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Chief of the National Defense Forces (TNI), Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, speaks with TNI soldiers and police officers at the Riau Islands Provincial Police Headquarters in Batam on Friday. (ANTARA/HO-Puspen TNI)

The Indonesian military and police personnel are spearheading the battle to thwart the spread of COVID-19 in the country, chief of the National Defense Forces (TNI), Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, has said.

"TNI soldiers and police members are spearheading the battle against an invisible enemy. Even if we now have a new weapon — the COVID-19 vaccine -- prevention efforts must constantly be prioritized," he stated.

He made the remarks while issuing directives, along with National Police chief, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, to TNI soldiers and police officers at the Riau Islands Provincial Police Headquarters in Batam on Friday.

TNI soldiers and police officers have begun receiving COVID-19 jabs from March 1, 2021 as part of the second phase of vaccinations. The first phase covered healthcare workers, including those working for the military and police.However, the vaccine is not a drug, Tjahjanto cautioned. Therefore, those who have received vaccine shots will not automatically be 100 percent immune from the coronavirus, he added.

"Having been vaccinated means that our body has become stronger to face the virus, but it is not immune against the virus,” he remarked.

The main weapon for thwarting the virus is staying disciplined in following health protocols, including wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining social distancing, he said.

Therefore, the government will continue to campaign for health protocols while, at the same time, impose restrictions on public activities at the micro level, he added.The TNI chief further appealed to soldiers to carry out their noble duty as the vanguard in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

To achieve that end, they can assist the COVID-19 task force in their respective regions, particularly in tracing people coming in close contact with COVID-19 patients and educating the public about the importance of preventing COVID-19 through the observance of health protocols//ANT

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, at the 2021 National Disaster Management Coordination Meeting (Rakornas PB) of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), held in Jakarta on Friday (March 5, 2021). (ANTARA / HO-BNPB) 

The incidence of forest and land fires declined by around 82 percent in the past year, based on data collected in 2019 and 2020, according to Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD.

"It has decreased by 82 percent from what happened in 2019. It is very far," he said at the 2021 National Disaster Management Coordination Meeting (Rakornas PB) of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), held in Jakarta on Friday.

Mahfud said the total area affected by forest and land fires was recorded at 2.6 million hectares in 2019, and the figure fell to 296,942 hectares in 2020.He asked all agencies to continue to maintain the situation through comprehensive efforts geared towards accelerating the prevention of forest and land fires, as stipulated by Presidential Instruction Number 3 of 2020.

"Let us guard this situation because the government has committed to implementing forest and land fire prevention as a form of state presence," he remarked.

President Joko Widodo has instructed all designated agencies to carry out efforts to control forest and land fires in all regions of Indonesia, including measures to prevent the occurrence of such disasters.At the inauguration and opening of the 2021 National Disaster Management Coordination Meeting (Rakornas PB) at the State Palace on Wednesday (March 3, 2021), he had said that prevention and mitigation efforts must be prioritized for disaster risk reduction.

Referring to Presidential Instruction Number 3 of 2020, Mahfud emphasized the importance of efforts to restore the situation in the areas affected by forest and land fires.

“(The focus needs to be on) How all components can restore the natural conditions to (improve) the socio-economic situation of the community,” he remarked.The former chief justice of the Constitutional Court said the implementation of law enforcement efforts against forest and land fires must also be made effective, including through administrative acts that lay down compensation according to the level of damage//ANT

Ministry of Finance (kemenkeu.go.id)

The Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) and the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen the supervision of the integrated state budget.

“(The MoU has been signed) In order to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability of the management of state finances," according to a statement issued by the Finance Ministry, received in Jakarta on Friday.

The MoU for supervisory cooperation on the management of state finances has been signed as this year, the state budget will remain the main instrument for bringing about health and national economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis through the National Economic Recovery Program (PEN), the ministry said.The government has allocated a budget of Rp699.43 trillion for PEN this year, an increase of 21 percent from the temporary realization of Rp579.78 trillion under last year's PEN program.

This year’s budget is focused on health management programs, social protection, support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and corporations, as well as business incentives.

The need for the MoU arose out of the necessity to strengthen cooperation, in terms of supervision, between policy makers, program executors, the Government Internal Supervisory Apparatus (APIP), law enforcement officials, and the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), the ministry explained.This supervision will also actively involve the community as beneficiaries of the program, and the civil society to carry out the role of social control, it added.

"The public is expected to participate in supervising the management of the state budget and providing information to the supervisory apparatus if they become aware of any irregularities," according to the ministry’s statement.

The collaboration between the Ministry of Finance and BPKP will focus on improving the capacity of APIP of Ministries / Institutions (K / L) and regions as well as Internal Supervision Units (SPI) at SOEs and the public service agency for carrying out joint supervision.The MoU covers a wide range of matters, from end-to-end state budget supervision, supervisory management, prevention and handling of cases with indications of fraud, to exchange of data and information, the ministry informed.

It also includes increasing the capacity and capability of the APIP and SPI, supporting budget implementation at the expense of the state budget, and improving the quality of regional financial management within the national fiscal framework//ANT

Beneficiaries show their pre-employment card after meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto in Jakarta, Tuesday (15/12/2020). ANTARA PHOTOS / Aditya Pradana Putra / aww.

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin spoke of the government’s plan to continue the pre-employment card program until at least 2022 to improve the quality of Human Resources (HR) amid global competition after the COVID-19 pandemic.

"God willing, in 2022, we can also budget for this program, as our workforce increases every year and post-epidemic job demands call for better human resources and more skills," Vice President Amin stated during an online economic dialog quoted in Jakarta, Friday.

The pre-employment card is a form of the government’s assistance to the community to enable them to transform with the inculcation of various changes in the world of work, he affirmed.

"This is because it is impossible or uncertain for them to conduct transformation on their own. The government is offering help by continuing to conduct training programs through this pre-employment card program," the vice president stated.

Amin explained that the government had incessantly worked to improve the work system for the pre-employment card program that was halted on the recommendation of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)."In 2020, the pre-employment card is budgeted worth Rp20 trillion for 5.48 million people. In 2021, it was originally budgeted for only Rp10 trillion but was later increased to Rp20 trillion. That was indeed stopped on the recommendation of the KPK, but then improvements were made," he remarked.

The pre-employment card program is a training assistance scheme accompanied by providing incentives to the community.

The assistance and incentives are intended for citizens, aged at least 18 years, and are job seekers, new graduates, victims of termination of employment, and entrepreneurs.

Each participant will receive assistance worth Rp3,550,000, with Rp1,000,000 for training, post-training monthly incentive of Rp600,000 for four months, and Rp150,000 as survey incentive.

Currently, the management involved in the implementation of the pre-employment card program will begin accepting participants for batch 13, with a quota of 600,000 people.The process of accepting participants for batch 13 will start after the announcement of the results of selection for batch 12//ANT