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.
Jakarta. Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Wednesday stressed that infrastructure development is meant not only for physical construction of buildings, but also for shaping a civilization.
"Infrastructure development is building this civilization, which we often do not realize,” the President remarked while inaugurating the passenger terminal at Kuabang Airport in North Halmahera district of North Maluku province.
Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, Erick Thohir, Governor of North Maluku, Abdul Gani Kasuba, and other officials also attended the inauguration.
"Many people have asked me why infrastructure is the focus of development in our country, Indonesia. I need to say that infrastructure is not only physical, but many things will emerge and develop due to infrastructure construction," Widodo elaborated.
"Imagine, for example, before there was a road from North Halmahera to Sofifi, we had to walk; now that the road is available means that you can take a bus, ride a motorcycle, you can ride a car, build a new civilization," he added.
The presence of an airport in the community can also foster a new civilization, the President said.
"Now, we must be disciplined to arrive on time since we come to the airport to fly to another city, and the time has been determined. If not, we will miss the flight. It also develops a new sense of discipline and builds civilization," he observed.
The creation of infrastructure also improves competitiveness so that regions can compete with other regions, he pointed out.
In addition, infrastructure development, including construction of airports, can also be a way to promote social justice and the unity and integrity of Indonesia, Widodo said.
"From North Halmahera, you can fly to Jakarta, you can fly to Aceh, you can fly to Kalimantan, you can fly to the East to Papua," he elaborated.
He said he hopes that Kuabang Airport can create new economic growth points even though during the pandemic the airport is only operating charter aircraft.
Meanwhile, Transportation Minister Sumadi said: "The length of the runaway spanning 2,400 meters is quite big and adequate for connectivity to boost tourism and economic activity. This airport is complementary to the Sultan Babullah Airport in Ternate.”
With a runway measuring 2,400 meters in length and 30 meters in width, the Kuabang Airport can accommodate narrow-bodied aircraft.
The airport’s passenger terminal, which was built with state budget funds of Rp50.82 billion, is spread over an area of 3,500 square meters and can accommodate up to 160 thousand passengers annually.
The airport also has a 100 x 23 meter taxiway and a 157 x 72 meter parking runway (apron) that can accommodate three ATR aircraft and one Boeing aircraft. (Antaranews)
Jakarta. The Environment and Forestry Ministry has drawn attention to the criticality of intensifying cooperation between Indonesia and technologically advanced nations in order to capitalize on the genetic resources.
To address the pressing matter of utilizing genetic resources, Indonesia, with abundant biodiversity, certainly should have the capability to master technology to manage the wealth," Chief of the Research, Development, and Innovation Board at the Environment and Forestry Ministry Agus Justianto noted during a discussion on the protection of genetic resources here on Wednesday.
To this end, Indonesia should open up opportunities for cooperation with technologically advanced countries through a mutually beneficial policy for the utilization of genetic resources, he emphasized.
"Indonesia must also avail the benefits as the supplier of genetic resources," he stated.
This is deemed of utmost importance since genetic resources are related to the state’s sovereignty and are strategic resources that serve the interests of the public, at large, he affirmed.
Hence, this calls for an integrated policy by the central and regional governments, including reinforcing coordination and synergy to safeguard and utilize genetic resources in a sustainable manner, he remarked.
Justianto further pointed to various recommendations derived from the discussion held on March 23-24, 2021, and involved various ministries and institutions, such as the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).
The recommendations encompass the need to apply the five pillars of supervision of genetic resources, creation of a task force for the protection of genetic resources, and intensive application of the Nagoya Protocols across sectors to guarantee fair and equitable distribution of profits. (Antaranews)
Jakarta. As many as 5,978,251 Indonesians, comprising health workers, public service officials, and the elderly, have been vaccinated against COVID-19 so far, the coronavirus task force reported here on Wednesday.
Of the total vaccine recipients, 2,709,545 have received their second shot, too, it said.
On a single day, 246,041 people received the first dose and 215,123 people got their second dose of the vaccine.
So far, around 14.81 percent of the 40,349,051 targeted recipients under phase I and stage II of the vaccination program have received their first shot and just 6.71 percent have received their second dose, the task force reported.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry's spokesperson for COVID-19 vaccinations, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said her office is targeting to educate around 7 percent of people who do not wish to be vaccinated and 30 percent who remain doubtful about getting vaccinated.
"To get out of the pandemic, we need to work hand in hand to create herd immunity, that is our stronghold against COVID-19. We must convey this information to vaccine recipients so that they have no doubts and feel ready to be vaccinated," she stated.
The Indonesian government is targeting to vaccinate at least 181.5 million people to build herd immunity against COVID-19.
Health Minister Budi Gunardi Sadikin said in East Java on Tuesday that the ministry has secured a total of 360 million vaccine doses for the nationwide implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination program.
The government announced the country's first confirmed COVID-19 cases on March 2, 2020.
As of March 24, 2021, the nation has reported a total of 1,471,225 confirmed cases, 1,304,921 recoveries, and 39,865 deaths. (Antaranews)
Jakarta. The tourism industry has welcomed the government’s plan to reopen Bali island to international tourists by the middle of this year, offering a much-needed lifeline to beleaguered tourism businesses and operators.
"We are very delighted with the move signaled by President Joko Widodo to open Bali in June or July this year. We have been waiting for a year and it has not been in vain," said corporate secretary, PT Destinasi Tirta Nusantara, AB Sadewa, in a statement received here on Tuesday.
"As a tourism industry maker, we hope the reopening of Bali can truly be realized in order to boost the recovery of the tourism and economy sector," he added.
For a year, the tourism sector, which specifically caters to international tourists, has stopped operations due to restrictions on entry of foreign travelers, he noted.
The reopening of Bali is scheduled to begin in July, 2021 with pilot trials in three green zone destinations — Ubud, Sanur, and Nusa Dua. The vaccination campaign is being accelerated in the green zones to ensure the safety and comfort of tourists coming into Bali.
COVID-19 vaccination programs have been held simultaneously in the three green zone areas in Bali, starting Monday (March 22, 2021), with the vaccines supplied by the central government.
The central government has supported the supply of vaccines in accordance with the requirement of 170,487 doses, divided over three regions. At least 47,045 doses have been given to the Ubud region, 87,715 to Nusa Dua, and 35,727 doses to the Sanur region.
Sadewa said he is optimistic that opening Bali to foreign tourists could be a turning point for tourism recovery in Indonesia in general and help move the local economy, such as hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops, and ensure health protocol readiness, or CHSE (Cleanliness, Health, Safety, Environment), as per the standards set by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.
To maintain tourism sustainability, Sadewa said he hopes the government would roll out stimulus or incentives, especially for tourist agencies to help them restart operations that have been halted for over a year. Such stimulus measures, he said, can be in the form of a soft loan for capital, marketing cost incentives, relaxation for foreign tourists who come to Indonesia, and tourism grants.
He also said he is hoping for prompt implementation of ‘vaccine passports’ for foreign tourists who have received their shots, in order to reduce the risk of transmission. This will certainly encourage travelers who want to vacation in Indonesia as well as boost the level of acceptance of foreign tourists by the Indonesian people, he added.
"We hope that Bali (tourism) will soon be revived if the vaccination process goes on every day. If the spread of COVID-19 begins to slow down, with the designated steps by the regional governments, the opening of the economic sector in Bali can be carried out one by one, especially the tourism sector, to (help the region) return to normal," said President Joko Widodo while reviewing a mass vaccination program in Gianyar, Bali on March 16, 2021.
If the three green or COVID-19-free tourist destinations are opened to tourists, monitoring and evaluation will continue every week, including the developments following the reopening.
"Green Zone Tourism or COVID-19 free areas will be able to accept foreign tourists starting August 17, 2021. It is still the trial stage, because in March, 2022, the whole tourism (area) in Bali will be opened to foreign tourists," said the Gianyar district head I Made Mahayastra.
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, said green tourist destinations that are free of COVID-19 would make tourists, both domestic and foreign, feel safe while vacationing in Bali. On the other hand, those in the tourism industry and the Balinese people will also be safe and comfortable as incoming tourists would be free of COVID-19, he added. (Antaranews)
Jakarta. Ten Indonesian provinces have successfully managed to bring down their coronavirus infection and death rates through the third round of micro-scale public activity restrictions (PPKM Mikro), according to the national COVID-19 task force.
The imposition of the PPKM Mikro policy from March 9 to 22, 2021 has also resulted in an increase in recovery rates in the targeted provinces — Banten, West Java, Jakarta, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, Bali, East Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, and North Sumatra, it stated.
"The recovery rate and level of public compliance with the health protocols in the 10 provinces has also increased," the task force's spokesperson, Wiku Adisasmito, said on Tuesday.
The decline in confirmed COVID-19 cases and rising recovery rates have resulted in a significant drop in bed occupancy rates at hospitals, Adisasmito informed.
In the eight weeks since the PPKM Mikro policy was enforced in the 10 provinces, the number of new confirmed cases has decreased significantly, he said.
At the national level, the infection rate has gone down up to 25.42 percent, while the death rate has also shown a declining trend under the enforcement of PPKM Mikro for nine weeks, he added.
The continued imposition of the PPKM Mikro has also led to a fall in the bed occupancy rates at hospital intensive care units and isolation rooms in each of the 10 provinces, he said.
Meanwhile, the Jakarta provincial administration has extended the implementation of its PPKM Mikro policy till April 5, 2021.
The extension is aimed at maintaining the decline in confirmed COVID-19 cases in the capital city.
PPKM has so far yielded significant results in reducing the number of confirmed infections in the city, head of Jakarta Health Office, Widyastuti, said earlier on Tuesday.
Jakarta recorded a sharp fall in confirmed cases following the implementation of PPKM, with the number of cases dipping from 7,439 on March 8 this year to 5,747 on March 16.
Indonesia has been striving to win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic ever since the government officially announced the country's first confirmed cases on March 2, 2020.
To contain the spread of infections, the government has not only imposed the PPKM Mikro, but also rolled out a nationwide vaccination program since January 13 this year.
The Health Ministry has estimated that the vaccination of around 181.5 million people under the national program could take 15 months.
To achieve herd immunity and free the nation from the clutches of the pandemic, which has triggered serious public health and economic crises, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has pushed for successfully administering the COVID-19 vaccine to the targeted population.
Indonesia's COVID-19 infection rate crossed one million cases on January 26, 2021. (Antaranews)
Jakarta. The Indonesian Foreign Ministry reported on Tuesday that no Indonesians had fallen victim to a mass shooting at the King Soopers Store in Boulder, Colorado, on Monday.
"No other report was received of Indonesians falling victim to the fatal shooting," the Foreign Ministry's Director for the Protection of Citizens, Judha Nugraha, stated.
The Indonesian consulate general in Los Angeles had contacted the local authorities and Indonesians residing in Colorado shortly after the deadly shooting occurred.
The consulate general confirmed that 10 Indonesian citizens, all registered as students, currently resided in Boulder City.
The US media outlets reported that 10 people, including a cop, lost their lives after a gunman opened fire at the King Soopers Store on Monday.
Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold was quoted by CNN as saying that the gunman was placed in detention, and the local police investigators had continued to probe the case.
CNN reported that the boulder shooting occurred less than a week after eight people were killed in shooting attacks at three spas in the Atlanta area.
Over the past nine years, the United States has repeatedly borne witness to acts of gun violence that have killed numerous innocent people.
In December 2012, a total of 27 people, including 20 children in the age group of five to 10 years, reportedly died after a gunman launched an attack on a primary school in Newton, Connecticut.
Thereafter, on June 12, 2016, a fatal shooting again broke out at a night club in Orlando, Florida, claiming the lives of 50 people and inflicting injuries to 53 others.
The Indonesian government has denounced the Orlando shooting incident and extended its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the US government and people.
In tackling the gun violence-related issue, the Barack Obama administration had also planned to "widen background checks on buyers of firearms" in the country, according to the BBC in 2016.
The BBC noted that the Barack Obama administration had imposed a regulation necessitating all gun sellers to be licensed and to conduct background checks. (Antaranews)
Jakarta. GeNose C-19, a COVID-19 breathalyzer developed by the University of Gadjah Mada, needs to be installed at factories and manufacturing sites across Indonesia to support endeavors to revive the industrial sector, a minister said.
"I propose this idea to Mr. Coordinating Minister for Economy," Research and Technology Minister Bambang PS Brodjonegoro remarked at an event held to donate a GeNose C-19 set to the ministry here on Monday.
The COVID-19 testing tool was handed to Brodjonegoro by Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, who also heads Indonesia's COVID-19 Mitigation and Economic Recovery Committee.
Brodjonegoro said the presence of GeNose C-19 at factories would hopefully help revive Indonesia's industrial sector, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
All factory and industrial workers could be screened using GeNose C-19 before starting work in the morning and when changing shifts, suggested Brodjonegoro, who also heads the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
"The only workers allowed in the workplace must be those whose GeNose tests show negative results," he proposed, adding that this could be part of preventive efforts aimed at creating a secure and healthy work environment in factories and industries.
However, strict implementation of health protocols in the workplace will be necessary even after the GeNose C-19 has been installed, he added.
The breathalyzer has been in use since February 5 this year to screen train passengers for COVID-19.
Indonesia has been striving to win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic since the government officially announced the country's first confirmed cases on March 2, 2020.
The government has rolled out a nationwide vaccination program this year to steam new infections.
According to the Health Ministry, it would take 15 months to vaccinate around 181.5 million people under the national program.
Indonesia's COVID-19 infection rate crossed one million cases on January 26, 2021.
To attain herd immunity and free the nation from the clutches of the pandemic, which has dragged Indonesia into serious public health and economic crises, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has stressed on the need for successfully administering the COVID-19 vaccine to the targeted population. (Antaranews)
Jakarta. Indonesia has been striving for decades to win the war against drugs but, instead of moving closer to victory, it has been dragged into a state of emergency over narcotics trade and abuse.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which struck the country on March 2, 2020, drug lords have continued to be a serious threat considering the fact that drug-trafficking has remained rampant even amid the health crisis.
Since his first leadership term, President Joko Widodo has been reminding the nation of the serious impact of drug consumption on Indonesia.
While inaugurating a grand mosque in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on January 20, 2015, he had warned that at least 50 people were dying due to drug use every day. The statistic included those who failed to get rehabilitated.
According to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Indonesia had more than 3.3 million drug users in 2017.
The drug users belonged to the 10-59 age group, and the percentage of teenagers falling into drug addiction stood at 24-28 percent, the BNN noted.
As per information on the agency’s official website, Indonesians in the 15-35 age group are at the highest risk of drug abuse.
Meanwhile, drug lords are dragging not just people in their 30s into drug-trafficking networks, but even those in their 20s.
On March 18, 2021, a 20-year-old drug courier was stopped and arrested at the Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang district, North Sumatra province.
The suspect, identified as ASH, was reportedly trying to smuggle 1.01 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine into Lombok Island in West Nusa Tenggara province.
ASH was apprehended before he could board Batik Air flight ID-6881 headed to Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Banten province, en route to Mataram City in Lombok Island.
The airport's aviation security personnel found the drug package hidden in ASH’s backpack, according to acting spokesperson of state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura II at the Kualanamu International Airport, Paulina HA Simbolon.
The suspect is a resident of Keude Bungkaih village in Muara Batu sub-district, Aceh Utara district, Aceh province, Simbolon informed.
On March 19, 2021, eight people were nabbed with several kilograms of crystal meth and thousands of ecstasy pills.
The suspects were arrested from a vessel in the waters off the east coast of Sumatra Island, BNN Eradication Division Deputy Inspector General Arman Depari remarked.
The smugglers used two vessels to conduct their drug-trafficking operation, Depari told local journalists at the Belawan-based customs and excise pier.
They allegedly swapped their vessel with one that contained drug packages in the Malacca Strait, and then headed to the east coast of Sumatra's sea.
The BNN said it is well aware of a rising trend in drug crimes in the country, as evidenced by the confiscation of 808.68 kg of drugs over the past three months.
The weight of the drugs seized in the past three months is nearly 70.19 percent of the total weight of drugs confiscated by BNN during drug raid operations last year.
"In 2020, the BNN had seized 1,152.2 kg of drugs," BNN head Petruse Golose notified legislators during a plenary session at the parliament building on March 18, 2021.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, drug trade in Indonesia has been on the increase as is apparent from the evidence of drug crimes that the BNN has seized until now, he noted.
On the basis of the confiscated evidence, the BNN has seized 3,462.75 kg of marijuana in drug raids between January and March, 2021.
The amount of seized marijuana shows an increase of 143.64 percent from 2,410 kg confiscated in January-March, 2020, Golose pointed out.
The BNN head surmised that the increase in the amount of drugs seized may point to a rise in demand from drug users in communities.
"The rise in demand is perhaps triggered by the work-from-home policy. Many have got dragged into a situation of 'drug abuse from home,'" he surmised.
During the meeting with members of the House of Representatives' Commission III overseeing legal affairs, Golose sought their support for upgrading BNN's facilities.
The current era of disruption has compelled the agency to improve its facilities, including those related to information technology, laboratory, database, and intelligence capability, he explained.
In response to the BNN's request, the House members have urged the government to step up the war against drugs, saying the country is in a state of emergency over narcotics.
"Drug crimes have even entered a phase of narcoterrorism," head of the House's Commission III, Herman Hery, stated.
To deal with this "state of emergency", Hery urged Golose to apprise President Widodo of the real situation.
Drug rings controlled behind bars by imprisoned drug dealers are partly responsible for the state of emergency with regard to rampant drug-trafficking across the country, authorities said.
To deal with this problem, the Law and Human Rights Ministry recently transferred 643 convicted drug dealers from 12 provinces to Indonesia's maximum security prison on Nusakambangan Island in Central Java.
The massive transfer of convicted drug dealers to the Nusakambangan penitentiary is the first of its kind, but the ministry will do it again in the future, according to Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly.
Ninety-nine of the 643 prisoners were transferred from Jakarta; 76 from Lampung; 50 from Aceh; 48 from Yogyakarta; 91 from West Java; 54 from North Sumatra; 50 from South Sumatra; 47 from Riau; 46 from Banten, 43 from West Kalimantan; 21 from East Java; and, 18 from Bali.
The government has done so much to win Indonesia's collective war on drugs, but it still has a long way to go.
As part of the war, drug convicts on death row need to be executed soon to deter more people from committing drug crimes, according to observers. (Antaranews)
Jakarta. Expenditure Expert Staff to the Finance Minister Kunta Wibawa Dasa Nugraha affirmed that the vaccination program being conducted for 181.5 million Indonesians will be able to boost the nation’s economic growth for the better.
Nugraha noted that the vaccination of 181.5 million Indonesians was aimed at achieving herd immunity to enable swifter recovery of activities and spur the nation’s economy to grow again.
"The vaccination program is a national program to encourage the economy to grow better. Hence, support from all levels of society is important," he remarked at the Spectaxcular talkshow in Jakarta on Monday.
Nugraha noted that the government had allocated a budget of Rp158.18 trillion, especially for vaccinations during 2021, to be conducted for 181.5 million people by administering two vaccine doses, for which the government requires around 360 million doses.
He said the budget was financed by this year's tax that was targeted to reach Rp1,229.6 trillion of the total state expenditure requirement of Rp2,750 trillion.
"More vaccinations are required to be conducted later in 2022, but it will be financed through this year's state budget totaling Rp1,200 trillion," he stated.
Nugraha noted that the tax revenue had continued to increase, especially for the March and April period, when taxpayers report their annual tax returns (SPT).
The ministry stated that the tax revenue in January 2021 had reached Rp68.5 trillion comprising oil and gas income tax (PPh) of Rp2.3 trillion and non-oil and gas tax of Rp66.1 trillion.
"Taxes have increased, but SPT submission of the taxpayer reports in March and April is expected to increase the tax revenue again," Nugraha explained.
He advised taxpayers to immediately report their tax returns to support the vaccination program, so that Indonesia can surmount over the pandemic situation and usher in economic growth.
"Ministries and agencies, as a whole, and taxpayers are expected to work together to solve the problems and emerge out of this pandemic and also encourage our economy to grow again," he reiterated.
Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Health Ministry’s Vaccination Siti Nadia Tarmizi also urged people to be ready to be vaccinated to protect themselves, their families, and those around them.
Tarmizi affirmed that herd immunity could increase through vaccination to help Indonesia come out of the pandemic crisis and to facilitate economic recovery.
"Of course, this belief and support from taxpayers is what we hope for," Tarmizi stated. (Antaranews)
Jakarta. The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) has urged the government to seriously deal with online prostitution that has involved children.
The chairman of KPAI, Susanto, in a written statement here on Sunday said that his party urged the government to evaluate and impose sanctions on digital platform providers who are indicated to carry out prostitution activities involving children.
"KPAI has asked the Ministry of Communication and Informatics to take curative steps to curb various digital media applications loose in protecting consumers, so that they are very easy to abuse, including children," he said.
According to him, the business world should support the implementation of child protection as mandated by Law No. 35/2014 on Child Protection, that the business world is a pillar of child protection in building policies (company's rules or standard of operations/SOPs) by having a child protection perspective.
For example, it is prohibited to employ children, especially in the worst child labor (which damages the health, safety and morals of children), the products produced should be safe and comfortable for children, and the business world has a social responsibility for the implementation of child protection.
Susanto said that Jakarta's Metro Jaya Police had revealed the practice of sexual exploitation of children in prostitution activities in various hotels in Jakarta.
On March 18, the police rescued at least 15 child prostitution victims in a hotel owned by CCA, a public figure, whose name was also dragged into this case.
"KPAI sees this case as a structured crime that contains elements of the recruitment of minors in online application advertisements by pimps, then transfer, placement, holding and reception at hotels by exploiting economically vulnerable children for the purpose of sexual exploitation," he said.
He said that there was an indication of human trafficking connected to hotels as companies that receive benefits.
The Commission also urged the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to be proactive in implementing the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Regulation No PM.53 / HM.001 / MPEK / 2013 concerning Hotel Business Standard. Hotel management must have a child protection perspective and implement the Children Right Of Business Principle (CRBP) which regulates the responsibility of the business entities for child protection. (Antaranews)