VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a loan worth US$600 million dollars or around RP8.5 trillion to assist the State Electricity Company (PT PLN) to increase access to electricity and promote renewable energy in eastern Indonesia. 

ADB Southeast Asia Director for Energy, Toru Kubo in a statement in Jakarta, Tuesday (24/11) said that reliable electricity procurement is essential so that people can access job opportunities and education and health services, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He also remarked that this loan is also useful to support economic recovery in eastern Indonesia from the pandemic and contribute to fair and resilient growth.

Currently, the expansion of electrification in eastern Indonesia is an important part of the government's infrastructure investment plan, which seeks to provide electricity throughout Indonesia in 2024. (Antaranews)

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has donated US$200 thousand in COVID-19 aid for Indonesian youths who are at a higher risk for contracting the virus.

The assistance is specifically meant to boost hygiene levels at child social rehabilitation centers.

“On behalf of the Korean people, we are very pleased that our support also reaches the vulnerable Indonesian youth group. We would like to stress that the provision of goods and equipment for COVID-19 mitigation is badly needed in this difficult time,” KOICA country director for Indonesia, Hoe Jin Jeong, said in a written statement released on Tuesday.

Hoe Jin Jeong symbolically handed the assistance to director general of social rehabilitation at the Social Affairs Ministry, Harry Hikmat.

KOICA Indonesia has also launched an inclusive program to fight against COVID-19 and allocated US$6 million for the program. As part of the commitment, it has signed a grant agreement with the Social Service Ministry.

The South Korean and Indonesian governments have been cooperating on COVID-19 handling since the early stages of the pandemic.

Indonesia is one of South Korea's main partners in the distribution of humanitarian emergency aid.

KOICA is a South Korean government organization which provides development aid to developing countries. It had earlier launched "Program ABC”, or Agenda for Building resilience against COVID-19 through development cooperation, as part of efforts against COVID-19. (Antaranews)

State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir has appealed to Indonesians who are financially capable to pay for their COVID-19 vaccine doses to help reduce the financial burden on the government due to the vaccination program.

“Due to our large number of population, those who are financially capable are suggested to assist the government by paying the costs of their own COVID-19 vaccine doses,” he told a webinar here on Tuesday.

Speaking at the webinar themed "preparing infrastructure for COVID-19 vaccination data", Thohir said the government will issue two types of COVID-19 vaccines — one through the government-aided and the other through the self-initiative vaccination program.

The government's aid-based vaccination program has been prepared for health workers and eligible members of communities as revealed in data from the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan) on assistance recipients, he informed.

Meanwhile, the self-initiative vaccination program is meant for financially-capable people, said Thohir, who is also deputy chair of the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee (KPC-PEN).

The government has been preparing all necessary measures to conduct the COVID-19 vaccination program in the near future, the minister added. It has set a preliminary target of serving people aged between 18 and 59 years.

However, this is just a preliminary target, he said, adding that those aged over 59 years may likely get vaccinated later with other vaccine products.

Indonesia has been striving to win the fight against the novel coronavirus disease, which initially emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019 and then spread across the world, including to nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Indonesia officially announced its first infections on March 2 this year.

Early this week, the Task Force for COVID-19 Response confirmed that Indonesia had recorded 4,198 additional recoveries and 4,442 fresh cases of COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours.

The Indonesian government has consistently expressed confidence in the potential of the COVID-19 vaccine for helping win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which has posed a grave threat to public health and the economy.

Over the past few months, the government has been working to secure potential COVID-19 vaccines for Indonesians through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

The government is also supporting research efforts towards developing the country's own COVID-19 vaccine, Merah Putih (Red and White), named after the colors of the national flag.

In addition, Indonesia is cooperating with China and the United Kingdom for the procurement and supply of COVID-19 vaccines.

To prepare for the first phase of the COVID-19 immunization program, scheduled in the third week of December, 2020, President Joko Widodo has instructed ministries and agencies to conduct nationwide COVID-19 vaccination simulations. (Antaranews)

The government will soon decide whether COVID-19 red zones will be prioritized in the vaccination program, deputy chair of the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee (KPC-PEN), Erick Thohir, said.

“Let us wait for the government's decision [which is expected] within one or two days. There will be a meeting with governors, mayors, and district heads for talks about whether we should prioritize red zones with high infection and mortality rates," he said at a webinar here on Tuesday.

Speaking at the webinar themed "preparing infrastructure for COVID-19 vaccination data", Thohir said, in keeping with Presidential Regulation No.99/2020, the government has set a preliminary target of vaccinating those aged between 18 and 59 years.

He also appealed to citizens to participate actively in the government's COVID-19 vaccination program. Research has revealed that 66 percent of Indonesians are keen to get vaccinated, while 16 percent are reluctant to join the vaccination program, he noted.

"I do not know the reasons of those refusing to get vaccinated. Regarding the issues of halal or haram, we have let the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) to resolve this matter," he said.

Speaking about the vaccination program, Thohir urged Indonesians who are financially capable to pay for their own COVID-19 vaccine doses to help reduce the financial burden on the government.

He said the government will provide COVID-19 vaccines under the government's aid-based vaccination program and a self-initiative vaccination program.

The government's aid-based vaccination program has been prepared for health workers and eligible members of communities, as revealed in data from the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan), he said.

Meanwhile, the self-initiative vaccination program will cover financially-capable people, he added.

Indonesia has been striving to win the fight against the novel coronavirus disease, which initially emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019 and then spread worldwide, including to nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Indonesia officially announced its first infections on March 2 this year.

Early this week, the Task Force for COVID-19 Response confirmed that Indonesia had recorded 4,198 additional recoveries and 4,442 fresh cases of COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours.

The Indonesian government has consistently expressed confidence in the potential of the COVID-19 vaccine for helping win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which has posed a grave threat to public health and the economy.

Over the past few months, the government has been working to secure potential COVID-19 vaccines for Indonesians through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

The government is also supporting research efforts towards developing the country's own COVID-19 vaccine, Merah Putih (Red and White), named after the colors of the national flag.

In addition, Indonesia is cooperating with China and the United Kingdom for the procurement and supply of COVID-19 vaccines.

To prepare for the first phase of the COVID-19 immunization program, scheduled in the third week of December, 2020, President Joko Widodo has instructed ministries and agencies to conduct nationwide COVID-19 vaccination simulations. (Antaranews)