VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Ministry of Finance continues its efforts to support the governments of President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin in achieving five priority programs aimed at structural reforms in Indonesia.

The five priority programs for structural reform include the development of Human Resources, infrastructure, simplification of regulations, simplification of the bureaucracy, and economic transformation.

"In one year of President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin's administration, the Ministry of Finance continues to strive to jointly guard the government's performance towards an advanced Indonesia," an official statement from the Ministry of Finance received in Jakarta, Friday.

Ministry of Finance also strives to maintain domestic stability by maintaining consumption as the main engine of economic growth and increasing competitiveness to increase investment and exports.

Then also carry out structural reforms and maintain economic-political stability and improve the quality of human resources as economic actors.

Meanwhile, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Finance continued to be responsive to domestic and global economic developments by using fiscal policies, including refocusing and budget reallocation and providing economic stimulus.

"Several policies issued by the Ministry of Finance in the fiscal sector are the government's efforts to continue to protect the public and the business world in the midst of pressure due to the pandemic," he wrote.

Refocusing and reallocation of the 2020 State Budget in Ministries/Institutions (K/L) and local governments are carried out so that the State Budget and Regional Budget can focus on efforts to prevent and manage its impacts.

"As much as Rp190 trillion in expenditure was saved and Rp. 55 trillion was reallocated," he wrote.

From this refocusing and reallocation, the government can provide various stimuli, such as in February 2020 through a budget of IDR 8.5 trillion aimed at strengthening the domestic economy.

This strengthening of the domestic economy was carried out by accelerating state expenditures and encouraging labor-intensive spending policies and sectoral fiscal stimuli for affected industries.

Furthermore, the provision of the second stimulus in March 2020 with a budget of Rp. 22.5 trillion, which is focused on supporting people's purchasing power and encouraging the ease of export and import.

Stimulus III in March 2020 amounting to IDR 405.1 trillion, which is budgeted for public health and social protection and financial system stability through the two pillars of Government Regulation No.1 of 2020.

The two pillars are considered important because they are related to public finance policies for health, social safety nets, support for MSMEs, and the business world and financial sector policies.

The last is the expansion of stimulus III with a budget of Rp.695.2 trillion or the equivalent of 4.2 percent of GDP, which is allocated for two major categories, health Rp. 87.55 trillion and economic recovery Rp. 607.65 trillion. (Antaranews)

The UK is allowing temporary use of the Flublok flu vaccine and ordering millions of doses as it seeks to get more vaccines into the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The surge in demand for a vaccine to prevent winter flu is causing a crisis in several European cities, increasing the risk of a "dual pandemic", which has the potential to cause death, as COVID-19 infections increase.

The UK is targeting vaccinations for over 30 million people, nearly half of the population.

The government also said it would authorize the supply of Flublock, which was used in the United States for the past three winters.

"Flublock is commonly used in the United States and evidence shows it is very good," said the deputy head of the UK's medical advisory, Jonathan Van Tam.

"I want to make sure to all parties that all vaccines have passed reliable clinical trials and rigorous regulatory checks to ensure they are safe, effective, and of high quality," he said.

Flublok has a permit for temporary supplies from the Health and Drug Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA is authorized to take such steps once a drug is confirmed to be safe and effective in responding to threats to public health.

Regulators are given extra powers during a pandemic, such as being able to give temporary clearance of any COVID-19 vaccine that meets safety and quality standards before being fully licensed. (Antaranews)

US Secretary of State Michael (Mike) Richard Pompeo will visit Jakarta next week on a series of trips to India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Indonesia from 25 to 30 October 2020.

Preparations for Foreign Minister Pompeo's visit are still being discussed, including by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and US Ambassador to Indonesia Sung Kim.

“The United States is one of Indonesia's important partners. Indonesia wants to continue to build a mutually beneficial and respectful partnership with the United States,” said Foreign Minister Retno in an online media briefing regarding Pompeo's planned visit on Thursday.

While in Jakarta, Foreign Minister Pompeo is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Retno and attend the Ansor Youth Movement (GP) forum on religious and civilization dialogue.

GP Ansor is a youth social organization in Indonesia that is affiliated with Nahdlatul Ulama.

Secretary Pompeo's visit to Indonesia followed the visit of other high-ranking US officials, including the US deputy minister of defense and a delegation from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

On the other hand, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto also visited the US last week.

"The strong commitment to increasing this partnership is reflected in the intensive visits by officials of the two countries, even during the pandemic," said Foreign Minister Retno.

In a statement released by the US State Department on Thursday, it was stated that Pompeo's visit to Indonesia was carried out to emphasize the two countries' vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

In addition, he will discuss trade, security, and diplomatic issues with his partners in Indonesia, including President Joko Widodo.

"In each country, I will discuss various bilateral topics, but also work to find out with each of the countries the best way we can be sure to work together to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific region," Pompeo told reporters on Wednesday. (21/10), as reported by Voice of America.

Pompeo also told reporters that it is in the Southeast Asia countries' best interests to protect their maritime rights and the ability to do business, ensuring that their sovereignty is protected from threats by the Chinese Communist Party. (Antaranews)

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto hopes that the forestry sector in Indonesia will become a source of business breakthroughs and create wide job vacancies amid global economic competition.

"In the future Indonesian forestry must be able to create business opportunities and breakthroughs and be able to create wide employment opportunities, both for foresters and people living around forests," said Prabowo while delivering a speech at the Open Senate Meeting on the occasion of the 57th-anniversary Faculty of Forestry UGM which took place online, Friday.

Prabowo said Indonesia has the potential for 12.7 million hectares of social forestry programs in forest areas that can be developed into areas of food sovereignty and the production of good timber forest materials.

Of that potential, around 4.2 million hectares of which have been granted social forestry permits to farmer groups both in Java and outside Java.

Part of the area or around 2 million hectares can be used for food crop areas from within the forest area.

"This shows that the forestry sector can provide benefits and prosperity to communities around the forest," he said.

To develop economic programs in forest areas in realizing food sovereignty, according to him, the government must have the courage to take steps in favor of the program.

"One of them is by providing credit allocation to the forestry sector. With this alignment, we hope that modern food agriculture will be developed," he said.

On that occasion, the Minister of Defense also hopes that Indonesia will be able to produce new foresters who are tough, smart, and professional who can be empowered to work in food sovereignty programs in forest areas, for example, as young entrepreneurs (millennial farmers) or cooperative managers in the food sector.

"This is an anticipation to take advantage of the demographic bonus in the future," said Prabowo. (Antaranews)