VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta. A team of veterinarians from the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and Leuser Conservation Forum (FKL) offered treatment to a wounded wild Sumatran elephant.

The female elephant received medical treatment on early Sunday (March 21), Anhar, the forum's veterinarian, noted in his statement that ANTARA quoted here on Tuesday.

"The elephant is estimated to have been injured two or three weeks ago," Anhar remarked, adding that the local villagers, however, informed the FKL officers in Langsa District on March 16.

This wild Sumatran elephant was found abandoned in a forest near Srimulya Village in Peunaron Sub-district, East Aceh District, Aceh Province, in mid-March.

Her age is estimated to be between 40 and 45 years, while her weight is about 3.70 tons, and her height is recorded at 2.35 meters, according to Anhar.

Anhar revealed that the ill-fated elephant had sustained tens of puncture wounds over her body.

Serious infection had developed in several of the wounds, such as the ones under her right ear, on her right belly, and on her left leg, he revealed.

Anhar noted that the veterinarians had yet to confirm if her wounds were caused by blunt or sharp objects.

Furthermore, the female elephant, who might have been abandoned after being separated from her herd, would later be released into her natural habitat.

Before her release, the team of veterinarians would return to treat her again two days after providing the first medical treatment, he stated.

The Indonesian government has classified Sumatran elephants as endangered species, for which they should be well-protected and preserved.

Human-wildlife conflicts and illegal wildlife trade continue to hinder the government's efforts to save Indonesia's endangered species from becoming extinct.

Over the past three years, human-elephant conflicts, for instance, have become a major conservation concern in Aceh and several other elephant range provinces in Sumatra Island.

In February 2019, at least 14 herds of wild Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) had wandered in search of food into the areas of districts, such as Tamiang, Pidie, Central Aceh, Bener Meriah, and Biruen.

Head of the Lhokseumawe Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) Dedi Irvansyah remarked that around four to five herds were found wandering around the forest areas of East Aceh and Tamiang districts.

Three herds of these herbivorous animals were spotted in North Aceh District, while four herds of wild elephants were also found in the districts of Central Aceh, Bener Meriah, and Bireun, he revealed.

Meanwhile, in the districts of Pidie Jaya and Pidie, two herds were apparently observed, he remarked, adding that each of the herds had 15 to 20 wild animals.

Three herds of wild Sumatran elephants were also found trespassing into the areas of North Aceh district's Cot Girek, Matangkuli, and Langkahan sub-districts in search of food.

A herd of these animals also went on a rampage in Negeri Antara Village, Pintu Rimbee Sub-district, Bener Meriah District, by destroying the local farmers' agricultural land areas and attacking a trained elephant named Ida.

Consequently, the 40-year-old elephant's legs were wounded.

In October 2019, a human-animal conflict erupted in the areas of Bener Meriah District, with a herd of wild Sumatran elephants destroying four houses in Pantanlah Village, Pintu Rime Gayo Sub-district. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. PT Bio Farma made assurance of no compromise in the quality of AstraZeneca-developed vaccines during distribution, including by supervising the temperature of spaces where shots are stored and the process to send them to regions.

"The temperature is monitored at the Bio Farma Command Center. If there is a change in temperature along the way, for instance, then the Command Center will be notified. Should there be any temperature anomalies along the way, the driver will be informed by officers at the Command Center," Head of External Affairs of state-owned enterprise PT Bio Farma, Edwin G. Prigadi, confirmed telephonically on Tuesday.

Prigadi explained that the vaccines are distributed aboard vehicles equipped for vaccine storage wherein the temperature is maintained between two and eight degrees Celsius for the duration of the journey.

Officers of the Bio Farma Command Center supervise the vaccine storage space during the distribution process to ensure that the quality of the shots is maintained.

Prigadi further remarked that until Monday (Mar 22), the company had distributed AstraZeneca shots from its warehouse in Bandung, West Java, to six provincial regions via land and air routes.

"As for the distribution target, we await (information) from the Ministry of Health. We handle the distribution aspect," he clarified.

Head of Bio Farma Corporate Communications, Iwan Setiawan, expounded that the AstraZeneca vaccine was provided through cooperation between the Indonesian government and Covax/GAVI, a global alliance aimed at increasing access to immunization.

The AstraZeneca shots arrived in Indonesia on March 8, and the rollout began on March 20.

Bio Farma conducted the vaccine distribution process in accordance with the Health Ministry’s directives.

"The first vaccine distribution was conducted on March 20, 2021, wherein 45 thousand vials were distributed to East Java, while Bali and East Nusa Tenggara each received five thousand vials," Setiawan noted.

On Monday (March 22), Bio Farma distributed five thousand vials of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the DKI Jakarta Province, Riau Islands, and North Sulawesi. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Sri Mulyani Indrawati highlighted a growth of 1.2 percent year-on-year (yoy) in state spending, as of February 2021, to reach Rp282.7 trillion, from Rp279.4 trillion during the corresponding period in 2020.

The realization of Rp282.7 trillion was 10.3 percent of the APBN target of Rp2,750 trillion.

"It is a little lower in terms of the growth of 2.8 percent (last year), but the level was higher, as last year, we had spent Rp279.4 trillion, and this year, Rp282.7 trillion," the minister noted at the KiTA National Budget Press Conference held virtually here on Tuesday.

Of the total expenditure, the central government's spending reached Rp179.7 trillion, or 9.2 percent of the targeted Rp1,954.5 trillion, comprising ministers and institutions (K/L) expenditure of Rp97 trillion and non-K/L expenditure of Rp82.7 trillion.

The K/L expenditure reached 9.4 percent of the target of Rp1,032 trillion, while the realization of non-K/L expenditure was nine percent of the target of Rp922.6 trillion.

The K/L expenditure comprised personnel expenditure of Rp29.2 trillion, or 10.9 percent of the targeted Rp268 trillion but contracted 0.8 percent (yoy) from Rp29.4 trillion in February 2020.

Goods expenditure reached Rp18.2 trillion, or five percent of the target of Rp360.8 trillion, or an increase of 13.5 percent yoy, from Rp16 trillion in February 2020, owing to vaccinations being rolled out.

Realized capital expenditure stood at Rp22.8 trillion, or an increase of 253 percent as compared to Rp6.5 trillion in February 2020, and 9.3 percent of the target of Rp246.8 trillion, spent for further basic infrastructure and connectivity infrastructure projects.

Spending for social assistance was recorded at Rp26.8 trillion, or a 16-percent contraction yoy as compared to Rp31.9 trillion during the corresponding period last year, though it constituted 17.1 percent of the targeted Rp156.4 trillion.

Meanwhile, realized non-K/L expenditure reached Rp82.7 trillion, an increase of 6.1 percent from the corresponding period last year that was recorded at Rp77.9 trillion and nine percent of the target of Rp922.6 trillion.

Furthermore, state spending is supported by the realization of Transfers to Regions and Village Funds (TKDD), specifically Rp103 trillion or 13 percent of the target of Rp795.5 trillion.

The realization of TKDD comprised transfers to regions reaching Rp99.2 trillion and village funds amounting to Rp3.8 trillion. (Antaranews)

Jakarta.  Indonesia's Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry is concentrating efforts for recovery of the tourism industry through the stringent application of health protocols and seeking cooperation of other stakeholders, including travelers and the public, at large.

Currently, the government's emphasis is on reviving the tourism sector, for which cooperation among the government, tourism workers, and the public is deemed necessary, the ministry's Deputy of Marketing, Nia Niscaya, stated.

"The people are longing for holidays. Be responsible travelers. Providers (tourism operators) have prepared the health protocols, and we, as guests, must also be equally responsible for implementing the protocols," Niscaya remarked here on Tuesday.

The deputy sought greater accountability from tourists, particularly in terms of applying health protocols.

"We never know when the pandemic will end. Now, it is not a matter of do’s and don’ts, but how. One of the ways is the implementation of health protocols. This is a step toward adaptations," Niscaya affirmed.

The ministry appealed to the people to promote local tourism for driving the economy in their respective regions.

This aligns with the trend of traveling during a pandemic, wherein the public opts for traveling to places in proximity to them by making several changes and following the laid out restrictions.

"There is no need to be grandiose about traveling to distant places. We try to revive (the local tourism) first. At least, this demonstrates that the movement has begun from the nearest point. Explore your city," Niscaya stated. (Antaranews)