VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 16 - The Transportation Ministry is projected to get an additional budget allocation of Rp2.05 trillion from the National Economic Recovery Committee (PEN) to boost the economy through labour intensive programs.

"In a meeting with the National Economic Recovery Committee, the Transportation Ministry would get (the Rp2.05-trillion) PEN allocation for labor intensive programs in the transportation sector," Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said during a working meeting with Commission V of the House of Representatives here on Tuesday.

The move is based on President Joko Widodo's guidance that PEN funds be focused for labor intensive programs in the transportation sector that cover maintenance of infrastructure, safety device installation, construction of national roads, terminals, airports, and ports, he explained.

"The move is aimed at providing added value for the pandemic-affected people, especially in urban areas," he added.

For 2021, the government allocated Rp45.6 trillion to the ministry. However, the Finance Ministry conducted budget refocusing and trimmed the budget allocation by Rp12.4 trillion.

The budget refocusing is aimed at improving the budgeting for the COVID-19 vaccination and other social protection programs in 2021, Sumadi explained.

He said the Finance Ministry is discussing the additional budget for the Transportation Ministry.

"We hope that the Transportation Ministry and Commission V could use the additional funds for the benefit of the people," he added. (Antaranews)

Mar. 16 - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) spoke of the reopening of three COVID-19 green zones in Bali for tourism amid a marked decrease in the number of Indonesia's daily cases of coronavirus and nationwide mass vaccination campaign.

"I see that in the province of Bali we want to concentrate on three designated green zones, specifically Ubud, Sanur, and Nusa Dua. We are optimistic of these becoming green zones, green areas that we can fully open to tourists," the head of state remarked while witnessing a mass vaccination campaign at Puri Saren Agung, Gianyar District, Bali, on Tuesday.

The Bali authorities administered COVID-19 vaccines to tourist industry players, religious leaders, and cultural and youth representatives, among others.

Ubud is located in Gianyar District, Sanur lies in Denpasar City, and Nusa Dua is situated in Badung District.

"Hence, later, they (tourists) will feel safe and comfortable staying in Bali. With our focus on these three zones, revival of the tourism sector in Bali Province will start," he explained.

President Jokowi highlighted his plan to conduct a weekly evaluation in the three zones specifically to review the implementation of the vaccination program and the conditions of Bali, in general.

"We are optimistic that the vaccination process would continue, and our set target would be achieved," the president stated.

President Jokowi also held a dialog via videoconferencing with regional heads in Klungkung District, Denpasar City, and Badung.

"We are grateful that the city of Denpasar in Sanur has been designated as a green zone. In Sanur, the target is set to vaccinate 35,000 individuals, (comprising) 27,000 people and 8,000 hotel staff. Vaccinations are conducted on the basis of hamlets, and we involve all universities and private hospitals," Mayor of Denpasar IGN Jaya Negara stated during the dialog.

Denpasar has outlined a target of inoculating five thousand people every day, while hotels, restaurants, and other businesses are expected to conduct self-funded vaccinations, he remarked. (Antaranews)

Mar. 16 - The drafting of non-tariff measures (NTM), under the Indonesian trade agreement scheme, necessitates support from stakeholders, including entrepreneurs and related ministries, Director of ASEAN Negotiation at the Trade Ministry Antonius Yudi Triantoro stated.

“The Indonesian NTM is generally narrower than those arranged in other countries. Hence, the NTM must be in line with the scientific base. The Trade Ministry requires cooperation and support from several related ministries,” Triantoro noted during a web seminar on the topic “Revealing the Trade in Goods (TIG) and Rules of Origin (ROO) RCEP Agreement” here on Tuesday.

The NTM, under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) scheme, according to the international trade regulation perspective, is still permitted as long as the objective refers to legitimacy, Triantoro remarked.

“If we observe carefully, the World Trade Organization (WTO) is still allowing the NTM that is aimed at protecting consumers as well as ensuring health protection for humans, animals, and plants,” Triantoro revealed.

In fact, he acknowledged that drafting an NTM was no easy task since it addresses challenges in terms of domestic protection, for instance, consumer health, and so is protecting the national industry from the hike in imported goods.

Triantoro stated that Indonesia also faced the challenge of drafting the NTM in accordance with its scientific rules.

“Moreover, we cannot merely rely on low tariffs in the near future,” he pointed out.

Hence, the ministry is attempting to draft the NTM by deciphering reasons for stronger legitimacy, so it will not be sued by the WTO.

“We need to do this by focusing on the food regulatory practice, so we can prevent the problems that might arise at the WTO. Thus, this effort requires the support and role of industry players and ministries,” he remarked. (Antaranews)

Mar. 16 - The U.N. food agency said on Tuesday rising food and fuel prices in Myanmar since a Feb. 1 military coup risk undermining the ability of poor families to feed themselves.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted the elected government and detained its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, with protests and a civil disobedience campaign of strikes paralysing parts of the economy.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said food prices were rising with palm oil 20% higher in some places around the main city of Yangon since the beginning of February and rice prices up 4% in the Yangon and Mandalay areas since the end of February.

In some parts of Kachin State in the north, the price of rice was up as much as 35%, while prices of cooking oil and pulses were sharply higher in parts of Rakhine State in the west, the WFP said in a statement.

The cost of fuel had risen by 15% nationwide since Feb. 1, raising concern about further food price increases, it said.

“These rising food and fuel prices are compounded by the near paralysis of the banking sector, slowdowns in remittances, and widespread limits on cash availability,” the WFP said.

The agency’s country director, Stephen Anderson, said the signs were troubling: “Coming on top of the COVID-19 pandemic, if these price trends continue they will severely undermine the ability of the poorest and most vulnerable to put enough food on the family table.”

A spokesman for the ruling military council did not respond to telephone calls seeking comment. State media has this week reported farmers expecting good prices for their crops of onions and chickpeas.

The WFP is helping to support more than 360,000 people in Myanmar, most of them displaced by conflict over the past decade.

The agency reiterated a call from the U.N. secretary-general for the will of the Myanmar people expressed in November elections to be respected, Anderson said, adding: “At WFP we know all too well how hunger can quickly follow when peace and dialogue are sidelined.”

The military defended its coup saying its complaints of fraud in a November election won by Suu Kyi’s party had been ignored. The election commission said the vote was fair.

A total of 183 people have been killed by security forces in protests against the coup, a rights monitoring group said.

Myanmar, once Asia’s main rice basket, was among the region’s poorest countries after the military seized power in a 1962 coup and imposed an autarchic “way to socialism”.

The economy boomed after the military began to withdraw from politics a decade ago. (Reuters)