VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan highlighted the need for peace and order in Indonesia to promote its tourism potential worldwide.

At a national coordination meeting on the development of five super-priority tourist destinations here on Friday, Pandjaitan remarked that Indonesia's tourism promotion was weaker in comparison with its Southeast Asian neighbors.

"We have weak marketing, and to this end, peace and order are deemed necessary. I repeat, peace and order. We, the intellectual leaders, can attain this peace and order," he noted.

The minister has urged people with vested political interests to stop promoting violence.

"I tell you this as a senior in this room. Lest our political ambitions ignite disorder. This I think will be the biggest sin for a leader, who understands it," he emphasized.

Pandjaitan pointed out that as compared to other Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia has an edge in terms of its rich nature, culture, culinary arts, and mediums of entertainment. However, it also has some weaknesses in terms of its infrastructure and hospitality.

Hence, Pandjaitan has sought active public participation in the nation’s tourism development.

Attendees at the meeting comprised some ministers and regional heads. (Antaranews)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Friday inspected the development of the seed and seedling center in Rumpin, Bogor District of West Java that will provide seeds to conduct reforestation in regions susceptible to disasters.

"Today, I am in Rumpin, Bogor District. This is the location of a seedling center to be developed as a nursery," Jokowi stated in Rumpin, Bogor District, on Friday.

The seedling center will be developed in an area spanning 159.58 hectares, divided into several zones: seedling zone, public zone, training zone, and business development zone.

"We are optimistic that (the nursery) would be completed in 2021 and commence production. We would produce more than 16 million seeds here," the president remarked.

The seeds will be distributed to regions prone to floods, landslides, and other natural disasters.

"In addition to its ecological function, we are optimistic that (the seeds) would offer economic benefits. I have instructed the seedling center to cultivate plants that offer both ecological and economic benefits," he remarked.

The head of state noted that in future, Indonesia will build a green economy.

"Hence, I have instructed to plant albasia, eucalyptus, mahogany, kaya, merbau, ebony, and teak and also fruit-bearing trees, such as durian," he stated.

Starting from 2021, the government will build seven nurseries throughout Indonesia.

"We will have built nurseries in Bogor of West Java, Toba in North Sumatra, Mandalika in West Nusa tenggara, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, and Likupang in North Sulawesi," he stated.

The nurseries will also provide mangrove seeds.

"We have planned to develop 630 thousand hectares of mangrove forests, and this will need a nursery, a seedling center, which we will prepare soon," Jokowi remarked.

The head of state reiterated that Indonesia will channel its attention on the development of a green economy.

"A sustainable economy, and we hope that it would have a larger impact on the people's economy," he asserted.

During the visit, the president was accompanied by Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, and Director General of River Basin Control and Forest Rehabilitation of the Environment and Forestry Ministry Hudoyo. (Antaranews)

Lithuania’s health agency said on Thursday it had found the first cases of coronavirus among its mink, as 22 dead mink on a farm in central Lithuania tested positive.

The tests at the 60,000-strong mink farm started after minks began dying unexpectedly, and the farm now suspects the mink got the virus from an infected worker, its director told local media.

“At this moment the farm is in isolation, but we only told to cull 40 mink who were in close contact with the infected. The rest are under close surveillance and any decisions would be taken as the situation develops”, said a health agency spokeswoman.

Lithuania has 1.6 million mink on 86 farms, she added.

Denmark said last week a new, mutated strain of the coronavirus stemming from mink farms in the country was “most likely” extinct.

All farmed minks in Denmark have been culled because of coronavirus outbreaks among the animals and the discovery of the mutated strain, which authorities said showed reduced sensitivity to antibodies, has caused fears it could compromise vaccines.

Lithuania’s mink herd is vastly smaller than Denmark’s, which was once the world’s biggest.

France and Poland have found the first cases of COVID-19 in their mink over the past week. (Reuters)

The Industry Ministry has urged national steel producers to continue to innovate and increase production capacity to reduce their dependence on imported raw materials.

“If we look at the structure of our imports, metal imports account for more than 35 percent of total imports, or US$125 billion per year. Therefore, we hope steel producers to make more progress,” secretary general of the Industry Ministry, Achmad Sigit Dwiwahjono, said in a written statement released here on Thursday.

On its part, the government is also making efforts to protect national steel products from the onslaught of imported steel and make national steel products "primadonna" in the domestic market, he added.

The efforts include safeguards and anti-dumping policies, Dwiwahjono said, adding that another instrument is improving product certification institutes to issue Indonesian National Standard (SNI) compulsory SNI application.

The next step is adjusting steel import procedures through the National Steel Information System (Sibanas), incorporated to the National Industrial Information System (SIINAS), he noted.

"The efforts serve as the government's guarantee that national products will dominate the domestic market. Hence, industries need not worry about (the market for their products),” he said.

To increase demand for national products in the domestic market, the government has also launched a Domestic Product Improvement Program (P3DN), he added. (Antaranews)