VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia's success at the 2018 Asian Games spreads to the Indonesian contingent of 2018 Asian Para Games. In regard to the success, Chief de Mission of the Indonesian contingent at Asian Para Games, Arminsyah said proudly at Bung Karno Sports Complex in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon (10/10) that the target of 16 gold medals and the 8th rank that has been targeted by President Joko Widodo has already been achieved, and even, it is exceeding the target.

“We receive a report that Indonesian contingent has got 18 gold medals. The most gold medals are from chess; we get 6 gold and gold for branch lawn ball. So, there are 18 gold medals in total. We still have more than that, and even this is exceeding,” said Arminsyah.

Arminsyah hopes that Indonesian team will continously get additional gold medals. So, the success is not only in medals, but also in the country's ranks in the total tally of the 2018 Asian Para Games. In addition, he views that the success of Indonesian athletes depends not only on their skills and coaches but also their psychology team that maintains their mentality and enthusiasm to compete with other disabled athletes. (VOI/TONO/TRANS AF/AHM)

The World Bank expressed its readiness to cooperate with Indonesia in handling the impact of the earthquake and tsunami that occurred in Palu, Central Sulawesi. This was affirmed by CEO of the World Bank Group, Kristalina Georgieva after meeting Vice President Jusuf Kalla during the aanual meeting of International Monetary Fund and World Bank-Group –IMF- WBG in Nusa Dua, Bali, Wednesday (10/10). To reporters, Kristalina expressed the readiness of the World Bank to issue relief funds for victims of the Palu disaster. However, she did not elaborate how much money would be disbursed by the World Bank to assist Indonesia in handling this problem.

“This is something that we would discuss on the basis of need assessment. We just finalized rapid need assessment. What is the economic damage of the earthquake and the tsunami? And on that basis we will work with the government to define what should be the plan for reconstruction and then on that basis the government would tell us what may be necessary from us. We are prepared to support Indonesia as much as the needs. So it is a call for the Indonesian authorities to make but we are prepared to provide substantial financing should that be necessary,” said Kristalina Georgieva.

CEO Kristalina Georgieva further expressed her condolences over the disaster that occurred in Palu, Central Sulawesi. She encouraged the Indonesian government to increase investment in a bid to prevent the fall of many victims by building earthquake resistant houses. She also said that the World Bank is ready to support the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Palu to build stronger buildings. This is needed especially by the people living in earthquake-prone areas. (VOI/Ndy/Trans AF/AHM)

Indonesia is a country prone to disasters that can cause casualties as well as material losses of a number of infrastructure and buildings. In a dialogue forum on 'Disaster Risk and Insurance Funding' themed "National Strategy to Build Fiscal Improvement" ahead of the opening of the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group 2018 -IMF-WBG in Nusa Dua, Bali, Wednesday (10/10), Vice President, Jusuf Kalla said that Indonesia needs to have insurance and funding management to deal with various disasters that often occur in Indonesia. Before a number of state delegations participating in the IMF-WBG meeting, Jusuf Kalla said that some disasters in Indonesia from Aceh tsunami,  Lombok earthquake to tsunami in Palu and Donggala have caused considerable material losses that require the reconstruction and rehabilitation budget taken from the state revenue. Taking for example, the funding of post-tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation in Aceh which was assisted by IMF and the United Nations. Therefore, Vice President Jusuf Kalla hopes that in the future, Indonesia needs to have insurance and funding management so as it will not depend on the foreign assistance.

“So far, Indonesia’s assets have been made without a fiscal risk protection due to the disaster. If the bridge is damaged, it is damaged. This is replaced again after the disaster. If the government building is damaged, it will be replaced. Everything becomes the burden of the state budget. Of course, we don't want everything to be borne by the state budget. We do not want to continuously depend on the foreign aids. How the state assets can be insured; so far there has not been rule yet about how government assets are insured," Jusuf Kalla said.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla calls for the countries participating in the IMF-WBG 2018 annual meeting to form insurance and funding management in a bid to address disasters and to ease the burden on countries affected by natural disasters. He perceived that road infrastructure and government or individual buildings are assets that need to be insured from natural disasters that cannot be predicted when and where they will occur. (VOI/RIZKI/AHM)

Indonesia becomes a partner in the Luang Prabang Film Festival scheduled to be held from December 7-12 in Luang Prabang, Laos. Indonesian ambassador to Laos, Pratito to Voice of Indonesia in a special interview on Tuesday, October 9th, 2018 said that the theme to be rased in the 9th film festival is Indonesia. He also said that through this festival, Indonesia can open a new opportunity for Indonesian film industry in Laos. According to him the international festival gives opportunity to introduce Indonesia to Laos and the world. He added the number of Laos people visiting Indonesia is still low and vice versa. 

"This time Indonesia is requested to be the only theme. So every films and everything that will be shown in the festival is about Indonesia," said Pratito.

Ambassador Pratito further explained that every year Luang Prabang Film Festival raises different theme from different countries. The festival is held on the UNESCO wold herittage site, Luang Prabang. The festival will feature movie screening, short film program, and public discussion featuring Indonesian film directors and film experts. Last year the festival featured 32 big screens and was visited by 22,000 people. (VOI/SEKAR/Trans : NK/AHM)