JAKARTA-SURABAYA TRAIN PROJECT TO START THIS YEAR

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 30 (Antara) - The Jakarta-Surabaya semi-high-speed train project, which will shorten travel time from 10 to five hours on a 700-kilometer route, is expected to start this year after the completion of its feasibility study in March.         The northern Java semi-high-speed train project involves the upgrading of existing railway lines between Jakarta and Surabaya. The governments of Japan and Indonesia had decided to finalize its pre-feasibility study last year.         Before the pre-feasibility study, the Directorate General of Railways of the Ministry of Transportation, the Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), and JICA of Japan had conducted a survey.          The ongoing feasibility study is expected to be finished next March, and the semi-high-speed train project, worth trillions of rupiah, will hopefully begin this year.          Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said on Monday (Jan 29) that the project was targeted to start this year, with the pending feasibility studies completed by the BPPT and JICA in March.          According to Sumadi, the government will review the budget to be reduced to a maximum of Rp90 trillion with three criteria, due to high investment value.

THOROUGH STUDY ON PEDICAB OPERATION NEEDED

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 30 (Antara) - After decades of being banned from operating in the capital city of Jakarta, pedicabs, locally called 'becak,' a popular transportation means in the past, is coming back to serve Jakarta residents in labyrinthine areas.          Pedicabs had been banned from operating in Jakarta since April 1990 based on Jakarta Regional Government Regulation N0.11/1988. However, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan will revive the operation of the tricycle becak.          The regional government of Jakarta is of the view that Jakarta residents still need pedicabs and hence, it would legalize the trishaw operation in residential areas or certain routes.          Yet, legislator Ahmad Sahroni of the NasDem Party faction in the House stated that the plan to legalize the operation of becak needs further studies. "The issue is that it will not only cause traffic jams on the streets but also result in the narrowing down of roads due to pedicabs being parked on roadsides," Sahroni noted in Jakarta on Monday last week (Jan 22).          Moreover, he added that it would be very difficult to monitor the use of pedicabs that are specially operated in residential areas. He called on Baswedan to avoid merely following the political contract that he had made during his gubernatorial campaign and to conduct a long study before thinking of legalizing pedicabs in the capital city.

APP-BASED TAXI PROBLEM MUST BE SOLVED JOINTLY

 

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 29 (Antara) - The presence of ride-hailing taxi services in the country has been welcomed by users as they relatively offer convenient and cheap services.          However, their presence is opposed by conventional taxi operators on ground of fairness regarding obligations to follow government regulations in the public transportation sector.          The government has seen protests staged by both conventional and online taxi drivers since the inception of the app-based taxi services.          The transportation ministry has done its best to formulate regulations on the app-based taxi services; yet, it is not accepted by online taxis. Even, online services happen to challenge a ministerial regulation and had won it in the Supreme Court.      In order to revise its regulation, the ministry had organized public consultations in a number of regions to find a solution to the disputed ride-hailing app regulation, following the annulment of 14 articles of Transportation Ministry Regulation No. 26/2017 on the operation of non-route public transportation by the Supreme Court in August.         The latest ruling is the Transportation Ministerial Decree No. 108/2017 (PM No.108/2017) on Public Transportation Service Without Fixed Routes.

HOUSE CALLS FOR DATA VALIDATION ON RICE IMPORT

By Andi Abdussalam

By Andi Abdussalam    Jakarta, Jan 27 (Antara) - The government, which boasted of no rice import last year, has decided to import rice this year, through the state-owned logistic board Bulog, amid opposition by farmers and other parties.         Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives, Taufik Kurniawan, expressed his hope that the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) will validate the data on the plan to import rice, which sparked controversies in the community of late.          "The data need BPS validity, and a disclosure of information is needed on the type of import," Kurniawan stated in a release on Saturday.          The validity of data is important to assure whether rice import is needed or not.          A joint assessment, conducted by the BPS and the Ministry of Trade a couple of years ago, has found that Indonesia's per capita consumption of rice was 114 kilograms per annum.          Under the basis of the estimated population of 262 million in 2017, with a per capita rice consumption of 114 kilograms per annum, the domestic needs for rice reaches about 30 million tons.

PLAN TO INCLUDE MILITARY'S ROLE IN LAW ON TERRORISM TRIGGERS DEBATES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 27 (Antara) - The House of Representatives (DPR) is revising Law No. 15 of 2003 on Terrorism, but the plan to include the Indonesian Defense Forces' (TNI's) involvement in counterterrorism in the draft revision still raises debates.          The main task of the TNI is to defend the state, while the National Police (Polri) is responsible for maintaining public order and security in the country. Terrorism is viewed as a threat to the security of the state.          Hence, in combating terrorism, the Polri has, so far, been assisted by the TNI. To this end, Law No. 15 of 2004 was issued to offer a legal basis to the TNI to provide assistance in the fight against terrorism.          Therefore, momentum for the revision of Law No. 15 of 2003 has triggered debates on whether TNI's involvement in counterterrorism operations needs to be included in the revised law. Some believe it was important to synergize the roles of the Polri and TNI in the revised law, though some others rejected it.

CASHLESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SHOULD ACHIEVE SET TARGET

By Andi Adussalam

Jakarta, Jan 26 (Antara) - The government's Cashless Food Aid (BPNT) and Social Rice Assistance (Rastra) program should be strengthened and managed optimally to ensure that the intended beneficiary families are covered and poverty in Indonesia is reduced.          The government has set a target to provide BPNT and Rastra assistance to some 15.4 million underprivileged beneficiary families in 2018 in its efforts to lower the poverty rate to a single digit as compared to 10.64 percent, or 27.7 million, of the nation's population in 2017.          Regional government secretaries play an important role in ensuring that assistance under the program reaches the intended beneficiary families.          Head of the National Development Planning Agency Bambang Brojonegoro stated that the BPNT program needs to be strengthened to speed up the realization of its target, thereby accelerating the reduction of poverty to a single digit.          "This BPNT (program) is the spearhead of the efforts to reduce poverty. The other forms of social assistance -- Health Indonesia Card (KIS) and the Smart Indonesia Card (KIP) -- have been relatively well on target. The one that is not yet on target is Rastra. Hence, the key to reach a single-digit target is to strengthen the assistance through BPNT to reach out to the intended recipients," Brojonegoro had noted during a press conference in Jakarta on (Jan 9).

LEGAL BASIS SOUGHT TO CRIMINALIZE LGBT DEVIANT BEHAVIOR

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 25 (Antara) - An Islamic university rector has called on the House of Representatives (DPR) to include deviant acts of people with deviant sexual orientation, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), as a crime that needs punishment.         "We made the appeal because DPR has the task and authority to draft legislation program and discuss bills, including the bill on Criminal Code (KUHP)," Nandang Sutrisno, the rector of the Indonesian Islamic University of Yogyakarta (UII), said in Yogyakarta on Monday (Jan 22).         So far, according to Sutrisno, the deviant acts of LGBT have not yet been regulated in positive laws (national laws in force) as a criminal act, except other specific crimes. The LGBT deviant acts include a lifestyle that disturbs society and jeopardizes the morale and have the potential to spread HIV/AIDS infection. In addition, all religions do not justify LGBT acts.          Therefore, the Islamic University of Indonesia (UII), as an institution of higher education responsible for the morality of the next generation, condemns the effort to legalize the LGBT existence in Indonesia.          "The LGBT deviant sexual orientation contradicts the teachings of Islam, the values of Indonesian society, and the dignity of humanity. It serves as a source of transmission of deadly diseases, such as HIV/AIDS," Sutrisno noted.

FORESTRY SECTOR RECORDS GOOD PERFORMANCE

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 25 (Antara) - The House of Representatives (DPR) has lauded the government's performance in the forestry sector for successfully reducing forest fires, enforcing the law, contributing to the economy, and mitigating the impacts of climate change.          "We praise the achievements of the government, in this case, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (LHK)," Eddy Prabowo, chairman of Commission IV of the DPR, remarked during a hearing on Wednesday.           The DPR assessed that the LHK Ministry had applied appropriate management practices in the forestry sector, including the management of customary forests for indigenous communities.           LHK Minister Siti Nurbaya had requested that the management of customary forests be conducted professionally and continuously based on local wisdom, taking into account their function.          In a written statement in Jakarta on Thursday, Nurabaya remarked that customary forests must be recognized and managed professionally and continuously based on local wisdom to improve the people's welfare.

LRT PROJECTS EXPECTED TO SPREAD TO OTHER CITIES

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 24 (Antara) - The government is expediting the development of Light Rail Transit (LRT) projects in Jakarta and Palembang hoping they would be finished and operational before the 18th Asian Games in the two cities next August.         However, the development of LRTs in the Capital City of Jakarta and the South Sumatra Provincial Capital of Palembang is being carried out not only to welcome the Asian Games but also expected to serve as a trigger for the development of the same transportation system in other cities in Indonesia.         "Actually, building (LRT) is not just because of the Asian Games. It is only a trigger. The construction of LRT in Palembang (and in Jakarta) is an example of mass transportation in urban areas,"  Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi stated in a written statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.         Traffic gridlocks are a big problem in big cities like those in Jakarta and other big cities in the country. The present of LRT system is therefore expected to offer alternative transportation system which is effective and efficient for urban people.

WHEN WILL LOCAL SALT PRODUCTION FULFILL DOMESTIC DEMAND?

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 22 (Antara) - Since salt production has remained stagnant, Indonesia has been importing the commodity since the last two decades, though it was able to increase production during the 2012-2015 period.         Hence, the government is optimistic of boosting its salt production and encouraging the adoption of a salt-processing technology that is adaptive to climate change. Climatic conditions pose a problem to salt farming in the country.         Currently, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) has been intensively working to increase the nation's salt production. Moreover, the government has set a target to realize self-sufficiency in salt production by 2020.          Moreover, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan had recently expressed his keenness to accelerate the realization of the target by 2019.          However, can the target be realized by 2019? This year, the government has once again decided to import 3.7 million tons of industrial salt. The annual demand of the salt industry is estimated at 2.3 million tons.

TWO MORE TOLL ROADS TO BECOME OPERATIONAL IN SUMATRA

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 20 (Antara) - After inaugurating the seven-kilometer(km)-long Section I of the Palembang-Indralaya toll road spanning 22 km in South Sumatra last October, President Joko Widodo will inaugurate two more sections of the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road in Lampung Province.          The two more sections to be inaugurated on Sunday are the 8.9-km-long Bakauheni-Interchange Section 1 and the 5.6-km-long Lemantang-Kota Baru Section 5. These two sections are parts of the Bakauheni-Lampung-Terbanggi Besar segment stretching 140.938 km in length.          Bakauheni-Lampung-Terbanggi Besar Segment is part of the giant Trans-Sumatra Toll Road project that stretches some 2,700 km long from the Bakauheni Ferry Port of Lampung Province in the eastern part of Sumatra to Aceh Province in the western tip of the island.          The Bakauheni-Lampung Terbanggi Besar toll road is under construction. The cornerstone for the construction of this segment was laid by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on April 30, 2015.          According to Wikipedia, this toll road is one of the segments within the Trans-Sumatra Toll Road network assigned directly by the government to state-owned toll road construction company PT Hutama Karya (HK).          Its construction is being carried out by PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PP), PT Waskita Karya, PT Wijaya Karya, and PT Adhi Karya through the assignment scheme of the Ministry of State-owned Enterprises (SOEs).

FISHERMEN ALLOWED TO USE TRAWLS AGAIN

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 19 (Antara) - The government announced on Thursday that fishermen can use trawls for fishing again after it had banned the use of the gear through Maritime and Fisheries (KKP) Minister's Regulation Number 1/PERMEN-KP/2015.         Fishermen can thus use trawls until the process to switch over to the use of other environment-friendly fishing gear is completed.   "Fishermen can go fishing with trawlers during the transition period. However, there are certain conditions," KKP Minister Susi Pudjiastuti had stated at a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday.          Earlier on Wednesday, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had remarked at a meeting with fishermen protesting in front of the Merdeka Palace that the government will give them additional time to stop using trawlers.          "The conclusion is that we give them more time to change their fishing nets from trawls to other tools, without any deadline. However, please do not add more trawlers," the president noted.

INDONESIA DETERMINED TO ERADICATE SNAIL FEVER BY 2019

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 18 (Antara) - Indonesia is the only country in Southeast Asia, which still has schistosomiasis problem and is resolved to totally eradicate the snail fever by 2019.         "In the acceleration phase, we have targeted to reduce the rate of incidence of the disease in humans, animals, and intermediary snails to zero percent by 2019," Health Minister Nila Moeloek stated, at the launch of Schistosomiasis Eradication Roadmap 2019-2025 at the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Agency, Jakarta, on Wednesday (Jan 17).         Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever and bilharzia, is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. The parasite may cause infection to the urinary tract or the intestines. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stool, or blood in the urine.          Those who have been infected for a long time may experience liver damage, kidney failure, infertility, or bladder cancer, according to Wikipedia.          In children, it may cause poor growth and learning difficulty. The disease is spread through contact with freshwater contaminated with the parasites. These parasites are released from infected freshwater snails.

SEVERAL QUARTERS REJECT PLAN TO IMPORT RICE

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 18 (Antara) - The government has finally decided to import rice as prices of the commodity continue to increase, while supply in the market is declining, and stock at the National Logistics Board (Bulog) is not adequate for market operations.          The plan is to import 500 thousand tons of rice from Vietnam and Thailand by the end of January. It will be carried out by Bulog.          But certain quarters, including in a number of regions, such as Banten, Aceh, Central Java, Yoyakarta and South Sulawesi, do not agree with the importation of rice for a number of reasons.          Kulon Progo District Head, Hasto Wardoyo, in Yoyakarta, for example, refused the plan to import rice for market operations in his region. The average unhulled rice production in his region reached 125 tons to meet the local needs, he stated on Wednesday.          Therefore, the Association of All District Government of Indonesia (Apkasi) has urged the government to review its plan to import rice by crosschecking the real data on rice availability in the region.          Rejection of rice importation was also voiced by Rieke Diah Pitaloka, a member of Commission VI on trade affairs of the House of Representatives (DPR). "I reject it because the arguments for the importation of rice were not clear and not based on real data," she noted on Wednesday.

TWO TASK FORCE TEAMS TO BE EMPOWERED TO DRIVE GROWTH

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 16 (Antara) - The government is resolved to achieve an economic growth of some 5.4 percent this year by empowering two task force teams, despite some being skeptical about the target being realized.         Head of the National Development Planning Board Bambang Brodjonegoro highlighted the need for hard work to attain the economic growth target of 5.4 percent set for this year.       Hard work is needed, as the country's economic growth still relies mainly on the consumption sector, Brodjonegoro, who is also the national development planning minister, had noted in Jakarta on Monday (Jan 8).         To this end, the government will increase synergy between the Economic Policy Package Task Force and the Task Force on Acceleration of Doing Business to boost investment and the economy.         "It is necessary to ensure continuity of work between the two task force teams, so that increased investment and ease of doing business in Indonesia can be realized effectively," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution noted as he led a coordination meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday (Jan 10).

GOVT EXCEEDS ITS RENEWABLE ENERGY MIX TARGET

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 10 (Antara) - The government has been successful in achieving and exceeding its renewable energy mix target in 2017 after it failed to reach the environment-friendly energy target in 2015 and 2016.          The Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry said the realization of the new and renewable energy (EBT) mix program exceeded the target set in the revised state budget in 2017.          Public Information and Cooperation Service Head of the ESDM Agung Pribadi said in Jakarta on Sunday (Jan 7) that the increase in the energy mix production took place not only with the power plants developed by state-owned power company PLN but also with plants built by independent power producers (IPP).          "The realization of the EBT energy mix produced by power plants until November 2017 reached 12.52 percent, exceeding the target set in the Revised 2017 State Budget (APBNP) 11.96 percent. The main portion of the increase came from the hydro power plants (PLTA) and geothermal plants (PLTP)," he said.          In 2016, the government set renewable energy mix target at 10.4 percent but it only achieved 7.7 percent of renewable energy portion.          The success to achieve the target is a good indication that the government could achieve its target to reach renewable energy mix of 23 percent by 20125.

PRICE HIKE MAY TRIGGER GOVERNMENT TO IMPORT RICE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 10 (Antara) - After successfully surpassing its rice production target last year and halting imports, the government may opt for importing the commodity if the current price hike exceeds its sanctioned reference price.         Vice President Jusuf Kalla has called to review the option to import medium-grade rice to stabilize the prices that continue to increase in the market.          "The import option is not prohibited, but we want that it should first be studied in case there is something necessary, such as constant price hikes that require immediate imports of rice," he informed reporters at the Presidential Office on Tuesday     The import option should be more open when the price of medium-grade rice reaches Rp12 thousand per kilogram (kg).          "However, we do not want to take risks. If one day the price still rises, then the import option must remain open. The Rp12 thousand per kg is the medium price, as the benchmark price is Rp9,300," he explained.          Kalla noted that the response in relation to the continuing upward movement in the price of rice, which has now reached more than Rp11 thousand per kg, has exceeded the highest reference retail price (HET) of Rp9,450 per kg.

CASHLESS TRANSACTIONS GAIN POPULARITY AMONG INDONESIANS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 10 (Antara) - Advancements in digital technology have offered a more convenient and practical cashless transaction facility without the need to carry heaps of banknotes in the wallet.         There is an increasing trend among Indonesia's millennial youth and also the elderly generation to make electronic payments through cashless transactions using debit cards, credit cards, and electronic money, or e-money, among others.     Electronic money transactions showed a significant growth until the end of November 2017, with a total nominal value of Rp1.64 trillion, up 98 percent year-on-year (yoy) compared with November 2016.         Bank Indonesia's (BI's) statistics in Jakarta on Tuesday indicated a nominal growth of 98 percent and a rise in volume of 93 percent to 128.51 million transactions, from 79.22 million recorded in November 2016.         With regard to the amount of electronic money in circulation until November 2017, BI has recorded 113.72 million transactions, or an increase of 130 percent from 49.41 million recorded during the same period in the previous year.

GOVT PREPARES STEPS TO FACE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 9 (Antara) - In keeping abreast of industrial technology development and in the face of digitally connected fourth industrial revolution or usually called Industry 4.0, the Indonesian government is preparing steps to take advantage of such developments.          Therefore, the government outlines steps to improve human resources, take advantage of the country's demographic bonus, expand equitable industrial zone development and develop its downstream metal industry.          Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto has set the four steps in an integrated target to achieve inclusive and sustainable industrial development.          "The first target is that we will continue to develop links and match vocational education to create one million trained workers by 2019," Hartarto noted in written statement in Jakarta on Sunday.          One of the main focus areas of the government in 2018 is to create skilled human resources in the industrial sector. The solution to facing the demographic bonus is vocation, according to the minister who expressed his conviction that a competent industrial workforce will boost productivity and economic growth that will eventually have a positive impact on the people's welfare.          It is necessary to take this strategic step to increase Indonesia's competitive edge at the global level. Essentially, Indonesia is targeted to become the world's seventh-strongest economy in 2030.

ALLOCATION OF VILLAGE FUNDS EXPECTED TO REDUCE POVERTY RATE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 5 (Antara) - The government in 2018 will allocate Rp60 trillion as village funds, of which some 30 percent, or Rp18 trillion, is designated to finance labor-intensive programs in villages to reduce the poverty rate.          The Rp60 trillion will be distributed to 74,910 villages. On an average, each village will receive Rp800 million, of which 30 percent, or Rp240 million, will be allocated to villagers involved in labor-intensive programs.          "The government will enhance its labor-intensive programs through village funds in 2018. Some 30 percent of the village funds will be allocated to the programs," Minister of Village, Disadvantaged Regions Development and Transmigration Eko Putro Sandjojo noted in a statement here on Wednesday.          The programs are projected to absorb a workforce of five to six million and are expected to help reduce the poverty rate in rural areas.          The village funds in 2018 will be focused on creating job opportunities for villagers through labor-intensive programs and self-managed infrastructure development. Through the programs, the government is optimistic of reducing the poverty rate in 2018.

YEAR-END REVELERS FLOCK TO RECREATION CENTERS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Jan 1 (Antara) - As part of a long-standing tradition, thousands of year-end holidaymakers nationwide flocked to entertainment and recreation centers to relax and enjoy the holidays with family members or friends to usher in the New Year.         In Jakarta, the most popular places to visit included the Jaya Ancol Dream Land in North Jakarta, the Indonesian In Miniature Park (TMII) in East Jakarta, the Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta, Jalan Thamirn business district center, and the National Monument (Monas) squares.    Year-end holidaymakers also thronged places of interest in the country, such as the Buddhist Temple of Borobudur in Magelang District, Central Java; Lake Toba in North Sumatra; and tourist resorts in Bali, such as Tanah Lot and Kuta Beach.         According to CNN Indonesia reports, some 480 thousand holidaymakers are expected to visit the Jaya Ancol Dream Land, while the TMII is likely to receive some 450 thousands visitors.         On New Year's Eve, thousands of visitors congregated at the Jalan Thamrin and Monas areas to welcome the arrival of New Year 2018.         The Ancol Dream Land Beach was crowded with thousands of visitors to welcome the turn of the year from 2017 to 2018 in an event titled "Pesona Indonesiaku," or The Charm of My Indonesia.