VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta (VOI News) - The Vietnamese Embassy in Jakarta and the Indonesian Embassy in Hanoi on 1 – 31 July 2020 jointly organized a logo competition to celebrate the 65^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Indonesia. According to a release from the Vietnamese Embassy received by Voice of Indonesia Thursday (13/08) the logo competition was held to raise awareness among the general public both in Viet Nam and Indonesia about the diplomatic relations that have been nurtured and developed by leaders and peoples of the two countries since 30 December 1955. The competition attracted 772 entries from all over Viet Nam and Indonesia. In this regard, the Vietnamese Embassy in Jakarta and the Indonesian Embassy in Ha Noi jointly announced that the logo designed by Tran Hoai Duc from Viet Nam was chosen as the winner of the competition. The winner will receive the prize of USD 500. In addition the Vietnamese Embassy in Jakarta and the Indonesian Embassy in Ha Noi have also chosen four logo designs that will receive the consolation prize of USD100 each. The list of 4 consolation prize winners will be announced during the Awarding Ceremony that will be held both online and at the Vietnamese Embassy on 19^th August 2020, in Jakarta. The final winning logo will be used by the Vietnamese Embassy in Jakarta and the Indonesian Missions in Vietnam (the Indonesian Embassy in Ha Noi and the Indonesian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City) as the official brand identity for the celebration of 65 years of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Indonesia and in all official events in 2020. //// (VOI/Release of Embassy of Vietnam/AHM)

President Joko Widodo (right), accompanied by head of Bio Farma’s pharmaceutical production division, Hikmat Alitamsar, (left), inspects production facility building 43, which will be used to produce the COVID-19 vaccine, at the Bio Farma office, Bandung, West Java on Tuesday (August 11, 2020). (ANTARA/ Documentation of PT Bio Farma / pras)

President Joko Widodo on Wednesday said the coronavirus pandemic has reminded the nation and the state of the importance of science and technology.

The President made the statement at the commemoration ceremony for the 59th Scout Day, broadcast online from the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday.

At the ceremony, the President advised all scout members to work towards mastering science and technology, as well as inculcating discipline and concern for all members of society.

"Solving health problems requires mastery of science and technology, solving economic problems also requires science and technology," he said.

Presidential chief of staff, Moeldoko, and Minister of Youth and Sports, Zainudin Amali, also attended the ceremony, which was organized with the observance of COVID-19 prevention protocols.

The President said that scout members were equipped with discipline and concern for the community. In the future, with the challenges of increasingly fierce international competition, scout members must also master science and technology, he added.

"Remember that the challenges you face will be more severe and complex. The world is changing rapidly and is full of uncertainty. The future will be much different than today," he remarked.

Therefore, he said, scout members must study, gain knowledge to the highest possible level, and continue to care for diversity, Pancasila, and the integrity of the Republic of Indonesia.

"You have to prove your resilience in your pursuit of knowledge. Be an enlightening future generation that continues to build hopes for the glory of Indonesia," the head of state said.

The Scout Day commemoration ceremony is usually held on August 14, but this year, the President is scheduled to give a state speech at the House of Representatives (DPR) and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on the same day. Therefore, the ceremony was held on Wednesday instead. (ANTARA)

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, at the launch of the 5th Indonesian Fruit of the Archipelago on Monday (August 10, 2020) in Jakarta. (ANTARA / HO-Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs/pri)

The Indonesian government is making efforts to accelerate the absorption of the budget prepared by it, including the funds allocated for the National Economic Recovery (PEN) program, to boost economic growth.

The government has so far spent Rp1,000 trillion of the Rp2,700-trillion budget, and intends to utilize the remaining Rp1,700 trillion by the end of this year.

There is a need to spur budget absorption to boost growth in the third quarter of 2020 after the negative growth of 5.32 percent seen in the second quarter, said Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, at the 2020 Work Meeting and National Consultation of the Indonesian Employers' Association (Rakerkonas Apindo), which was broadcast online on Wednesday.

“This third quarter is the determinant for us. From the Rp2,700 trillion prepared under the budget, including the PEN budget, until June, the government has spent Rp1,000 trillion. In the third-fourth quarter, we expect to spend Rp1,700 trillion, that is Rp700 trillion in the third quarter and Rp1,000 trillion in the fourth quarter,” he informed.

Airlangga said this effort is being carried out in accordance with President Jokowi's directions. It is expected that by spurring government spending in each ministry, the economy could return to a positive growth path.

Although Indonesia's economy has recorded negative growth — from the consumption side and government spending to the decline in exports and imports, there are still a number of sectors that are growing positively amid the ongoing slowdown.

Positive growth has still been recorded in the information and telecommunications, water utilities, health services, real estate, agriculture, educational services, and financial services sectors.

Meanwhile, the sectors that have been hit the hardest by the pandemic are accommodation, food and beverage, and land, sea, and air transportation.

"The accommodation, food and beverage, and transportation sector is the government's (current) concern. Because the chair of Apindo is also the chairman of PHRI (Association of Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants), maybe we need to discuss the stimulus that needs to be provided in this sector, because the spending is also domestic. It must be encouraged,” Hartarto said.

Indonesia, he noted, was also one of the few countries whose economic growth was still positive in the first quarter of 2020.

Meanwhile, in the second quarter of this year, other economies fell considerably, for example, Britain showed minus 19 percent, Germany minus 11 percent, France minus 19, Japan minus 8 percent, South Korea minus 2.9 percent, and India minus 18 percent growth.

"If we look at several countries that have implemented a lockdown, (we will find) their economy has been affected more deeply," the minister said.

Airlangga said that as per projections made by various institutions, Indonesia's economy is expected be on a green or positive path in 2021. He then asked for support from stakeholders, including the business world.

Earlier, Airlangga had predicted that Indonesia's economy would grow by minus 0.49 percent in 2020 in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is hoped that in the third quarter it (the economy) can improve, with a prediction of minus two, minus one (percent growth), or even, we hope to be positive,” he said at the virtual launch of the Coalition for Action against Corruption (CAC) Indonesia in Jakarta on Tuesday (August 11, 2020).

In his presentation on the economic growth of countries, including Indonesia, the Coordinating Minister had estimated that Indonesia's economy in the third quarter of 2020 would reach minus 1 percent growth.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, economic growth is estimated to improve to a positive growth of 1.38 percent, so the forecast for this year is a negative growth of 0.49 percent. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo has asked all members of the National Scout Movement to lead two national movements to help promote the values of discipline and caring in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I ask for you (the National Scout Movement) to make two national movements, first is the movement of national discipline that encourages the people to follow health protocols," the President  said at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The President made the statement at a ceremony to mark the 59th National Scout Movement Day. Minister of Youth and Sports, Zainudin Amali, and chief of Presidential Staff, Moeldoko, were present at the ceremony, while other attendees, including chief of the National Quarter of the Scout Movement, Budi Waseso, attended the ceremony via video conferencing.

"The two movements will sharpen your leadership, in deepening the true soul of scouts, as stipulated in the movement's dwi dharma (two purposes), tri satya (three essences), and dasa dharma (ten purposes) of the scouts," he added.

He emphasized that the Indonesian Scouts have always created tough generations adept in facing every challenge.

“(To be) Disciplined in taking actions, fearless in facing every challenge, always caring, ready to sacrifice for the greater good, and in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, that can be challenging, those are the characters (attributes) that we need," he continued.

As head of the National Scouts Movements' supervisory board, the President said that discipline covers abiding by health protocols, wearing masks, maintaining distance, and encouraging all elements of the public to follow the guidelines.

"The COVID-19 pandemic era has led to a health and economic crisis," he said, adding that an attitude of discipline, caring in the pursuit of joint interests, and solving problems needs to be inculcated.

He said he believed that if such values are promoted, Indonesia will be able to stem the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the associated risks.

The Indonesian Scouts Movement came into being on August 14, 1941. As the President is scheduled to deliver his State Speech in the House of Representatives on August 15 this year, the National Quarter chief Budi Waseso moved up the commemoration ceremony to Wednesday.

"The theme of the 59th National Scouts Movement Day is 'The Scouts Movement Assisting COVID-19 Handling and Defending the Nation'," Waseso said in his address. (ANTARA)