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PLN Gradually Recovers Electricity Supply (0)
State-owned electricity firm PT PLN has recovered electric power to Balaraja Extra High Voltage substation in Banten Province, and furthermore it will be channeled to Suralaya steam-fueled power plant (PLTU) to gradually recover its operation to reach its capacity of 2800 MW of electricity.
In addition, power supply from Gandul Extra High Voltage substations in Depok, West Java Province, will be channeled to Muara Karang gas and steam power plant (PLTGU) to supply electricity to the Indonesian capital city, Jakarta.
Acting President Director of PLN Sripeni Inten Cahyani said here on Sunday that the power supply to Jakarta was expected to recover within three hours.
"We apologize for the inconvenience today, and currently all efforts have been made to recover the Java-Bali power system, especially in the area of West Java, Banten, and Jakarta," Cahyani said.
The company has focused on power supply to PLTGU Muara Karang and PLTGU Priok to recover the system in the capital city.
Previously, PLN has recovered the operation of hydro-generated power plant (PLTA) Saguling and PLTA Cirata which are functioned as power stabilizer, and, at the same time, supply the electricity to PLTU Suralaya through Cibinong, Depok, Gandul, Lengkok, Balaraja and Suralaya extra high voltage substations.
PLTU Suralaya is expected to return to its normal operation within six hours to normalize power system in West Java and Banten.
Blackout that affected thousands of homes and public facilities in West Java, Jakarta, and Banten was caused by several troubles in the extra high voltage 500 kV transmission of Ungaran - Pemalang.
"PLN has taken its best efforts and will have evaluation to prevent recurrence of today's incident," Cahyani said.
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October
More women-run micro-businesses using internet than men-operated ones
Written by Nur Yasmin
More women microentrepreneurs use the internet in doing their business as compared to men, Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection Bintang Puspayoga stated.
"Data shows that 54 percent of women-owned micro-businesses use the internet, as compared to 39 percent of men-owned micro-businesses," Puspayoga remarked during the international webinar "Women's Participation in the Digital Economy" here on Thursday.
According to the minister, the data can be interpreted as women having a better survival strategy in facing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister Puspayoga also stated that women micro-entrepreneurs were faster at diversifying their products than men.
Furthermore, she observed that women-owned micro-businesses were more agile in creating variations and conducting shifting in sectors, locations, and products, as compared to men-owned ones, she stated.
However, in comparison with men, females were found to use financial services to a lesser extent.
"There are fewer women than men who use financial services," she affirmed.
Nevertheless, she remarked that based on data from last year, the number of women using financial services had continued to increase.
"The good news is that there has been an increase in women using financial services since last year, and it is a good start for us to push financial inclusion towards gender equality in the sector," she expounded.
The "Women's Participation in the Digital Economy" webinar is part of the fourth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Women (AMMW) themed digital economy and financial inclusion.
In a webinar on women's role amid the pandemic recently, the ministry's Assistant Deputy for Gender Equality Policy Formulation Muhammad Ihsan noted that women entrepreneurs need to become technologically literate to compete amid the pandemic.
"They need to adapt by using information technology, so that they can increase their capacity and are ready to compete, even in this pandemic situation," he stated.
The PPPA Ministry has made efforts to overcome the gender equality gap by assisting women entrepreneurs, especially females from vulnerable groups, through online training on entrepreneurship, Ihsan affirmed. (Antaranews)
October
Agriculture Ministry ensures staple food availability until year-end
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Agriculture Ministry has ensured the availability of staple foods in safe and controlled conditions until the end of 2021 in accordance with the prognosis of 12 staple food commodities monitored by its Food Security Agency.
According to the food prognosis as of September 30, 2021, several food commodities entirely produced domestically, without taking into account the carryover surplus, are still in excess. Among other aspects, rice surplus amounts to 1.12 million tons, 1.43 million tons of corn, 450 thousand tons of chicken meat, and 42,500 tons of cooking oil. The data was taken from the Food Security Agency of the Agriculture Ministry in Jakarta on Thursday.
"The value of this balance surplus becomes even greater when taking into account the carryover surplus of the previous year. Rice surplus was recorded at 8.5 million tons; corn, 2.8 million tons; chicken meat, 465 thousand tons; and cooking oil, 618.5 thousand tons," Head of the Center for Food Distribution and Access to the Food Security Agency of the Agriculture Ministry Risfaheri stated.
As for commodities with a short shelf life, such as shallots, chilies, and eggs, there is always a monthly surplus.
"Of course, we are optimistic of no extreme climatic disturbances, so the estimated production can be achieved," he noted.
Risfaheri remarked that staple food commodities, whose supplies were partially met from imports, such as garlic, sugar, and beef, still recorded a surplus until the end of the year while combining domestic production and imports. This excluded soybeans, whose balance is still in surplus when taking the carryover stock of the previous year into account.
"If the income plan matches expectations, the stock at the end of this year is estimated to be able to meet the needs for two to three months in early 2022, so that price fluctuations that often occur at the start of the year can be avoided," he remarked.
Based on monitoring of the Food Price Panel and Food Security Agency's price projections, strategic food prices were monitored to be stable until the end of the year, except for several staple food commodities. Those include cooking oil and beef whose prices were above the purchase reference price.
The Agriculture Ministry continues to increase the production of local beef. On the other hand, cooking oil is managed through an even distribution by cooperating with state-owned food companies to maintain the stability of supply and cooking oil prices across the region.
Although the national balance of staple food availability is in surplus, Risfaheri pays special attention to distribution between regions, especially in eastern Indonesia. The problem of uneven production distribution and constraints in the form of inter-regional connectivity often led to surplus supply in one region and deficit in other areas. (Antaranews)
October
Indonesia seeks to roll out carbon tax in April 2022
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Indonesian Government is seeking to impose a carbon tax of Rp30 per kilogram of carbon dioxide equivalent (C02e) on emissions surpassing a designated cap from April 1, 2022, the Finance Minister has said.
“The carbon tax begin to take effect on April 1, 2022, but still it (the government) follows the carbon roadmap related to climate change,” Sri Mulyani Indrawati said at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday.
The Law on Harmonizing Tax Regulation (UU HPP) deals with the imposition of carbon tax aimed at restoring the environment.
The carbon tax is part of Indonesia’s commitment to lower carbon emissions by 29 percent on its own and 41 percent through international support by 2030 in accordance with the target of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), the minister noted.
The tax will be imposed in stages and adjusted to carbon trading as part of the green economy roadmap to minimize the impact on businesses while lowering carbon emissions, she said.
“The basic notion is our acknowledgement that carbon has economic value so we will impose carbon tax through cap and tax trade mechanism,” Vice Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara said.
In the first stage in 2021, the government will develop a carbon trade mechanism and from 2022 to 2024, it will apply the tax to coal-fueled power plants (PLTU), based on the cap and tax mechanism, he informed.
From 2025 and beyond, carbon trade will be done fully and the carbon tax sector will be expanded in stages, in keeping with the sector’s preparedness, he added. (Antaranews)
October
The Indonesian government is formulating a strategy to facilitate the development of bioenergy, especially from agro and wood processing industry waste, an official has said.
The strategy is being created through collaboration between the Directorate General of Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and Germany's Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
"We hope that (the determined target) can be escalated with the help of international support," bioenergy director at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Andriah Feby Misna, said in a statement quoted here on Wednesday.
Through the collaboration project framework of Strategic Exploration of Economic Mitigation Potential through Renewables (ExploRE), bioenergy can be used in power plants, she added.
Misna noted that bioenergy will play an important role in helping the nation reach its energy mix as well as emission reduction target since bioenergy can replace oil, gas, and coal.
Indonesia has been blessed with an abundance of renewable energy sources, especially bioenergy, she said. Bioenergy can in fact be the world's primary energy source, she added.
Currently, the development of waste-based energy is not yet optimal due to four major hurdles: resources, regulation, funding, and technology, she pointed out.
"We continue to collaborate with many groups in a variety of efforts, among them are updating the data on bioenergy potential in Indonesia and the development of bio-CNG," Misna said.
According to the National Energy General Plan (RUEN), Indonesia's bioenergy capacity is expected to comprise 5.5 megawatt bioenergy-based power, 13.9 million kiloliters of biofuel, 8.4 million tons of biomass, and 498.8 million square meter of biogas by 2025.
So far, the nation's biofuel generation has reached 8.4 million kiloliter or equivalent to 60.4 percent of its target, bioenergy 1.9 megawatt or 34.5 percent of its target, and biogas 28.07 million square meter or 5.6 percent of its target. (Antaranews)
October
Need to strengthen efforts to eradicate mercury in mining: observer
Written by Nur Yasmin
Efforts to eradicate the use of mercury in small-scale gold mining should be strengthened, environmental health specialist and senior adviser to Nexus3 Foundation, Yuyun Ismawati, has said.
During a virtual discussion on the use of mercury in gold mining, observed from here on Wednesday, Ismawati also highlighted that there are still small-scale gold mines that are utilizing mercury and their products can be found online.
"This online sale should be regulated. We await the Trade Ministry to issue a regulation regarding the handling or action against these online sellers. We hope that there will be a criminal penalty for mercury sellers," she expounded.
In addition, she said she is also expecting a prohibition on cinnabar mining, which is usually processed to obtain mercury.
She explained that within Law No 3 of 2020 on Changes toward Law No. 4 of 2009 on Mineral and Coal Mining, mining cinnabar has not been forbidden.
Furthermore, there have yet to be any regulations issued that specifically forbid the use of cinnabar and its processing in order to extract mercury, she added.
According to a 2020 report on the Mercury Eradication and Reduction National Action Plan (RAN PPM), the use of mercury in small-scale gold mining was reduced by 10.45 tons during the period from 2019 to 2020, she noted.
The reduction of mercury in the lamp and battery industry reached 374.4 kilogram, while the reduction of emissions containing mercury in the energy priority sector reached 719 kilogram, she informed.
Use of mercury in health devices, such as thermometers, was also curtailed by 4.73 tons, she added.
According to data from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, the number of illegal mining locations is pegged at 2,654, and 85 percent of them comprise illegal gold mines.
The estimated use of mercury within each location is pegged at 6.2-85.63 kilogram per year, so the total mercury usage stands at 13.94-192.53 tons per year, Ismawati said. (Antaranews)
October
RI says measurement of extreme poverty refers to World Bank's PPPs
Written by Nur Yasmin
Indonesian Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration (Mendes PDTT) Abdul Halim Iskandar conveyed that extreme poverty was measured by the Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) computed by the World Bank.
"Referring to the global measurement by the World Bank, the extreme poor are those who are living on less than $1.99 per capita per day, or around Rp12,000 per capita per day," he noted during an online press conference themed "Zero Percent of Extreme Poverty in Villages in 2024" monitored here, Wednesday.
Minister Iskandar affirmed that the PPP is equivalent to income below 80 percent of the rural poverty line in each district and city in Indonesia.
The minister is optimistic that extreme poverty in villages would be alleviated sooner than the set target of achieving zero-percent extreme poverty in 2024.
In the first phase, he remarked that extreme poverty alleviation was targeted in 8,264 villages in 35 districts for the 2021-2022 period.
Meanwhile, in the second phase, 29,632 villages in 138 districts and cities are targeted to be free from extreme poverty in 2022. In the third phase, the program is targeting to erase extreme poverty in 37,523 villages spread across 261 districts and cities in 2023.
"In 2024, we will continue (extreme poverty alleviation) in areas that still have cases of extreme poverty and conduct monitoring," he added.
The minister also noted that to eradicate extreme poverty in villages, his ministry had made efforts to update the Village SDGs data, including that on the residents' income.
"Hence, on the field, we can identify the extremely poor by name and address," he added. (Antaranews)
October
Govt targets 100-percent electrification in 2022
Written by Nur Yasmin
The government is committed to increasing electricity access for people living in the outermost, remote, and underdeveloped (3T) areas through the 100-percent electrification target next year, the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister has said.
"We have a program to provide new electricity installations. Some 80 thousand connections have been allocated in the state budget for the 2022 term," Minister Arifin Tasrif informed at a webinar accessed from here on Tuesday.
The program will cover households who cannot afford to pay for new installations in 3T areas that are already supported by electricity, he said.
According to the data from the ministry, the national average electrification ratio reached 99.37 percent in July 2021.
Currently, there are several provinces which need special attention—East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, and Papua, Tasrif said.
As rural electricity supply has relied on diesel power plants till date, the government is encouraging them to be replaced by renewable ones according to the villages' potential, he added.
In addition, the government is also pushing the rooftop solar power plant program to increase consumers’ role in clean energy utilization, the minister said.
"Furthermore, the government also supports the development of electricity connection within and inter-islands to increase the reliability of electricity and the implementation of renewable energy in a place where the electricity source is far from the customers," he added.
Currently, the government is conducting a study for inter-island connection to connect major islands in Indonesia, he said.
The interconnection program can also overcome the oversupply of large electricity systems, he added.
The Sumatra-Malaysia electricity interconnection is scheduled for commercial operation in 2030, while a study is still being conducted to export clean electrical energy through the inter-island connection from Sumatra to Singapore, Tasrif said. (Antaranews)
October
Bali Airport prepares for resumption of international flights
Written by Nur Yasmin
The operator of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, has made some preparations ahead of the planned opening of international flights on October 14, 2021.
"We have prepared everything, especially regarding the implementation of health protocols for the passengers," stakeholder relations manager of state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I (Persero) at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport Branch Office, Taufan Yudhistira, said here on Tuesday.
Furthermore, he informed that his office has set up thermal scanners at the arrivals terminal, prepared checkpoint counters for Port Health Office officers, and provided 28 computers to support the passengers’ documentation and data collection process.
"The computers will be used to ensure that the number of passengers who arrive and the ones who enter the hotel for self-quarantine are the same," he said.
In addition, 20 COVID-19 PCR test booths have been prepared along with 10 tools to examine the passengers, he added. The test will be conducted by Bali Jimbaran Hospital officers, he informed.
"After undergoing the test, the passenger will wait for the result for about one hour in a waiting area, which can accommodate about 300 passengers," Yudhisthira said.
The management of Ngurah Rai Airport will complete the preparations as soon as possible before international flights at the airport are officially reopened, he added.
"If it is to be opened on October 14, we will work as quickly as possible to ready the utilities, facilities, and various tenants at the international terminal,” he said.
Earlier, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, had said that due to a significant decrease in COVID-19 cases in Bali province, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport would be re-opened for international arrivals on October 14, 2021. (Antaranews)
October
Ministry makes preparations for int'l travelers at Bali airport
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Transportation Ministry is coordinating with related stakeholders to ensure preparedness in handling international travelers arriving at the Ngurah Rai International Airport to facilitate smooth running before its reopening for international flights.
“We are keen on ensuring preparedness for handling passengers at the Ngurah Rai International Airport is aligned with health protocols. We take such precautionary measures in a bid to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 new variant imported from abroad through modes of transportation, such as airports,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Adita Irawati, noted in a statement issued here on Tuesday.
The ministry is intensifying coordination with ministries and institutions as well as the COVID-19 Handling Task Force to prepare the health protocols, she remarked.
The provision of PCR test facility at the arrival terminals, waiting rooms, and quarantine rooms continues to be improved before the airport reopens for international flights from October 14, 2021, she stated.
In terms of the health protocols that international travelers are necessitated to follow, the ministry refers to the circular of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force No.18 of 2021 on Health Protocols for International Travel.
The circular regulates international travelers coming to Indonesia through modes of transportation, such as airports, to mandatorily undergo PCR test upon arrival as well as be quarantined for eight days.
“Thereafter, on the seventh day of quarantine, they must undergo the PCR test again. If the result is negative, then they are allowed to continue the trip, but if it is positive, they must continue their quarantine,” she explained.
As earlier reported, Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan had announced that the Ngurah Rai International Airport will be reopened for international flights starting from October 14, 2021.
He appealed to people to follow the quarantine provisions and requirements well. (Antaranews)
October
BRGM provides mangrove seedlings to help Papuan residents boost income
Written by Nur Yasmin
The National Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) has provided mangrove seedling assistance to communities in Papua through its mangrove rehabilitation program, which is aimed at increasing the people’s income in the long term.
Indonesia has 3.36-million hectares of mangrove forest area, BRGM secretary Ayu Dewi Utari said here on Monday.
About 1.5 million hectares of mangrove forests are located in Papua and West Papua provinces, she added.
However, about 6 percent of them are damaged, including the mangrove forest in Klamana village, East Sorong sub-district, Sorong city, West Papua, due to overexploitation of reefs by the local communities, who depend on them for a livelihood, she informed.
It is hoped that the community will no longer exploit the reefs as this can damage the marine ecosystem and instead, start to nurture mangrove seedlings that have been planted in the area, Utari said.
"Believe that if the mangrove trees can be preserved, the marine biota will be abundant. Later, it can increase the people's income," she said in a written statement.
In addition, the BRGM secretary stated that the program is part of the government's efforts to mitigate the impact of global climate change, in line with President Joko Widodo's directive.
Meanwhile, head of the Klamana Forest Farmers Group, Demianus Werbete, said that the government program has changed the mindset of the people regarding their livelihoods as the mangroves can be a source of additional income and help improve their economy.
Moreover, the program involves residents directly in planting seedlings. "There are 40 people involved. We plant them (the seedlings) in a 50-hectare mangrove area," he informed.
Meanwhile, head of the Protected Forest Management Unit (KPHL) Unit II Sorong City, Ina Roselina Sikirit, said that the program is also in line with the goal of the government’s national economic recovery program.“There are a lot of crabs here. Mangrove roots are the crabs’ habitat, thus the program will have sustainable impact," she explained.
In addition, the mangrove forest can also be used as a tourism destination and the crabs can be sold as culinary gifts, she said.
Moreover, the rehabilitation can protect the beach from abrasion and prevent seawater intrusion, she added. (Antaranews)