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.
Garuda Indonesia Group is set to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine throughout Indonesia, albeit through the provision of special flights to transport the vaccine in huge quantities.
"We have made several preparations. In addition to being ready to transport (the vaccine) through our existing flight routes, we will train our cabin crew on how to handle (the vaccine) while transporting cargoes," Garuda Indonesia President Director Irfan Setiaputra noted in a written statement released on Wednesday.
Setiaputra pointed to the major challenge posed in the distribution of the pharmaceutical product since stringent health standards and protocols are mandated.
Quality, safety, and security during cargo handling, application of hygiene protocols, and accurate time of cargo delivery are quintessential to the pharmaceutical product distribution chain, he pointed out.
Hence, Garuda Indonesia remains committed to ensuring that the company is ready to address the myriad challenges by securing the pharmaceutical certificate, among others.
"Of course, we also hope that this certificate would be able to expand Garuda Indonesia's cargo business portfolio, through pharmaceutical cargo transport services, that we have projected to become a promising market share in future," he stated.
The Drug and Food Control Agency (BPOM) awaits the clinical test result for the COVID-19 vaccine and data from China's Sinovac Biotech before issuing vaccine authorization, according to the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Working Committee Chairperson Airlangga Hartarto.
"We are optimistic of the BPOM soon issuing the emergency user authorization, and now, it still awaits data from Sinovac and the result of clinical trial conducted in Bandung (West Java) and Brazil scheduled for completion on December 15," Hartarto, concurrently the coordinating minister for economic affairs, noted on the sidelines of the Bisnis Indonesia Award 2020 here recently.
Hartarto remarked that the availability of 1.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine was expected to emerge as a game changer to cut the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and encourage economic recovery.
"Indonesia has continued to boost economic recovery by maintaining a balance between COVID-19 handling and economic recovery," he remarked.
In 2021, Indonesia will receive 1.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine ready for administering, while in December 2020, another 15 million doses of the vaccine will arrive in the form of raw materials to be further processed by state-run vaccine manufacturer Bio Farma for production. (Antaranews)
The government is likely to bear half the COVID-19 vaccination cost and charge the remaining 50 percent from the public, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, said.
"This is still tentative. It is likely to be 50:50," he said here on Monday.
The government is in the process of assessing how much of the vaccine cost it will bear and has yet to decide on it, he informed.
"There has just been a meeting with the President to evaluate how much is to be borne by the government and how much is to be charged from the public," he added.
Instead of 107 million doses projected earlier, 182 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will now be made available to the public, he revealed.
President Joko Widodo has instructed that medical workers and non-medical workers, who have been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, will be prioritized for vaccination, he said.
"In addition, the vaccination will also be prioritized to those spearheading the economic recovery (efforts),” he stated.
This means that the government will give priority to traders, shopkeepers, employees, and small and medium-scale entrepreneurs, he explained.
Indonesia needs 350 million vaccine doses since each citizen would need to be administered two shots of the COVID-19 vaccine, chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Bambang Soesatyo, said recently.
"The government's success to receive 270 million doses of vaccine from several countries to meet domestic needs is worthy of praise. However, with the Indonesian population of 268.5 million, of which, 70 percent must be vaccinated, the real minimum requirement for the COVID-19 vaccine will be 350 million doses," Soesatyo noted in a statement.
The MPR supports the government's endeavors to address the shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, he affirmed.
It would not be easy to meet the real minimum requirement for COVID-19 vaccines since all countries must compete with one another to get the much sought-after doses, he pointed out.
"With the global population of 7.8 billion, the world needs more than 15 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine, while the global production capacity is projected to reach 8.4 billion doses," he stated.
Nearly three billion doses of the total production capacity have been ordered by developed nations, so the Indonesian government must strive to obtain additional vaccines to meet its target, he stressed. (Antaranews)
Maluku Province, and eastern Indonesia in general, has a lot of potential for greater trade and investment with Europe that has not been explored.
The successful completion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), currently being negotiated by the European Union and Indonesia, will boost trade and facilitate investment for both parties.
This was said by the Ambassador of the European Union to Indonesia Vincent Piket, in the virtual meeting "IEU CEPA Virtual Roadshow to Maluku", Monday (14/12).
Piket said that the European Union saw the potential for investment in fisheries and spices in Maluku.
"Europe will buy a lot of fish around the globe and will look for quality, it will look for diversity, and that is something that we can work on also with Maluku. So I think the investment potential for the fish industry, for the fish processing industry, is I think a very good option, "he said.
"Secondly, spices are the same, Europe has no spices so we will have to find them elsewhere and Maluku historically has been a major exporter, so it has good potential," Piket added.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Maluku, Murad Ismail who was present at the meeting, said that currently the Maluku provincial government, assisted by the central government, continues to strive to provide the infrastructure needed to support investors.
Maluku is ready to serve potential investors in accordance with applicable regulations. The European Union delegation has held a series of virtual roadshows to a number of major cities in Indonesia in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Trade, the European Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia (EuroCham), and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN).
The roadshow aims to promote trade and investment, as well as the potential for the European Union Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA). (voi/nuke)
Information about the pandemic spreads rapidly in society without knowing the truth.
The WHO calls this situation an infodemic, which is over-information about a pandemic that could lead people to do the wrong thing.
This was said by the Australian Charge d'affair for Indonesia, Allaster Cox in his remarks at the webinar "Healthy Skepticism to Stop Misinformation During the Covid-19 Pandemic" on Monday (14/12).
Cox said the government is working with the media and other institutions to have an important role to play in increasing public understanding of several issues.
"To manage this infodemic as the WHO called it is as an important part to being able to control the COVID-19 epidemic or many other social or other community phenomena that we face today, politics too," Cox said.
"Government can play a role by creating an informative environment, factual content is developed and widely distributed. During 2020 government, media, civil society organizations, and technology companies have all an important role to play in try to manage and combat misinformation and promoting information that is reliable and improves public understanding," he added.
Allaster Cox added that misinformation can cause people to not follow the public health message from the government and can also increase the stigma which ultimately results in an increase in viral transmission in the community.
Misinformation can also be a source of division and conflict. So it is highly recommended for the public to look for facts and sources of the news they receive. (voi/nuke)
The crackdown on corruption should boost the recovery of state assets for public welfare, according to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).
"The crackdown on corruption should be able to increase the retrieval of state assets," Jokowi stated during the opening of the 2020 Public Prosecutors' Meeting at the State Palace here on Monday.
The Attorney General had earlier reported to the president that over Rp19 trillion worth of state assets were retrieved from various graft cases in the country.
Responding to the report, the head of state noted that such a huge amount should be channeled in the direction of subsequent corruption eradication.
"Prosecutors must work hard to defend the country's interests and to save state assets," Jokowi affirmed.
The Prosecutors’ office is the leading institution in law enforcement, corruption prevention, and eradication as well as for guarding national development.
Hence, Jokowi stressed on the importance of prioritizing human resources that are relevant to the industrial revolution 4.0.
"A transparent and efficient working system must be implemented. A manual system prone to corruption must be abandoned," he remarked.
The president specifically lauded the development of the IT-based system for integrated criminal case handling at the Attorney General’s Office.
"This is good. Moreover, it has been synergized with the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, the police, correctional institutions, and courts. However, most importantly, the data and technology would be updated regularly," Jokowi added. (Antaranews)
Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR RI) Commission VI member Mahfudz Abdurrahman urged the government to ensure that vaccine prices are not left to market mechanisms to deter rent-seeking practices in vaccine supply.
"The government must be present in regulating the prices of COVID-19 vaccines and not leave it to market mechanism, so that the prices of COVID-19 vaccines do not burden the public," Abdurrahman noted in a written statement here on Monday.
The government should be able to prevent the practice of rent-seekers in the supply of vaccines on account of the large number of vaccine users for which the government does not bear the expenses, according to Abdurrahman.
Furthermore, the government should ensure that vaccines to be administered to the community are safe and lawful in addition to not being burdensome to people, who have borne the economic brunt of the prolonged pandemic.
The DPR RI Commission VI member emphasized that the government should also ensure sound coordination between technical ministries for the supply of vaccines.
"Good coordination between technical ministries is expected to yield the right decisions in the provision of COVID-19 vaccines, so that it can ably meet the requirements of 107 million people," he stated.
The COVID-19 vaccines will target 107 million people, of which 75 million must pay for their vaccines and 32 million would be covered by the government.
Spokesperson for COVID-19 Vaccination from the Ministry of Health Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi had earlier stated that the government had, until now, not set a price for the COVID-19 vaccine, so the public was urged to await an official announcement.
"The information currently circulating cannot be used as a reference, and we urge the public to wait for the official government announcement regarding the vaccine and vaccination against COVID-19," she remarked.
In accordance with Health Minister’s Decree Number 9860 of 2020, the government has determined six types of COVID-19 vaccines to be used in Indonesia, specifically vaccines produced by Bio Farma, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, and Sinovac. (Antaranews)
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) drew attention of legal enforcers to be wary that fulfilling public duties should not trigger fear.
"Law enforcement must not instill a sense of fear that hinders acceleration and innovation," Jokowi stated in his opening remarks during the 2020 Public Prosecutors' Meeting at the State Palace here on Monday.
The head of state highlighted the need to increase public trust in law enforcement agencies.
The president stressed on the indispensable need for law enforcers, including prosecutors, to harbor a sense of integrity and professionalism.
"Supervision and enforcement of internal discipline must be strengthened. The AGO must be clean. The prosecutor's office must be clean. The prosecutor's office must serve with integrity and be a role model for law enforcement professionals," he stated.
To this end, the president called for making effective and continued improvements, from upstream to downstream in the prosecutor's office, and pertaining to other law enforcement agencies.
“Recruitment and promotion must be conducted with transparent and open meritocracy. The integrity of prosecutors, with national insight and readiness to face legal problems in future, must be prioritized," he stated.
The president emphasized the need for law enforcement agencies to work together to conduct functions properly without triggering fear among members of the public.
The Jakarta Police noted that its officers recently shot dead six members of the Islam Defenders' Front (FPI) on the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road, as they had attacked on-duty officers.
The incident had fueled an outcry on social media, and several legislators and NGOs have demanded the government to form an independent fact-finding team to investigate the deaths of six civilians aged between 20 and 33 years. (Antaranews)
Three Chinese companies have signed a letter of intent (LoI) for the purchase of products worth US$505 million, or about Rp7.1 trillion, from Indonesia.
Beijing Huiyu Import-Export Co Ltd, Hebei Jinyezi Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, and Prestige International Trading Company Ltd signed the LoI on the sidelines of a business forum organized by the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing on Wednesday.
This is a special achievement considering this was the first time the embassy organized a hybrid offline-online event amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesian Ambassador to China, Djauhari Oratmangun, said on Thursday.
Chinese investment in Indonesia rose 6 percent in the January-September period this year compared to the same period last year, he said, without elaborating on the value of investment.
"China continues to make Indonesia one of the priority investment destinations for its companies wishing to go global and expand their investment in Indonesia," he remarked.
The forum featured chief of the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Bahlil Lahadalia, chief representative of Bank Indonesia in Beijing, Arief Hartawan, and Secretary General of China Top 500, Huang Jun.
On Wednesday night, the embassy hosted a diplomatic reception to mark the 75th anniversary of Indonesian independence, which was attended by Assistant to Chinese Foreign Minister, Wu Jianghua, and representatives from friendly countries. (Antaranews)
Indonesia's farm exports rose to Rp359.5 trillion in the year ending October 31, 2020, reflecting an increase of 11.6 percent year-on-year, Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo said.
"The plantation sub-sector contributed most to exports in the agricultural sector at Rp326.86 trillion, or 90.92 percent," he said during the commemoration of the 63rd Plantation Day here on Thursday.
According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), farm commodities were exported to China, India, the United States, and several European countries.
The agri exports mainly comprised palm oil, rubber, cacao, coconut, and coffee.
The minister said the plantation sub-sector made a real contribution to state revenue because the development of plantation commodities drew attention from all stakeholders.
"The commemoration of Plantation Day must encourage our spirit and innovation to play a role in national economic recovery," he remarked.
In addition, it will hopefully create a collective momentum to formulate strategies for optimizing plantation exports in the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, the minister said.
Demand for plantation commodities, one of the country's foreign exchange-earners, has continued to increase despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Limpo noted.
He said the plantation sub-sector should be accorded serious attention by all stakeholders, including state-owned companies and private companies, to aid the eventual creation of farm corporations. (Antaranews)
Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has encouraged local industries to increase their creativity to design halal products, particularly in the fashion and tourism sectors, that hold huge potential in global trade.
"Fashion, creative products, leisure and media, and Muslim-friendly tourism would need innovative and classy product designs. Of course, this is a huge potential that must be explored by designers of industrial products," Amin noted in Jakarta during the conferment of the Upakarti Award 2020 held virtually on Thursday.
Amin remarked that the halal industry in Indonesia had still solely focused on food and beverage products, while other halal products including fashion, creative industry, and tourism also had a potential global market.
The demand for halal products in the global market had risen sharply with the development of the sharia-based economy.
"The State of Global Islamic Economy Report 2019/2020 showed that the world's Muslim consumers' expenditure has reached US$2.2 trillion in 2018. It is projected to reach US$3.2 trillion in 2024," he pointed out.
Indonesia, with the world’s largest Muslim population, has spent US$214 billion on halal products or some 10 percent of the world’s halal market shares. In comparison with other Muslim-majority nations, Indonesia has the largest market for halal products.
"Hence, I am optimistic that designers and industry operators would capitalize on the domestic and global market opportunities through the creation of new products that not only have aesthetic value but also high added value," the vice president noted. (Antaranews)