VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Tuesday lauded the provincial and district governments, and the people of Aceh for their success in ensuring quick land acquisition for the toll road construction project in the province.

"I thank the acting governor, district heads, and people of Aceh for their success," President Jokowi said on the sidelines of his official visit to the province to inaugurate the Banda Aceh-Sigli Toll Road Section 4 in Aceh Besar, Aceh, on Tuesday.

The process of land acquisition in Aceh for the toll road project has been much quicker compared to many other provinces, he noted, adding that 84 percent of land needed for building the 74-km-long Banda Aceh-Sigli toll road could be attained.

The Banda Aceh-Sigli toll road section, which is expected to be completed in 2024, is part of the Trans-Sumatra toll road project that will connect Aceh and Lampung provinces.

"The presence of this infrastructure project is expected to create new centers of business and economic growth in Aceh," the President remarked.

President Jokowi has demanded that the main corridor of the Trans-Sumatra toll road sections in Aceh be integrated with and connected to the province's tourism and agricultural centers, as well as industrial areas.

This would allow people at large to benefit from the construction of the toll road sections in Indonesia's westernmost province, he explained.

On Tuesday, President Jokowi inaugurated the Sigli-Blang Bintang Toll Road, which is section 4 of the 74-kilometer-long Banda Aceh-Sigli Toll Road.

This is the first toll road section built in Aceh province as part of the Trans-Sumatra toll road project.

Since the first and second leadership terms of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), infrastructure has been accorded special priority, with the extension of toll roads bearing testament to this focus.

According to the Public Works and Housing Ministry, at least 941 kilometers of toll roads and 3,423 kilometers of national roads were constructed during the first leadership term of President Jokowi.

Meanwhike, work on the Trans-Java Highway connecting the ferry port in Merak, Banten province, to Surabaya, the capital city of East Java province, is complete, thereby reducing the travel time and current logistics costs.

As part of the central government's prioritized development projects, toll roads are not merely being constructed in Java, but also in areas outside the island, such as Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi.

In Sumatra Island, several sections of the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road have been completed, and the government is planning to complete the entire section in 2024.

Work on the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road project is still underway. State-owned construction companies involved in the project have striven ceaselessly to ensure it is
completed within the deadline. (ANTARA)

The BPUM was officially launched by President Joko Widodo at the State Palace in Jakarta on August 24, 2020. ANTARA/HO-Public Relations of Cooperatives and SMEs Ministry

The Indonesian government has provided Rp2.4 million per personto about one million micro-entrepreneurs under its financial assistance program, Presidential Assistance (BanPres) for Productive Micro Enterprises (BPUM), since August 17, 2020.

The funds have been disbursed to one million entrepreneurs operating micro businesses under the initial phase of the program.

BPUM funds will be gradually disbursed to 12 million recipients, Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs, Teten Masduki, said following the launch of the program by President Joko Widodo at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday.

"This assistance is part of the National Economic Recovery (PEN) scheme provided to micro-entrepreneurs who do not have credit, but have a business," the minister elaborated.

The program is aimed to help micro businesses become more productive and recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

The ministry has collaborated with several stakeholders, including Himbara, to distribute funds under the BPUM, Masduki noted.

Under the first phase of the program, a total of Rp22 trillion will be distributed to 9.1 million beneficiaries.

From August 17 to August 19 this year, Rp2.4 trillion was disbursed to one million micro-entrepreneurs across the country's 34 provinces.

Warsiah, a soft drinks-trader from Bekasi, West Java, who received BPUM through BNI, said he was very grateful for the assistance.

"I will use this presidential assistance to increase my business capital," Warsiah stated.

Nia Maliana Pulanga, a grocery business owner in Pasir Panjang, Kupang, also expressed gratitude for the financial aid.

"Every day I sell groceries. With the help of the President, through the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, I can get it (financial aid) very easily, with the assistance of BRI officers. I will use this assistance as additional business capital to buy grocery store supplies. Thank you. I hope that those who have helped me, especially Mr. President, will always be given health, " Nia said. (ANTARA)

Jakarta (VOI News) - Chairman of the Committee for Handling Covid-19 and National Economic Recovery Airlangga Hartarto noted that the handling of Covid-19 in Indonesia is better than the handling in the global average. He said it can be seen from the recovery rate for Covid-19 patients in Indonesia that is higher than that of the world’s average. Airlangga   after a meeting with President Jokowi, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta on Monday (24/8) stated that the recovery case of Covid-19 in Indonesia has reached 70 percent.

"The situation in Indonesia is better where the recovery case has reached 70 percent and it is 70 percent higher than the global average of 68.1 percent. Then the fatality rate can be reduced to 4.35 percent. Even though it is still slightly above the global average, it has declined compared to the previous months," said Hartarto..

Moreover, Airlangga Hartarto ensured that the Indonesian government will continuously intensify the socialization of health protocols to prevent the spread of the covid-19. It is also in accordance with President Jokowi's instructions to intensify the campaign of using the mask.// (VOI/ pradipta / edit r)// Trans: AF

Jakarta (VOI News) - Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi said that the fulfillment of the COVID-19 vaccine for the short term, especially for 2020 and 2021, has been secured. This was conveyed by Retno Marsudi during a press conference after the Limited Meeting at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Monday (24/8). In this effort, last week Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Minister of State-Owned Enterprises as the Chief Executive of the Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery Erick Thohir visited China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Retno Marsudi explained that the result of the visit was that Indonesia managed to secure a commitment of up to 340 million doses of vaccines.

"From visiting these two countries, we can say that for 2020, we have secured a commitment of 20 to 30 million vaccines. Meanwhile for 2021 for the first quarter, we can secure between 80 and 130 million vaccines. While for the 2nd to the 4th quarters, we have secured 210 million vaccines. Thus, if we talk about numbers for 2021, the number we can secure is 290 million to 340 million," said Retno Marsudi.

Retno Marsudi added that the government is making short-term and long-term efforts to meet the needs of the COVID-19 vaccine. Short-term efforts include securing vaccine supplies from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China. The long-term effort is to achieve independence in producing the vaccine. (voi / nouva / edit r/AHM)