VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

After successfully conducting the 2014-2018 Action-Plan in various fields, Indonesia and Vietnam are preparing the next Action-Plan for 2019 to 2023. The action plan includes political dialogue and diplomatic, economic cooperation, security and defense cooperation, and tourism promotion, cultural exchanges and inter-community relations or people-to-people contact. Vietnam's Ambassador to Indonesia, Pham Vinh Quan in his remarks at the reception of Vietnam National Day which was held in Jakarta on Tuesday evening on September 4th, 2018 said that President Joko Widodo is scheduled to hold a bilateral visit to Vietnam to discuss the follow-up of the 2019 to 2023 Action Plan with Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

“We develop close cooperation in a wide range of areas and coordination in major international and regional issues and now, we are waiting for the next Action Plan for the years 2019 to 2023 to be signed during the visit of President Joko Widodo to Vietnam in early September. The two sides are determined to set the target to raise bilateral trade to $10 billion dollars by 2020. The first state visit to Vietnam by President Joko Widodo along with the coming visit to Indonesia by Vietnamese Prime Minister in October this year will certainly be the driving force for our bilateral cooperation and will yield important dividends for both of our countries in the near future,” said Ambassador Pham Vinh Quan.

Ambassador Pham Vinh Quan further said that Vietnam and Indonesia have close and long historical relations. The two countries have similar background, independence struggle history and general view coordination in many regional and international forums. It is an important foundation from the establishment of strategic partnership between Vietnam and Indonesia signed in 2013. The partnership also indicates that it is the new era of increasing bilateral cooperation in many fields. (VOI/Rezha/Trans by AF/AHM)

After its success to be in the fourth rank in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia is now preparing to compete again at the 2018 Asian Para Games which will be held in Jakarta on October 6 to 13, 2018. Secretary of Youth and Sports Ministry Gatot S Dewabroto, after the 2018 Asian Para Games coordination meeting in Jakarta recently said that Indonesia was targeting the top 10 positions at the 2018 Asian Para Games. The target was set by Indonesian President Joko Widodo based on the athlete's achievements at the ASEAN Para Games 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the 2014 Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea.

“Yesterday Indonesia was successful at the Asian Games, which was previously targeted 16 gold medals, but it could grab 31 gold medals. Thus it is same at the Asian Para Games. So after the Indonesian contingent for the ASEAN Para Games in Malaysia last year returned, thanks God we were the overall champion. Then it was targeted by the President, there would be an increase in rankings from four years ago following the Asian Para Games in Incheon. In Incheon our ranking was the ninth. Then the target of the President can be ranked seventh. In fact, we already have an estimate that it is not for the seventh but the fifth,” Gatot S. Dewabroto said.

Furthermore Gatot Dewabroto said that his party already had its own estimations and strategies that were part of Indonesian sport intelligence. He revealed that the calculation and strategy referred to the sports branches that Indonesia would favor in the Asian Para event. 2018 Asian Para Games will be participated by 41 National Paralyimpic countries with a total of 2,800 athletes, 1,800 officials, and 500 media, both domestic and foreign. There are 18 sports that will be contested, including basketball, volleyball, fencing, table tennis, swimming, shooting, judo, cycling and chess. (VOI/Rezha/DP)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) installed nine governors and their deputies for the 2018-2023 period at the Merdeka Palace, in Jakarta, Wednesday.

The governors are from South Sulawesi, North Sumatra, West Java, West Kalimantan, Central Java, Bali, Southeast Sulawesi, Papua, and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Jokowi was accompanied by Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla and Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo during the inauguration ceremony.

The newly installed governors and deputies are Nurdin Abdullah-Andi Sudirman Sulaiman of South Sulawesi, Edy Rahmayadi-Musa Rajekshah of North Sumatra, M. Ridwan Kamil-Uu Ruzhanul Ulum of West Java, Sutarmidji-Ria Norsan of West Kalimantan, Ganjar Pranowo-Taj Yasin of Central Java, I Wayan Koster-Tjok Oka Artha Ardhana Sukawati of Bali, Ali Mazi-Lukman Abunawas of Southeast Sulawesi, Lukas Enembe-Klemen Tinal of Papua, and Victor B Laiskodat-Josef Nae Soi of NTT.

The governors and deputies were elected or re-elected during the third simultaneous regional head elections held in 171 regions, comprising 17 provinces, 39 municipalities, and 115 districts across the country, on June 27, 2018.

The number of eligible voters for the pilkada 2018 reached 158 million, or some 80 percent of the total number of eligible voters for the presidential and legislative elections in 2019, which is some 197 million.

 President Joko Widodo has stated that it is time to rehabilitate and reconstruct West Nusa Tenggara after the earthquakes that hit the area more than a month ago. At a gathering on West Nusa Tenggara Rebuilding held in Gunung Sari Sub-district, West Lombok District, West Nusa Tenggara Province, on Monday, the president noted that the emergency response stage had passed and it is time for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

"Yesterday, I noticed several buildings being reconstructed under the direction of the Ministry of Public Works," the president remarked, as conveyed by the Presidential Secretariat Deputy for Protocol, Press and Media, Bey Machmudin.

About 2,250 volunteers from various institutions participated in the gathering. On the occasion, Widodo noted that the first step that should be carried out is rebuilding public facilities, such as markets, health centers, schools, and mosques. Previously, the president had directly handed over aid for the reconstruction of 5,293 houses, which includes those heavily damaged, moderately damaged, and slightly damaged.

The Head of State asked the volunteers to help the people in rebuilding their homes. The president pointed out that the houses to be rebuilt should have earthquake-resistant structures.

"We know that West Nusa Tenggara is included in the Ring of Fire. In 1979, a major earthquake occurred here," he explained.

The reconstruction of people`s houses will be directed by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing and assisted by young engineers and engineering students.  To accelerate the process of rehabilitation and reconstruction, the president revealed that the government has issued the Presidential Instruction No. 5 of 2018. In the instruction, the rehabilitation and reconstruction processes will be directly led by the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing.

"I will continue to monitor and check, so that West Nusa Tenggara will immediately return to normal, and people can continue with their economic and daily activities," he elaborated.

The Head of State appreciated the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police members, independent volunteers, volunteers from state-owned enterprises, universities, NGOs, and local administrations for their efforts to help people in West Nusa Tenggara.

"Thank you all for working hard with high solidarity to help our brothers in West Nusa Tenggara," he remarked.

In his report, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono noted that based on the Presidential Instruction No. 5 of 2018, the minister has verified 291 buildings of the 972 public facilities which will be reconstructed. The rehabilitation and reconstruction have been carried out for 56 buildings, consisting of 40 mosques, three markets, and eight hospitals and health centers.

To accelerate the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 125 thousand housing units, the minister has verified 32,800 houses, consisting of 11,400 houses with minor damages, 3,600 with moderate damages, and 17,800 with heavy damages. A sample house with earthquake-resistant technology RISHA has been built in 20 points.

In addition to Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, the rally was attended by Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Social Minister Agus Gumiwang, TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, Head of the National Disaster Management Agency Willem Rampangilei, and West Nusa Tenggara Governor Muhammad Zainul Majdi. (ant)