VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Mohamad Nasir has encouraged development of technology-based people's economy to boost local as well as national economic growth.

"Hopefully (with the development in technology) people's economy will grow based on technology, not only with business as usual process," the minister said at the Research, Innovation, Technology Expo 2019 in Puputan Square, Renon, Denpasar on Sunday.

The expo was part of the commemoration of the National Technology Awareness (Hakteknas).

Nasir has also called on all parties to familiarize innovation, through various cooperation with colleges, researchers and all institutions under the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry, as well as local governments.

He expressed belief that the issuance of law no. 11/12019 on the national system of science and technology will bring about  favorable climate to the development of research and technology in the country.

"Hopefully, this will accommodate inventors. The law has also covered research, development, assessment and application to produce innovation and invention," he said.

The minister took the examples of some invention that could have a small to large impact on  the economy, including the invention to process palm oil into diesel fuel and aviation turbine fuel (avtur).

"If we can finish this in the next two years, we don't need to import fuel oil anymore. We can save US$17.6 billion or some Rp250 trillion," he said.

Various research, technology and innovation exposed in the Ritech 2019 Expo, that covered among others food and agriculture sector, health, transportation, information and communication technology, energy, security and defense, maritime, disaster mitigation, education, art, social and culture. (ANTARA)

Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah and QueenTunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Binti Almarhum Al-Mutawakkil Alallah Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj will visit Indonesia from August 26 to 29, 2019.

During the visit, the Malaysian king and queen will attend the welcome ceremony and state banquette hosted by President Joko Widodo at the Bogor Palace, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a written statement released on Sunday .

The Malaysian king's entourage includes Economic Minister Dato' Seri Mohamed Azmin bin Ali, and officials of the Foreign Ministry, the State Palace and the Prime Minister's Office.

While in Jakarta, the Malaysian king and queen will also attend a dinner with the Malaysian people in Indonesia and visit Istiqlal Mosque, the biggest mosque in Southeast Asia.

During the four-day visit to Indonesia, King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah will also travel to Yogyakarta to meet Governor of the Yogyakarta Special Province Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and visit a number of historical sites.

The visit symbolizes strong bilateral ties between Malaysia and Indonesia and will contribute to strengthening friendship between the two neighboring nations that has been in existence since 62 years ago, the Foreign Ministry said (ANTARA)

Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Darmin Nasution is buoyant of Indonesia's economic growth staying under control in the midst of global uncertainties arising from the US-China trade war.

"Since early last year, the global economy has faced several uncertainties and turmoil here and there, particularly owing to the trade war. We, however, remain capable of maintaining our economic growth," Nasution affirmed in his opening remarks during the Capital Market Summit and Expo (CMSE) 2019 held Jakarta on Friday.

The minister pointed out that Indonesia's economy has not only grown but also improved its growth quality, coupled with the national inflation rate that is controlled at a low level and a reduction in the poverty and unemployment rates.

"In fact, the Gini ratio, as an indicator of income distribution, has been improving," he stated.

Furthermore, Indonesia has clocked a better and higher credit rate, thereby indicating that the nation has been venturing ahead to become an investment state, he remarked.

"We can witness the journey of Indonesia's capital market over the last 42 years since it was reactivated on August 5, 1977. At that time, the market capitalization was only Rp2.73 billion, and after 42 years, it has grown 2.500 times to reach a value at Rp7,173 trillion," he noted, adding that the number of investors has also reached a record of 1,049,000, as of August 15, 2019.

In a bid to attract more investors, he has encouraged Indonesian capital market regulators to simplify policies to facilitate easier public access.

Indonesian Financial Services Authority (OJK) Chairman Wimboh Santoso stated that the Capital Market Summit and Expo 2019 was organized as an initiative to expand the roles of capital market and capital market financing, including for increasing public awareness of equitable distribution of technology and development. (ANTARA)

The meeting and exhibition were organized to also celebrate the 42nd anniversary of the capital market

The Cooperative and Small-Medium Scale Enterprises Minister AAGN Puspayoga has called on the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) Indonesia to develop export-oriented small and medium-scale enterprises. "ICSB should focus on the export market, as it has an international marketing network," Puspayoga said in a statement Jakarta Friday.

The minister made these remarks at a limited meeting on SMEs and a working meeting of ICSB Indonesia in Denpasar, Bali.

Puspayoga recalled that the government had implemented a strategic program of Import Tax Waiver for Materials for Export Oriented Goods (KITE) that annuls import taxes and other tariffs for export-oriented small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

"Zero percent of import taxes, and zero percent of export tariffs," he noted.

The minister quoted the example of SMEs in Bangli and Denpasar, and SMEs in Boyolali, Central Java which have already been developed into export-oriented enterprises.

"I hope that the ICSB and all SMEs in Indonesia can reap the benefits of KITE," the minister said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of ICSB Indonesia Hermawan Kertajaya said the council's special meeting brought the main agenda of the policymaker's brief, to gather information on ministries/institutions' policies to strengthen Indonesian SMEs.