SCRITTORINCORSO

Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Puan Maharani has said that the 2nd Indonesia-Pacific Parliamentary Partnership (IPPP) will emphasize the importance of maritime cooperation among archipelagic countries for regional stability.

“This forum aims to develop partnerships in various fields, including maritime issues and connectivity with countries in the Pacific region,” she said in a statement received here on Tuesday.

She expressed the hope that with the theme of “Partnership for Prosperity: Fostering Regional Connectivity and Inclusive Development,” the 2nd IPPP will contribute to efforts to increase stability in the Pacific region.

“This theme is applicable if we make the Pacific a peaceful and stable region. Without peace, we cannot develop connectivity and realize inclusive development,” she said.

The DPR will also raise other important issues for discussion at the forum, one of which is sustainable development, she added.

Maharani said that the first IPPP forum was held in 2018 with the aim of building connectivity and cooperation between the DPR and other parliaments of archipelagic and island countries in the Pacific region.

“As one big family in the Pacific, we must work together in building mutual trust and understanding in order to create peace and stability in the region,” she added.

For this reason, countries participating in the IPPP have the same standing and must comply with international law and the United Nations (UN) charter, she said.

The IPPP forum is expected to be a platform for exchanging ideas, strengthening cooperation, and producing real solutions to common challenges.

The 2nd IPPP, which will be attended by parliamentary delegates from 16 countries in the Pacific region, will be held on July 24–26, 2024, in Jakarta.

The Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration has forged cooperation with Fatayat Nahdlatul Ulama, a women’s organization working under Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), to support women’s participation in village development.

The cooperation was marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration Minister Abdul Halim Iskandar and Fatayat NU chair Margaret Aliyah Maimunah here on Tuesday.

According to Iskandar, the cooperation is his ministry’s strategic step to support women’s participation in village development, in keeping with Goal No. 5 of the Village Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely achieving gender equality and empowering village women.

“Village residents, both men and women, must have equal access, in accordance with the Goal 5 of Village SDGs,” he said.

He further said that the MoU aims to synergize the potential of the relevant parties to utilize resources for the common good to bring about women’s empowerment.

The signing of the MoU also aims to contribute to and empower women in efforts to improve education and the economy in villages, disadvantaged regions, and transmigration areas, he added.

Furthermore, he underlined that the focus of the agreement between the ministry and Fatayat NU is community empowerment. Such empowerment can be realized through training and guidance to build the independence of women in villages.

Minister Iskandar said he hoped that going forward, the cooperation between his ministry and Fatayat NU can continue to provide opportunities for women in villages to contribute more with wider benefits.

According to him, the MoU can also be applied through various forms of cooperation, as envisaged by each article of the agreement.

Indonesia will need to increase its social expenditure before joining the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), economist Bona Tua Parlinggomon said here on Tuesday.

“Indonesia’s social expenditure is very low compared to OECD member countries in general,” Parlinggomon, an economist with the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), said during a public information dissemination session here on Tuesday.

He noted that a number of studies have shown that investment in social expenditure can reduce poverty and inequality and not hinder economic growth.

Social expenditure is not only about consumption spending, but also about long-term investment in human resources that can support the sustainability of a country’s economic growth.

Moreover, he highlighted, the OECD often carries out peer reviews to provide recommendations for improvement.

He said that Indonesia can take advantage of this momentum to encourage transparency and accountability in its spending on social programs, improve the citizens’ quality of life, and strengthen its global competitiveness.

For this reason, he recommended that the government increase investment in social spending, which has the best outcome when it comes to tackling poverty and inequality.

For example, he said, the government can increase its budget allocation for the water and sanitation, health, education, and social protection programs to close the gender gap and protect vulnerable groups.

On the same occasion, a policy analyst at the Fiscal Policy Agency under the Finance Ministry, Eka Hendra Permana, informed that the government is striving to improve its spending on social programs so that social aid can be on target.

“We learned about how to distribute social assistance for those who are eligible. This requires data validity and policy strengthening, one of which can be done through accession to the OECD,” he said.

 Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto has said that the kebaya (a traditional Indonesian blouse) has become a symbol of the people’s economy, with the kebaya industry using 100 percent local content.

“We see the kebaya not only as a national cultural asset, but also a symbol of the domestic clothing or textile industry because the kebaya industry has 100 percent local content,” he expounded while opening the Kowani Expo in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He noted that the kebaya and its accessories are made by hand using traditional or non-manufactured tools. The production of kebaya is also helping improve the economy of the community, especially women.

“Kebaya is not just clothing, but also a symbol of the people’s economy,” Hartarto said.

He then lauded Indonesian women for improving the nation’s economy through the production of kebaya and supporting accessories.

He again encouraged the kebaya industry to tap into the export market. The government is providing assistance to kebaya producers through the people’s business credit, under which loans of up to Rp100 million (around US$6,164) require no collateral.

“The government is providing funds of up to Rp270 trillion (around US$16.6 billion) to help MSMEs advance to class,” Hartarto said.

He then urged Indonesian women to improve their skills through pre-employment cards provided by the government. This would ensure that their skills remain relevant to current needs.

Meanwhile, general chair of the Indonesian Women’s Congress (Kowani), Giwo Rubianto Wiyogo, said that the Kowani Expo comprises a series of peak events ahead of National Kebaya Day, which would be marked at Istora Senayan, Jakarta, on July 24, 2024.

Wiyogo added that the National Kebaya Day is being observed for the first time this year, in line with Presidential Decree 19 of 2023 concerning National Kebaya Day. It will be themed “Preserve Culture by Proudly Wearing Kebaya.”

“HKN itself aims to introduce and re-echo the kebaya as part of the history of the struggle of Indonesian women to increase the form of love and pride in the identity of the nation and the Motherland,” she said.

It also aims to preserve cultural heritage by making the kebaya a symbol of creativity, without eliminating its standard value, as well as promoting it as a formal attire for occasions.

She further explained thatkebaya promotion can also increase efforts to empower women and the nation’s economic growth. This is because, through the implementation of National Kebaya Day, a number of MSMEs claim to have recorded an increase in sales of kebaya products and supporting accessories.

“Through kebaya, Indonesian women can move up in class and become more advanced,” she said.

At the peak of the HKN commemoration, eight legendary kebayas from the collection of Mrs. Tien Soeharto, the wife of the second Indonesian president, Suharto, will also be displayed along with their fabrics.

The HKN implementation will be attended by a number of officials and enlivened by the participation of more Indonesian women from various professions.

The Indonesian Navy’s (TNI-AL’s) Third Fleet Command (Koarmada III) has deployed a naval ship and a patrol boat to assist in the search mission for the Cita XX landing craft tank.

Contact with the landing craft tank has been lost since July 16, 2024.

The vessel went missing in the Papuan waters while transporting building materials for a 4G base transceiver station (BTS) project in Yahukimo district, Highland Papua, a TNI-AL spokesperson said.

Naval ship KRI Teluk Lada-521 and the Yapero III-11-17 patrol boat have been deployed to join the search effort, Koarmada III spokesperson, Colonel R. Doni Kundrat, said on Monday (July 22).

The patrol boat is focusing its search from the waters of the estuary of Amamapare River in Mimika district, Central Papua, to Tiga Island in Asmat district, South Papua, he told ANTARA.

Meanwhile, KRI Teluk Lada-521 is focusing its search on the Mimika waters, and other joint teams of rescuers are using inflatable boats to track the missing ship in several estuaries in Agats and Tiga Island, he said.

The Cita XX left Timika port in Mimika district, Central Papua, on July 15 with building materials for the Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) Ministry’s 4G BTS project in Yahukimo district, he informed.

The vessel, which had 12 crew members on board, was scheduled to arrive in Yahukimo on July 18 but it has been reported missing since its last contact, received by MV Prima Jaya, on July 16, he added.

President director of the Telecommunication and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) under the Kominfo Ministry, Fadhilah Mathar, said earlier that the search mission is underway.

“The BAKTI Kominfo continues to monitor the search efforts and will make utmost efforts to support the mission,” he added.

The Jakarta government launched the 2024 National Polio Immunization Week for children aged 0–7 on Tuesday, coinciding with National Children’s Day.

The immunization week in Jakarta involves two rounds aiming to administer two drops of the oral vaccine to at least 181,930 children daily. The province targets 1,209,303 children.

Suharini Eliawati, Jakarta’s provincial assistant for social welfare, said the local government is implementing several strategies to achieve the target.

One strategy involves conducting immunization in child-friendly public spaces, kindergartens, schools, and tourist spots.

“The Health Office has mapped out locations for the Polio Immunization Week throughout Jakarta, ensuring completion of both rounds,” Eliawati said.

The first round of immunization runs from July 23 to August 3, and the second from August 6 to 17.

Head of the Jakarta Health Office, Ani Ruspitawati, said the Polio Immunization Week aims to prevent extraordinary poliomyelitis events in Indonesia.

While Jakarta has detected no polio cases, massive immunization remains necessary.

“Jakarta is at moderate risk for polio infection, based on the WHO risk assessment,” she said, referring to the World Health Organization.

She also noted Jakarta residents’ high mobility and frequent travel to other provinces.

“High and equitable immunization coverage will protect Jakarta from polio infection,” she said.

The Polio Immunization Week will also take place at integrated health posts, local health centers, community unit offices, places of worship, and

At least 30 districts/cities in Central Java have declared emergency response status to prepare for potential drought and forest/land fires, chief of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Suharyanto, informed here on Tuesday.

He conveyed the information in Semarang during the Coordination Meeting for Handling Drought in Central Java.

Suharyanto noted that some areas in Central Java, including Wonogiri, Klaten, and Cilacap districts, are prone to drought.

Local governments, together with all regional disaster mitigation agencies (BPBDs) in the province, have prepared anticipatory efforts, such as distributing clean water to Wonogiri and Klaten, he said.

“BNPB will also help distribute water to the community,” he added.

As per a report from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), just 50 millimeters (mm) of rainfall may be recorded in Central Java in the third week of July 2024.

“However, the BMKG prediction of drought this year is not as severe as in 2023 because there is no El Nino in 2024,” Suharyanto added.

However, the BNPB chief reminded the public to remain vigilant because the province still has the potential to experience drought.

“We need to be vigilant, even though there were not many disasters from the beginning until the middle of the year,” he said.

In addition, the BNPB appealed to all district/city BPBDs to monitor conditions in mountains as well as landfills because the two have high risks of forest and land fires.

He expressed the hope that through the supervision, the fire disasters seen in mountains and landfills last year will not recur this year.

So far, the Central Java provincial government has anticipated the potential drought by issuing a circular letter, holding coordination meetings, and collecting data on the readiness of facilities and infrastructure in the district/city areas.

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) has joined the search effort for Cita XX, a landing craft tank that went missing in the Papuan waters on July 16.

Head of the Timika Search and Rescue Agency, I Wayan Suyatna, reported on Monday that the TNI-AU had deployed its B-737 surveillance aircraft for the search.

“The surveillance aircraft has arrived in Timika and will commence its mission when the weather condition is good,” Suyatna said in a press statement received in Timika, the Mimika district’s capital, Central Papua.

Cita XX left Timika port on July 15, carrying building materials for the 4G BTS project of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) in Yahukimo district, Highland Papua.

The vessel, with 12 crew members, was scheduled to arrive in Lokpon, Yahukimo, on July 18, but went missing after its last contact with MV Prima Jaya on July 16.

The twelve crew members on board the missing ship were identified as Junaidi (skipper), Dedi Irawan Mualim, M. Arif Efendi, Haikal, Rusli, Agiera, Nimrot, Lukman Hakim, Samsudin, Asmoro, Suherman, and Alhakim, he added.

Suyatna said the SAR agency received a report of the missing ship on July 19 and initiated its search mission on July 20. The Indonesian Navy’s (TNI-AL) naval ship KRI Teluk Lada-512 joined the search mission.

Besides the naval ship, the TNI AL’s Third Fleet Command (Koarmada III) also deployed the Yapero III-11-17 patrol boat for the search.

Koarmada III spokesperson, Colonel R. Doni Kundrat, said the patrol boat was searching the waters from the estuary of Amamapare River in Mimika to Tiga Island in South Papua.

KRI Teluk Lada-512 focused its search on the Mimika waters, while other joint teams of rescuers used inflatable boats to track the missing ship in several estuaries in Agats and Tiga Island.

Earlier, CEO of the Telecommunication and Information Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) under the Kominfo Ministry, Fadhilah Mathar, said the search mission was underway.

“The BAKTI Kominfo continues to monitor the search efforts and will make utmost efforts to support the mission,” he added.

Sebanyak lebih dari 100 abdi dalem Pura Mangkunegaran Solo Jawa Tengah telah terlindungi oleh program BPJS Ketenagakerjaan.

Pengageng Mangkunegaran GRAj Ancillasura Marina Sudjiwo usai menerima kepesertaan abdi dalem Pura Mangkunegaran di Solo Jawa Tengah Jumat mengatakan, jaminan perlindungan tersebut diberikan sebagai wujud kepedulian dan kesejahteraan Pura Mangkunegaran kepada abdi dalem.

“Ini upaya untuk meningkatkan kepedulian dan kesejahteraan abdi dalem, dengan catatan kinerja ditingkatkan,” katanya.

Ia menjelaskan, saat ini jumlah abdi dalem yang terlindungi oleh BPJS Ketenagakerjaan sebanyak 102 orang. Sedangkan secara total ada 217 abdi dalem yang bertugas di luar Pura Mangkunegaran.

“Kalau saat ini baru untuk abdi dalem di dalam saja yang bekerja aktif, tetapi harapan ke depannya keseluruhan akan tersebar,” katanya.

Kepala Kantor Wilayah BPJS Ketenagakerjaan Jateng-DIY Isnavodiar Jatmiko mengatakan, pekerja di bawah kebudayaan berbeda dengan pekerja di sektor lain. Meski demikian, para pekerja di sektor kebudayaan tetap dianggap urgensi untuk terlindungi BPJS Ketenagakerjaan.

“Selain itu risiko tinggi seringkali tidak disadari. Jadi kalau di seni budaya kami harus mulai masuk dari yang paling berisiko,” katanya.

Kepala Kantor BPJS Ketenagakerjaan Cabang Surakarta Teguh Wiyono menyampaikan pentingnya kepesertaan BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, karena banyak manfaat yang bisa diterima oleh peserta.

“Selain itu, kepesertaan ini juga menjadi jaminan perlindungan jika terjadi risiko sosial saat bekerja sehari-hari,” katanya.

Ia mengatakan, dengan memperoleh perlindungan jaminan sosial melalui BPJS Ketenagakerjaan itu diharapkan dapat memberikan perlindungan diri dari berbagai hal dan risiko yang tidak diinginkan selama bekerja.

Terkait hal itu, Kepala Dinas Tenaga Kerja Kota Surakarta Widyastuti Pratiwiningsih mengatakan, pemerintah sudah mengoptimalkan kepesertaan untuk penerima upah.

“Saat ini kami ikut mendorong penerima non-upah yang kami sebut pekerja rentan, termasuk abdi dalem atau yang bekerja di seni budaya,” katanya.

Ditreskrimsus Polda Jambi bersama Dinas ESDM dan Dinas Lingkungan Hidup setempat melakukan pengecekan ke tempat penyimpanan batubara yang terbakar di Desa Sungai Gelam, Muaro Jambi.

Kasubdit IV/ Tipidter AKBP Reza Khomeini di Jambi, Jumat, mengatakan bahwa tim mengecek ke lapangan terkait laporan masyarakat atas batubara yang terbakar di lokasi penyimpanannya.

Berdasarkan laporan yang masuk, masyarakat sekitar mengeluh dampak kebakaran ini. Oleh karena itu Polda Jambi bersama tiga instansi terkait langsung mengecek ke lokasi.

“Saat ini lokasi batubara yang terbakar sedang dilakukan pendinginan oleh BPBD Kabupaten Muaro Jambi dengan cara menyiram air dan menggunakan alat berat dengan membuat sekat antar tumpukan batubara agar tidak meluas dan segera padam,” kata Reza.

Reza menegaskan tindak lanjut dari pengecekan ini, Polda Jambi akan melakukan klarifikasi terhadap pemilik izin usaha pertambangan (IUP) dan pemilik lahan atas kejadian ini.

Hal ini untuk mengetahui keabsahan pihak perusahaan melakukan penambangan di lokasi tersebut.

Perwakilan Kementerian ESDM Zuhri mengungkapkan pihaknya akan melaporkan kepada Direktur Teknik dan lingkungan/Kepala Inspektur Tambang hasil temuan di lapangan, yang nantinya akan dikeluarkan rekomendasi kepada perusahaan dan ditembuskan ke Polda Jambi.

Selain itu, pihak Dinas Lingkungan Hidup Provinsi Jambi akan mengambil sampel kualitas udara terkait pencemaran udara akibat batu bara yang terbakar.