VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Along with the Commemoration of Earth Day which falls on Monday, April 22 2019, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ignasius Jonan launched an electric taxi or e-Taxi fleet owned by PT Blue Bird Tbk (BIRD), in Jakarta.

For the initial stage, Blue Bird uses 25 BYD manufacturing units and 5 Tesla units in the Bluebird and Silvebird range of products which will be increased to 200 electric cars by 2020.

Jonan appreciated the launch of the first electric taxi, because according to him this effort was in line with the Government's efforts to diversify energy with more environmentally friendly energy.

"We congratulate PT Blue Bird for pioneering the use of taxis with 100% electric vehicles (fuel e-charging). We strongly support the efforts made by PT Blue Bird and I think other Ministries, including the Ministry of Environment, also support this, because this car emits lower emissions and less pollution, "Jonan said, in Jakarta, Monday (24/4 )

To support this electric car, according to Jonan, PLN will build a public electricity charging station (SPLU) in various locations. In the meantime PLN has built around 1,600 SPLUs. This year, a minimum of 2,000 SPLU will be built, especially in the Jabodetabek area.

Meanwhile, to speed up the process of charging electric taxis, it can request PLN assistance to build SPLU 40 KV, which can be charged quickly, which is around 25 minutes per car. This will greatly help in the process of charging an electric taxi battery owned.

Cheaper

ESDM Minister Ignasius Jonan suggested that the electricity costs incurred for electric taxis be cheaper, taxis can charge charging at a time when PT PLN provides discounts, the purpose of which is to make charging costs cheaper.

"Charging the electric taxi between 22:00 - 06:00 WIB, where at that time PT PLN had a program to give customers discounts on electricity costs of up to 30%. With discounts given by PLN, the costs of electricity are cheaper. So the price of the car is rather expensive but the energy costs are cheaper, which is around Rp. 1,000 per watt or around 40% of the premium price, "suggested Jonan.

Meanwhile Director of PT Blue Bird, Tbk, Adrianto Djokosoetono, said that the procurement of electric taxis is also the direction of ESDM Minister Ignasius Jonan. The procurement of electric taxis is a real step to support environmental preservation, the operation of electric-powered cars will also provide added value in relation to the national energy mix and resilience program, fuel use and subsidy reduction programs, and the government's gas emission reduction program.

"More than two years ago ESDM Minister Ignasius Jonan told me what taxi companies could do to help reduce emissions, at that time there was an incessant electric car. Not long after a while the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya also conveyed the same thing. After that, we will face various institutions to make plans, plans that we realize today on Earth Day, "Adrianto said.

With the planned operation of 200 electric cars until 2020, Adrianto continued, it would eliminate 434,095 kg of CO2 emissions or 1,898,182 liters of fuel consumption; and the addition of 2,000 units of electric cars in the period 2020 - 2025 will eliminate 21,704,760 kg of C02 emissions or equivalent to fuel consumption of 94,909,091 liters. (min ESDM )

Sekar Laras Art Society has its own way of commemorating Kartini Day on Sunday. Its members performed the Sintren dance for 21 hours in a show highlighting the theme of "Unlimited Space".

Chairman of the Sekar Laras Art Society Darto said the Sintren dance became a symbol of a woman's struggle like the struggle that had ever been carried out by Indonesia's heroine
Raden Ajeng Kartini.

"On Kartini Day, we tried to revive the women's fighting spirit," said Darto at Bandung City's Cikapayang Park on Ir Djuanda Street.

Darto said the art heritage that he has been preserving through the Sekar Laras Art Society has yet to get sufficient attention from the government. Indeed, the Sintren dance is part of the people's cultural heritage.

"There has been a shift in cultural values. The people's attention is diverted by popular culture though the Sintren dance had once been so loved by the people," he said.

Through the Kartini Day commemoration, he and his art community members attempted to reintroduce the Sintren dance to the people.  The arts need to be collaborated with something that can be absorbed by the community members, and every art has its own meaning, he said.

"The art will remain alive when the people keep it alive," he said. He hopes that with this event, the arts that he cultivates along with his colleagues will remain alive.

The absence of spaces for performing the art works will make them easily go extinct, he added. (ANTARA)

The Indonesian Government strongly condemned the coordinated bombings striking several churches and hotels  in Sri Lanka on Sunday morning.

The government and the people of Indonesia conveyed deep condolences to the victims and their families.  

As revealed by a press statement made available to ANTARA on Sunday, the Indonesian Embassy in Colombo kept monitoring the progress of the situation and had coordinated with local security authorities, hospitals and local Indonesian citizen associations.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry confirmed that none of Indonesian citizens felt victims of these bombing attacks. 

There are around 374 Indonesian citizens in Sri Lanka, where 140 of them domiciled in the capital city of Colombo.

The Indonesian Government believes that the Sri Lankan Government could handle the situation well, and was also willing to provide the necessary assistance.

The Indonesian Government also calls on its citizens in Sri Lanka to remain vigilant and cautious and follow directions from the local security authorities.

For families and relatives pf the Indonesians living in Sri Lanka who are willing to have further information and consular assistance, they can contact the KBRI Colombo hotline at +94772773127. (ANTARA)

The Ministry of Industry has projected that the food and beverage industry can grow above 9 percent in 2019 due to additional investment.

The government will continue to boost the performance of export-oriented industrial sectors, said Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto through his statement received in Jakarta on Sunday.

This year, the food and beverage industry, textiles and textile products (TPT), and footwear are ready to invest a total of Rp79 trillion. The food and beverage industry will pour Rp63 trillion in investment, up 11 percent from 2018. Then the footwear and TPT industry prepares investment of Rp2.8 trillion and Rp.14 trillion respectively, almost doubling from the previous year.

The government makes the labor-intensive industrial sub-sector an engine  of manufacturing growth and a significant contributor to non-oil/non-gas  exports.

In 2018, non-oil/non-gas exports were recorded at US $ 130 billion or increased by 3.98 percent compared to 2017.

"In 2018, its contribution reached 72.25 percent. So far, industry has become the biggest contributor, " he said. In addition, it means that the products of domestic manufacturing industry have talked a lot at the global level.

The Minister of Industry also noted that investment in the manufacturing industry sector continued to grow significantly.

In 2014, capital investment amounted to Rp195.74 trillion, then rose to Rp222.3 trillion in 2018. This increase in investment boosted employment of up to 18.25 million people in 2018, which contributed 14.72 percent to the total national workforce.

"From 2015 to 2018, there was a 17.4 percent increase and it is estimated that it can increase employment in 2019 along with the realization of investment," said the Minister of Industry. (ant) 

The Ministry of Industry targets, throughout 2019 the growth of the manufacturing industry can reach 5.4 percent.

Subsidies that are estimated to grow high include food and beverage industry, machinery industry, textile and apparel industry, leather industry, leather goods, and footwear, as well as the metal goods industry, com computer and electronic goods