PEOPLE WARNED AS DENGUE SPREADS IN NUMEROUS REGIONS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 30 (Antara) - In the current transitional period from the dry to the rainy season, dengue fever, which is caused by Aedes aegypti mosquito bites, has since early this month spread in many regions across the country.         The government has not revealed the exact number of deaths but has warned people of the endemic dengue fever threats, and has asked the health service offices in the regions, people and families to prevent the spread of the disease.         The Aedes aegypti mosquitoes could be eradicated, in among others ways, by cleaning their nests and the environment by applying the 3M mosquito eradication method. The three acts of eradicating dengue are drain open tanks, cover clean water, dispose unused water containers, according to Health Minister Nila F Moeloek.          She expressed hope that each family would become an eradicator of mosquito larvae because the number of health officials in the regions was limited, so that the participation of the people was badly needed.          Eradication of wigglers by each members of the family was very easy because it could be done by conducting the 3M method during the rainy season, Nila said. The government, in this case the health ministry, has also ordered all of its regional health service offices to conduct prevention efforts.

INDONESIA'S FAST TRAIN PROJECT NEEDS CLEAR LEGAL BASIS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 29 (Antara) - Indonesia's Rp70 trillion worth Jakarta-Bandung high speed train (HST) project needs a clear legal basis to ensure that the project has a proper business status and remains valid.          Right from the beginning, the government has pointed out that the Jakarta-Bandung HST project will be carried out through a business-to-business model and government guarantees or state budget funds would not be involved.          Recently, however, certain quarters have raised the issue that the project was included as one of the strategic projects in a presidential decree that involves a guarantee by the government. This comes even though a previous presidential regulation had the stipulation that the project was not backed by any government guarantee.          "There must be a binding legal basis to serve as its legal umbrella so that it will not face constraints later on," legislator Sartono Hutomo of Commission VI on industry and investment affairs of the House of Representatives (DPR) said on Wednesday.

NTT READYING TO HOST "TOUR de FLORES" TO BOOST TOURISM

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 29 (Antara) - Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province is gearing up to organize an international cycling race to promote sports tourism next May called "Tour de Flores" (TdF) in a bid to boost its tourism sector.          Dubbed as a sports tourism event, the TdF will take place on May 16-26, 2016, and will bring together some 230 world-class cyclists who once participated in international cycling races, such as the Tour de France in Paris and Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia.          Tourism Minister Arief Yahya who launched the TdF 2016 on Thursday evening stated that the activities were aimed at promoting NTT's Flores Island. It is one of the 10 tourism destinations in the country whose development is being accelerated by the government.     "We are calling this a sports tourism event. Its direct impact on the tourism sector is not too huge, but it has an effective media value. So, tourism destinations where the TdF's routes will pass will have brand value," the minister pointed out.

BMKG WARNS PUBLIC OF POSSIBLE NATURAL DISASTERS DURING RAINY SEASON

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 28 (Antara) - The current rainy season will peak between the first and second weeks of February, with heavy rain and strong winds expected to trigger floods, landslides and sea accidents.          Based on information from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), almost 90 percent of Indonesia will be hit by heavy rain and strong winds that could continue till the second week of February.          Therefore, the Ministry of Transportation has warned the public about the possibility of natural disasters that might cause mishaps, both on land and at sea.          After all, the height of sea waves can range between two and six meters and are considered dangerous for shipping activities.          Moreover, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), some 63.7 million people in Indonesia are now living in flood prone areas.          The BNPB has called on people to increase alertness in the face of the current rainy season.

RI ESTABLISHES GLOBAL COOPERATION TO SAVE RARE SPECIES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 28 (Antara) - Indonesia is cooperating with various global zoo institutions and organizations in a bid to safeguard its endangered species, which are on the brink of extinction.         Poaching is the main threat to endangered animals as they become the target of clandestine hunters who are keen to tap into their commercial value by processing them into various products such as handicrafts, food, and traditional medicine.         For instance, in a recent case in East Java, an individual with the initials AA was taken to court on Monday on charges of collecting and stocking up dried body parts of endangered animals.       "The suspect secretly sold protected animals in dry form as raw materials for the production of handicraft goods, food items, and traditional medicine," Prosecutor Sumantri stated at the Surabaya District Court on Monday.           Another case of poaching of rare species also took place at the Lore Lindu National Park (LLNP) in Central Sulawesi, which is home to several endangered species such as the hog deer (Babyroussa), dwarf buffalo (Bubalus quarleis) locally known as anoa, and other protected animals.          Sudayatna, head of LLNP, remarked that several endangered species in Central Sulawesi province are facing a threat from hunters as they have commercial value and end up as food items.         "These animals are the mountain dwarf buffalo (Bubalus quarlesi), lowland dwarf buffalo (Bubalus depressicornis), hog deer (Babyrousa babyrussa), tarsier (Tarsius tarsier and Tarsius pumilus), and maleo bird (Macrocephalon maleon)," he noted recently.           He said the population of these animals is decreasing, and it is feared that they could become extinct if constantly hunted by people.

RI NEEDS TO TAP ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF ITS BIODIVERSITY

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 27 (Antara) - Scientists acknowledge that Indonesia has abundant biodiversity, with at least three million species, including plants, with extraordinary properties that could be utilized to produce antibiotics having high economic potential.          "All sources of biodiversity have high potential which, if studied, can become extraordinary economic resources," Hari Sutrisno, the chief zoology researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences' (LIPI's) Biological Research Center, stated on Thursday last week.          Such potentials have yet to be explored maximally, though these could virtually become the sources for bioeconomic development as an asset to develop the economy of this country, he explained.          However, LIPI still lacks adequate researchers to conduct studies on the country's rich biodiversity. According to LIPI, Indonesia only has about 40 researchers per million population, while in Europe, the ratio could reach two thousand researchers per million.          As part of its efforts to advance research, LIPI has cooperated with its German partner, Museum of Naturkunde (MfN). The cooperation in biodiversity research is aimed at developing bioeconomy that would offer prosperity to the people.

RI MUST PROTECT ITS CITIZENS OVERESEAS FROM ISIS' INFLUENCE

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 26 (Antara) - Indonesia, which has millions of migrant workers overseas, particularly in the Middle East, should protect them from the influence of the ISIS radical group.          After all, as per reports, certain Indonesian citizens did join the group which proclaimed itself as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, an organization which mainstream Islam rejects its 'Islam label' since ISIS believes in spreading terror and cruelty to further its cause.         Therefore, Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population, should protect its citizens from the teaching and influence of the ISIS.          The government needs to work out a program that makes people aware about the misleading struggle and radicalism of the group. Indonesian citizens, particularly Indonesian migrant workers abroad, need such education.     "Involvement of Indonesian workers, like the suspects in South Korea, necessitates that the government should work out a de-radicalization program to protect its citizens abroad," Head of the National Agency for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Workers Overseas (BNP2TKI), Nusron Wahid, said on Monday.

GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO BOOST ELECTRIFICATION RATIO

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 22 (Antara) - As electricity plays a crucial role in the lives of the people, both at the industrial and household level, hence the government has continued to boost the electrification ratio in the country.          To this end, the government has set an annual target to install an average of three million new consumer connections.          "The government has outlined a program to provide new electricity connections to three million customers every year in its efforts to narrow the electrification gap in Indonesia," Banny Marbun, the commercial division head of state-owned power utility company PLN, stated at the building of the Electricity Directorate General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) in Jakarta on Thursday.          Indonesia has virtually been able to boost its electrification ratio to a significant level during the past five years.          After seven decades of development up until the end of 2015, the electrification ratio in Indonesia had reached some 87 percent. This figure has significantly increased in the past five years.

GOVT ASKED TO MAINTAIN TUNA EXPORT VOLUME

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 21 (Antara) - Being one of the backbones of Indonesian fishery exports, tuna fish production and export volumes should be increased and maintained to contribute foreign exchange to the country.          Up till the first quarter of 2015, based on the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), Indonesia¿s trade balance in fishery exports had recorded a surplus. Tuna exports contributed the biggest value after shrimps, namely US$89.42 million.          "This tuna export value was recorded in the first quarter of 2015," the Director General for Fish Processing and Marketing of the Maritime Affairs and Fishery Ministry (KKP) said while inaugurating the International Coastal Tuna Business Forum In Bali last May. He was representing the KKP Minister, Susi Pudjiastuti.          According to the Director General, the government is paying a special attention to the development of the tuna industry in Indonesia as it has played an important role in the nation's economy.

INDONESIA TO FOCUS ON DOWNSTREAM INDUSTRY

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 20 (Antara) - Indonesia will focus on developing its downstream industry to process raw materials and export finished goods with added value in order to catch up with other Asian countries, such as Japan.         To achieve the goal, the government hopes that development of industry should be planned in short, medium and long term in such a way that it becomes a roadmap for the next 100 years.          For this purpose, the government of Joko Widodo (Jokowi)  has established a National Industry and Economic Committee (KEIN), assigned to come up with recommendations and formulate a strategy that will be combined with other concepts for development.         "The combination will enable us to work out details on development planning in the short, middle and long-term. I have asked for a roadmap for the next 50 to 100 years so that we have guidelines that can help us reach our objectives," the president said at the State Palace on Wednesday.          Therefore, KEIN will focus on working out a concept regarding the development of downstream industry where raw materials should be processed in the first place than simply exporting these,

GOVT'S RICE POLICY AIMS TO OFF SET POVERTY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 17 (Antara) - The government through state-owned logistics board Bulog will increase its rice procurement from farmers and import certain volume of the commodity this year in an effort to control prices and prevent the rise of poverty rate.          "The rice price is a decisive factor that could create poverty. If it is not stable it will increase the number of poor people. Therefore, rice will be imported so that prices and poor people will not increase while domestic need is met," Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Friday (January 8).          Besides importing rice, the government through Bulog will also increase its rice procurement this year from 2.7 million tons in 2015 to 3.9 million tons this year.          Therefore, Bulog sets a target to procure 3.9 million tons of farmers in 2016, of which 3.2 million tons would be bought through the Public Service Obligation (PSO) scheme and 700 thousand tons others through commercial purchases.          Procurement Director of Bulog, Wahyu, said on Sunday that the target of rice procurement this year was higher than that in 2015.          "Bulog will increase its rice procurement in anticipation of increasing demand for the commodity and rice price increase to beyond the proportional level," the Bulog director said.

NO MAJOR IMPACT OF JAKARTA BOMBINGS ON INDUSTRY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 16 (Antara) - The terror attack in the business and office district in Central Jakarta on Thursday will not have any significant impact on the national industry.         "The bombing and shootout at the Sarinah Department Store and Starbucks coffee shop in Thamrin Boulevard will not significantly affect the development of industry at the national level. We regret the incident but hopefully it will not affect the national industry," Industry Minister Saleh Husin said on Friday.          However, he admitted that the bombings and shootouts would disturb trade circles to some extent but that would only be temporary in nature.          The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Jakarta Office (Kadin Jakarta) also admitted that it impacted business and economic activities in Jakarta, but did not have any widespread impact on economic activities at the national level.          "Psychologically, the terror attacks disturbed the market as reflected in the weakening of the rupiah's exchange rate against the US dollar. It almost reached Rp14,000 per US dollar," Kadin Jakarta Deputy Chairman Sarman Simanjorang said in a press statement on Friday.

RICE IMPORTS TO REINFORCE FOOD RESILIENCE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 16 (Antara) - On paper, Indonesia's rice production is adequate to meet its domestic needs, yet uncertain climate conditions such as drought due the El Nino phenomenon, often disturb production or delay plantation seasons.          This leads the government to think of importing rice as part of its efforts to reinforce its food resilience and prevent an increase in the number of poor people.          Last year, for example, the government decided to import 1.5 million tons of rice even though the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) had predicted that domestic production would reach 43.940 million tons, well over the estimated domestic consumption at 33.36 million tons.          Indonesia was expected to harvest 75 million tons of dry unhusked rice, or equal to 43.940 million tons of rice in 2015, according to the BPS. However, the agency later revised downward rice production data to 74.99 million tons due to the El Nino-induced drought.          Despite being revised, data from the Ministry of Agriculture shows that Indonesia's rice consumption in 2015 will reach 33.36 million tons. Thus, the country will see a surplus of rice production.          In spite of the predicted production surplus, the government still decided to import rice.

RI CONVINCED BOMB ATTACK WOULD NOT AFFECT TOURISM

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 15 (Antara) - In the new millennium, Indonesia experienced a series of terrorist attacks, yet its tourism development was not affected to any significant extent, a fact reflected by rising number of foreign tourist arrivals.         Incidents such as the 2002 Bali 1 bombing that killed 202 people, mostly Australians, the JW Marriott explosion that claimed 12 lives in Jakarta, the 2004 Australian embassy blast that killed 9, and the Bali 2 bombing that killed 23 in 2005, did not seriously affect the number of tourist arrivals in Indonesia.          The number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia dropped only to 4.4 million and 4.13 million in 2002 and 2003, respectively, compared to 4.8 million in 2001.         In 2004, the number of foreign tourist arrivals actually recorded a rise, reaching 5.3 million, though it dropped again to 5 million in 2005 as a result of the Bali 2 bombing.         Terrorist attacks in the 2002-2005 period were clearly directed at scaring away foreigners, yet these incidents did not discourage foreign tourists from visiting Indonesia.         After nearly a decade of terror attacks, Indonesia has been able to take its foreign tourist arrivals to 9.4 million in 2014, and in 2015, it increased to 10 million. The target for 2016 is to take it to 12 million.         Now that another bomb attack took place on Thursday, it is unlikely to result in any drastic fall in the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia this year. After all, there is no indication that Thursday's attack was specifically targeted against foreigners.         Therefore, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said Thursday's attack would not disturb the country's tourism industry.

JAKARTA BOMB ATTACK CONDEMNED WIDELY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 14 (Antara) - The Jakarta bomb attacks by armed militants believed to be members of a group linked to ISIS, which killed seven on Thursday, have been widely condemned at home and abroad.          A series of attacks left four attackers and four civilians--including a foreigner--dead. The first and second explosions occurred at a police station and at the Starbucks coffee shop at around 10:40 a.m. local time in Jalan Thamrin where the Indonesian capital's main office district and business center  are located.          Jakarta Police Spokesman Sr Comr Mohammad Iqbal confirmed later that there were 17 victims. four terrorists and four civilians were killed; three policemen were injured in a shootout in front of the coffee shop and two others were injured by bomb shrapnel; five civilians sustained serious injuries.          "Two terrorists carried out the suicide attacks (one on a police station and another one inside the Starbucks Coffee shop)  and two were shot dead during efforts to arrest them," M. Iqbal said.          President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), House Speaker  Ade Komaruddin, the Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Zulkifli Hasan, the United States and Australia immediately expressed condemnation of the barbaric attacks.          "I have ordered the National Police Chief and the Security Minister to hunt down and arrest the perpetrators," President Jokowi who was on a working visit to Cirebon, West Java, said.

BP BATAM DISSOLUTION NOT TO AFFECT STATE-FUNDED PROJECTS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 9 (Antara) - The central government and the House of Representatives (DPR) have assigned more than Rp1 trillion in the state budget for the Batam Free Trade Zone Authority (BP Batam) to finance its project expenditure in 2016.          However, the government is now considering dissolving the BP Batam this month (January) because the management of the Batam Free Trade and Free Port Zone is overlapping between that of the BP Batam and of the Batam Municipal Administration.          If the BP Batam is disbanded, the fund amounting to more than Rp1 trillion should continue to be allocated for projects the BP Batam has planned such as port, airport and hospital projects.          "The government and the House have agreed to set more than Rp1trillion in the state budget for the BP Batam," Nyat Kadir, a member of Commission VI on industry and investment of the DPR said in Batam Thursday (January 7).

BATAM FREE TRADE ZONE AUTHORITY AWAITS DISSOLUTION

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 8 (Antara) - The Batam Free Trade Zone Authority (BP Batam) on Batam Island, which is being developed as an industrial area near Singapore, is awaiting dissolution by the government for overlapping authority with the Batam Municipal Administration.          Dualism in the management of the free trade area between BP Batam and the Batam Municipal Administration has reportedly cast doubts among investors over running their businesses on the island.          Over the past decade, the government is estimated to have suffered annual losses amounting to Rp20 trillion due to overlapping authority between BP Batam and the Batam Municipal Administration.          According to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), the dualism in the management of the free trade zone has triggered doubts among businesses to invest capital in the BBK area, a cluster of small islands of Batam, Bintan, and Karimun.

GOVT'S CATTLE IMPORTS MUST NOT HARM LOCAL BREEDERS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 7 (Antara) - A legislator has asked the government to explain its plan to import 600 thousand cattle this year as it is feared this will harm the interest of local breeders.          Legislator Fadly Nurzal of Commission IV on agricultural affairs of the House of Representatives (DPR) said he was surprised to learn the plan of the Ministry of Agriculture to import cows.          The legislator has been vocal about the issue, saying that before deciding to import cattle, the government should make careful calculations on the domestic need for meat, production at home and the present stock available in an effort to protect the interest of cattle farmers at home.          The Indonesian government has decided to carry out the importation because the domestic demand for beef has reached 675 thousand tons, while the stock at the Ministry of Agriculture and state logistics board Bulog is estimated to be 416 thousand tons only.          Thus, Indonesia needs to import at least 238 thousand tons beef or about 600 thousand live of cattle in 2016.          Fadly said his Commission supported the appointment of Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman because at the beginning of his term the theme of his program was to promote food self-sufficiency.

GOVT TO ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN FACE OF AEC

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 7 (Antara) - As it enters the first year of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), Indonesia is changing its development strategy in order to speedily build an economic foundation amidst competition in the Southeast Asian regional single market.          Beginning this year, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has ordered ministries and state institutions to start state budget-funded projects at the beginning of the year.          Besides moving forward with development projects, the government will also urge businesses to map out their own strength and the strengths of competitor countries to enable them to adopt accurate strategies and increase their competitive edge.          Crucial to this problem is the quality of the country's human resources and that the younger generation must be prepared.          The ability to compete in the single market where ASEAN members are no longer confined to borders in term of the flow of goods, services and workers will be supported with qualified human resources, technology and a strong economic foundation.

INDONESIA ACCELERATES RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 4 (Antara) - Indonesia needs to develop its railway network in an effort to advance its transportation sector, promote economic activities and ensure connectivity across the country.          With that aim, the government is accelerating the development of railway infrastructure in various parts of the country to promote connectivity. The ventures include railway projects in Java, Sulawesi, Papua and Sumatra which will ensure better connectivity not just among the people but also regions.         "We have started developing railway projects in a number of regions in Sulawesi and Sumatra. I hope that a project will also be started this year in Papua. If that does not happen in the first semester, then it would surely happen in the second half of 2016. The work should begin this year," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said as he opened a limited cabinet meeting on Monday.

INDONESIAN TOURISM GAINS GLOBAL POPULARITY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 4 (Antara) - Indonesian tourism's popularity is expected to rise following the recognition given by two world reputed media firms, which earned the country's tourism destinations --- Raja Ampat, Komodo Park, and Bali --- a top global rating.          The New York-based Travel+Leisure Magazine has named Bali, Indonesia's tourist resort island, as the world's second-best island after the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador.          Meanwhile, the Cable News Network (CNN), in its international edition at the end of 2015, named Raja Ampat in West Papua and the Komodo National Park in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) as the world's best snorkeling destinations.         The Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (Asita) for NTT office has lauded the recognition given to Raja Ampat in West Papua and the Komodo National Park of NTT as the world's best snorkeling destinations.          "We laud the recognition by CNN, which has involved maritime experts in its survey to select the world's favorite snorkeling sites. The survey is a concrete effort that has given NTT the status of a world-class tourism destination," Abednego Frans, the NTT Asita chairman, stated in the Kupang Provincial capital of NTT on Sunday.