VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 19 -  The Task Force for COVID-19 Handling has said that making vaccination certificates a requirement for travel would be risky in the absence of individual immunity tests for those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

"In principle, we still need further study on the effectiveness of the vaccine in creating individual immunity in those who have been vaccinated,” task force spokesperson Wiku Adisasmito said during an online press conference here on Thursday.

During a hearing with Commission IX of the House of Representatives, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin brought attention to the ongoing discourse on making COVID-19 vaccination certificates a requirement for travel, so people would no longer have to furnish negative COVID-19 tests.

"Until now, it (vaccine certificates) remains a discourse," Adisasmito remarked.

Some countries such as China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have proposed similar requirements and are preparing to issue “vaccine passports” to promote travel, he said.

“If a certificate is issued without study to prove individual immunity establishment, then the certificate holder has the potential to get infected or transmit the virus during the journey," he cautioned.

Earlier, the government had asked public transportation users to carry negative results of antigen swab tests, or PCR tests. Railway travelers, in particular, were asked to furnish the GeNose breathalyzer test results.

According to the Health Minister, individual antibodies against the coronavirus optimally develop 28 days after receiving the second dose of the vaccine

However, those who have received the vaccine can still be infected with COVID-19, though they may get minor symptoms, and transmit the virus to others, Sadikin said.

According to data from the task force, as of Thursday (March 18, 2021), the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to 44,848,752 people in the country, with 1,948,531 recipients obtaining the second dose as well.

The number is still far below the vaccination target of 181.5 million people set by the government to build herd immunity against COVID-19. (Antaranews)

Mar. 19 - The sudden withdrawal of the Indonesian squad from All England 2021 must serve as a lesson for other sports branches preparing for the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers, according to the chairman of the Indonesian Olympics Committee (KOI).

"We will take this situation as a reference because there are still many qualifier events running. We do not want to see the same problem recur, therefore we will coordinate with Chief de Mission of the Tokyo Olympics," Raja Sapta Oktohari said here on Thursday.

The committee, he said, will ensure that the health protocols applied by the host country do not set back Indonesian teams.

His remarks came after the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Badminton England withdrew the Indonesian team from the All England 2021. The entire team was asked to self-isolate for 10 days from the date of their inbound flight after a person traveling onboard tested positive for COVID-19.

BWF and Badminton England will continue to follow all protocols required by the UK Government and the local health authorities to ensure the safety of all participants, BWF said in a statement.

Oktohari said the decision cannot be challenged since, under the British government's regulations, a person traveling in the same airplane as someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 is required to undergo 10-day isolation upon arrival.

The crucial point of the incident, according to KOI, is BWF’s failure to prepare an alternative plan for such an emergency that would not harm the Indonesian squad.

The organizing committee should have applied and adjusted the British government's guidance and regulation in preparing the tournament, Oktohari said.

Therefore, he added, KOI will study the regulations on COVID-19 protocols set by each co-host of the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers to prevent similar incidents in the future.

"This will become our reference for the Tokyo Olympics because there are many issues we have to learn and adapt regarding to regulations amid the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

All England 2021 will not contribute to Olympic points, but the incident would pressure athletes, Oktohari remarked. (Antaranews)

Mar. 18 - Child marriage is a form of violation of human rights against children, according to Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Minister Bintang Puspayoga.

"Child marriage is a form of violence against children, as their rights are part of human rights. Hence, child marriage is also a form of human rights violation," Minister Puspayoga stated at a National Seminar and Declaration of the National Movement for the Maturity of Marriage to Improve the Quality of Indonesian Human Resources in Indonesia, here on Thursday.

The minister pointed out that children compelled to marry due to certain conditions will find it difficult to access education, their health will be compromised, and they can potentially experience violence and live in poverty.

The negative impact of child marriage is also potentially experienced by the next generation born from it.

"The impact of child marriage will not only be experienced by children who are married off but also by the offspring and can likely create intergenerational poverty," he stated.

Meanwhile, on the same occasion, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and PPPA Ministry inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Declaration of the National Movement for Marriage Age Maturity to Improve the Quality of Indonesian Human Resources.

MUI Chairman K.H. Miftachul Akhyar and PPPA Minister Bintang Puspayoga signed the MoU.

It stipulates that in addition to achieving family goals, marriages should also plan in a way that various problems are avoided due to unpreparedness in order to give rise to a quality generation.

The MoU also stated that the MUI, Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (PMK Ministry), PPPA Ministry, and other relevant ministries and government agencies are committed to working together and supporting one another in making various efforts to increase the age of marriage to ensure better quality of Indonesia's human resources. (Antaranews)

Mar. 18 - Eight major seaports in Indonesia will be included in the National Logistic Ecosystem (NLE) following the launch of the Batam Logistics Ecosystem (BLE) pilot project, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan stated.

"We agree that after this works, we will immediately attempt to include eight ports in Indonesia in the system," Pandjaitan remarked at the launch of the Batam Logistic Ecosystem (BLE) also broadcast online on Thursday.

The eight seaports comprise Tanjung Priok in Jakarta, Patimban in West Java, Tanjung Emas in Central Java, Tanjung Perak in East Java, Makassar in South Sulawesi, and Belawan Medan in North Sumatra.

"There are eight points. That is what we want this year. We must be able to do it. Who is preventing us, just bulldoze him," he affirmed.

The government has developed the integrated logistics ecosystem to streamline the logistics system, so that it can compete globally.

The minister remarked that logistics costs in Indonesia had reached 23.5 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). Meanwhile, in Malaysia, the logistics are costing its economy only some 13 percent of the GDP.

Pandjaitan noted that with a difference of some 10 percent, investors will reconsider entering and investing in Indonesia. To this end, the government is making unwavering efforts to reduce the logistics costs.

"How come the difference is almost 10 percent? That is a cost. You can imagine. In a trade, a 10-percent difference is a lot, so why should they come to Indonesia for investment? It is as simple as that," the minister pointed out.

BLE is part of the NLE that functions to tidy up and simplify business processes through integrated inspection services with single submissions, port services, and permits.

Through the NLE, the government is aiming to lower the logistics costs to 17 percent of the GDP by 2024. (Antaranews)