VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Calculation on Standard of Poverty Rate conducted by the Indonesian government through Central Bureau of Statistics is still higher than that of determined by the World Bank. This was stated by Minister of National Development Planning, Bambang Brodjonegoro in the Merdeka Barat 9 Forum themed “Facts of Poverty Reduction”  in Jakarta, on Monday (30/7). Bambang said that calculation of poverty rate which was conducted by Central Bureau of Statistics uses per capita reference unit and different standard for rural and urban areas.

“It has been above the standard which is usually determined by the World Bank, namely 2 US Dollars per day. We have 2.5 US Dollars per day. And we also must view based on rural and urban areas, namely per capita, per month. Most of all the people live in family. A family averagely has 2 to 3 children. So if there are 400 400 thousands, it must be multiplied with 5. It means 2 million rupiahs per month. Even in Jakarta it reaches 3.1 million per month. The point is it has been in accordance with the standard which has been determined internationally,” said bambang Brodjonegoro.

Furthermore Bambang explained the Central Bureau of Satistics has not calculated poverty rate of food and non-food group based on US dollar exchange rate against the rupiah which is now averagely Rp14,400 per 1 US dollar. But it uses US dollar of Purchasing Power Poverty. The conversion rate of  US dollar of Purchasing Power Poverty is the amount of rupiah which is issued to buy a number of commodities which is equal with 1 dollar in the United States. This year, the Central Bureau of Statistics announces that the number of Indonesia’s poverty is 9.82%. the number is the history for Indonesia, because for the first time, the percentage of poor people is in 1 digit. The Central Bureau of Statistics noted that the number of Indonesian poor people per March 2018, is 25.95million people. The number decreases compared to September 2017, namely 26.58 million people or 10.12 percent. (VOI/REZHA/Trans-yati/AHM)

Chief Executive of National Commission of Indonesia for UNESCO, Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia, Arief Rahman, pushes UNESCO to be able to increase the contribution in utilizing science and technology to solve the defiance, including to reach Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Chief Executive of Indonesian National Commission of the United Nations for Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -UNESCO, Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, Arief Rahman, said that Indonesia as an archipelagic country has a challenge in facing the climate change. Furthermore, migration, equality, and the fourth Industrial Revolution have become mutual challenges in the Asia Pacific region. It was said by Arif Rahman when attending Regional Strategic Coordination Meeting of Asia Pacific - UNESCO in Jakarta, Monday (30/7). He said that UNESCO as the board of United Nations should be able to contribute in facing the challenge, including the policies which could push efforts in overcoming the challenge of Sustainable Development Goals.

"Currently there have been some issues related to Indonesia, such as climate change. It is a very important thing. Then, urbanization, Poverty which is inequality between the ones who are smart and not, rich and poor, then those who live in the cities and villages. Therefore, we have to see the contribution from science towards the issues. The most important thing is, UNESCO does not only have to think the science, but also the benefit of sustainable development. I think that the most important contribution is the policies," Arief Rahman said.

Furthermore, Arief Rahman added, besides pushing through the policy sector, UNESCO could also play a role in strengthening the capacity of science and technology among member countries. According to Arief Rahman, UNESCO can also contribute by promoting the utilization of the sustainable ecosystem, especially through economic management and biodiversity. (VOI/ANDY/Trs.Rsy/AHM)

 The National Defense Forces (TNI) on Monday ( 30 July ) sent 80 medical workers to help the victims of the 6.4-magnitude earthquake that rattled the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara province the day before.

"We have sent assistance, including a field hospital equipped with 80 medical workers, to two different areas," TNI Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto said in Jakarta on Monday.

The TNI has also dispatched 140 soldiers to help search tourists trapped in Mount Rinjani following the earthquake, he stated. According to the information received on Monday morning, some 400 tourists are still being trapped in the volcano.

"The National Police, the National Defense Forces, and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) have been working to find the local and foreign tourists trapped (in the mountain)," he remarked.

He added that the TNI also helped affected children recover from trauma.

A powerful 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the islands on Sunday, killing 16 people and injuring hundreds of others. The quake rocked the island early in the morning when many people were still asleep. On Sunday evening, the president led a limited cabinet meeting to discuss ways to handle the impact of the 6.4-magnitude earthquake that rattled the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa earlier in the day.

The meeting was held shortly after the president arrived at the Sultan Muhammad Kaharuddin Airport in Sumbawa Besar District, Bey Machmudin, the presidential secretariat`s deputy for protocol, press, and media affairs, noted in a statement. (ant) 

Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), Yohana Yembise and Iran's Vice President of Women and Family Affairs, Y.M. Masoumeh Ebtekar Monday,   signed the MoU on Women Empowerment, Child Protection and Family Resilience (30/7). The MoU was the result of a previous meeting between Minister Yohana and Vice President Ebtekar at his second meeting in Mashaad, Iran on 27 April2017 and in Jakarta on May 1, 2018.

Child protection from all forms of violence and harassment including the influence of digital media and others, the involvement of women in politics, economic empowerment for the welfare of women and children through empowerment and the provision of adequate information and communication technology and family empowerment through a number of family resilience programs, is one that is contained in the MoU.
  
On the occasion, Minister Yohana conveyed the signing of the MoU to be a very important moment to better identify the RI-Iran cooperation primarily related to child protection and women's empowerment in both countries. As well as providing opportunities and challenges for women to participate actively in achieving the millennium development goals, making challenges as opportunities. The Minister also emphasizes the importance of protecting children and the fulfillment of their rights is a joint responsibility protected by law. These efforts can reduce the number of violence and trafficking of children and women as much as possible. The minister was also pleased that the three priorities that he said could be contained in the MoU, the three priorities are first, ending violence against women and children; second, ending the crime of human trafficking and third, ending economic barriers against women.
  
Meanwhile, Vice President Ebtekar said that the protection of girls is of particular concern to Iran, including through the involvement of girls in every activity and policy and given training / knowledge knowledge early on. With regard to gender equality and women's empowerment, Iran implements President Rouhani's policy of Gender Balance Policy, where 30 percent of the Government will be filled by women, providing future leadership training in every Ministry or Institution.

Both parties agreed to immediately implement the program contained in the MoU. The signing was witnessed by the Ambassador of Indonesia, Mr. Octavino Alimudin and related officials of Iran (Embassy of Tehran).