VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta (VOI News) - In the context of realizing Indonesia to become the Top 5 World Economic Rating in 2045, the Jakarta Japan Club (JJC) submits policy recommendations to the Indonesian government. That was said by JJC President, Kanji Tojo at a press conference in Jakarta Friday (1/24). Kanji Tojo stated that JJC once every 5 years compiles policy recommendations to the Indonesian government. He explained, there were 4 main points of the last proposal compiled at the end of 2019.

“Our policy recommendations are 4 points, namely Improvement of the business climate through investment promotion, human resource development, and technology transfer, infrastructure development, and encouraging exports through the expansion of the domestic market and strengthening of the domestic industry,” said Kanji Tojo.

Related to the 4 proposed policy points, Kanji Tojo added, the market potential for Indonesia is no longer in doubt so that Indonesia only needs to expand its domestic market and strengthen the domestic industry to increase exports. Kanji Tojo also said that Japan would be happy to share experiences and fight with Indonesia to achieve the target in 2045. (VOI/IHSAN/RINI/AHM)

Jakarta (VOI News) - The Government of the Republic of Indonesia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed over an Indonesian citizen, Muhammad Farhan, who on 24 September 2019 was held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf militant group, to the family. The handing over of Muhammad Farhan was carried out by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi at the Pancasila Building, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jakarta, Thursday (23/1). In his address, Foreign Minister Retno said, Farhan was one of three hostages, two of which included the father of Farhan had been released first. Retno also said that the three hostages could be freed thanks to cooperation, both internally in Indonesia and with Philippine authorities. Foreign Minister Retno also expressed her appreciation to the Philippine authorities for their cooperation in the effort to liberate Muhammad Farhan.

“I would like to say welcome to Farhan and welcome to family again. And thanks to the ambassador and all those who have helped and also to the Philippine authorities, we continue to communicate with them,” said Retno Marsudi.

Muhammad Farhan was rescued by the Philippine military at Baranggay Bato Bato, Indanan Sulu on January 15, 2020. Farhan was one of the three Indonesian citizens kidnapped in Tambisan waters, Lahad Datu, Malaysia on September 23, 2019. Two other hostages, Samiun Maneu and Maharudin Lunani have been firstly freed on December 22, 2019. They were also handed over directly by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to the family on December 26, 2019. (VOI / AGUS SANTIKA)

Jakarta (VOI News) - Head of Indonesia's National Library Muhammad Syarif Bando said various indicators of the reading habits of Indonesian people stated that Indonesian people were increasingly fond of reading. The attention of the community and local government is increasingly seen from the rise of literacy activities in all regions in Indonesia. In the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Indonesian Reading Ambassador Najwa Shihab, Thursday (01/23) in Jakarta, Muhammad Syarif Bando said that the National Library will educate villagers about digital literacy through training and provision of facilities and infrastructure.

“The first is how to formulate the main policy to outline the president's vision of how to build superior people towards advanced Indonesia which then the keyword is to improve the quality of human resources. This increase must be ensured in the person's ability to stand on his feet with all the knowledge of the skills they have to take a role in development in order to be able to manage abundant natural resources so as to create jobs. Therefore this year one of the national priorities for library-based inclusion services is to be able to reach marginalized communities. We will conduct training in thousands of villages. We will also provide applied books and also computers and training so that they can open a business,” said Muhammad Syarif Bando.

On the occasion, as an Indonesian reading ambassador, Najwa Shihab said she was happy with the continued cooperation with the National Library and would continue to encourage a massive reading fondness throughout the archipelago through various social media activities and channels (VOI/NUKE)

Trade negotiations between Indonesia and India are heading in new directions, with a focus on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), a bilateral free trade arrangement India has already successfully entered with South Korea. It was stated by the Ambassador of India to Indonesia, Pradeep Kumar Rawat, in a special interview with Voice of Indonesia in Jakarta, Friday (24/01). The interview was conducted in conjunction with the 71st Republic Day of India which falls on January 26.

“Now that RCEP is more or less done, there are opportunities for us – for India and Indonesia – to go back and take a look at CEPA, to see that in our bilateral trading negotiations what is working best for our economies and what is not. And try and work out a trading arrangement which helps our economies to grow, to diversify and also to become more competitive globally,” said Ambassador Pradeep Kumar Rawat.

Ambassador Pradeep Kumar Rawat said India’s pharmaceutical and engineering services were a “strong” export, which Indonesia may be interested in the future, but that both countries could benefit from bilateral trading. The Ambassador hoped India and Indonesia could share a more “balanced and mature” relationship in future trade partnerships.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, known as RCEP, is a free trade deal between the member states of ASEAN and their five partner countries, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, South Korea, and India. RCEP was signed in 2017, but India opted out of the agreement only two years later, in November 2019. (VOI/LAURA GREEN/AHM)