President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that in the next five years the government wants to focus on the downstream industry of nickel ore, considering that Indonesia has the largest nickel reserves in the world.

“Indonesia has the largest nickel reserves in the world, 25 percent of the world's nickel reserves are in Indonesia, which amounts to approximately 21 million tons. Indonesia controls almost 30 percent of nickel production in the world, "said President Jokowi in a virtual PDI Perjuangan 48th anniversary commemoration, Sunday.

President Jokowi said Indonesia already has an integrated nickel ore industry from upstream to downstream with production such as ferronickel or stainless steel.

In the future, said President Jokowi, Indonesia also needs to process nickel ore into lithium batteries that can be used for cellphones and electric cars.

President Jokowi believes that the creation of new economic sectors from the upstream to downstream chain of the nickel ore industry will create many jobs.

If it succeeds in becoming a lithium battery producer, he said, then Indonesia will become an important player in the global electric car industry chain.

"In the future, we want BUMN cooperation with the private sector and multinational companies. We want to enter the next phase of the production of lithium batteries as the main component of electric vehicles, which is a great opportunity for us to enter the electric vehicle industry, which is the future," explained President Jokowi. (antaranews)

A member of the House of Representatives' Commission V Rifqinizamy Karsayuda has called on the Transportation Ministry to conduct thorough evaluation on air transportation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, following the Sriwijaya Air mishap.

"The Transportation Minister would need to conduct thorough evaluation regarding to air transportation during the pandemic," Karsayuda said in a statement here on Sunday.

He reminisced about the recommendation issued by the U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in mid 2020 for more than 2,000 units of Boeing 737, specifically Boeing737-300, 737-400 and 737-500.

The FAA warned of possible corrosion on idled planes that could lead to a dual-engine failure.

It said, inspectors found compromised air check valves when bringing aircraft out of storage following four recent reports of single-engine shutdowns on planes that had been parked, prompting the directive for aircraft not operated for seven or more straight days.

Karsayuda said, the FAA finding should be seen as a warning for airlines in Indonesia that used Boeing 737s.

"The Transportation Ministry should anticipate the FAA finding. Therefore, the incident of (Sriwijaya Air) flight SJ-182 must become a momentum to evaluate our aviation industry amid the pandemic," he said.

Karsayuda said, he would ask legislators of the commission, Transportation Ministry and the National Committee on Transportation Safety (KNKT) to conduct the evaluation.

"There must be consequences of the declining frequency of flight for the airplanes, not to mention the problem of old airplanes," he added.

He admitted that the pandemic has hit the aviation industry badly but passengers safety should be put in priority.

A Sriwijaya Air jet with flight number SJ 182 believed to have crashed on Saturday (Jan 9) in the waters off Laki Island, Seribu Islands District, not long after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

The Boeing 737-500 airplane had its last contact with the air traffic controller when it was at 10,000 feet altitude at 2:40 p.m. local time, at 11 nautical miles north of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and crashed in the waters of Seribu Islands between Lancang Island and Laki Island.

The ill-fated airplane was reportedly carried 50 passengers and 12 cabin crew on its flight from Soekarno-Hatta Airport to Pontianak, West Kalimantan. (antaranews)

Legislator calls on evaluation of air transport during the pandemic

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi confirmed a joint SAR team has located the point where Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182 crashed and is focusing on finding the black box flight recorder.

"The finding is significant achievement since it might take days to do that in the past," he said in a virtual press conference here on Sunday

"I would like to express my pride to the team comprising the military, police, Basarnas (National Search and Rescue Agency) and KNKT (National Committee for Transportation Safety), while on the other hand I also offer my deep condolences over the demise of our brothers," he said.

Chief of the National Defense Forces (TNI) Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto said the TNI will provide a crane to salvage the wreckage of the plane.

Meanwhile, KNKT Chief Soerjanto said the committee will take a ping finder to the crash site to catch the signal of the plane's black box flight recorder.

"We already know the position of the black box. KNKT has received a ping finder so we will soon search for it. Hopefully, it will not take long time. We are concentrating on searching for the black box. Hopefully, it will not take long time today to find the black box," he said.

It is believed Sriwijaya Air flight  SJ182 crashed in the waters between Laki Island and Lancang Island in Thousands Islands or 11 nautical miles from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang in suburban Jakarta.

The Transportation Ministry has confirmed that airport authorities lost contact with Sriwijaya Air flight number SJ182 serving the Jakarta-Pontianak route at approximately 2:40 p.m.on Saturday.

According to the ministry, the Boeing 737-500 jet, registration number PK CLC, had its last contact at a position 11 nautical miles north of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after passing an altitude of 11,000 feet and while rising to 13,000 feet.

The plane took off from Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 2.40 p.m. local time on Saturday, and was scheduled to land at Supadio Airport in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, at 3:50 p.m.

Based on the manifest, the plane carried 50 passengers and 12 crew members. (antaranews)

President Jokowi offers condolences over Sriwijaya plane crash

President Joko Widodo has extended deep condolences over Sriwijaya Air plane crash in the waters of Seribu Islands on Saturday.

"I, on behalf of the Indonesian government and people, offer deep condolences over this accident," he said on the Presidential Secretariat Youtube on Sunday.

The head of state was informed of the plane crash on Saturday evening shortly after the accident occurred. Since then, he had received updated reports of the accident including developments in search for victims and debris of the plane which crashed in the waters off North Jakarta's coast. 

He later ordered his staff including the transportation minister, the chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) to conduct search and rescue operations immediately along with the Indonesian military and police personnel. 

"Last evening and last night I was informed by the transportation minister of Sriwijaya plane with flight number SJY 182 which crashed in the waters of Seribu Islands en route from Jakarta to Pontianak," he said.

The plane took off from Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 2.40 p.m. local time on Saturday, and was scheduled to land at Supadio Airport in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, at 3:50 p.m. Based on the manifest, the plane carried 50 passengers and 12 crew members.

The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and the National Committee for Transportation Safety (KNKT) are in the process of trying to find the whereabouts of the ill-fated plane.The Ministry of Transportation has confirmed that airport authorities lost contact with Sriwijaya Air flight number SJY 182 serving the Jakarta-Pontianak route at approximately 2:40 p.m.

According to the ministry, tthe Boeing 737-500 jet, registration number PK CLC, had its last contact at a position 11 nautical miles north of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, in suburban Jakarta, after passing an altitude of 11,000 feet and while rising to 13,000 feet//ANT