VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Thursday (22/2), a group of community leaders from Rakhine State, Myanmar visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and met with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.  The visit was part of a study tour in Indonesia from 20-27 February 2018, that will comprise visits to Jakarta and Ambon.  

The purpose of this visit is to expose the community leaders to Indonesia’s experience of inter-faith engagement, multiculturalism and reconciliation. More specifically, in dealing with ethnic and sectarian conflicts.

These experiences are aimed to provide the awareness that the relations between communities can improve again after communal violence and at the same time to provide some ideas and tools as to how to improve the situation in Rakhine State.  The participants of the study tour are 10 influential community leaders (5 from the Rakhine community and 5 from the Muslim community) from the northern Rakhine State. They are from different educational background, different group of age and different occupation.

In 2017, for the first time, Indonesia held Interfaith-Dialogue with Myanmar. The Interfaith Dialogue is also intended to exchange experiences of how in a pluralistic country like Indonesia, the harmony of society can be maintained.Sekar/Pers Release Kemlu

The Ministry of Trade along with Bank Indonesia and the Financial Services Authority will conduct a series of meetings to take steps and decisions regarding the use of digital currency.

In a discussion themed '‘Synergy of Trading Industry based on Commodity, Warehouse Receipt System, and Commodity Auction Market in the Era of Digital Trading in Encouraging National Economic Growth’  which was held in Jakarta on Wednesday, (February 7), Minister of Trade Enggartiasto Lukita explained that crypto- currency, such as bit-coin, is rampant in Indonesia.

Thus, the government cannot keep being silent, but the government must take a number of decisions. However, Minister Enggar ensures that digital currency cannot be used as a means of payment in Indonesia.

"But certainly, bit-coin as a payment tool cannot be used. I can say that it is almost certain. There is no underline and so on. We do not know the form or the person. It's so a lot now and so rampant," Enggartiasto Lukita said.

Minister Enggartiasto further explained that some options have been included in the considerations for decision making. On the same occasion, Vice Chairman of the National Economic and Industrial Committee -KEIN, Arif Budimanta is grateful that digital currency in Indonesia is prohibited from using it. He views that this digital currency is not clear and moving on the basis of expectations./// (VOI/Sekar/RHM)

2018 and 2019 are political years in Indonesia. In the years, two great events: Regional Head Election and Presidential Election will be held. Vice chairman of National Economic and Industrial Committee, Arif Budimanta said that based on a study of Economist Intelligence Unit, there is no political risk which is relatively significant to doubt the ability of Indonesia in managing its economy and government.

At a public discussion  themed ‘Synergy of Trading Industry based on Commodity, Warehouse Receipt System, and Commodity Auction Market in the Era of Digital Trading in Encouraging National Economic Growth’ which was held in Jakarta on Wednesday (7/2). Arif Budimanta explained that Economist Intelligence Unit viewed that it is optimistic with Indonesian economic prospect in 2018 and 2019. The study is in line with roundtable and expert panel of the committee which concluded that in political context, the election of regional head does not cause economic risk.

“…The point is that in 2018, there is no need of political chaos in Indonesia. Although ahead of the presidential election, it will be a little heating up, but that usually happens everywhere, not just in Indonesia. In the political context as well, most regions are closer to us; Malaysia is going ahead for the election. But in some major countries, such as America, Germany, and China, all the process has been completed. So, regional politics as well as geopolitics globally take place as a whole. They are driving machines of major changes in geopolitical imbalance. All of these are relatively completed," Arif Budimanta said.

Arif Budimanta hopes that something bad will not happen in the future. Until now, trend shows positive thing. On the same occasion, Minister of Trade, Enggartiasto Lukita asserted that the prospect and economic growth in Indonesia in political years is no doubt. He is optimistic that in the political years, money will circulate more and consumption will increase. The Minister also guaranteed that the government will strictly control the economy in the political years. (Sekar/trans-Yati/RHM)