VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Talkshow on the film Manual for the displaced at Erasmus Huis, Jakarta on Wednesday November 20th 2024. (Photo : rri.co.id) - 

VOInews, Jakarta : The  Dutch Cultural Center, Erasmus Huis presented the premiere of the film “Manual for the Displaced” by Robin Block and Jeremy Flohr, two artists of Indonesian-Dutch descent in Jakarta on Wednesday (21/11). The film tells the story of the Indonesian-Dutch diaspora by exploring various themes and cross-cultural entanglements. Robin Block in his statement pointed out that this movie is the result of a cross-cultural collaboration involving many artists, including from Indonesia.

”And also, for this film, we collaborated with many other artists. One of them are here. Both Indonesian artists. One of them is here. It's Dennis. There's one chapter. It's about Jakarta. So, we're quite excited and a little bit embarrassed as well to show it to actual Jakartans for the first time. So we hope you like it. And Dennis shot beautiful footage of his own city of Jakarta.” Robin said. 

Moreover, this collaboration not only enriches the work visually, but also provides an authentic local perspective. According to Robin, the Manual for the Displaced is a cultural bridge between Indonesia and the Netherlands that aims at encouraging the younger generation to better understand the history of both countries. (LIP/VOI/OFRA/AHM/EDT/Trans: AF)

KBRN, Jakarta: Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid, stated that the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Oman is built on mutual respect and a shared goal for global peace.

"Indonesia and Oman have built a strong and meaningful relationship over more than four decades. For the past 46 years, our bilateral ties have been based on shared values of respect, mutual understanding, and a common desire to promote growth, peace, and prosperity," Meutya said at the 54th National Day Reception of the Sultanate of Oman in Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (19/11/2024).

Meutya also conveyed that the bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Oman has evolved in the fields of politics, culture, and the economy.

"Our friendship has developed across various areas, not only in politics but also in cultural, economic, and social exchanges," she added.

In the political realm, Meutya highlighted that Indonesia and Oman have remained consistent in their commitment to creating peace and stability amid global dynamics and geopolitical tensions. She also mentioned that both countries are dedicated to fostering harmonious relations and promoting constructive dialogue. Indonesia and Oman continuously support each other in various international forums and organizations.

"I am also pleased that we have supported each other in international forums," she remarked.

Meutya emphasized that the strength of the Indonesia-Oman relationship lies in their ability to find common ground and focus on shared priorities. During the celebration, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining their friendship, based on trust and a shared vision for the future.

KBRN, Jakarta: The bilateral relationship between the Sultanate of Oman and Indonesia continues to strengthen, especially in the sectors of economy, tourism, and sustainable energy. The Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Indonesia, Muhammed bin Ahmed Salim Al Shanfari, emphasized that the cooperation between the two countries is based on mutual trust and a shared vision for prosperity.

"Since diplomatic relations began in 1970, Oman and Indonesia have shown a strong dedication to supporting each other across various sectors. We want to strengthen this relationship for the benefit of both nations," he said during the 54th National Day Reception of the Sultanate of Oman in Central Jakarta on Tuesday (19/11/2024).

One significant development is the increase in bilateral trade, which reached USD 2.2 million in 2023, up 20% in the last five years. "This figure shows great potential for expanding cooperation in trade, especially in tourism, food security, and energy," added Al Shanfari.

Oman is also prioritizing investments in green energy as part of its efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. "We are developing an ambitious green hydrogen project with a large production target set for 2030. This is Oman's contribution to the global energy transition toward a more sustainable future," he explained.

In addition to the economy, connectivity between the two countries is also a focus of cooperation. The recently agreed air transport agreement opens up new opportunities in logistics and tourism.

"We believe that increased connectivity will strengthen ties between our people and support economic growth," said Al Shanfari.

In conclusion, Al Shanfari stressed the importance of strategic cooperation between Oman and Indonesia to address global challenges. "We believe in the values of peace, harmony, and human rights. Through this cooperation, we aim to contribute to creating a better world," he said.

FILE PHOTO: People cross the street at Ginza shopping district in Tokyo, Japan, August 11, 2024. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/File Photo

VOInews, Tokyo : Japan is considering spending 13.9 trillion yen ($89.7 billion) from its general account to fund a new stimulus package aimed at mitigating the impact of increasing prices on households, public broadcaster NHK said on Thursday.

The proposed spending, exceeding the 13.2 trillion yen allocated for last year's economic stimulus, is set to exacerbate Japan's already strained public finances, with debt currently twice the size of its economy.

The package also includes around 8 trillion yen for government investment and lending, as well as local government spending, putting the overall package at 39 trillion yen when private funding is included, NHK reported without citing sources.

The stimulus package will include 30,000 yen ($193) to low-income households that are exempt from residential taxes and 20,000 yen per child for households with families, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Major hurdles over the package were cleared on Wednesday after Japan's ruling coalition agreed with a key opposition party on the draft of the package.

"I'm not sure whether the economic package of this size is necessary now, when there are emerging signs that private consumption is picking up and real wage growth is turning positive," said Takayuki Sueyoshi, senior economist at Daiwa Institute of Research.

Sueyoshi also said that Japan's goal of running a primary budget surplus in the next fiscal year would now be hard to fulfill.

The government estimated in July that Japan would achieve a primary budget surplus of 0.8 billion yen in fiscal 2025, which means tax revenues will slightly exceed expenditures.

In the past, Japan has used supplementary budgets, typically worth a few trillion yen, to deal with one-off, emergency spending, such as disaster relief. That changed in 2020, when the size ballooned to 73 trillion yen to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, Japan has continued to compile outsized, largely debt-funded, supplementary budgets. Last year, nearly 9 trillion yen of the 13-trillion-yen spending was funded by new debt.

The scale of new bonds Japan would need to issue remains unclear. Last year, the government issued close to 9 trillion yen in bonds for the supplementary budget.

The International Monetary Fund has warned that Japan must fund any additional spending plans within its budget rather than issue more debt, urging the government to get its fiscal house in order as the central bank starts to raise interest rates//CNA-VOI