VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 15 - Indonesia's external debts at January-end of 2021 reached US$420.7 billion comprising US$213.6 billion of the public sector (government and the central bank), and private sector external debts, including state-owned enterprises (BUMN), of US$207.1 billion.

"With these developments, Indonesia's external debts at the end of January 2021 grew by 2.6 percent (yoy), down from the growth in the previous month of 3.4 percent (yoy)," Executive Director of the Communication Department of Bank Indonesia (BI) Erwin Haryono noted in a statement here on Monday.

The government's external debts in January 2021 reached US$210.8 billion, or 2.8 percent (yoy) lower than the growth in December 2020 at 3.3 percent (yoy).

“The slowdown in growth is due to the maturing bilateral and multilateral loan repayments. Meanwhile, the position of government debt securities increased in line with the issuance of Government Securities (SUN) in US dollar and Euro at the beginning of the year amidst the high liquidity momentum on the global market and positive sentiment arising from the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination globally,” he expounded.

Haryono explained that the government’s external debt was managed in a measurable and careful manner to support the government’s priority spending.

This expenditure comprises the government administration, defense, and compulsory social security fields, accounting for 17.6 percent of the total government external debt; the health services field and social activities, constituting 17.1 percent; education services, 16.2 percent; construction, 15.2 percent; and the financial and insurance services, 13.0 percent.

Private external debt also grew at a slower pace from the previous month, recorded at 2.3 percent (yoy) at the end of January 2021, lower than the 3.8 percent (yoy) growth in the previous month.

"This development was driven by a slowdown in the external debt growth of Non-Financial Institution Companies (PBLK) as well as a deeper contraction in the external debt growth of Financial Institutions (LK). At the end of January 2021, the PBLK external debt grew by 4.9 percent (yoy), lower than the previous month's growth of 6.3 percent (yoy)," he remarked.

Furthermore, Haryono noted that the contraction of LK external debt was recorded at 6.1 percent (yoy), deeper than the 4.7 percent (yoy) contraction in the previous month.

By sector, the largest external debt, with a share of 77 percent of the total private external debt, came from the financial services and insurance sector, the electricity, gas, steam / hot and cold air (LGA) procurement sector, the mining and quarrying sector, and the manufacturing sector.

He explained that the structure of Indonesia's external debt remained healthy owing to the precautionary principle in its management.

"The healthy external debt structure is reflected in the ratio of Indonesia's external debt to GDP at the end of January 2021, which was maintained at around 39.5 percent, relatively stable as compared to the ratio in the previous month of 39.4 percent. In addition, this is seen in the large share of long-term external debt that reached 89.4 percent of the total external debt," he remarked. (Antaranews)

Mar. 15 - Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono echoed the government's decision to import salt during a recent meeting organized by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment.

"A decision to import salt was taken at a meeting of the coordinating minister for maritime affairs and investment," Trenggono noted here on Sunday.

The minister confirmed to still be awaiting data related to the salt demand in Indonesia. In the event of any shortage of salt, the commodity will be imported. Salt imports are also conducted in accordance with the trade balance, so that the domestic demand for salt can be met.

"For instance, how much shortage of salt are we facing that will be imported. We are awaiting it (the data). This is since it is already included in the Law on Job Creation," he stated.

Meanwhile, member of Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR) Ono Surono remarked that he will supervise the import of salt by the government, so that the policy would not be burdensome for traditional salt farmers.

"We will closely monitor to ensure that salt imports will not affect the consumption of salt that has been sufficiently supplied by the local salt (farmers)," he remarked.

Surono admitted that the salt problem in Indonesia had yet to be resolved owing to discrepancies in data on its demand between the Ministry of Trade and the KKP ministry.

It is deemed important that the government have a clear picture of the real figures of salt requirement in the country, the exact quantity supplied by local salt farmers, and the actual demand for industrial salt.

"Imports are related to the salt balance, in which the Ministry of Fisheries (KKP) and the Ministry of Trade always (have) different (data)," he stated. (Antaranews)

Mar. 15 - A total of 34,528 Indonesians received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday, taking the total tally to 4,020,124 since the vaccination campaign was rolled out on January 13.

Of the 4,020,124 people, some 1,460,222 have received their second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, up 5,386 as compared to the day before, according to data from the COVID-19 Response Task Force made available on Sunday.

Currently, the government has targeted to vaccinate 40,349,051 people.

The first phase of vaccination program, commencing on January 13, 2021, has targeted healthcare workers.

Meanwhile, the second phase of the vaccination program that began on February 17, 2021, will cover 30 million people comprising 21 senior citizens and 16 million public service officers, including state officials, government employees, religious figures, traders, teachers, lecturers, athletes, journalists, and tourism operators.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin is optimistic that some 1.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine would be administered daily to the public in the second semester of 2021 to achieve the target of the vaccination program in the country.

"Nearly 75 percent of the vaccine will be ready starting from July. If 181.5 million doses (of vaccine) are offered for 365 days, then one million people can be administered everyday if the quantity of vaccine is the same for each day. Much of the vaccine will be available in the second semester of 2021," he remarked.

The central government has outlined a target of inoculating 181,554,465 people, or 70 percent of the total population of Indonesia, to achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus. (Antaranews)

Mar. 15 - Indonesia witnessed the addition of 4,714 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours ending Sunday afternoon, taking the tally to 1,419,455, according to the COVID-19 Response Task Force.

The number of recoveries reached 1,243,117, an increase of 5,647 from the previous day.

With the addition of 97 deaths, the COVID-19 death toll reached 38,426.

As of Sunday, the number of active cases, or patients under treatment, reached 137,912, while the number of suspected cases stood at 62,804.

The highest increase in infections was reported in Jakarta reaching 1,204 followed by 1,133 in West Java, 315 in Banten, 278 in East Java, and 206 in East Kalimantan.

Jakarta registered the highest number of new recoveries at 2,012, followed by 946 in West Java, 388 in Banten, 363 in East Kalimantan, and 299 in East Java.

Cumulatively, Jakarta recorded the highest number of positive cases at 359,980, followed by 231,692 in West Java, 160,895 in Central Java, 134,595 in East Java, and 59,851 in East Kalimantan.

However, Jakarta also led in terms of the cumulative number of recoveries, at 347,138, followed by 196,353 in West Java, 122,751 in East Java, 114,002 in Central Java, and 54,540 in South Sulawesi. (Antaranews)