VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The export value of agricultural products from Indonesia to China continued to experience significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun at the International Sustainable Agricultural Development Conference in Beijing, Thursday, September 9, said that during the January to July 2021 period, the value of Indonesia's agricultural exports to China reached US$542.73 million. According to Ambassador Djauhari Oratmangun, the export value has increased by 36.6 percent. He also explained, at the peak of COVID-19 cases in 2020, exports of Indonesian agricultural products to China reached 828.12 million US dollars. This figure increased by 86.95 percent compared to the value of agricultural exports throughout 2019. The increase in export value was triggered by the high demand for swallow nests and their derivative products during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to swallow nests, the increase in exports to China was supported by other superior products such as palm oil, natural rubber and its derivatives, cocoa, coffee beans and packaged coffee, tea, tropical fruits, and spices. Ambassador Djauhari said he was confident that exports of these agricultural products would continue to increase in the coming years. Moreover, according to Djauhari Oratmangun,

Indonesia and China have just signed an agreement to settle local money payment transactions (LCS) using rupiah and yuan without going through the US dollar. The Ambassador believes that the rupiah-yuan payment scheme will restore the national economy. Therefore, this SCS must be optimized so that trade and investment transactions as well as tourism between Indonesia and China can be a source of post-pandemic economic recovery. According to him, the implementation of the SCS will be very beneficial for both countries.

Ambassador Djauhari Oratmangun added that the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing and the Indonesian Consulate General in Shanghai and Guangzhou often participated in various trade exhibition activities in several cities in China. He also stressed the importance of developing the agricultural industry in line with industry 4.0 to encourage value-added agricultural production, high productivity, and environmentally friendly.

The Indonesian Consul General in Guangzhou and the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing continue to strengthen cooperation with Fujian Province, China, within the framework of the “Belt and Road Initiative.” The cooperation is also established in other sectors, such as renewable energy, maritime, and the digital economy. Recently, the Indonesian Consulate General in Guangzhou and the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing have held a Business Forum with the theme "China (Fujian) Indonesia Green Economic Cooperation Conference". This business forum was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce of Fujian Province, the Chamber of Commerce (CCPIT) of Xiamen, and the Topwe Indonesia Investment Service Center. This business forum was attended by around 100 representatives from the ASEAN-China Center online and offline. The speakers of Indonesian companies and industrial estates were from Bintan Industrial Estate, Aviarna Industrial Estate, JIIPE-Java Integrated Industrial & Ports Estate. In addition, there was also the Fuzhou Yuanhong Investment Zone as Indonesia's partner within the framework of the Indonesia-China "Two Countries Twin Parks" cq Fujian Province.

Indonesia managed to record a potential transaction worth US$3.26 million or around Rp 46.40 billion at the Promotion Exhibition of Indonesia's Leading Products in Luxor, Egypt. The exhibition which took place on Monday 6 September was held by the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo. The Indonesian products on display included coffee, tea, spices, shaved coconut, cooking spices, food and beverage products, handicrafts, weaving fashion, and strategic industrial products. Around 48 Egyptian businesspeople from various sectors attended the exhibition of Indonesia's superior products. In addition, this exhibition was also attended business actors from West Java who oversees the Indonesian Islamic Boarding School's Association of Commerce and Business Incubation (ASDIN). These business actors carried several superior food products from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), such as Arabica coffee, Robusta coffee, palm sugar, charcoal briquettes, medium-density fiberboard (MDF) wood, and other food and beverage products.

After being postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 virus, finally the  20^th 2020 National Sports Week (PON) was decided to be held in Papua, Indonesia from September 22 to October 15, 2021. A total of 37 sports and 10 exhibition branches will be competed at the biggest sporting event in the country.

Based on the Setkab.go.id, it is stated that the 20^th PON in Papua should have taken place from October 20 to November 2, 2020, with "Papua Bangkit" stadium as the main location.

On the account, Indonesian Minister of Youth and Sports, Zainudin Amali explained that the decision to postpone the 20^th PON to October 2021 is that the government saw in October 2021, there is no important sporting agenda. In addition to setting September 22 to October 15 2021 as the time for PON 2020, the government has also decided that this sporting event could be attended by spectators. But on condition, they must show a vaccination certificate and follow strict health protocols.

It is known that currently, Papua is still undergoing a policy of imposing level 3 restrictions on community activities. The situation is expected to gradually improve as in many other regions in Indonesia, so that the National Sports Week can be carried out as planned.

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD in a virtual press conference last weeked, appealed to spectators not to flock to the location of the match. They are also advised to register online beforehand. This appeal needs to be appreciated, considering that although the pandemic is expected to have subsided, the situation is not yet fully normal.  With the regulation of audience capacity in each arena, and suggestions for watching via online or television, it is hoped that there will be no new clusters of Covid-19 spread from PON 2020 Papua.

Besides the strict supervision in implementing health protocols, the security is also a concern of the government. Thereby, the Papuan Police have dispatched 16 companies of Brimob Nusantara troops to all areas in the Papua PON arena for security.

Hopefully, the national athletes who come from all corners of the country can achieve maximum results, even though they are overshadowed by the pandemic. All related stakeholders of the 20^th PON 2020, such as  athletes, officials and spectators are expected to cooperate and strictly adhere to health protocols to create a sense of security for all. Thus, the initial idea of holding the National Sports Week  as a sporting event in search of talented athletes in every sport across the country can be realized.

The public are expected to continue to support the spirit that was inflamed through PON by fostering brotherhood and unity and building national characters through sports. PON is expected to be the highest peak of national level sporting achievements towards international sporting events.

The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation sought to increase the local content requirement (TKDN) in a transportation infrastructure project cooperation with Japan. Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi in an online press conference amid his visit in Japan on Tuesday (7/9) said that over the last three years, Japan's investment in Indonesia has risen significantly. The Ministry also lobbied so that the local content requirement in the cooperation with Japan keeps increasing.

Minister Budi Karya further explained that in a Government-to-Government (G- to-G) meeting with the Japanese government, both countries shared a similar outlook to accelerate the Government-to-Business (G-to-B) and Business-to-Business (B-to-B) cooperation in some transportation infrastructure development projects in Indonesia.

Minister Budi added that the Japanese government supported the Patimban Seaport optimization, by inviting automotive companies and seaport operators from Japan to use the seaport by forming a consortium with Indonesia.

Regarding the MRT Jakarta development project, the Transportation Ministry asked the development to be done faster. Minister Budi Karya also pointed out that the government wants the MRT to be a monumental project that gives off a meaning for the people, and for the two countries' relations.

Then, Indonesia welcomed Japan's interest to participate in the Government-to-Business-Cooperation (KPBU) project in developing a Proving Ground in Bekasi, West Java. Currently, the project is under auction. Two companies from Japan join the auction.

Minister Budi Karya further remarked that his side explained some potentials in the seaport sector. They include Ambon Seaport development in eastern Indonesia that has the potential for fishery and cargo; the Palembang Seaport with cargo, oil, and gas potentials; Natuna Seaport that will be a fishery industry center; Gorontalo which will be collaborated with agricultural products; and a plan to integrate some seaports in Batam.

He affirmed that the Indonesian government is committed to accelerating the national transportation development infrastructure despite the Covid-19 pandemic.