VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Menparekraf inaugurates Semarang’s creative hub - Birkom Kemenparekraf 

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy / Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, inaugurated the Semarang Creative Hub as an effort to raise the pace of the creative economy amid the pandemic. 

According to a press release received by Voice of Indonesia on Saturday (March 13), the existence of a creative hub in the city is very important to develop the unique creative industry in the Kota Lama Semarang which is included in the national development projection of Joglosemar (Jogja, Solo, Semarang). 

Minister Sandiaga explained that the tourism sector and the creative economy cannot be separated, especially since Kota Lama is the face of Semarang which is a favourite destination for tourists. 

This Creative Hub hopefully becomes a node that connects the creative economy and tourism in it//(PTR-VOI)

Indonesian Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita - ANT

Sojitz Corporation of Japan has expressed interest to develop the methanol and ammonia industry in Indonesia on account of a spike in demand for downstream industries in the nation, Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita stated.

During a work visit to Japan, Kartasasmita, in the company of Indonesian Ambassador to Japan Heri Akhmadi, met with the chemical industry company’s CEO to discuss development of the methanol industry in Indonesia.

"During the meeting, Sojitz expressed interest in developing the methanol and ammonia industry in the Bintuni Bay Industrial Area that will involve an investment of some five billion dollars," the minister noted in a statement issued from Tokyo on Saturday.

The Indonesian minister notified the president and CEO of Sojitz Corporation Fujimoto Masayoshi that the Bintuni project will be included as a National Strategic Project (PSN), thereby making it eligible to attain facilities and various incentives from the government.“The petrochemical project in Bintuni Bay will be the largest, spanning an area of around two thousand hectares. We will discuss it further during our next visit in May," he remarked.

Sojitz Corporation's business in Indonesia includes the Kaltim Methanol Industry (KMI) in Bontang, East Kalimantan, which is the only methanol producer in Indonesia.

The company has an annual production capacity of 660 thousand metric tons.

"With domestic demand for methanol reaching around two million tons, the construction of a new methanol plant is direly needed," Kartasasmita pointed out.

Methanol raw materials are required in the textile, plastics, synthetic resin, pharmaceutical, insecticide, and plywood industries, among others. Methanol is also used as an antifreeze and inhibitor in oil and gas activities.

Furthermore, methanol is also one of the raw materials for manufacturing biodiesel."In 2020, the demand for methanol would also increase with the implementation of the mandatory biodiesel B30," he stated.

In order to realize the second methanol plant construction project, both governments must extend support to the development of the petrochemical industry in Bintuni, Kartasasmita stated.

Multi-year development of this industrial area is being conducted through a public-private partnership or PPP scheme.

Infrastructure in the area is targeted to be developed this year and continued with the construction of factories in 2022, so that tenants can start producing in 2024.

On the occasion, Kartasasmita also invited Sojitz to invest in the soda ash industry as a downstream of ammonia and to lower CO2 emissions from coal combustion//ANT

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menko Marves) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan - Birkom Kemenkomarves

The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menko Marves) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan reviewed the progress of the coastal area infrastructure development for the Tanjung Adikarto Fishery Port (PP) and Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA). 

The construction of these two places aims to optimally exploit the potential of fishery resources in Yogyakarta. 

In a press release received by Voice of Indonesia on Saturday (March 13), Coordinating Minister Luhut said that solving problems in the Adikarto Port area must be integrated with handling in the Yogyakarta International Airport area and the surrounding area before taking further action. (PTR-VOI).

Indonesian Tourism and creative economy Minister, Sandiaga Uno - biro komunikasi kemenparekraf

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy / Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, continues to encourage the strengthening of tourist villages as one of the elements of the national tourism industry. 

One of them is through strengthening storynomic or attraction based on narrative to draw more tourists to visit. 

In the press statement on Saturday, during his working visit to Central Java, Minister Sandiaga said Karangrejo tourism village and other villages should be part of the tourist travel plan. 

Sandiaga said, tourism villages must be able to design 3-4 days’ travel packages juxtaposed with the concept of ecotourism or sport tourism. (PTR-VOI).