VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Executive Director of Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Bambang Subiyanto, expressed hoped that the "Indonesia Science Expo" (ISE) 2018 could be known worldwide as an international science and technology exhibition. ISE 2018 has been held thrice, with the previous ones held in 2015 and 2017. ISE 2018 will feature some research results of Indonesian researchers.

"We had participants from abroad last year; hopefully, this year`s event will be more inspiring," he stated in the press release here on Wednesday.

The aim of this science fair is to echo the results of the research to make the public understand the significance and role of research, science and technology, and innovation for a better life in the future.

"We will invite LIPI partners from different countries to participate. Besides, there will also be a `Youth Science Fair,` which is usually for young participants," he noted.

People need to understand science and technology and also the research results. ISE 2018 is one of the means to spread science and technology and research results from Indonesian researchers and innovators. ISE 2018 is expected to not only provide an understanding on raising the community`s awareness of science and technology but also to provide useful outcomes for the community, especially young people. (antara) 

PT Mass Rapid Transportation (MRT) Jakarta has discussed funding scheme with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for its future project. He said the AIIB officials had come to directly see the development of the current MRT project in Jakarta and at the same time also discuss funding scheme, tariffs and potential of MRT Jakarta non-fare box business.

"On Monday we received AIIB officials in Jakarta. We discussed several issues including funding scheme for next MRT development project," the company`s president director, William Sabandar, said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He added the AIIB officials had come to directly see the development of the current MRT project in Jakarta and at the same time also discuss funding scheme, tariffs and potential of MRT Jakarta non-fare box business.

"There were at least four funding schemes found to be implementable. The first scheme is done through inter-government loans with equity investment from government funding," he said.  The second is through commercial corporate financr in the form of asset-based corporate bonds or export credit agencies for imported components, he said. The third scheme is done through government-business entity partnership and the fourth through partnership between the government and budiness entities through initial public offering.

Sabandar said PT MRT Jakarta has been appointed as the sole operator of transit oriented development (TOD) area for the first and second phases of the MRT project.

"The presence of MRT is expected to be one of the solutions to deal with traffic congestion in line with a change in the lifestyle of residents who would change from private cars to public transportation system in addition to improving air quality," he said.

He further said until the end of February civil and architectural construction of the first phase of the project had reached 91.86 percent while two sets of MRT engines are expected to arrive in Jakarta on March 26. (antara)

State-owned construction firm PT Wijaya Karya Persero Tbk (Wika) is ready to expand its business to build infrastructure in Afghanistan.

"In addition to enhancement of bilateral ties between Indonesia and Afghanistan, the firm would benefit from the infrastructure construction project in Afghanistan," Wika`s President Director Bintang Perbowo said in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.

A business delegation from Afghanistan visited Wika on Monday (March 12), led by the Director General of First Political Division of Afghanistan Foreign Affairs Ministry Musa Arefi. The delegation was accompanied by Indonesian Ambassador to Afghanistan Arief Rachman MD. 

At the meeting, Wika and Afghanistan construction firm Haji Khalil Construction Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding on infrastructure projects in Afghanistan. The agreement was signed by Wika`s General Manager for Foreign Affairs Yulianto and President Director of the Afghan firm Khalil Samar Gul.

Perbowo stated that the meeting has opened the opportunity for Wika to participate in the development in Afghanistan.

Wika, he continued, has recorded profit from its foreign construction projects. It has handled some infrastructure projects in Aljier, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Jeddah (Arab Saudi), Myanmar, Brunei Darussalam, and Timor Leste. The company has learned some potential projects, especially in infrastructure and housing, which would be funded by the Afghan government.

Meanwhile, Director General of First Political Division of Afghanistan Foreign Affairs Ministry Musa Arefi revealed that the meeting has become a momentum for both companies to know each other. "Wika has the capacity and experience; thus, it could participate in the development of infrastructure in Afghanistan," Musa explained.

In January, President Joko Widodo visited Afghanistan to enhance bilateral cooperation, despite the unfavorable security condition in the country. After this visit, in February, Vice President Jusuf Kalla visited the country on a peace mission. ( antara )

President Joko Widodo received a visit of honor groups of Kazakhstan Parliament Senate, on Tuesday at Istana Merdeka, Jakarta. The group led by the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart. At the meeting, the President said that Indonesia and Kazakhstan is a country with a majority muslim population.  Joko Widodo expects Indonesia's friendship with Kazakhstan voicing peaceful and tolerant Islam.

 President Joko Widodo also lamented the conflict that occurred in some muslim countries and the number of refugees who came from muslim countries . The President said: “this is our responsibility, particularly as muslim countries, to maintain peace and prosperity. This is where Indonesia and Kazakhstan can cooperate, to strengthen cooperation in the field of humanitarian”

Indonesia and Kazakhstan this year to commemorate the diplomatic relations that have taken place between the two since 25 years ago. This momentum into a good start in strengthening the relations of the two countries

President and Chairman of the Senate  agreed to realize the good relations of the two countries during this time in the form of concrete bilateral cooperation particularly in the economic field. In addition, the President of would like Kazakhstan to support the candidacy of hope Indonesia as members of the UN Security Council  Non Permanent Member for period 2019-2020. He said : the contributions and efforts of Indonesia in keeping peace God willing will be the modality of Indonesia to contribute more if Indonesia sit as members of the UN Security Council ( sekkab )