President Joko Widodo extended his congratulation on the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad SAW on 12 Rabiul Awal of 1440 Hijriah.

The president, through his @jokowi tweeter account uploaded on Tuesday, said "Prophet Muhammad SAW is a person who is the best example (uswatun hasanah) who is so noble, gentle, honest, polite, trustworthy, and always tells the truth.

"It is only by imitating the nature of the prophet that people can embody Islam that is rahmatan lil `alamin". (very peaceful to all kind of human beings).

The president`s congratulation was uploaded around 08.37 WIB until 09.30 WIB which was retweeted 1,583 times and 3,000 likes.

His congratulation also included picture of president`s paintings with the children of santri (male students) and santriwati (female students). In the picture President Jokowi wore a blue coat and black cap. (ANTARA)

Indonesia presented the Primaduta Award 2018 in the prospective market category to Meghna Group of Industries (MGI), a Bangladeshi industrial conglomerate.

"It is such a wonderful moment that this year, for the first time, a Bangladeshi company wins the prestigious Primaduta Award, presented every year by the Government of Indonesia to acknowledge and laud international importers or buyers, who continue to buy Indonesian products," Indonesian Ambassador to Bangladesh Rina P. Soemarno stated in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on late Monday.

MGI is one of the largest conglomerates in Bangladesh that produces consumer goods. Since 1991, MGI has imported raw material and supporting material from Indonesia for its industries, such as palm oil, pulp, paper, and used iron.

In 2016, MGI had expanded the type of imported products from Indonesia and purchased hard wood pulp. The country has recorded a significant increase in trade transactions with Indonesia every year.

With a turnover of US$2.5 billion and assets worth $1 billion, MGI is operating in 45 companies, with 25 thousand employees, three thousand distributors, and one thousand suppliers under its umbrella.

The Primaduta Award 2018 was presented by Ambassador Soemarno to Chairman and Managing Director of MGI Mustofa Kamal at the Indonesian Embassy in Dhaka.

The government presents the Primaduta Award to buyers and importers, who have remained loyal buyers of Indonesian products on a frequent basis, as is apparent by import transactions recorded over a period of five years and as such contributing to an increase in exports as well as developing the types of products purchased from the country.

The award have been presented to various companies since 2014. It has four award categories: small- and medium-scale enterprises (SME) products in the primary market, SME products in the potential market, manufacturing products in the primary market, and manufacturing products in the potential market. (ANTARA)

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved US$500 million emergency assistance loan to support Indonesia`s recovery and rehabilitation of Lombok and Palu after recent disasters claimed thousands of lives and destroyed infrastructure.

"ADB`s emergency assistance loan provides timely and flexible financing to help mitigate the devastating impacts of the recent disasters," ADB`s Director for Public Management, Financial Sector, and Trade Division for Southeast Asia Sona Shrestha noted in a statement here on Tuesday.

The loan will provide immediate funding for the government`s recovery and rehabilitation action plans, targeting urgent needs, such as temporary shelters, social protection and social services, as well as economic recovery through cash assistance, credit schemes, and skills improvement programs.

"The quick-disbursing loan modality will help ensure that post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation expenditures are met without compromising critical economic and social development expenditures in the national budget," Shrestha remarked.

The loan, named Emergency Assistance for Recovery and Rehabilitation from Recent Disasters, is part of ADB`s response to two recent disasters that hit Indonesia, including a magnitude-7.0 earthquake that struck Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara Province, in August and a magnitude-7.4 earthquake that hit Central Sulawesi Province in September.

The disasters claimed the lives of more than 2,600 people, injured some 18 thousand people, and displaced more than half a million. Housing and public infrastructure have suffered extensive damage.

The impact of the Central Sulawesi disaster has been particularly severe, as the earthquake caused landslides, tsunami, and liquefaction, a condition where the ground itself loses stability and takes on liquid properties.

Initial assessments suggest over US$2.2 billion in damage and losses in the affected provinces.

In addition to physical damage, the disasters will have a severe impact on the livelihoods of affected people.

ADB Public Management Specialist Robert Boothe projected growth in both provinces to fall by more than half, employment opportunities to shrink, and poverty incidence is projected to rapidly increase as a result of the disasters.

"ADB`s support will help the government mitigate these effects, especially for women, the elderly, and vulnerable groups," he noted.

In October, the ADB approved an emergency grant of US$3 million from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund for immediate relief works in Central Sulawesi.

In addition, ADB has supported the government through offering technical assistance in assessment of post-disaster needs and reconstruction planning and preparing emergency assistance project loan of up to US$500 million to support the reconstruction of critical infrastructure in the medium term in affected areas.

The ADB is also preparing new technical assistance to build capacity for robust monitoring, evaluation, and financial reporting of the rehabilitation and reconstruction plans. (ANTARA)

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry through Board of Analyzing and Developing Policy held regular course of Palm Oil 2018, on November 19 to 26, 2018 in Bogor, West Java and Jambi. The course is participatedin by 15 participants from 11 countries namely Australia, the Netherlands, Czech, Hungary, England, Italy, France, Poland, Russia, Slovakia and Spain. Deputy Minister of Indonesian Foreign Affairs, AM. Fachir to Voice of Indonesia in Jakarta on Monday (11/19) said that the Regular Course of Palm Oil 2018 is one of efforts of Indonesian government to explain to the international world about Indonesia’s commitment  in keeping environment from  palm oil industry that tens of millions of people  depend on it.

“This is our effort to explain what we have done including our commitment on the sustainability of palm oil industry and we try to combine it with sustainable development goals (SDGs). This is related to environmental problems while in another side, it is related to the life of millions of people. According to data, there are 5.5 million people  directly connected  while 21 million people are indirect connected,” AM Fachir said.  

Moreover, AM. Fachir also explained that 43 percent of all Indonesian palm oil fields are organized by millions of farmers. However, there are several challenges faced by Indonesian government about palm oil issue that becomes the attention of European countries such as deforestation, carbon and water issues, as well as loss of biodiversity due to land clearing of palm oil plantation. Therefore, Indonesian government invited 10 European countries  from 11 participants countries to join the Regular Course of Palm Oil 2018. AM. Fachir said Indonesia is the biggest palm oil producer country in the world, since it is able to contribute 53 percent of the world palm oil needs. (VOI/VIQRAN/AHM)