VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Sail Tidore will be organized in Tidore Islands, North Maluku Province, in 2021 to coincide with a meeting of the Global Network of Magellan Cities (GNMC), according to Ali Ibrahim, the mayor of Tidore. Tidore will host the 10th meeting of GNMC in July 2021, the mayor stated in Ternate, Monday.

Sail Tidore will be organized to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the world led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. At least 22 mayors from 13 countries, visited by Magellan during his expedition, will participate in the meeting.

The GNMC is a network of all cities that the explorer Magellan traveled to on the first-ever journey around the world, promoting collaborative participation and cooperation among the different cities that share the history of Magellan`s first journey.  This network of cities will celebrate the 5th century of Magellan`s journey that took place from 1519 to 1522 and from 2019 to 2022.

Magellan organized the Spanish expedition to the East Indies from 1519 to 1522, with five ships provided by King Charles V, resulting in the first circumnavigation of the Earth. The explorer died in the Battle of Mactan on April 27, 1521. The circumnavigation of Magellan was later completed by Juan Sebastian Elcano, a Spanish explorer with only two ships, Victoria and Trinidad.

Sail Tidore is part of a series of the Sail Indonesia international maritime event organized annually by the Indonesian Government to promote tourism. (ant) 

The government will install 1.2 million new power connections free for the poor in 2019, according to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan.

"There is a plan that the government would contribute some Rp6 trillion to install free power connections this year. The number is some 1.2 million connections, particularly for the poor," Jonan stated in Jakarta, Monday.

With the support of other sources, including the State Budget of the ministry and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds from state enterprises, the number of new power connections might increase, he added.  With funds from the ministry, there will be additional 100 thousand to 150 thousand connections, he noted.

Jonan stated that State Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno had also agreed to channel CSR funds from PLN, Bulog, Jamkrindo, Pegadaian, Semen Indonesia, Dahana, Perhutani, BRI, Pindad, Telkom, Telkomsel, BNI, Airnav, Askrindo, Waskita, PTPN III Holding (PTPN VIII), Jasa Marga, Jasa Raharja, Jasindo, Biofarma, KAI, Hutama Karya, Telkomsel, Pertamina, Mandiri, Angkasa Pura 2, Pelindo 2, BTN, PIHC, WIKA, PP, PGN, Antam, Taspen, ASDP, and POS, among other things.

He explained that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had instructed to provide new power connections for the poor in certain regions of the country.

"The thinking is not loss and profits, but better equitable development," he pointed out.

The government has set a target of achieving 99.9 percent electricity coverage in 2019, he remarked.

"I am optimistic that it will be achieved," Jonan added. (ant)

In a National Celebration of Chinese Lunar New Year on Sunday (11/2/2019) organized by the West Kalimantan Chinese Association in Jakarta, Indonesian Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi said that Indonesia is one, and West Kalimantan is part of Indonesia. Therefore West Kalimantan must be deveoped. The Indonesian government in collaboration with the private sector will build the first airport in Singkawang, West Kalimantan.

"I built Pontianak Airport a few years ago. And now it has been completed, it can be used. I was asked by our President to build other airports there. I will go to West Kalimantan, going to Singkawang, and conduct a groundbreaking of Singkawang Airport. This is the first airport to be jointly built by private companies with the government. So the private sector will participate in building it," said Budi Karya Sumadi.

Budi Karya Sumadi further hoped that West Kalimantan would develop and become an extraordinary cultural center. Meanwhile, Chairman of the West Kalimantan Chinese Association Presidium, Rudi Halim, appreciated the Indonesian government for recognizing the Chinese ethnic as one of ethnics in Indonesia by giving Chinese ethnic one day holiday. According to Rudi, this proves that all Indonesian citizens, including the Chinese, have the same rights and obligations before the law. (VOI / AHM)

Selinsing Village in East Belitung District of Bangka Belitung Islands Province has developed tin ore mining tours to improve local people's welfare.

"We hope that PT Timah Tbk could support development of this mining in miniature tour," Chief of Selinsing Village Enterprises (Bumdes) Muhammad Rais said in Selinsing on Sunday.

Bangka Belitung Islands is known as the world`s second largest tin producer. Tin ore mining in the area has operated for some three centuries, and development of the region is closely linked to mining sector.

"Development of the mining in miniature could provide tourists with better information on tin ore mining," he said, adding that currently the public received information on tin ore mining only from books and mass media.

"We will explain to the visiting tourists about good practices in mining which are environmental friendly, and they can directly see the mining activities as carried out by PT Timah Tbk," he said.

The tin mining in miniature would be divided into several areas including tin ore mining area, culinary area, water recreation, fishing area, and agro-tourism area.

"We have proposed the budget for development of this mining tourism to PT Timah Tbk, as the Bumdes only has limited fund for the project," Rais said. (ant)