto said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the postponement of the signing of a cooperation agreement for PTBA's gasification in the United States would not affect progress in building the plant. President Director of PTBA Arviyan Arifin said the development of the coal gasification industry is being handled by state-run oil and gas company PT Pertamina (Persero) and the US-based gas and chemical company Air Products and Chemicals Inc, and has entered the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) stage. According to Hartarto, the gasification plant will not only convert young-type coal into DME, but also convert coal into other high-valued products. (ANTARA)

To support government's initiative to improve its national social protection system, the Ministry of manpower in collaboration with the International labour organization (ILO) is conducting a joint National Conference titled "International Experiences of Protection against Unemployment and its Relevance for Indonesia on 3/3 in Jakarta. 

This National Conference aims to provide technical advice and further assistance on the development of unemployment insurance in the country by presenting exoerts on unemployment benefits from five Asian countries. 

These experts from Japan, South Korea, Mlaysia, thailand and Vietnam share good practices of unemployment benefit implementation in their countries as references for Indonesia in desifning its own unemployment benefit scheme.

As of today, the Indonesian government has only been operated three types of benefits: employment injury benefit, survivors benefit and old-age benefit under BPJS Employment. The government is now in the process of improving the quality of social protection in the country by adding the unemplyment benefit (JKP) into the system.

Today, workes and businesses are surrounded by diverse challenges and risks. A rise of digital economy and industrial, in one side, can potentially eliminate conventional jobs and lead to labour efficiency. In the other side, the rapid advancement of digital technology opens so many new creative and innovative job opportunities such as digital fin - tech, start-up, you tuber, selebgram, etc. 

The support of the ILO is part of its commitment to encourage its member stateds to improve their national social protection systems and ensure that no one is left behind. the unemployment benefit is part of the minimum standard of social protection according to the ILO convention No. 102 on Social Security. This Convention covers nine branches of social protection including medical care, sickness benefit, unemplyment benefit, old-age benefit, employment injury benefit, family benefit, maternity benefit and survivors benefit. 

"The ILO strongly supports the initiative taken by the Indonsian government to set up a new system to protect the unemployed. We believe that experiences from other countries can asisst key indonesian labour actors to discuss an ideal policy design and mechanism for Indonesia that can better protect the unemployed" said Kazutoshi Chatani, Deputy Country of ILO Office for Indonesia and Timor Leste.

The government will pay for health services for coronavirus (COVID-19) patients as stipulated in the Health Minister’s Decree Number HK.01.07/MENKES/ 104/2020  on Coronavirus Infection as Disease that Could Cause Outbreak and its Mitigation. The decree was signed by the health minister on February 4, 2020.  As quoted by Antara News Agency , M. Iqbal Anas Ma'ruf, spokesman of the BPJS Health, explained  on Tuesday that the COVID-19 disease had been declared as an extraordinary event, so its medical service costs were not covered by the national health insurance BPJS. President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) revealed here on Monday that the Indonesian government had readied over 100 hospitals, with the application of WTO-required service and facility standards throughout the nation to handle coronavirus infection cases//ANT