GOVT STILL NEEDS TO BUILD OVER 2,000 TRADITIONAL MARKETS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 28 (Antara) -  The Indonesian government has planed to develop or renovate five thousand traditional markets across the country between 2015 and 2019.          The program to develop or renovate five thousand traditional markets was announced by President Joko Widodo when he laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Pasar Manis Market in Purwokerto, Central Java, in 2014.          This means that every year from 2015 until the end of the current term of office of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), the government has to renovate or build a thousand traditional markets.          However, so far, the government has built or renovated 2,910 units of traditional markets. Thus, in the remaining two years of Jokowi's current term of office, the government still has to develop some 2,090 units to meet its target by 2019.          Logistics and Retribution Facility director of the Trade Ministry Sihar Pohan said on Friday that until 2019, his ministry had a target to build 5,000 markets in Indonesia.          "Until 2017, the Trade Ministry has built 2,910 traditional markets throughout Indonesia and is targeted to reach 5,000 markets by 2019," said Sihar Pohan in Pontianak, West Kalimatan.

ADDITIONAL DIPHTHERIA VACCINES NEEDED FOR ORI PROGRAM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 28 (Antara) - The Jakarta regional government will allocate additional funds for the procurement of diphtheria vaccines to immunize over 1.2 million residents, not only children under five years of age but also adults over 19 years old.          "The stock of diphtheria vaccines should be increased. I think an additional stock of over 30 percent is needed since we have to also take precautionary measures by immunizing those over 19 years of age. I hope this program would be implemented smoothly," Vice Governor Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno noted in Jakarta on Wednesday.          The 1.2-million stock of diphtheria vaccines was provided by the Ministry of Health, but it was solely for immunizing recipients in the age group of 0-19 years.         The Ministry of Health is launching a simultaneous immunization program, or "outbreak response immunization (ORI)," in the three provinces of West Java, Banten, and Jakarta to counter the emergence of diphtheria cases in some regions. The program was started on December 11, 2017.          In Jakarta, the number of patients having contracted the diphtheria virus has reached 57, and so far, two have died. According to the Indonesian Medical Association, over 600 patients were hospitalized, with 40 deaths reported across the country so far.

GOVERNMENT ACCELERATES ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAM IN N MALUKU

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 27 (Antara) - The government, through state-owned power utility company PLN, is accelerating its electrification program in North Maluku, particularly in the islands of Halmahera and Morotai, in its efforts to provide equal power supplies to one of the eastern regions of Indonesia.          Until the end of this year, PLN has completed its electricity supply projects for 11 villages as a Christmas and New Year's gift for the residents of Hamahera and Morotai Islands.          Besides the six service units of the Sofifi Area, PLN area has upgraded its operations from 12 hours to 24 hours. This means that from next year on, PLN will operate and supply electricity for 24 hours in the islands of Halmahera and Morotai.          Besides supplying 11 villages with electricity by the end of this year, PLN will also accelerate its program to cover 48 other villages in the islands of Halmahera and Morotai next year.         "By the end of 2017, PLN has provided gifts for Halmahera and Morotai, with the supply of electricity for 11 villages," General Manager of PLN for Maluku and North Maluku, Djoko Dwijatno, noted in a press statement in Jakarta on Monday.

JAKARTA CITIZENS HOLIDAYING WITH AIRPORT TRAIN

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 26 (Antara) - Jakartans are luckier as they can take advantage of the current Christmas and New Year celebrations and their holidays to enjoy a newly operated airport train, which will be on trial until Jan 1, 2018.         The operation of the airport train, beginning on Tuesday (Dec 26), will complete the train transportation system, which included the launch of the operation of the skytrain at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport last September to transport passengers within the airport terminals.         The operations of the skytrain, also known as the automated people mover system (APMS) train, will be integrated with that of the airport train and other Jabodetabek electric trains, in order to increase the mobility of passengers to and from the airport.          Jakarta residents could also try it as the ticket is still cheap, namely Rp30 thousand per passenger. The normal ticket price will be imposed beginning Jan 2, 2018, valued at Rp70 thousand per passenger.         Therefore, during the Christmas and New Year Eve celebrations, Jakartans can enjoy their time by trying out the airport train.          On Tuesday, residents of Jakarta and surrounding areas enthusiastically spent the holidays together by trying out the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Train from Sudirman Baru Station (BNI City).

GOVERNMENT FAILS TO MEET ITS ONE MILLION HOUSE TARGET

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 23 (Antara) - The government seems to be failing again in meeting its target to develop one million houses for homeless families this year, as it could successfully build only 765,120 units up to the end of last month.          The government has since 2015 launched an annual one million house development program, yet it was unable to meet the target since then. In 2015, it only developed 699,770 units, while in 2016, it built 765,120 houses.          Public Works and Public Housing Ministry acknowledged that it had fallen short of its target to build one million units of houses a year.          "Yes, we have not reached the target. The realization has reached only 765,120 units this year, including 70 percent houses for low-income people (MBR) and 30 percent for non-MBR," Director General of Housing Khalawi Abdul Hamid told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday (Dec 5).          Hamid stated that the program was launched to reduce the backlog of 7.6 million units, which grow by 800 thousand units per year. Based on the data of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) and the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), there were 13.5 million homeless families in 2014. The housing backlog has reached 7.6 million units.

BALI HOTELS GEAR UP FOR CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR FESTIVITIES

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 23 (Antara) - Hotels in the tourist resort island of Bali are gearing up to welcome visitors with special offers in the run-up to the Christmas and year-end festivities following the eruption of Mount Agung late last month.         Bali is Indonesia's largest popular foreign tourist destination, contributing over 40 percent to the country's foreign tourist arrivals. Last year, Bali had attracted 4.92 million foreign tourists to the country's total foreign tourist arrivals of 12.02 million.         Over four million tourists have visited Bali in the first eight months of 2017, an almost 120 percent year-on-year increase. Hence, Bali is the main asset for the government's efforts to increase the number of foreign tourist visits.         The country is projected to further invest in infrastructure, including the construction of the Benoa Cruise Ship Terminal in Bali, to surpass the target of 20 million foreign tourists by the start of 2020. It promises steady market growth, which is why the government is serious in its efforts to provide security and comfort to the tourists.         However, Mount Agung's eruption in late November will undeniably have an impact on Bali's tourism.

GOVT TO RAISE CEILING BUT CUT RATE OF ITS KUR CREDIT IN 2018

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Dec 22 (Antara) - The government will raise the ceiling of its subsidized KUR micro business credit scheme from Rp106.6 trillion this year to Rp120 trillion in 2018 but will cut its interest rate from 9 percent to 7 percent.          Besides raising the ceiling and lowering its interest rate, the government will also allocate about 50 percent of the KUR credits next year to the small business production sector to further boost the production activities of small businesses.          Of the Rp106.7 trillion KUR credit allocation in 2017, some Rp91.3 trillion or 85.6 percent has been disbursed until the end of November.          "The performance reflected the government policy of favoring small businesses by providing them with access to financing," Darmin Nasution, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, said after a coordinating meeting on KUR 2017 evaluation and 2018 KUR plan in Jakarta, Friday (Dec 8).          The government made the decision to lower the KUR business credit interest rate from 9 percent to 7 percent, which will come into effect on January 1, 2018, in the hope that people's economy would be generated.