VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Ambassador to Senegal, Dindin Wahyudin promoted the electric motorcycles produced by Indonesia namely GESITS in Thies City, Senegal This is the real manifestation of the implementation of economic diplomacy to penetrate prospective markets in the West African region.  The promotion of the GESITS produced by PT WIKA Industri Manufaktur is also a form of support for the Go Global program of State Owned Enterprises (BUMN). It is also a part of a sister city cooperation plan between Bogor City in Indonesia and Thies City in Senegal, particularly the GESITS motorcycle factory which is located in Bogor Regency, West Java.

Ambassador Dindin Wahyudin explained that the GESITS motorcycle is produced because of a dream of an environmentally friendly and modern motorcycle product for the people of Indonesia and the world. Therefore, Indonesia also invites friendly countries, including Senegal, to use environmentally friendly technology in their daily lives. On the occasion, he also expressed his appreciation to Director of Ndiaye Transport, Makhtar Ndiaye who supported the promotion of the event. Ndiaye Transport is the first GESITS motorbike user in Senegal and the pioneer of modern motorbike taxi services in Thies City.

Ambassador Dindin believes that due to a number of similarities and a long history of good relations between Indonesia and Senegal, the GESITS motorcycles will be accepted by the people of Senegal. He is also sure that the use of GESITS motorcycles and the development of Ndiaye Transport can support the Government of Senegal in providing fast, safe, cheap, and environmentally friendly transportation as well as open up more employment opportunities for the people of Senegal. The event was also attended by   the Minister of Craft Transformation and Informal Sectors of Senegal, Governor of Thies Region, Head of Transport for Thies Region, Director of Thies City Cooperation, Chair of the Thies Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Head of Thies Region Transport Division, Director of Ndiaye Transport, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Indonesia in Guinea-Bissau, Deputy Director General of the Bank of Africa, and a number of potential buyers of GESITS motorcycles.

The Tokyo Olympics is going to be held on July 23, 2021. This world sporting event has been postponed for a year due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. Currently, it is still a question for many parties how Tokyo will hold the world event and make Japanese volunteers, athletes, officials and people safe from the Covid-19. Due to the fact that up to now, Japan is still in great efforts to control the number of Covid-19. It is reported that 10 prefectures in Japan, including Tokyo, are still under a state of emergency until June 20, 2021. On Tuesday (1/6), Japan started vaccinating its athletes who will take part in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

The Japanese government in its latest data mentions only about 3 percent of the 128 million populations who have received vaccinations. There have been 74,000 cases of Covid-19 with a death toll of up to 13,000 people.

The Japanese newspaper -Yomiuri conducted a survey on June 4 – June 6, 2021 which revealed that 50 percent of respondents said the Olympics would be held this summer. About 26 percent of respondents said the Tokyo Olympics would not be possible without spectators. More than 48 percent of respondents said the sporting event would eventually be cancelled.

The survey also revealed that respondents' support for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had declined to the lowest level of 37 percent. Most of the respondents said the reason was because they were tired of the bans imposed to stop the corona virus outbreak and the policies they felt were not enough to protect Olympic athletes and participants.

Since the beginning of the year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been encouraging athletes and Olympic committee teams from various countries to be vaccinated before they arrive in Japan.

The Covid-19 pandemic has made this event difficult to carry out. However, with the various efforts that have been made and the delay of a year, Japan seems determined to keep holding the Olympics amid this pandemic. After preparations that cost a lot of time, money, and energy, it seems that Japan really has no choice but to continue to hold the Olympics. Of course, there are various adjustments to health procedures to anticipate the Covid-19.

Bali, the pride of Indonesia's tourism destination, becomes the favourite of not only  the Indonesian people, but also Asia and the world in 2021 according to the Travelers' Choice Best of the Best 2021 award by travel site TripAdvisor. For the world category, Bali is in the top position while beating a number of other tourist destinations, including London in England, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and Rome in Italy. Meanwhile, for the Asia category, Bali is also in first position. The province is above other tourist attractions, including Hanoi in Vietnam, Bangkok in Thailand, and Hoi An in Vietnam. 

On the official website of the award, the Island of the Gods is described as a living postcard and a paradise in Indonesia that looks like a fantasy world. TripAdvisor also wrote, tourists can do various activities while on vacation there, from sunbathing on white sandy beaches, diving and seeing World War II shipwrecks, watching traditional dances, to taking yoga classes. Tourists are also recommended to visit a number of tourist attractions there, including Kelingking Beach, Sekumpul Waterfall, and Mount Batur.

Besides Bali, Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara is also included in the list of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia in 2021. The island is ranked 22nd with several recommended destinations, including Gili Meno Beach, Mount Rinjani, and Selong Belanak Beach. The Travelers' Choice Best of the Best award has been held since 2002. Launched from the TripAdvisor site, this award is based on millions of reviews and opinions from travellers around the world.

The Travelers' Choice Best of the Best awards reflect the best in terms of service, quality and visitor satisfaction, from hotels and accommodations to attractions, restaurants and experiences.

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy/Tourism and Creative Economy Agency introduced a creative food packaging product made from betel nut midrib called ‘Plepah’ at a media meeting held on Thursday (3/6).Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno accompanied by Expert Staff for Innovation and Creativity, Josua Puji Mulia Simanjuntak, along with Plepah Team Representative, Rengkuh Banyu Mahandaru, presented products that they hope could be solutions to the global issue:trash. Plepah products are processed betel nut tree’s waste as an alternative economic income for the people of South Sumatra and Jambi. The products in the form of plates and food packaging are sturdy, waterproof, and heat-resistant up to 200 degrees Celsius so that they can be put in the oven and microwave and decomposed in the soil in 60 days.

Plepah was initiated by Community Driven Innovation dealing with a waste problem in which the most waste is Styrofoam waste.According to Minister Sandiaga Uno, Foot-lose Community Driven Innovation has implemented adaptation, collaboration, and innovation.  Adapting to environmental issues, the community collaborates with the Musi Banyuasin Government and the local communities. The innovation provides solutions for the environment, social matters and it creates jobs, avoids and reduces the use of Styrofoam.

From research in 18 cities, the contribution of Styrofoam waste is 0.27 to 0.59 tons in Indonesia waters. This is worrying for marine biota. Therefore, the solution created is to present food packaging from natural materials, such as betel nut midrib.These basic materials are commonly found in oil palm plantations and rubber plantations. In addition, this creative product also opens up wide employment for the local community.Quoted from the official Plepah website, this product was developed because of concerns about organic waste which is considered garbage, then cannot be processed.Therefore, organic waste, such as betel nut midrib is developed into a product of economic value through the role of community empowerment. This product consists of an eco-friendly disposable plate and a packaged lunch box.