VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism fully supports the implementation of the world motor racing competition, Moto GP 2021 in Mandalika, West Nusa Tenggara -NTB, by preparing one million Euros to get a Moto GP License. In his remarks at the 2019 Indonesia Tourism News Award in Jakarta, Wednesday (October 2), Minister of Tourism, Arif Yahya stated that his side prepares the funds because this world championship has a high media value.

“There will be a Moto GP in 2021. The Ministry of Tourism will support one million Euros from around 10 million needed to pay for the Moto GP license. Why does Ministry of Tourism want to? Once again it is because of high media value. So, the direct is large, the media value is much higher. We will attract around one hundred thousand people; if one hundred thousand people, it’s around one hundred million US dollars, let's say the exchange rate is Rp10,000, this means Rp1 trillion. But the Moto GP media value is doubled: Rp2 trillion. This is broadcast by around 60 broadcasters of 200 countries,” said Arief Yahya.

Minister Yahya added that media value is the key to the successful promotion of Indonesia's Tourism destinations. Mandalika, which is included in the 10-priority destination of the Ministry of tourism, is an appropriate place to build the Moto GP circuit. (VOI/NK)

The provincial government of Papua has made assurance of providing security to all Indonesian residents in Papua, including those in Wamena, Jayawijaya District, following the recent riots.

In Jayapura on Monday, Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, expressed the local government’s readiness to conduct reconstruction and repair of all government and public assets, including offices, shops, and kiosks, that had borne the brunt of the rioting.

"Evacuation of victims of the riots, both the dead and injured, is the urgent response necessitated right now," Enembe stated.

Furthermore, the Papuan local government has offered food assistance and other basic daily essentials for people seeking refuge at military district command offices, police offices, churches, and mosques.

"I would like to apologize profusely and express my deepest condolences to all the victims, who had suffered owing to the riots in Wamena on September 23, 2019," Enembe emphasized.

Some provincial governments in Indonesia had earlier issued instructions to their representatives to facilitate the evacuation of their citizens living in Wamena, Jayawijaya District, to a safer place after the recent riots that killed 33 non-native residents of Papua. (ANTARA)

The National Energy Council (DEN) has called on offices to set up charging stations for electric vehicles.

Electric vehicles can lower air pollution, fossil fuel consumption, and oil imports, Djoko Siswanto, DEN Secretary General noted in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.

"The rationale behind using electric vehicles is to realize a cleaner environment, curb air pollution, curtail fossil oil consumption, and lessen imports. DEN urges all electric car producers to begin production of the vehicles now," he remarked.

To support the initiative to use electric vehicles, every office should provide electric sockets or public electric vehicle charging stations (SPKLUs) at parking lots for charging batteries.

"Every office is advised to build electric sockets at motorcycle parking lots. For motorbikes, charging a vehicle battery at home or office is sufficient. Each takes around four hours to charge and can suffice for five day trips from home to office and vice versa," he explained.

The government issued Presidential Regulation No. 55 of 2019 on the Acceleration of Battery Electric Vehicle Program for Road Transportation that had come into effect since August 12, 2019.

Development of the domestic electric vehicle industry will be expedited in accordance with the regulation. Furthermore, it encourages incentives, charging station infrastructure development, and special electricity tariffs for battery charging, as well as environmental preservation.

The regulation also pushes for energy efficiency, security, and conservation in the transportation sector, clean energy usage, air quality improvement, and the realization of Indonesia’s commitment to lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

In the meantime, the Agency for Technology Assessment and Application (BPPT) had earlier echoed that electric vehicles would pick up steam in Indonesia, with more charging stations being set up nationwide.

The agency had held the Indonesia Electric Motor Show (IEMS) 2019 on Sept 4-7 in Jakarta to promote the use of electric vehicles in the country.

"The IEMS 2019 is initiated by BPPT to offer a broader understanding to the public in Indonesia on electric vehicles as a new form of disruptive technology," BPPT Head Hammam Riza remarked at the opening of the exhibition in Jakarta. (ANTARA)

Papuan figure Nick Meset ensured that the UN did not allow Benny Wenda and his entourage to enter the UN General Assembly hall and join a delegation from Vanuatu because he was not a citizen of  that small country.

"It is not true that Benny Wenda has joined the UN General Assembly as a member of Vanuatu's delegation because the UN only allows state representatives to enter the UN General Assembly in New York," Nick Meset told ANTARA on Sunday.

The rules applied by the United Nations are very strict. Only citizens can represent their countries and join the official delegations at the UN General Assembly, Meset remarked.

Nick Meset, who participated in as a member of the Indonesian delegation with Maikel Manufandu, asserted that Benny Wenda and his colleagues were not permitted to enter the hearing.

Nick Meset, who is currently the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Nauru in Jakarta, cannot represent the country because he is still an Indonesian citizen. As a result, at the United Nations General Assembly, he belonged to the Indonesian delegation.

At the UN General  Assembly in New York, the issues of Papua and referendum were not on the agenda, Meset said, adding that what was spread by that group was not true or hoax.

Because of that, the community members should not get influenced easily by the issues that Benny Wenda and his group's members proliferated, said Meset, who had ever served as the Free Papua Movement (OPM) Foreign Minister.

Nick Meset revealed the riots that occurred in several regions in Papua were caused by Benny Wenda's provocation.

"What is said that the problem of Papua will be discussed at the UN is out-of-date. He and his colleagues had done it years ago," Meset said.

Therefore, the public should not easily be influenced by Benny Wenda's statement because it is a fake promise. 

"Let us together create a sense of security so that the development can be continued in Papua until the people of Papua can really get prospered," Nick Messet stated. (ANTARA)