VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - The Indonesian Government and the House of Representatives (DPR) have agreed on a plan for development indicators in the Draft State Budget (RAPBN) for Fiscal Year 2024 and the Government Work Plan (RKP) for 2024.

"As stated by the deputy chairman of DPR's Budget Agency, Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal, we have two targets in the RKP," Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said in a post on her official Instagram account @smindrawati, which was accessed from here on Tuesday.

The first target is to restore the growth momentum by increasing productivity through various indicators. The next is pushing an increase in the quality and competitiveness of human resources as a representation of inclusive development, she informed.

Based on those two targets, the Budget Agency has prepared an agreement on development indicators for 2024 related to accelerating economic recovery and improving the quality and competitiveness of human resources, among others.

For economic recovery, the two parties have agreed to set a target for economic growth of around 5.1 percent to 5.7 percent from the previous proposal of 5.3 percent to 5.7 percent. Then, the target for the open unemployment rate (TPT) has remained in the range of 5.0 percent to 5.7 percent, Mulyani noted.

Meanwhile, the Gini ratio target has also remained in the range of 0.374 to 0.3777 and the target for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is 27.27 percent, she added.

For an agreement to improve the quality and competitiveness of human resources, the proposed values have remained, namely a human development index (IPM) in the range of 73.99 to 74.02 and a poverty rate of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent.

Lastly, the government and the DPR have also agreed on the values of other development indicators, namely Farmers' Terms of Trade (NTP) in the range of 105 to 108 and Fishermen's Exchange Rates (NTN) in the range of 107 to 110.

The minister emphasized that the fiscal policy plan for the 2024 fiscal year has been structured to remain expansive, directed, and measurable.

"The architecture of the 2024 State Budget is designed to support those plans, an acceleration of economic transformation that is inclusive and sustainable," she said.  (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan affirmed that the government is ready to facilitate young members of the Indonesian diaspora to embark on entrepreneurship in Australia.

Speaking at a gathering with members of the Indonesian diaspora in Sydney, the minister expressed hope that young diasporas can promote Indonesia and everything it has to offer, including food, arts, and tourism.

"The Trade Ministry is open to facilitating those works and efforts through the help of our trade representatives. In Australia, you can seek assistance from our trade attaché in Canberra and the Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC) in Sydney," Hasan noted as per the statement received here on Tuesday (July 4).

Indonesia and Australia have become key trade partners for one another, and bilateral trade between the two countries recorded the highest-ever value of US$13.3 billion in 2022, according to data from the Indonesian trade ministry.

The minister noted that Indonesian entrepreneurs could optimize the benefits provided by the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA), ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

"Business actors and communities in the two countries can tap in on unexplored potentials and bolster the mutually beneficial cooperation," Hasan remarked.

The meeting with the Indonesian diaspora took place at Sydney's Garam Merica Indonesian restaurant. The establishment is owned by an Indonesian diaspora cooperating with Australian importers, and all products used by the restaurant come from Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Sydney ITPC Chairperson Annisa Puspasari highlighted that the Indonesia Spice Up the World programme to promote Indonesian products could be implemented by opening Indonesian restaurants in Australia.

"Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre in Sydney is always encouraging and supporting the Indonesian diaspora, who open the Indonesian restaurant, including by using spices made in Indonesia," Puspasari stated. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani highlighted that the government has allotted a budget for education amounting to Rp612 trillion in 2023.

"In 2023, the Indonesian government has allocated an education budget of Rp612 trillion, or around US$40 billion," the minister noted during a discussion at the Inclusive Lifelong Learning Conference (ILLC) in Badung, Bali, Wednesday.

Mulyani noted that in line with the Constitution, the government should spend 20 percent of the budget on education.

The minister remarked that the budget was allocated by the central government and regional governments.

"This shows that the management structure of education, from elementary to high school is the responsibility of the local government," she noted.

According to Mulyani, most of the education budget is allocated to support elementary to high school education, as Indonesia's demographic composition is still dominated by young people.

The minister also emphasized the need for the local government to have the ability to manage the budget in an organized manner as well as be responsible for spending on basic education.

Mulyani emphasized that Indonesia prioritized efforts to improve education, such as developing infrastructure for physical structures in several schools in Indonesia, which has been an achievement in the last two decades.

"This is a big challenge for us, considering that geographically, we are very large, with an unequal population," she noted.

Mulyani stated that since 2005, the government has also helped through the School Operational Assistance (BOS) given directly to schools.

In addition, students from underprivileged and vulnerable families will be assisted with scholarships through the government's Smart Indonesia Program (PIP) that began in 2014.

Mulyani affirmed that through these efforts, education in Indonesia has made substantial progress, with an increase in Early Childhood Education (PAUD) enrollment, from 35.18 to 35.28 percent; Elementary Schools, from 97.20 percent to 99.10 percent; Junior High Schools, from 82.6 to 95.9 percent; and Senior High School, from 52.8 to 73.15 percent.   (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Secretary of the Nusantara Capital City Authority (OIKN) Achmad Jaka Santos Adiwijaya on Tuesday said that OIKN has invited the Disney World theme park's management and Stanford University to invest in the future Indonesian capital.

"In the early talks with Disney, we offer how about Disney Jungle, as there are Disney Land and Disney Sea in other countries," he informed at the "3rd National Capacity Forum for the Kalimantan and Sulawesi Area" here on Tuesday.

He said that talks between OIKN and Disney have been on since 2022. However, the investment process requires a lot of consideration, he emphasized.

"The investment value very much depends on the deepening results. They will look at how much the land costs, how much area it needs, and the source of the materials. We want to give the best for Nusantara," he said.

In addition to inviting Disney to invest in IKN, his side has also invited global universities such as King's College London and Stanford University to invest in the country's new capital by opening their campuses to offer their programs.

According to him, the entry of educational institutions in the new capital would support education in the region.

"The head (of OIKN) himself went to America (to talk with) Stanford University. It is likely that the life science (study program) will be opened, and several universities are interested as well, including national universities," he said.

One of the national universities that have started building their campus near the IKN area is Gunadarma University in Penajam Paser Utara (PPU), Adiwijaya added.

"This is important; we will also open vocational education (programs) because we hope that the life industry or specific enhanced technology industry can move to Area 6 here, which is the research and innovation area," he said.

IKN’s development will be undertaken in nine clusters: the Core Government Area (KIPP), Center for Economics and Finance, New and Renewable Energy Area, Tourism Area, Education Area, Research and Innovation Area, Plantation, Trade and Logistics Area, Agricultural Industrial Area, and the Agriculture and Fisheries Area. (Antaranews)