VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Hajj pilgrims boarding a Garuda Indonesia aircraft that will transport them to Saudi Arabia in the Adi Soemarmo Airport, Surakarta, Central Java, Thursday (May 16, 2024). Photo by: ANTARA/Harianto/nbl.

VOINews, Jakarta: The Transportation Ministry urged flag carrier Garuda Indonesia to improve its Hajj flight services following flight delays and issues that disrupted Hajj departures from several embarkation points.

As reported by Antara,The ministry's Director General of Air Transport has reprimanded the airlines in a letter dated May 17, 2024. It highlighted Garuda's failure to operate some Hajj flights due to technical issues as proof that the airline is underprepared.

"We heard complaints from residents and other stakeholders concerning Garuda Indonesia's (Hajj flights) service. We reprimanded the airlines and urged them to carry out improvements," Minister Budi Karya Sumadi noted as per the statement here on Saturday.

Garuda Indonesia should make the 2024 Hajj flight services their main priority for the time being, the minister remarked.

The ministry also instructed the flag carrier to carry out improvements to ensure the smoothness of their Hajj flight services and that the last departures could be done in a timely manner by June 10, 2024.

"We urge Garuda Indonesia to devise a mitigation plan and promptly report delay in the recovery actions they carried out for the 2024 Indonesia Hajj flight transport to the Directorate General of Air Transport," the minister stated.

The letter also highlighted the non-fatal Garuda Indonesia flight 1105 incident in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on May 15, 2024, when the Boeing 747-400 aircraft was forced to return to base (RTB) due to an issue in one of its engines upon takeoff.

To prevent further disruption in Hajj flights, the ministry called on Garuda Indonesia to ensure its aircraft's maintenance and operational readiness and improve its monitoring of the fleet's airworthiness.

"The coordination between Garuda Indonesia and the owner of charted airplanes they operate should also be improved," Sumadi emphasized.

In response to complaints about Garuda's Hajj flight performance, President Director Irfan Setiaputra earlier affirmed that his side is committed to improving its performance and addressing all issues that might disrupt flights.

"We will continue improving and prioritizing the safety and comfort of Hajj pilgrims," Setiaputra stated in his short message on Friday (May 24).//Antara

Chines has been struggling with a property crisis since 2021 (Photo by: BBC.com)

VOINews, Jakarta: Chinese authorities have unveiled their most significant steps yet to address the crisis that has been dragging on the country's property sector in recent years.

As reported by BBC.com (18/5), the new measures include cutting the amount home buyers need for a deposit and encouraging local authorities to purchase unsold properties.

Problems in China's property market are having a major impact on the world's second largest economy as the industry had been a key driver of growth until recently.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) said it would set up a 300bn yuan ($41.5bn; £32.8bn) facility to support affordable housing.

The money would be aimed to support local state-owned enterprises to buy unsold homes, said Tao Ling, a deputy governor at the central bank at a news briefing.

Earlier, Vice Premier He Lifeng told officials that local governments can buy properties at "reasonable prices" and sell them as affordable housing, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency.//BBC.com/VOI

Director General of International Trade Negotiations of the Ministry of Trade, Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono held a bilateral meeting with the Director General of International Trade Negotiations of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru, José Luis Castillo in Arequipa, Peru, on Thursday (16/5/2024). (Photo by: ANTARA/HO-Kemendag)

VOINews, Jakarta: The Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) stated that Indonesia and Peru are committed to immediately starting negotiations on the Indonesia-Peru Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IP-CEPA).

As quoted by Antara, Director General of International Trade Negotiations of the ministry, Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, stated that this was a follow up to the launch of IP-CEPA carried out by the Indonesian and Peruvian ministers in August 2023.

The launch was conducted by Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan and Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Juan Carlos Mathews Salazar.

"We discussed plans for the First Round of IP-CEPA negotiations that will take place after the APEC meeting," Witjaksono noted in a statement from the Ministry of Trade in Jakarta, Saturday.

"This is a form of serious commitment from both parties to start negotiations that were launched last year and are targeted to be completed as soon as possible," he remarked.

Witjaksono stated that Indonesia had submitted a proposal and timeline regarding the number of rounds of negotiations to be carried out until substantial completion.

According to Witjaksono, the negotiations will start soon, and several rounds must be held every month. Peru is said to be responding positively, albeit must first study internally and adjust to the schedule.

Furthermore, Peru is one of the important countries for strengthening Indonesian trade in South America.

"The partnership with Peru is very important because it will open a more intensive path with the Latin American region," Witjaksono stated.

In the January-February 2024 period, total trade between Indonesia and Peru had reached US$67.2 million.

During that period, Indonesia's exports to Peru were recorded at US$42.9 million, while Indonesia's imports from Peru were recorded at US$24.3 million, so Indonesia enjoyed a surplus of US$18.6 million.

Meanwhile, in 2023, total trade between the two countries reached US$444.3 million, with the value of Indonesia's exports to Peru amounting to US$367.4 million and Indonesia's imports from Peru amounting to US$111.8 million.

Thus, Indonesia enjoyed a trade surplus of US$290.4 million with Peru.

In 2023, Indonesia's main exports to Peru included cars and other motorized vehicles, biodiesel and its mixtures, textile footwear, leather footwear, and uncoated paper and cardboard.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's main imports from Peru include cocoa beans, fresh or dried grapes, mineral or chemical phosphate fertilizers, unwrought zinc, and metal slag.//Antara/VOI.

Siak District Deputy Head Husni Merza and Head of the Siak Library and Archive Office Salmiah Safitri symbolically receiving aid from the central government in the form of a mobile library and 25 thousand books in Jakarta on Friday (May 17, 2024).  (Photo by: ANTARA/HO-Pemkab Siak)

VOINews, Jakarta: The National Library (Perpusnas) provided Siak District, Riau Province, with a mobile library wagon and 25 thousand books in commemoration of National Book Day 2024 on Friday (May 17).

As quoted by Antara, During a commemorative event held in Jakarta, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin symbolically handed over the mobile library and thousands of books to Siak District Deputy Head Husni Merza and Head of the Siak Library and Archive Office Salmiah Safitri.

In Siak, on Saturday, Merza expressed hope that the grants would enhance access to reading materials expected to boost the reading interest of Siak residents, especially those from younger generations.

"We hope that this assistance will help us boost Siak residents' love for reading, especially the youngsters. Hopefully, they will be encouraged to read to broaden their insights and knowledge," he remarked.

The deputy district head then emphasized the need for libraries to keep making innovations to attract a broader population to nurture love for reading.

Merza said he envisions libraries in Siak as popular places of the district's residents while noting that the Siak Reading House has been operational since 2010.

The official then stated that Siak would have a regional library that is expected to emerge as a center for literacy and education for the people.

At Friday's event, Acting Head of Perpusnas, Aminuddin Azis, affirmed his institution's commitment to solidifying the reading culture and literacy of the people in order to build a reading-loving and highly literate community.

"This is in line with the directives of President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin concerning the need to produce superior human resources to achieve the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision," he stated.//Antara/VOI