CRAFT INDUSTRY PILLAR OF PEOPLE'S ECONOMY

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 30 (Antara) - The government continues to facilitate the development of the country's craft industry which serves as the backbone of folk economy and is resilient against economic crisis.          Director General of Small and Medium Industry of the Ministry of Industry Gati Wibawaningsih said that craft industry is the spearhead of folk economy that is unaffected by global crisis.          At a time when financial crisis hits many countries in the world, the national craft products remain strong, saleable and firm as the largest commodity contributor to Indonesia's exports.          Importers  and other buyers of national craft products come from various circles both at home and abroad. "They appreciate the added values of craft goods produced by small and cottage industry  as products that have arts, culture and history aspects," said Wibawaningsih.          Based on the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) in 2015, the number of small and medium industries under  the Directorate General of Small and Medium Scale Industry of the Ministry of Industry, reached 695 thousand business units. These small industries produce would-based products; wood and cork goods (not including furniture); and wicker goods made of rattan, bamboo and the like.

INDONESIA SATISFIED WITH RESULTS OF ASEAN SUMMIT

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 29 (Antara) - Indonesia said it was satisfied with the outcomes of the 32nd ASEAN Summit that was held in Singapore from April 27 to 28, 2018.          Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, after the ASEAN Summit activities in Singapore on Saturday, told reporters there was no summit result that was not satisfying.          "Nothing is unsatisfying, everything is positive," she said.          According to Retno, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was very pleased to be able to present the concept of Indo-Pacific development in the forum. During the forum, Jokowi called on ASEAN to maintain active role including in the development of Indo-Pacific regional cooperation concept.          ASEAN must be able to play its role including in the development of the cooperation concept of Indo-Pacific. The concept is important to keep ASEAN relevant, always able to play its centrality and show its capability in managing strategic environmental change.          The big challenge is in the Indo West Pacific region. Failure to cope with the challenge, could lead to disruption of what ASEAN has achieved so far. Development of Indo-Pacific cooperation should be based on the principle of transparency and inclusive, with emphasis on  cooperation and friendship.

INDONESIA EXPANDS SMART CITY NETWORK TO ASEAN

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 28 (Antara) - Indonesia, which is launching a 100 smart city movement, has proposed three cities to be included in the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) cooperation program.         The ASCN cooperation program is in line with the Indonesian government's movement to carry out its 100 smart city program this year, after it had named 25 smart cities in 2017.         The cities, which were proposed for inclusion in the ASCN program during 32nd ASEAN Summit in Singapore on Friday, are Jakarta, Makassar of South Sulawesi Province, and Banyuwangi of East Java.          Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, during a press conference on the 32nd ASEAN Summit on Friday night in Singapore, stated that the concept of ASCN was designed to achieve the shared goal of smart city development in the ASEAN networking. "Each country delivers three cities, and Indonesia has proposed Jakarta, Makassar, and Banyuwangi," she noted.          The Minister of Foreign Affairs remarked in the plenary of the ASEAN Summit that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated that people should be the focus in the development of the ASEAN community as it is a centered and people-oriented organization.

INDONESIA RACES AGAINST TIME TO READY ASIAN GAMES VENUES

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 28 (Antara) - With less than four months left, Indonesia is racing against time to complete all sports venues for the 18th Asian Games to be held in Jakarta and Palembang, South Sumatra, on August 18-September 2, 2018.          "All venues must be completed by the end of June based on the schedule. What has been done until now and what is yet to be completed are still in accordance with the plan," Vice President Jusuf Kalla noted while reviewing the yachting venue at the Ancol Marina Beach, North Jakarta, on Friday afternoon.          Vice President Kalla, who is also chairman of the 18th Asian Games Steering Committee, visited several venues for the Asian Games in Jakarta and Bekasi. Developers of all venues of the largest Asian sporting event that Kalla visited have made assurance that they will be ready in mid-June.          "All developers of the venues we reviewed have promised to make them ready based on the schedule, and we will see that they are all ready on time, though some construction work is behind schedule," he revealed.

GOVERNMENT SEEKS TO ALLAY FEARS ABOUT FOREIGN WORKERS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 27 (Antara) - The issue of an alleged influx of foreign workers into Indonesia has once again come up in public discourse and media reports.          The fear is that expatriates will take away employment from the millions of local workers who are still jobless.          However, the government through the Manpower Minister, Hanif Dhakiri, denied allegations that the number of expatriates in the country had surpassed all proportions after the issue of Presidential Regulation No. 20 of 2018 on the Recruitment of Foreign Workers     "There is no need to worry about losing jobs to foreigners. The available job opportunities for local workers are far greater than those for foreign workers," Dhakiri said here on Thursday.          "The issuance of the presidential regulation will not affect the number of foreign workers in Indonesia, because it only speeds up the process of recruitment so that it will become more efficient. There should be no worry. The larger proportion is still dominated by Indonesian workers, foreign workers only fill a small portion of the domestic work opportunities," he said.          The number of foreign workers in Indonesia was still very reasonable compared to the population of about 263 million people.

RI NEEDS TO EXPAND ITS CPO MARKET, SOLVE LOCAL PROBLEM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 26 (Antara) - Indonesia needs to expand the market for its crude palm oil (CPO) at home and abroad and resolve the problems being faced by palm oil industry in the production of the commodity.         While facing a threat due to the European Union's plan to phase out its palm oil-based biofuel, Indonesia has to seek new markets, while maintaining its conventional markets overseas, such as India, China, and Pakistan, which are the largest markets for Indonesian CPO.           Thus, the Indonesian and Australian governments have held negotiations on CPO trade. "We are currently carrying out the process with Australia, and we have agreed to come out with the final agreement this August," Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita stated in Jakarta on Monday (April 9).        The Minister of Trade continued to communicate intensively with the Australian parliament regarding the drafting of policies on the use of oil palm and its derivative products in Australia.          "There are still some things that are under negotiations..Along with member of the Australian parliament, Steven Ciobo, we have agreed that the next round of negotiation processes between the set teams will take place soon. They will leave out some items, and later, the two ministers will take the final steps," he explained.

INDONESIA PREPARES STEPS IN RESPONSE TO EU'S BIOFUEL PLAN

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 25 (Antara) - Indonesia is preparing steps in response to the European Union's (EU's) plan to phase out the use of palm oil-based biofuel energy that will affect palm oil-producing countries.          Indonesia, as the world's largest producer of crude palm oil (CPO), has called on other CPO-producing nations, such as Malaysia and Ghana, to outline a strategy in the face of the EU's phase-out plan.          CPO producers believe that the European Parliament's resolution, signed on January 17, 2018, to phase out biofuel made from palm oil in 2021, is discriminatory, as it singles out palm oil from other food crops.          According to Siswo Pramono, head of the Research and Policy Development Board (BPPK) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia is making several preparations in the face of the EU's plan, including establishing the Council for Palm Oil Producing Countries to foster a development strategy among oil-producing nations.

CONNECTION PROBLEMS DELAY COMPUTER-BASED SCHOOL EXAMS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 24 (Antara) - Some schools in a number of regions, during the implementation of Computer-Based National Examinations (UNBK) on Monday, delayed the tests for some time as they failed to retrieve the examination materials due to Internet access problems.         The Ministry of Education and Culture has been organizing UNBK tests for lower and upper secondary schools from April 2 to 26, 2018.         Based on the schedule, the UNPB is conducted from April 2 to 5 for vocational schools (SMK), from April 9 to 12 for senior high schools (SMA), and from April 23 to 26 for junior high schools (SMP).         On the first day, on Monday (April 23), of the UNBK exams for SMP schools, a number of schools were not able to access the examination materials due to link problems to the Internet servers.          Education and Culture Minister, Muhadjir Effendy, stated that the constraints being faced by schools in a number of regions were caused due to server overcapacity. The number of lower secondary school students taking part in the UNBK exams across the country reaches over 4.29 million.

INDONESIA TO PROVIDE BEST SERVICE FOR ITS HAJJ PILGRIMS

By Andi Abdussalam

By Andi Abdussalam     Jakarta, April 24 (Antara) - The Indonesian government, which will send 221 thousand would-be Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year, promises to provide best services for pilgrims during pilgrimage rituals.          In this case, the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) are also increasing coordination with the management of the Hajj pilgrimage. At least three ministers had a meeting in Medina, Saudi Arabia, to discuss preparations for the hajj services.          The three ministers, who held a coordination meeting with the DPR, are Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, and Health Minister Nila F Moeloek.          "The House lauds the coordination carried out by the ministers to ensure best services for Hajj pilgrims," Marwan Dasapong, the vice chairman of Commission VIII on Religious Affairs of the DPR, noted in a written statement received in Jakarta on Monday (April 23).

INDONESIAN 'GAYO' COFFEE PROMOTED IN US, CANADA

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 21 (Antara) - Indonesia, the world's fourth largest coffee exporter, continues to promote its coffee products in the global market. One of the coffee products being promoted is the 'Gayo' Arabica Coffee.         'Gayo' is a plateau area in Central Aceh and Bener Meriah districts, Aceh province, in the western tip of Sumatra. Now, producers of Gayo coffee from Aceh Province are promoting their coffee, or Gayo Arabica coffee, in the United States and Canada.          The Gayo Arabica coffee producers are taking part in the Coffee Expo of Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) in Seatle, the United States, from April 19 to April 22 and the Coffee Promotion Event in Vancouver, Canada, from April 24 to April 25, 2018.          The promotions are being facilitated by Indonesia's Trade Ministry and Canada, through Indonesia-Canada Trade and Private Sector Assistance (TPSA).          According to Director General of National Export Development of the Ministry of Trade, Arlinda, the SCA Coffee Expo, the largest premium coffee exhibition in the world, was being held from April 19 to 22, 2018.

PALEMBANG LRT OFFERS NEW LIFESTYLE

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 21 (Antara) - The 23.4-kilometer-long light rail transit (LRT) project being built by the government in Palembang will change the face of the South Sumatran provincial capital and the lifestyle of the local residents.          The LRT project, the work on which is 89.1 percent complete, is expected to become operational in July or before the Asian Games 2018 to be held in Palembang and Jakarta from August 18 to September 2, 2018.          According to Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, the use of the new mode of transportation is expected to change the lifestyle of the people of Palembang City. Palembang is the first city in Indonesia to have the LRT mode of transportation.         "We, the central and regional governments, want the LRT mode of transportation to offer a new lifestyle to the urban residents in Palembang and to serve as a mass transportation model for other cities," Minister Sumadi noted in Palembang on Friday (Apr 21).

HOUSE QUESTIONS PRESIDENTIAL REGULATION ON EXPATS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 21 (Antara) - With over seven million jobless people at home, Indonesia needs to enhance employment for its domestic workers and to protect them from the onslaught of expatriates.          Hence, the issuance of the government regulation simplifying the procedure for the recruitment of expatriates has been questioned by legislators.          Vice Chairman of the House of Representatives Taufik Kurniawan has questioned the government to explain Presidential Regulation No. 20 of 2018 on the recruitment of expatriates to avoid misperception among the people.          "We ask, in this case, the Manpower Ministry (Kemenaker), to explain whether the public opinion is true that the presidential regulation is a threat to Indonesian workers," Kurniawan noted in Jakarta on Friday.          The government should tender an explanation on the presidential regulation, as it raises multiple interpretations and could spiral into a political debate.          Earlier, on Thursday, Kurniawan's colleague Fadli Zone, who is also vice chairman of the House of Representatives, criticized the presidential regulation, which he said would harm the interests of local workers.

GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO IMPOSE TAX ON E-COMMERCE INDUSTRY

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 17 (Antara) - Transaction trends are currently shifting from the conventional system of direct cash payment to an online cashless system by capitalizing on the latest technology used in online trade or e-commerce activities.         Hence, the government believes that the e-commerce industry is one of the business sectors having high future prospects, and to this end, it is drafting an e-commerce regulation to ensure equality between conventional and e-commerce traders.         Vice President Jusuf Kalla (JK) and Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto held a meeting on Thursday to discuss matters related to electronic trade or e-commerce development.         "JK has just met with the ministers to discuss the roadmap of e-commerce," Hartarto stated at the office of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second-largest Muslim organization, in Jakarta on Thursday (April 12).         "We discussed the idea of imposing a half percent tax on e-commerce," Hartarto remarked.         The minister noted that the tax will be applied on business entities that have been classified as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The SMEs will be given three years before finally following the applicable taxation.

INDONESIA ENHANCES TRADE WITH AFRICAN COUNTRIES

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 16 (Antara) -  In its efforts to build economic ties and enhance trade  cooperation with African countries, Indonesia hosted a two-day Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF) to bring nations in the continent closer to trade and economic cooperation.          Held on April 10-11, the forum facilitated a total trade agreement potential of US$2.3 billion.  On the first day of the forum (April 10), as many as 10 trade agreements valued at $586.56 million were signed while on the second day it managed to record additional trade transactions worth nearly US$500 million.          "This is a remarkable (achievement) that has been recorded in a short period of time," Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita noted in a joint statement with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on the sidelines of the IAF in Bali on Wednesday (April 11).          The IAF also concluded the announcement of business plans from 11 Indonesian companies, with a potential trade value of $1.3 billion.          The Indonesian government is targeting preferential trade agreement (PTA) with a number of African countries to be completed this year, in order to streamline the flow of goods and services of both sides.

FREEPORT EXPECTED TO COMPLETE DIVESTMENT THIS MONTH

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 14 (Antara) - The US-based gold and copper mining company PT Freeport Indonesia (FI) is expected to divest 51 percent of its shares this month based on the directives of President Joko Widodo.         The government has assigned state-owned mining holding firm PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Inalum) to hold negotiations with PT FI on the divestment of its shares.         Inalum President Director Budi Gunadi Sadikin confirmed that his company is now closer to completing negotiations on the divestment deals.         He stated that the divestment of PT FI is in the final stage.          "Yes, we are handling the divestment process that has reached the final stage," Sadikin had informed reporters in Bogor, West Java, on Saturday (Apr 14).    Sadikin did not elaborate on how the divestment process had reached the final stage but only gave an implicit answer. Sadikin did not explain the next steps to be taken nor the process of the final negotiations.          Earlier, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ignasius Jonan noted that no report was received from PT Inalum on results of the negotiations with PT FI over the divestment of 51 percent shares.

GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO DEVELOP RENEWABLE ENERGY

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 13 (Antara) - The energy sector is one of the crucial fields that has been instrumental in driving economic activities and boosting growth in the country.          Today, energy is no longer merely a commodity but has served as a driving force for economic development. Hence, to replace the depleting conventional energy sources, the Indonesian government is going all out to exploit its new and renewable energy potential.          With the shift in paradigm from energy as a commodity to energy as a driver, economic growth must be complemented with reforms in the oil and gas industry.          "We are now working hard to attract as many investors as possible to work jointly with us in conducting exploration activities, increasing production, and developing energy infrastructure," Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Archandra Tahar noted in Jakarta on Thursday (Apr 12).          Indonesia is confident of being able to exploit more of its renewable energy in future, with its measured program to achieve its energy mix targets.          "Indonesia should ensure it still has the opportunity to enjoy more than what it is having today, " Tahar stated at a workshop on the energy sector.

SEAPLANES TO REINFORCE INDONESIAN TOURISM

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 12 (Antara) - In a bid to support the development of tourism, Indonesia, comprising over 17 thousand islands but still lacking adequate number of airports, plans to operate seaplanes to serve its tourism destinations.          The government is also currently preparing regulations on operating amphibious aircraft that could serve as a means of public transportation and support development of the tourism industry in the country.          Last January, a seaplane had been readied to transport foreign tourists from Batam Island near Singapore to one of the country's famous tourism destinations: Pulau Bawah Resort in Riau Islands Province.          The plan to operate amphibious aircraft was recently disclosed by Chairman of the Maritime Tourism Development Acceleration Team Indroyono Soesilo. For instance, an amphibious aircraft type Viking Twin Otter-400 seaplane, with aircraft code DHC-400, was ready to transport tourists to Pulau Bawah Resort from the Hang Nadim Airport of Batam.

RI HOSTS IAF TO FOSTER COOPERATION WITH AFRICAN COUNTRIES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 10 (Antara) - Indonesia has over the past few years focused its attention to the African continent and intensified its cooperation with African nations.          As part of its commitment to strengthening partnership with African countries, the Indonesian government is hosting a two-day Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF) on Tuesday and Wednesday (April 10-11).          The forum, which is being attended by 500 representatives from 46 African countries and international organizations, served as a historical event, as it is organized for the first time and will serve as a platform to forge stronger ties with African countries.          "If Indonesia and Africa successfully promote the cooperation, we can show the world that cooperation among developing nations can be realized," Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated, while opening the IAF at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, on Tuesday afternoon.          Kalla believes that Indonesia-Africa cooperation will have bright prospects, particularly in the fields of trade and investment.

GOVERNMENT TO TURN SWAMPS INTO PRODUCTIVE LANDS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 7 (Antara) - Indonesia has an extensive area of 33.39 million hectares of swamplands, with potential for cultivation to ensure the country's food security and sovereignty.          Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said that based on a pilot project in Ogan Ilir of South Sumatra Province, the productivity of swamplands could reach 6 to 7 tons per hectare. The pilot project could yield 2 to 3 tons per hectare at the beginning, but after three planting seasons, it could produce 6 to 7 tons per hectare.          Hence, the government is optimistic that one million hectares of swamplands could yield a commercial benefit of about Rp60 trillion, on the basis of the three-time cropping index a year.          According to Lowland Data Center, http://www.pusdatarawa.or.id, the swamp areas in Indonesia are spread over several islands, namely Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua. Indonesia's swampland areas comprise 20.09 million hectares (60.2 percent of tidal land and 13.3 million hectares or 39.8 percent of non-tidal swamp land (lebak).

GOVERNMENT EXPECTED TO IMPROVE ITS DEBT MANAGEMENT

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 7 (Antara) - Media reports cited that the government's debt until the end of February 2018 reached Rp4,034.8 trillion, and if the private sector's debt was taken into account, the figure amounted to Rp7 thousand trillion.          Quoting data from the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), Deputy Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly Hidayat Nur Wahid remarked that the country had debt reaching some Rp7 thousand trillion, including the private sector's debt.          Wahid believes that the increase in debts was not proportional with the improvement in the people's welfare.          "The question asked is what has the debt been used for? Debt has continued to increase, but there is no improvement in the people's welfare. The government has to evaluate this," Wahid noted in the district of Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra, on Sunday (Mar 25).          Hence, Enny Sri Hartati, the executive director of Indef, has called on the government to improve its debt management to reinforce its economic productivity.

VILLAGE FUNDS NEED TO BE AUDITED

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 5 (Antara) - The government is committed to developing villages in an effort to improve the welfare of people in rural areas across the country.         To advance development in rural areas, the government over the past three years  has allocated some Rp190.65 trillion in village fund program to build infrastructure facilities.         "The government has succeeded in building village roads of up to 121,709 kilometers in all corners of Indonesia within three years of implementing the village fund program, an achievement which has never been made in Indonesia's history," Director General of Rural Area Development of the Disadvantaged Region and Transmigration Ministry, Ahmad Erani Yustika, stated in Magelang, Central Java, on Monday (April 2).          The funds used for the village program is set aside through state budget (APBN). Therefore, its use should be audited. The Government's Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) is urged to audit the use of the funds.          The BPKP should act proactively in carrying out control and prevention of abuse of the village funds.