VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs' secretary Susiwijono Moegiarso. (ANTARA/HO-Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs) - 

Indonesia's G20 Presidency will bring economic and strategic benefits, as the country has a major role in determining the aim of global policies for the future.

Secretary for the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Susiwijono Moegiarso made the remarks in his official statement here on Saturday.

"Indonesia will gain strategic benefits wherein it will largely contribute to further deciding the world policies," he remarked.

The ministry's secretary explained that the theme of Indonesia's G20 Presidency is "Recover Together, Recover Stronger" wherein it upholds the hope that countries worldwide would quickly recover from the pandemic together in every sector, thereby resulting in resilience and sustainability.

According to Moegiarso, implementation of the G20 event will bring economic benefits that, if combined, are 1.5 to two folds higher than that of 2018's IMF - World Bank Annual Meeting in Bali.

Furthermore, Moegiarso spoke of a projected increase in domestic consumption of Rp1.7 trillion and domestic GDP of Rp7.43 trillion generated from the delegates' visit. 

Indonesia's G20 Presidency will also enhance the role of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and help absorb 33 thousand workers in various sectors.

Moegiarso highlighted inclusive global health, digital-based economic transformation, and sustainable energy transition as the three areas of focus of Indonesia's G20 presidency.

"We should be proud because in the pandemic, Indonesia received honor and trust to hold the 2022 Indonesia G20 Presidency," he noted.

Moegiarso noted that Indonesia will assume the G20 presidency for about a year, with more than 150 meetings clustered into working groups, ministerial-level meets to those at the government and world leaders' level.

G20 is divided into the Finance Track and Sherpa Track.

Sherpa Track will discuss a plethora of issues in the real sector, such as health, manpower, trade-investment-industry, digital economy, tourism, energy and environment, infrastructure, anti-corruption, and enrichment of women and youth.

Meanwhile, financial inclusion, exit policy, and policies on recovering the economy will be discussed in the Finance Track//ANT

Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Bintang Puspayoga (ANTARA/HO/rst) - 

Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Bintang Puspayoga has urged women state civil servants (ASN) to support and inspire one another to have equal access in order to build a better career in institutions.

"Women are important for this nation, as they have the perseverance, toughness, and patience needed to pursue their career and encourage their success to become good leaders," Puspayoga noted in a press release here Saturday.

The minister pointed to extraordinary progress made in women's empowerment. However, women had yet to fully achieve equality.

Based on data from the Indonesian Civil Servants Statistics Book on June 2021, of the four million ASN in Indonesia, 53 percent are women. However, the number of women occupying Middle High Leadership Positions (JPT) is still far behind the number of their male counterparts, with 93 women as compared to 474 men holding those positions.

"The data shows an absence of equal representation of female ASN to occupy high-level positions. This problem is not caused by their lower quality but by unequal accessibility. To this end, women must unite and become a driving force to realize gender mainstreaming in daily life," Puspayoga remarked.

These efforts can be made starting from simple things, such as reminding and educating parties that demean women, proving that women are able and willing to learn how to do a job, as well as reporting and overseeing cases of abuse or violence on women, she emphasized.

"If we make these various efforts consistently, then there will be a mindset change within each institution to empower women. Wherever women want to stand, they can certainly achieve it. There is nothing impossible for women to achieve," she noted//ANT

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto. (ANTARA/HO-Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs/rst) - 

Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto stated that the application of Regional Government Transaction Electronification (ETPD) for regional income and expenditure transactions supports the improvement of financial management in the regional government.

"The implementation of ETPD is expected to improve the local government's financial management to become more efficient, transparent, and accountable. It also aids to increase regional revenue," Hartarto conveyed in an official statement received here, Saturday.

Presidential Regulation Number 95 of 2018 mandates the implementation of the Electronic-Based Government System (SPBE) for the Central and Regional Governments to provide excellent public services.

Accelerating the realization of SPBE is expected to be supported by the existence of the Acceleration and Expansion of Regional Digitization (P2DD).

ETPD is a digital transformation effort made by P2DD to support the SPBE. In addition, P2DD has conducted several transformations in the local government's financial management and improved public services and governance.

This is done through establishing provisions or regulations, conducting institutional formation, improving implementation and infrastructure, and strengthening data and information.

As an effort to respond to the surge in the digital economy to strengthen the national and regional economy, President Joko Widodo has issued Presidential Decree Number 3 of 2021 on the Task Force for P2DD.

The P2DD Task Force comprises leaders from eight ministries and institutions to coordinate with the 542 teams of P2DD led by each regional head.

The increasing number of the P2DD team is also in line with the increase in regional income transactions. An increase was also clocked in the types of taxes that were electronified, from 81.6 percent in the first quarter of 2021 to 86.2 percent in the second quarter of 2021.

Moreover, an increase was recorded in the types of regional levies that are electronified, from 53.9 percent in the first quarter of 2021 to 62.2 percent in the second quarter of 2021.

Based on the results of the ETPD Index assessment in July 2021, there were 115 local governments (21 percent) in the digital category, 270 local governments (50 percent) in the advanced category, 151 local governments (28 percent) in the developing category, and six local governments (one percent) in the initiating category//ANT

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (right), and Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin at the 2021 Health Business Gathering event in Nusa Dua, Badung district, Bali, on Friday (December 3, 2021) - 

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has confirmed that COVID-19 booster vaccines will be offered simultaneously in all Indonesian provinces from January 2022.

"We will not designate priority provinces for the booster vaccine as we will offer the vaccine simultaneously in all provinces," the coordinating minister said after opening the 2021 Health Business Gathering event in Nusa Dua, Badung District, Bali, on Friday.

The COVID-19 booster vaccines will be offered free of cost to eligible residents, and other residents will need to purchase them, he informed.

"We will facilitate around 100 million low-income residents with free booster vaccine doses, and other residents who are not included in the benefit recipients list can purchase the booster dose on their own," Pandjaitan said while adding that he will pay for his booster shot.

The Health Ministry is yet to determine the price of the booster vaccine for residents not included on the recipient list, he added.

"We suggest everyone get their COVID-19 booster vaccine jab," he remarked.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin confirmed the booster dose will be affordable and that its price would not exceed Rp300 thousand (around US$21).

"We will first offer the booster vaccine to residents in the same age range as Mr. Pandjaitan (currently 74 years old)," Sadikin said.

At the same event, Bali Province's Health Office head Ketut Suarjaya expressed the hope that residents not included on the recipient list would purchase the booster vaccine on their own.

"The free booster vaccine would be offered to those who received the BPJS Kesehatan benefit, which would mainly target low-income residents. Despite the planned arrangement, we are currently waiting for the technical instruction before determining our next step," the health office head said.

According to Suarjaya, based on the technical instruction from the central authority, the provincial health office will prioritize regions or population groups for the booster vaccine jab in Bali//ANT