VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) met with China’s Deputy Vice Prime Minister Sun Chunlan, and expressed appreciation for that country’s participation with the largest contingent in the Asian Games 2018. Jokowi said he thanked the Chinese support for the Asia`s largest sports event held in Indonesia from Aug 18 to Sept 2. China has come with the largest contingent, the president said as quoted by Presidential spokesman Bey Machmudin. President Jokowi met with Sun Chunlan at the Cofftea House, in the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium Complex in Jakarta on Saturday night before the opening of the Asian Games Complex. Jokowi said he thanked for the invitation by President Xi Jinping to visit China in November to coincide with the opening of China International Import Expo in Shanghai. He said he would make note of the invitation but it happens that in November of the country would be busy with pre-election campaigns. Indonesia will hold legislative and presidential election at once in April 2019. The president also had separate meeting with Saudi Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, deputy chairman of Saudi Sports Council. The Prince, the grandson of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud visited the country to represent King Salman to attend the opening of Asian games. Jokowi also thanked and appreciated the Saudi participation in Games with a contingent of 140 athletes. (ANTARA)

The allocation of the state expenditure in the 2019 State Budget (RAPBN) is set at 15% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This percentage is equivalent to Rp 2,439.7 trillion. This figure is 10% higher than this year’s forecast for realization of state expenditure of Rp 2,220.7 trillion. Compared to state expenditure in 2014, Rp.1,777.2 trillion showed an increase of 37.3%. According to Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi in a financial memorandum before the General Assembly of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta, Thursday, August 16, 2018, one of the budgets will be distributed for upgrading social assistance such as National Health Insurance (JKN), Family Hope Program (PKH), Non-Food Aid (BPNT), and strengthening Agrarian Reform and Social Forestry Reform (RAPS).

"In 2018, the Government will channel budget to 92.4 million people receiving National Health Insurance (JKN) and 10 million families who are beneficiaries of the Family Hope Program (PKH). In 2019, the Government will strengthen the Hope Family Program by increasing the amount of benefits 100 percent with a target of 10 million beneficiary families. In addition, the Government will also increase the number of recipients of National Health Insurance (JKN) to 96.8 million people. Meanwhile, the Non-Food Aid Program (BPNT) that has been running since 2017 has been able to reach 1.28 million beneficiary families. In 2019, the target of Non-Cash Food Aid was gradually increased to 15.6 million beneficiary families to replace the prosperous rice program. The government also strengthens the Agrarian and Social Forestry Reform (RAPS) as a form of structuring productive assets and alignments with farmers and small people, as well as continuing a certificate program for the people with a target of 9 million certificates in 2019," President joko Widodo said.

In addition, in the context of accelerating development in the regions, the government is targeting the allocation of transfers to regions and village funds in the 2019 State Budget (RAPBN) of Rp 832.3 trillion. According to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in recent years, an increase in the budget for Transfers to Regions and Village Funds has been able to improve the performance of basic public services in the regions which is reflected in the improvement of several indicators of community welfare. (VOI/Rezha/AHM)

To strengthen health services, in 2019, the Indonesian Government specifically allocated Rp 122 trillion for the health budget or doubled from the 16 health budgets in 2014 amounting to Rp 59.7 trillion. This was stated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in a financial memorandum speech before a joint session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representative Council (DPD), at the Parliament Building, Jakarta, Thursday, August 16, 2018.

"To strengthen health services, in 2019, the Government allocated Rp122 trillion for the health budget or doubled from the health budget in 2014 of Rp59.7 trillion. Since 2016, in accordance with the Health Law, the Government has consistently maintained a health budget of 5 percent of state expenditure. Various health programs carried out by the Government have provided tangible results with increasing equity and quality of health services, availability and distribution of medicines, health resources in the regions, and increased life expectancy and household access to clean sanitation," President Joko Widodo said.

In 2019, President Jokowi also said that his administration would continue its priority programs in the health sector by strengthening health services to the community, including by providing  quality facilities and infrastructure at 48 hospitals or health centers, as well as strengthening the integrated stunting reduction program in 160 Regencies and municipalities. To overcome the problem of child nutrition, the Government of Indonesia will also encourage the provision of additional food to 525,420 pregnant women and 1.5 million underweight children, as well as immunization of children aged 0-11 months to reach 90 percent. Through various social protection programs, it is expected that the poverty rate in 2019 will fall again to 8.5 percent to 9.5 percent and the Human Development Index rises to 71.98. (VOI / Rezha/AHM)

The Presidential Palace again held a flag raising ceremony to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of Indonesia's independence, at the courtyard of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Friday (08/17/2018). The ceremony started at 10 a.m. Local Time. President Joko Widodo as the ceremony inspector wore Acehnese traditional dress. He had greeted a number of people who were present before heading to the ceremonial pulpit. Not only Jokowi, the cabinet ministers and the officials also wore traditional clothes from various regions. There are 6,250 guests invited to the palace. 35 percent of them are state officials, while 65 percent are the community. The ceremony began with cannon fire, then continued with the reading of the text of the proclamation by the Chair of the House of Representatives (DPR) Bambang Soesatyo. President Joko Widodo as the ceremony inspector then invited all the audience for solemn silence to respect the founding fathers and heroes who died while fighting for Indonesia’s independence. The event was then continued with a prayer reading by the Minister of Education and Culture Muhadjir Effendy. After that, the ceremony continued with the raising of the red and white flag by the Flag RaisingTroop (paskibraka) in the courtyard of the Merdeka Palace. (TRANS/KOMPAS)