VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta. The House of Representatives Legislation Body (Baleg), on Monday, concurred on setting up a Working Committee on the Ban on Alcoholic Beverages Bill initiated by the House.

"In order to ensure that deliberation on this bill is more focused, a Working Committee on the Ban on Alcoholic Beverages Bill is formed," Deputy Head of the Legislation Body Achmad Baldowi stated while confirming the agreement of participants during the Body's meeting at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Monday.

All members of the Body then agreed on the formation of the Committee.

Baldowi then urged every faction of the House to hand in the names of prospective members of the Committee.

Prior to the decision being made, the meeting held a hearing of the Legislative Body Team of Experts that conveyed the points of the Bill.

The Expert Team furnished details on the philosophical, sociological, and juridical basis of the Alcoholic Beverages Ban Bill. Firstly, the philosophical basis is that every citizen has the right to a good, healthy, and physically and mentally prosperous environment that implements human rights guaranteed to be fulfilled by the state to protect the lives of all Indonesians based on the 1945 Constitution. Secondly, the sociological basis wherein the bill is an endeavor to achieve a sound and healthy living environment by curbing intake of alcoholic beverages that have a negative impact on health and can potentially impact public order, peace, and security as well as lower the quality of the nation's competitiveness.

The third juridical basis highlights that the regulation of alcoholic drinks is currently still strewn across various regulations, though no single regulation exists that comprehensively regulates alcoholic beverages.

The Legislative Body Expert Team also offered explanations pertaining to the content of the Alcoholic Drinks regulation that encompasses the definition of alcoholic drinks; type, class and alcoholic drink content; establishment of an alcoholic beverage industry, production, licensing, and production mechanism; and restrictions on the imports of alcoholic drinks from overseas.

Additionally, they touched on local alcoholic beverage development support; alcoholic beverage distribution and trade; excise and alcohol tax; and monitoring and handling of the effects of alcoholic beverages. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. Bank Indonesia (BI) asserted its commitment to supporting the acceleration of digitalization of Indonesia's economy and finance through endeavors, including digitizing the payment system.

"BI remains committed to supporting joint efforts to accelerate the digitalization of Indonesia's economy and finance," Governor of BI Perry Warjiyo stated at the opening of the Indonesian Digital Economy and Finance Festival (FEKDI) and launch of the Acceleration and Expansion of Regional Digitalization (P2DD) here on Monday.

Warjiyo noted that the commitment was echoed, particularly after the Quick Response Code Indonesia Standard (QRIS), an innovation in the digitalization of the payment system, became a game changer amid limited mobility of the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, the BI governor noted that this year, BI will also encourage digital innovation through the launch of round-the-clock real-time fast payments, so that retail payments replace the national clearing system.

"Along with the banking industry and associations, we also encourage digitalization of banking to be connected to e-commerce and the marketplace through open API (Application Program Interface) standardization," he expounded.

During this year, BI, along with the Social Affairs Ministry and Home Affairs Ministry, also encouraged the electronification of social assistance, so that the distribution of assistance can be expedited to the regions.

Warjiyo ensured that BI will continue to reform regulations by launching a Bank Indonesia Regulation (PBI) to encourage the industry to develop a digital payment system.

"This will accelerate licensing, encourage industrial reform and encourage innovation, as well as support risk management and cyber security," he stated.

By taking various steps and forging strong synergies, development of the digital economy and finance will become even better.

Warjiyo has forecast e-commerce transactions to increase, from Rp253 trillion to Rp337 trillion, or clock a growth of 33 percent, while electronic money transactions are projected to climb, from Rp201 trillion in 2020 to Rp266 trillion, or record a 32-percent growth in 2021.

"Digital banking is also (estimated to) increase, from Rp27,000 trillion in 2020 to grow 19 percent to reach Rp32,200 trillion," he stated. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. Some 62 residents of Flores Timur District in East Nusa Tenggara Province lost their lives in flash floods, triggered by heavy rains, that lashed the areas of nine villages on Sunday.

Some 56 of the 62 flood victims were the residents of Nelelalamadike Village in Ileboleng Sub-district, Deputy Head of Flores Timur District Agus Payong Boli stated.

Six other victims were identified as Wotanulumado Sub-district's residents, Boli noted in a statement received by ANTARA in Jakarta on Monday.

The search and rescue workers are making ongoing efforts to locate four other residents that reportedly became untraceable, Boli remarked.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that apart from causing fatalities, the flooding also compelled several hundred residents to seek refuge in safer places.

The agency confirmed that as of Monday at 5 a.m. local time, a total of 256 displaced residents were accommodated at Nelemawangi Village's hall.

The disaster mitigation agency confirmed that several other residents were offered shelter at the Nelelamadike Village hall.

Flash floods submerged nine villages in the sub-districts of Ile Boleng, Adonara Timur, Wotan Ulu Mado, and Adonara Barat, Flores Timur District, on Sunday.

The affected villages are Nelemadike, Nelemawangi, Waiburak, Waiwerang, Oyang Barang, Pandai, Duwanur, Waiwadan, and Daniboa.

The debris carried during the flash floods not only claimed the lives of numerous villagers but also destroyed and damaged 77 houses and led to the collapse of five bridges.

The Flores Timur disaster mitigation agency confirmed that extreme weather coupled with a shortage of backhoes had hindered its rescue and evacuation efforts.

Various regions of Indonesia are susceptible to natural disasters.

Within the first quarter of this year, several hydrological disasters had hit the islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi.

In Sumatra Island, for instance, flash floods and a landslide had damaged seven homes and caused destruction to a bridge in Wih Ni Durin Village, Syiah Utama Sub-district, Bener Meriah District, Aceh Province, following unremitting heavy rains in the Gayo highland area.

Meanwhile, in Java Island, landslides hit the Cihanjuang Village in Cimanggung Sub-district, Sumedang District, West Java Province.

On Feb 7, flash floods also inundated Semarang City's Kota Lama (Old Town) neighborhood and several other areas owing to incessant rains and tidal flooding. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Head Doni Monardo, on Monday, embarked on a visit to East Flores District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, which bore the brunt of flooding and landslide on early Sunday.

Monardo was scheduled to leave for East Flores on Sunday evening, but the departure was hindered by extreme weather in NTT, the agency's expert staff, Egy Massadiah, stated here on Monday

"Owing to the weather last night at the destination location, (his departure) was not possible. Hence, it was postponed until this morning at 5 a.m. WIB (Western Indonesian Standard Time)," he remarked.

During his stay in NTT, he is accompanied by NTT Deputy Governor Josep Nae Soi and local senator Yorrys Raweyai and Angelius Wake Koko.

Earlier, from March 30 to April 3, the BNPB chief and his entourage had paid a series of visits to Nunukan in North Kalimantan, Mamuju in West Sulawesi, and Palu in Central Sulawesi to review post-disaster handling in those natural disaster-hit regions.

“This is not the first time that we have to go on a marathon trip from one area to another. After returning to Jakarta, he soon has to leave again for other regions hit by disaster. Well, that is what happened this morning," he stated.

Flash floods and landslides struck several villages in East Flores on Sunday at around 1 a.m. local time following strong winds and incessant heavy rains lashing the region.

The affected villages comprised Nelelamadike in Ile Boleng Sub-district, Waiwerang and Waiburak in East Adonara Sub-district, Oyang Barang and Pandai in Wotan Ulumado Sub-district, and Waiwadan and Duwanur in West Adonara Sub-district.

A total of 62 people reportedly died in the natural disasters in East Flores. Search and rescue operations were continued to find more victims swept away by flash floods or buried by landslides. (Antaranews)