VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) echoed Indonesia’s preparedness to contribute to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to realize Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Indonesia works not only for itself but also for the ASEAN, the president remarked while addressing a special lunch on sustainable development at the Impact Exhibition and Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday.

"According to the mandate of the Constitution, Indonesia is ready to make a contribution," Chief of the Presidential Secretariat Erlin Suastin quoted President Jokowi as saying in a written statement released on Monday.

The president remarked that despite Indonesia having successfully reduced its poverty rate to a historical low of 9.66 percent in 2018, from 10.96 percent in 2014, the government was not instantly pleased with the figure.

"We are not satisfied with it. We yet have to accomplish several things, while on the hand, we are facing a shortage of time. We only have 11 years left to achieve the target of SDGs," he noted.

At the meeting, President Jokowi also pointed to Indonesia’s economic growth that had consistently surpassed five percent in each of the past five years.

"The unemployment rate, particularly women’s unemployment rate (continues to fall), while simultaneously access to education continues to increase," he stated.

"In the ASEAN, we must encourage efforts to immediately achieve several targets of the SDGs, such as health, environment, and gender equality," he remarked.

Hence, global partnership must be bolstered since one of the priority sectors of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific is to achieve SDGs, he noted.

"Countries in the Indo-Pacific region can use this outlook platform to strengthen cooperation," he added. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has expressed his hope that situation in Rakhine State, Myanmar, could significantly improve and soon be normal again.

"I am sure that all of use here hope to see situation in Rakhine State to be back to normal again soon," Jokowi said while speaking in the plenary session of the 35th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday.

The ASEAN Leaders supported efforts for voluntarily, safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Rakhine State, according to a statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat's Press, Media and Information Bureau. Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi told the press following the plenary session attended by ASEAN Leaders that President Jokowi offered several views and suggestions for solutions of Rohingya humanitarian crisis.

Firstly, dialogs with representatives of Rohingya refugees currently being accommodated in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh, should be continued, Jokowi said.

"Because with dialogs and communication, there would be trust. And trust is crucial for preparations for voluntarily, safe and dignified repatriation," Retno Marsudi remarked.

Secondly, Indonesia fully supported a proposal to establish an ad-hoc task force at the ASEAN Secretariat to focus on monitoring the implementation of the Preliminary Needs Assessment (PNA) team's recommendations, she added.

Thirdly, Indonesia hopes for the implementation of priority projects and activities as part of the PNA recommendations agreed during the 2nd Technical Working Group between ASEAN and Myanmar last October. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo chaired a Limited Cabinet Meeting related to Submission of Programs and Activities in the Field of Maritime and Investment, Wednesday (10/30/2019) at the President's Office, Jakarta.

In his introduction, President Joko Widodo asked the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan to focus the programs and activities of the Maritime and Investment Coordinating Ministry on breakthrough programs so as reducing the trade transaction deficit and the current account deficit.

Jokowi asked the Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment to be able to increase domestic investment while reducing import dependence. One of the highlights is the import of fuel oil (BBM) which is currently still feeling its impact on the current account and trade transactions.

Jokowi also asked his staff to increase domestic oil production as a substitute to reduce the amount of imported fuels.

"The first is preparing and creating breakthrough programs in order to reduce the current account deficit and the trade balance deficit. we must ensure that we can continue to increase investment and at the same time we can also reduce dependence on imported goods, especially fuel, which has a very large impact on our trade balance deficit and our trade deficit. and also reemphasizes the increase in domestic oil production so that the implementation of new renewable energy policies must also be accelerated, especially the mandatory acceleration from b20 to b30, then jump to b50 and b100," said President Joko Widodo.

Furthermore, President Joko Widodo also highlighted the issue of investment. The President asked his staff to focus on increasing investment in just a few sectors.

Furthermore, President Joko Widodo also asked his staff to continue to improve the investment climate in the country so that the world trust on investment in the country continues to improve. (VOI / NDY / AHM)

President Joko Widodo asked his staff to focus on developing the Indonesian tourism sector in five tourist destinations. When opening a Limited Cabinet Meeting on Wednesday, at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, the President mentioned the five tourist destinations namely Lake Toba, Borobudur, Labuan Bajo, Mandalika and Manado.

The President said that the tourism area development activities will be carried out by the government in the 5 destinations. He also targeted the development of 5 tourism areas will be completed by the end of 2020.

"On tourism, we once again concentrate on the 5 locations, the infrastructure and the calendar of events also concentrate there. The improvement of people-based economic products, people-based tourism are also in the locations that I have often mentioned, Lake Toba, Borobudur, Labuan Bajo, Mandalika, Manado. We target by the end of 2020 all the concentrations are completed, the airport is finished, the port is finished, the tourism products, the calendar of events is completed," President Joko Widodo said.

The government has targeted 10 new mainstay tourist destinations, known as 10 New Bali. Of the 10 destinations, 5 of them are targeted to be ready by the end of 2020. (VOI / Ndy / AHM)