VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Special Jakarta showcased five investment projects to Singaporean investors in the fifth series of the Road to Indonesia Investment Day 2020 webinar on Tuesday.

The webinar was organized by the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore with Bank Indonesia and the Investment Coordinating Board in Singapore (IIPC).

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan who attended the webinar said the provincial government was committed to and provided full support for the realization of foreign investment.

"In the second quarter of 2020, Jakarta attracted a large amount of investment amounting to US$443.8 million from 904 projects," he said.

Investments in the housing sector, industrial estates, and offices take up 56 percent, while transportation, warehouses, and telecommunications take up 31 percent.

Out of the five projects showcased by DKI Jakarta, four were presented during the webinar, namely the Jakarta MRT, Jakarta LRT, JIEP (Jakarta Industrial Estate Pulogadung), and TOD (Transit Oriented Development) project.

In his remarks, the Chargé d'Affaires (KUAI) of the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, Didik Eko Pujianto, said Jakarta is a very special province and is no stranger to Singaporean investors.

Jakarta, a city with over 11 million population, is the most developed province in Indonesia, he said.

Various projects, especially those related to connectivity and transportation have excellent opportunities in DKI Jakarta, he added.

After the webinar, there were eight ‘one-on-one meeting’ sessions attended by investors who were interested in obtaining further information about the projects from their developers.

The ‘one-on-one meeting’ sessions are expected to further increase the interest of Singaporean investors to invest in the Jakarta province, according to the statement.

About 159 registered participants are interested in Singaporean and other foreign investors.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Central Bank Governor Perry Warjiyo spoke about the importance of maintaining macro and financial stability in supporting sustainable economic growth.

Chairman of the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board, Bahlil Lahadalia, stated that his party is always ready to facilitate potential investment through various measures, starting from licensing, providing incentives, and guaranteeing investment convenience. (Antaranews)

Head of the Merah Putih Vaccine Team, Bambang Brodjonegoro, delivered reports about the development of the Red and White Vaccine to President Joko Widodo.

President Joko Widodo previously mandated the Merah Putih Vaccine Team to accelerate the development of the vaccine on Wednesday.

Bambang, who is also the minister of research and technology, said that the vaccine's progress has reached 50 percent. 

"We told the president that the Eijkman institute has started the development of the Merah Putih vaccine with a recombinant protein platform, the process has reached 50 percent," he said on Wednesday.

Bambang said the vaccine will be tested on animals by the end of this year. In early 2021, the vaccine will be submitted to Bio Farma to enter the clinical test stage.

He estimates that in the fourth quarter of 2021, Indonesia will produce large amounts of Merah Putih vaccine.

"By the end of this year we will start animal tests, so around January, Eijkman can hand over the vaccine seeds to PT Bio Farma for clinical trials. After completing the clinical trial, BPOM [Food and Drug Administration] will verify that this vaccine is safe to use and suitable for maintaining endurance. against COVID-19, then mass production by PT Bio Farma," he said.

"In estimation, in the fourth quarter of 2021 we can produce in large quantities and later complement the vaccine with Chinese Sinovac, and G42 from the UAE," he added.

Bambang said that his party had invited several pharmaceutical companies to cooperate with the government.

To support production, other than Bio Farma which will produce 250 million doses per year, we also invited several private pharmaceutical companies to take part in the COVID-19 vaccine production. So far there are 3 potential companies. They have to get permits from BPOM and must prepare a line of production," he said.

"We hope that Indonesia can be independent in the provision and development of vaccines. We must consider from the initial research stage is that there is a possibility that every individual might need more than one shot," he added.

"If the population is around 270 million, the minimum vaccine must be 540 million, and automatically a large production capacity is required," Bambang said.

The government continues to intensify the use of masks to the public to reduce the risk of contracting or transmitting the SARS-CoV2 virus that causes COVID-19.

Wiku Adisasmito, Spokesperson for the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, asked all parties to campaign for masks as an effort to protect themselves and others.

"Do not let our droplets affects other parties. If more than 75 percent of the population uses masks, then COVID-19 cases can drop drastically," Wiku said in a press statement on Tuesday.

Wiku also revealed that based on the results of research in America, the use of cloth masks by 80 percent of the population will reduce 34 to 58 percent of additional cases of death. The results of the study state that the use of masks reduces the increase in new cases and deaths.

"Let's prove this is our common target because we want to protect ourselves and we want to protect the country," he concluded. (RRI)

President Joko Widodo formed a National Team for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Vaccine Development and installed Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, as head of its steering team.

The structure of the National Team for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Vaccine Development has been stipulated in Presidential Decree Number 18 of 2020, dated Sep. 3, 2020.

The team comprises a steering team, persons in charge, and executive officers.

The team would work until December 31, 2021, Wiku Adisasmito, spokesperson for the COVID-19 Task Force, said at an online press conference on Tuesday.

"All components (of the team) must be able to work and synergize the time — that is not long — and they really must complete the task by the end of 2021," he said.

Members of the steering team include Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD.

Minister for Research and Technology and head of the National Research and Innovation Agency Bambang Brodjonegoro, mandated to lead the persons in charge in the team, with Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto serving as Deputy Chair I and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir as Deputy Chairman II.

Members of the team include Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasminta, Minister of Trade Agus Suparmanto, Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim, and head of the Food and Drug Administration Penny Kusumastuti Lukito.

The team has four objectives: to speed up the development of COVID-19 vaccines in Indonesia; to bring national resilience and self-reliance in developing COVID-19 vaccines; to intensify synergy in research, development, assessment, and application of scientific knowledge and technology, invention and innovation, production, distribution, and use or utilization of COVID-19 vaccines between the government and science and technology institutions, and science and technology resources in the COVID-19 vaccine development; and, to carry out preparations, utilization, capacity building, and boost national capacity for the development of COVID-19 vaccines. (Antaranews)