VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesia is open to Papua New Guinea's (PNG's) cooperation interest and will allow it to study its mineral industry downstreaming process, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said.

After inspecting the Zone 9 food estate corn field in Keerom district, Papua, on Thursday, the President noted that both Indonesia and PNG have abundant mineral wealth.

"After seeing Indonesia's nickel stock that provides enormous added value to up to 30 times, PNG wants to see the step-by-step (downstreaming) process, and Indonesia is open to that," he said in a broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel.

He further said he will allow PNG to observe the industrial downstreaming process in Indonesia, including for nickel in Morowali and Weda Bay, copper in Gresik, and bauxite in Bintan.

PNG has also been invited to explore cooperation potential for the downstreaming process with state-owned or private Indonesian companies, he added.

"Everything is there, and we will open it. If they want to cooperate with state-owned enterprises or private companies or not cooperate at all, it is fine. We will always be open for them," he emphasized.

He said that such cooperation is essential to advance development in the Global South.

Meanwhile, bilateral relations between Indonesia and PNG will be improved, he added. This will be realized through concrete initiatives, such as the development of economic zones on the Indonesia-PNG border that will have outstanding trade potential.

"If we see, for instance, in Skouw (in Papua), the trade value there reached US$300 million -- it is for Skouw and Wutung (in PNG) alone. If we develop similar economic zones, it will be better. We offered this yesterday, and PNG agreed to it," he disclosed.

Earlier, after a meeting with Prime Minister James Marape at Port Moresby during his visit to Papua New Guinea on July 5, 2023, President Widodo said that Indonesia and PNG have agreed to the drafting of a road map for development cooperation for the next five years.

Besides reiterating Indonesia's commitment to assisting PNG in developing several infrastructures, such as hospitals, fire stations, and schools, Widodo also highlighted the nation's dedication to advancing cooperation with Pacific countries, including PNG. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita discussed new cooperation in the industrial sector during a recent meeting with the Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) Jin Zhuanglong.

The bilateral meeting was conducted during Kartasasmita's working visit to China on Tuesday (July 4).

"At the meeting with Minister Jin Zhuanglong, there are at least four new initiatives in industrial cooperation (were) offered by MIIT. Indonesia warmly welcomes the cooperation offers from China," the minister said, according to a written statement released here on Thursday.

The four cooperation initiatives offered by China comprised the continuation of the ASEAN-China Forum on Emerging Industries and Ministerial Dialogue on Industry and the cooperation on emerging industries, Industry 4.0 and new energy vehicles (NEVs), and photovoltaic (PV) sectors.

In concert with efforts to transform industrial technology to realize Industry 4.0 in Indonesia, Kartasasmita welcomed China's offer. He also invited Chinese information technology companies to increase their investment in Indonesia.

"We see that China is a huge power in this industrial sector, for instance, as seen in Huawei, whose factory we had visited earlier," the minister said.

He also welcomed opportunities for optimizing ongoing cooperation, including in the electric vehicle (EV) and new energy vehicle sectors.

Cooperation in the EV sector will also be consistent with Indonesia's aspiration to become the regional hub of EV production with the capability to compete at the global level, Kartasasmita said.

The minister highlighted that Indonesia's readiness for developing an EV ecosystem would be an essential capital to cooperate in those sectors with China, as the country has become the largest EV producer whose market share is one-third of global production.

"This cooperation will also realize ASEAN's aspiration to be greener and more sustainable," he added. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - The use of superior seeds can help improve the productivity of oil palms in Indonesia, which is not yet optimal, according to the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).

"Seeds with high productivity and of (good) quality need to be continuously explored and developed to increase national production," head of BRIN's Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Puji Lestari, said in a statement issued by the agency here on Thursday.

BRIN is still focusing on the development of oil palm-supporting technologies to optimize production, she informed. The development of superior varieties depends on the availability of genetic material, which is still being explored.

If oil palm seeds are of good quality, production can be supported through proper fertilization and pest and disease control, including by utilizing artificial intelligence technology or biological technology, as well as other relevant cultivation technologies.

BRIN is not only focusing on efforts to improve the quality of oil palm seeds and fertilizers, but also calculating the sustainability aspect and reducing the environmental impact.

"Oil palms' production is highly dependent on fertilization to ensure optimal growth and results," she said.

"While synthetic fertilizers are commonly used in oil palm cultivation, farmers' interest in alternative fertilizers that are more environmentally friendly and sustainable is rising," she noted.

Manure and compost are essential materials in organic fertilizers that improve soil fertility and nutrition, as well as increase microbial activity.

Lestari said that organic fertilizers, as alternatives, can be used as a solution to increase the productivity of oil palms because they contain microorganisms that are beneficial for the soil and plants.

Those microorganisms can help increase the availability of nutrients in the soil, control plant pathogens, and increase crop productivity, in general. (antaranews)

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi on Wednesday vouched for the safety of Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean after he surveyed the facility.

In a major milestone for the decommissioning of the power plant, destroyed in a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, the IAEA said on Tuesday that a two-year review showed Japan's plans for the water release would have a negligible impact on the environment.

Japanese fishing unions have long opposed the plan, saying it would undo work to repair reputational damage after several countries banned some Japanese food products for fear of radiation. Japan regularly tests seafood from the Fukushima area and has found it to be safe.

Grossi said there were no pending issues, after surveying the wrecked power plant and feeding flounder raised in the treated radioactive water as proof of its harmlessness.

He also inaugurated an IAEA office on site that will monitor the release of the water, which is expected to take 30 to 40 years.

Still, the reality for people, the economy, and social perceptions may be different from the science, Grossi said, acknowledging the fears surrounding the water release.

"I don't have a magic solution for the doubts and concerns that may exist, but we do have one thing ... we are going to stay here with you for decades to come ... until the last drop of the water has been safely discharged," he said.

The Japanese government is looking to start releasing water as early as August, the Nikkei reported on Wednesday.

The plan still needs official approval from the national nuclear regulatory body, which is expected on Friday.

CRITICISM ABROAD

Some neighbouring countries have also raised concerns over the threat to the environment, with Beijing emerging as the biggest critic.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Wednesday criticised the move towards discharging the water and threatened action if the plan should move ahead.

"The relevant Chinese government departments will strengthen the monitoring of the ocean environment and inspection of marine products import, so as to ensure the health and food security of the public," he said, but declined to give specific details on what sort of action the government would take.

China bans seafood imports from 10 prefectures in Japan, including Fukushima and the capital Tokyo. Seafood imports from other prefectures are allowed but must pass radioactivity tests and have proof of being produced outside the 10 banned prefectures.

The United States welcomed the IAEA report on Wednesday. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller praised Japan's cooperation with the IAEA and its "science-based and transparent process".

To assuage international concerns, Grossi said he will follow up his visit to Japan with a tour of South Korea and the Pacific Islands to explain the water will have no negative impact on the environment.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday his country would aim to gain acceptance both domestically and internationally with the IAEA's endorsement.

Kishida may meet South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to explain the water release, when attending the NATO summit meeting in Lithuania next week, the Mainichi newspaper said on Wednesday.

Japan's foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, is also preparing to meet his Chinese and South Korean counterparts mid-July on the sidelines of a South-East Asia group summit, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Japan says the water has been filtered to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that is difficult to separate from water. The treated water will be diluted to well below internationally approved levels of tritium before being released into the Pacific. (Reuters)