VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Army Chief of Staff General Andika Perkasa received French Army Attache Colonel Sven Meic at his office here recently to discuss military cooperation between the two countries.

Under the cooperation, the Indonesian Army will send its troops to take a joint exercise with the French Army next year, General Andika said in a written statement released on Saturday.

"When I was promoted from the first lieutenant to captain I took a joint exercise with several armies. The exercise gave me deep knowledge and experience," he said.

He said the joint exercise with the French Army will be useful for Indonesian Army soldiers to improve their knowledge.

"I think the younger generations in the Army also need such experience," he said.

Therefore, he warmly welcomes the planned joint exercise.

He said he will support any activity aimed at improving the Indonesian Army soldiers' experience and outlook in the military field.

Colonel Sven Meic said the joint exercise will offer good opportunities for the two countries' soldiers to get experience. (Antaranews)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) issued Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 12 of 2020 on the dissolution of 10 non-ministerial state institutions.

The 10 institutions are the National Research Council, the Food Security Council, the Surabaya-Madura Regional Development Agency, the National Sports Accreditation and Standardization Agency, the Indonesian Hajj Supervisory Commission, the National Economy and Industry Committee, Telecommunications Advisory Council, National Commission for the Elderly, Indonesian Professional Sports Agency and the Indonesian Telecommunications Regulator.

After their dissolution, the functions of the 10 institutions will be transferred to the relevant ministries, according to a copy of the document published in the official website of the State Secretary.

First, the National Research Council, established in 2005, would be transferred to the Ministry of Research and Technology/National Agency for Research and Innovation.

Second, the Food Security Council set up in 2006 would be transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Third, the Surabaya-Madura Regional Development Agency, established in 2008, would be transferred to the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing and the Ministry of Transport in accordance with their respective attributions and functions.

Fourth, the National Sports Standardization and Accreditation Body, established in 2014, was transferred to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Fifth, the Indonesian Hajj Supervisory Commission, established in 2014, would be transferred to Religious Affairs Ministry.

The National Economy and Industry Committee, established in 2016, would be transferred to the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, and the Telecommunications Advisory Council (1989) to Communication and Informatics Ministry.

Furthermore, the National Commission for the Elderly (2004) would be transferred to the Social Affairs Ministry and the Indonesian Professional Sports Agency (2015) to the Youth and Sports Ministry.

The Indonesian Telecommunications Regulator established in 2018 would be transferred to the Communication and Informatics Ministry.

"The transfer as stipulated in the subsection 1 would be completed within one year since the issuance of the Presidential Regulation," it said.

The transfer of the institutions' functions would be conducted in coordination with the Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform, that will also involve the Finance Ministry, State Apparatus Agency, Finance and Development Supervisory Agency, National Archive of the Republic of Indonesia, and other related ministries.

The regulation was signed by President Jokowi on November 26 and come into effect upon its issuance. (Antaranews)

The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur will be closed from Nov 30 to Dec 4, 2020 after several of its employees have contracted the COVID-19.

All services at the embassy will be temporarily closed while the building is sprayed with disinfectants to avert the spread of COVID-19, the embassy said in a circular released on Saturday.

However, the embassy will continue to serve applications for travel documents in lieu of passport (SPLP) that have been processed by following health protocols.

The embassy called on Indonesian citizens to comply with the health protocols by using masks, washing hands, and keeping physical distance.

Coordinator for Information, Social and Cultural Function of the Embassy Yoshi Iskandar confirmed that several employees of the embassy have contracted the COVID-19.

"It is true there are staffers testing positive (for the COVID-19). The embassy has taken steps to conduct swab tests on all its staffers and imposed a work-from-home policy for the embassy's staff," he said. (Antaranews)

Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly believes intellectual property has a crucial role as the foundation of creative economy that is expected to boost the national economy.

The minister conveyed the statement during a virtual public lecture session at the peak of the University of Indonesia's Intellectual Property Week, Friday.

"Intellectual property has a very important position in the new era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0. Intellectual property, as the foundation of the creative economy, is expected to offer a competitive advantage and simultaneously drive the national economy," he stated.

Yasonna believes that rapid developments in creative economy must be accompanied by heightened awareness of intellectual property. According to the minister, intellectual property can offer added value to creative economy products.

"For that, of course, it requires special attention and high commitment in developing and advancing the creative economy of all stakeholders, ranging from business actors and academics to the government," he noted.

According to Yasonna, one of the crucial roles of intellectual property for creative economy products is related to intellectual property-based financing. This scheme is part of the government's endeavors to increase the impact of intellectual property on the people's welfare.

The minister is optimistic that intellectual property-based financing would increase the creative economy actors’ access to financing in developing businesses.

"In addition, it is expected to increase public awareness of the importance of creativity and intellectual property rights as well as protection and utilization of intellectual property for creative economy endeavors," the minister remarked.

The University of Indonesia Intellectual Property Week will be held on November 23-27, 2020.

Apart from several webinars featuring experts and researchers in the field of intellectual property, this activity was closed with a symbolic handover of the University of Indonesia's Intellectual Property Rights certificate.

Yasonna is optimistic that the symbolic handover of the 4,000th intellectual property rights certificate to inventors and creators from the University of Indonesia would bind the commitment between the government and the academic community that advancing innovation and state welfare is a shared responsibility of all Indonesians.

"The progress of a nation is very positively correlated to innovations and the registration of intellectual property in the country. The cooperation between the think tanks of the campus and the industrial world will produce innovative breakthroughs," the minister affirmed. (Antaranews)