VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

 Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla held a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Qishan in Beijing, Thursday afternoon, prior to paying an honorary visit to President Xi Jinping later in the day.

The visit was organized on the sidelines of the International Belt Road (BRF) II Cooperation Conference in Beijing on April 24-27, 2019.

On Thursday night, Kalla had planned to hold a meeting with several leaders of China-based firms.

The Belt and Road Forum (BRF) program will kick off tomorrow (Friday) with an opening ceremony, and an evening dinner also lined up.

However, during this time, the vice president will also hold a business forum for getting together Indonesian and Chinese businesspersons," Foreign Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi noted.

The BRF conference, with the peak event on Saturday (April 27), was divided into the three sessions of connectivity, policy synergy, and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"The vice president will address the third session held in connection with SDGs," the foreign minister said.

At the biennial conference, the vice president will, in all likelihood, also bring up the topic of Indonesian palm oil exports to China.

Foreign Minister Marsudi and Chinese Customs Minister Ni Yue Feng inked a trade protocol for the import of mangosteen from Indonesia.

"We will continuously work towards boosting the export of the tropical fruit from Indonesia to China in order to reduce the trade deficit between both nations," he noted.

President Joko Widodo had attended the first BRF in May 2017.  (ant)

Another three science technoparks will be set up in Indonesia this year to add to the already existing 18 parks, a top official of the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education said.

"This year, there are three more science technoparks planned," Secretary General of the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education Ainun Naim told journalists here Thursday.

The government has targeted the setting up of 100 science technoparks and they have been added to a list of prioritized national programs.

However, the target could not be achieved because of several factors including the lack of scientists who are essential for the development of these technoparks, he said.

In an effort to end that deadlock the ministry collaborated with public universities and non-ministerial agencies, such as the National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciencies (LIPI), because they have the scientists, Naim said.

"With this collaboration, science technoparks can be developed at public universities," he said, adding that the ministry has introduced a "Research and Innovation in Science and Technology Project" in 2013.

In developing the science technoparks in the country, this "Riset Pro" is designed to support the products made in the parks for use by the people.

For instance, an electric scooter produced by the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), will immediately be sold in the domestic market, he said.

One of the Riset Pro components is improving the framework of innovation-related policies and revitalizing research institutions in the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), BATAN, LIPI, and the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), Naim said.

One of the science technoparks has been set up at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), ANTARA noted. Known as the IPB Science Techno Park, it helps  the innovation in tropical agriculture, foods, and bio-science.(ant)

President Joko Widodo mention about the complication of permit investment system in Indonesia. It was stated by the President when opening the the 23rd Indonesian Notary Association on Tuesday afternoon (23/4) in Presidential Palace, Bogor, West Java. In his welcoming speech President admitted he still received many complaints from foreign investors about the difficulty to invest in Indonesia. According to President, Indonesia has made huge progress on the investment easiness for foreign investors. The difficulty is attached to the permit beurocracy makes many of them cancelled the investment.

"Complicated mean long time. Complicated means more money to pay. These are the problems that I always heard from foreign investors that want to invest in Indonesia. What is this mean? Our execution is slow. The problems is in our self. To many rules, to many permits to make it makes them who already entered get out again. It's not 12345. I've heard many from them" President said. 

Based on world bank survey, the easy level of investing in Indonesia has made significant progress to be 72 from 120. According to Jokowi, it should be able to increase foreign investment value in Indonesia that will be impacted Indonesian economy growth. Beside investment, Jokowi also mention the key of Indonesian economical growth is export activities. The two elements can boost Indonesian economy.//Trans:NK

Directorate General of Culture, the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture in cooperation with Egyptian Embassy in Indonesia held a Photos exhibition with the theme Faces of Indonesia in the eyes of Ambassador of Egypt at the Proclamation museum Jakarta on Tuesday (April 23). The Egyptian Ambassador to Indonesia, Ahmed Amr Ahmed Moawad expressed his admirationby saying that faces of Indonesian peopleare powerful. It shows what have they seen in life and what they want to see in the future. 

"Because they are very nice people, they are nice at art and nice in the features. So it's my pleasure to see their faces and also my pleasure captured the moment which I believed could have been one of the most nices moment for me to see their faces. And the expression of these faces to me are very powerful it shows what they see in life and what they saw in life and what they want to see in the rest of their life" Ambassador Moawad said.  

On the same occasion Director General of Culture of the Education and Culture Ministry, Hilman Farid said that the Faces of Indonesia photos exhibition is the first step of culture cooperation between the two countries. The event is also designed and hoped to increase Indonesia-Egypt relationships in the future// Trs.NK