VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

In an effort to encourage the development of the national coffee industry through efforts to increase coffee consumption abroad, especially in Egypt, the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo held Coffee seminars and training for Indonesian students and students in Egypt with the theme "Role of Baristas Against National Coffee"

Indonesia has good opportunities and prospects because it is the largest coffee producing country and the first exporter of exports to Egypt followed by Vietnam, India, Brazil and Italy. In 2018 the export performance of Indonesian Coffee products to Egypt showed a significant number from year to year, the growth trend of Indonesian coffee exports from 2014 to 2018 reached 15, 24%, the acquisition of Indonesian coffee exports in the period January - February 2019 reached 10, 36 million US dollars with 5615 tons experiencing an increase of 19.71% compared to the same period of the previous year at 8.65 million US dollars with 4208 tons. In 2018 Indonesian coffee exports to Egypt posted a value of USD 56.97 million US dollars or an increase of 7.91% compared to the export value in 2017 of 52.79 million US dollars. Indonesian coffee in Egypt still ranks first in Egypt with 61% dominating the Egyptian coffee market in January-February 2019.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt, Helmy Fauzy in his remarks at the opening of the National Coffee Seminar and Training at the Cultural Hall, Indonesian Embassy in Cairo, Wednesday - May 8, 2019 explained the richness and diversity of Nusantara Coffee which is a great potential that can be marketed abroad.

"Indonesia has various types of specialty coffee known in the world such as Kopi Gayo from Aceh, in Papua there is Wamena Coffee, in the middle of Indonesia there is Toraja Coffee and in the South there is Coffee from Flores with distinctive taste, acidity and aroma according to geographical indications that are superior Indonesia, there is tobacco flavored coffee. "This is a challenge in the future to be able to introduce Indonesia not only to coffee, but also to all Indonesian superior products as a whole," said Ambassador Helmy. (kemenlu)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that linking infrastructure projects with tourist areas, small scale industrial centers, production centers, and agricultural and plantation areas will ensure regions progress faster. Infrastructure projects such as toll roads, seaports and airports must be completed soon, Jokowi said in Jakarta on Thursday, while speaking before governors, mayors and other government officials during the opening of the 2019 National Development Planning Congress.

He said Indonesia can become the fifth or fourth largest economy in the world by 2045, but it would not be easy to achieve.

"If it (that linking infrastructure projects with tourist areas) cannot be done, don't ever dream (of seeing Indonesia) become the fifth or fourth largest (economy) in the world," he said.

A strong state economy must be supported by a strong regional economy, he said.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya who attended the opening ceremony of the congress said the tourism industry needs support from other sectors to grow. Hence, support from the infrastructure sector, as instructed by President Jokowi, is a must, he added.

"The Tourism Ministry is ready to support efforts to develop tourist destinations in regions, as instructed by President Jokowi," he said.

Indonesia logged total transactions amounting to Rp13.8 billion during the Sales Mission Adventure held in Violet Oon, Clarke Quay, Singapore, on May 8.

Assistant Deputy for Market Development Region I of the Tourism Ministry Dessy Ruhati said here on Thursday that Indonesia's participation in the event is important to promote the country's adventure tourism potential.

"Indonesia has more than 100 remarkable destinations for adventure tourism, which can turn Indonesia into a world class adventure tourism destination," Ruhati said.

At the event, the ministry facilitated 11 industries in accommodation, travel agents/tour operators, as well as operators of special tours from North Sumatra, South Sumatra, West Java, Jakarta, Banten, Yogyakarta and Bali.

During the event, they met 31 buyers from Singapore who wanted to bring Singaporean adventure tourists to Indonesia.

"Each year, some 100 thousand adventure tourists from all over the world visit Indonesia. According to the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), the tourists spend 67 percent of their money in destination areas. This has shown that adventure tourism has played a significant role in improving the economy of the local people," she elaborated.

Ruhati saw the event as an effective opportunity to match Indonesian sellers and buyers in Singapore.

"The event was designed with table top or B-to-B with a mingle concept, as this concept would be far more effective to reach the target of tourist visits," she added.

Singapore was chosen as a location for the sales mission considering that it has become the main market for foreign tourists to Indonesia, especially from ASEAN countries.

The number of foreign tourists from Singapore visiting Indonesia in 2018 (January-December) reached 1.7 million, or an increase of 16 percent compared to 1.5 million tourists in 2017.

Indonesia, she said, could benefit from its proximity to Singapore. As the two countries have two cross borders in Batam and Bintan, Singapore could become the best international hub to be explored.

"In 2019, the Tourism Ministry has targeted to attract 2.12 million foreign tourists from Singapore out of the total target of 20 million foreign tourists. Therefore, we should be more active in exploring the Singapore market," she said.  (ant)

Regarding the issue of human resource development, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated that this was a problem that had to be resolved. The latest data, according to the President, is that 51 percent of Indonesian workers are elementary school graduates.

"This is a problem that we have to solve, how they have to do upscaling or rescaling must be done massively. We can't do it for only ten thousand, one hundred thousand, we need millions that we upgrade, not hundreds of thousands, not tens of thousands, millions, "said President Jokowi while giving a speech at the Opening of the 2019 National Development Planning Conference (Musrenbangnas), in Jakarta, Thursday (9/5) morning.

Therefore, according to the President, the central government, the provincial government, the regency / city government, all must be in droves together to resolve this. He gave examples such as trainings, so that the skills / skills of children, so that the workforce would be better.

"We continue to get this so that we can really give scholarships not only tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, to students, our children to be able to go to school, both domestically and abroad as much as possible. So in the field of science, in the fields of technology, mathematics, we can all pursue other countries, "said President Jokowi.

The region, the President continued, could also do the same. He added that there was a budget, giving scholarships, for example from Papua Province, giving as many scholarships as possible to the children of eastern Indonesia, both domestically and abroad.

Other provinces can also do the same thing, districts and cities can do the same. " Don't get caught up in routine budgets, "said the President.

In the health sector, President Jokowi stressed that we should not hear the next five years, stunting, malnutrition, still high maternal and child mortality. "This is also a big problem that we have to solve together," he said.

Back in education, President Jokowi hoped that the Vocational High School (SMK) would be linked and matched with existing industries. He asserted that not to allow Vocational Schools to move on their own, link with the industry so that it fits the needs in the field.

" Now is digital economics era, vocational schools are still majoring in building. It's been building for 50 years, "said the President.

On that occasion, the President also reminded the need to prepare HR for new things. He gave the example of the Philippines which developed Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), so that services, both related to finance and others could be done in the Philippines, but the owners were in many countries.

"It is now the biggest income in the Philippines. Our children are also smart like that, smart. Business Process Outsourcing. Don't be the same for 50 years is still majoring in building, majoring in machinery. Which machine, "said the President. '

Even though some Vocational Schools have started to change, President Jokowi stressed, he wants everything to change. He reminded, the world of change has been so fast like this, Artificial intelligence, Big Data, Internet of Things, Virtual Reality, 3D Printing. While we are still majoring in building, majoring in machinery.

Attending the occasion included Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Minister of PPN / Head of Bappenas Bambang Brodjonegoro, Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo, and governors, regents and mayors from all over the country. (setkab)