DECLARATION OF PEACE MARKS JAKARTA GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN by Fardah

  Jakarta, Oct 29, 2016 (Antara) - The implementation of gubernatorial election in Jakarta has been considered as a barometer of other regional head elections (pilkada) to be held simultaneously in 101 regions across Indonesia on February 15, 2017.

          It is even seen as a miniature of the implementation of democracy in Indonesia in general, according to Chairman of the Jakarta General Election Commission (KPU DKI) Sumarno.

         Therefore, three pairs of Jakarta gubernatorial candidates were requested to sign an inscription of peace declaration to symbolize their commitment to maintaining security and order during their campaign that began on October 28, 2016 and will end on February 11, 2017.

          The candidates signing the inscription were Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and Sylviana Murni, incumbents Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) and Djarot Saiful Hidayat, and Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno. Members of their success teams also joined the campaign.  
      The declaration was voiced in an event at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta, on October 29, and attended by supporters of the candidates. A decorated vehicle carnival was organized to highlight the declaration.

           The candidates read out the peace declaration text and received props for regional head campaign activities. They have declared their commitment to campaign peacefully and with integrity.

         They and members of their success teams pledged to follow a democratic and peaceful election process with integrity, as well as maintain the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) based on state ideology Pancasila and the UUD 1945 Constitution.

       They will promote the progress of Jakarta and promised to abide by every prevailing regulation.

       Besides, they also promised to accept whatever the results of the pilkada, whether they are elected or not.

           The three pairs of candidates for the posts of governor and vice governor recently received their ballot numbers for the Pilkada 2017.

         Yudhoyono and Murni were allotted ballot number 1, incumbents Purnama alias Ahok and Hidayat received ballot number 2 while Baswedan and Uno were given ballot number 3.

             In the principles of democracy, differences and diversity are not a problem, Sumarno said while kicking off an event of the Declaration of Peace for the 106-day campaign. The declaration of a peaceful campaign aims to prevent conflicts, chaos, and disunity.

          Despite differences and diversity in campaign props, they must remember that they are all residents of Jakarta and must be united within the frame of diversity, he said.

            Furthermore, the commission is committed to implementing an independent election, Commissioner of the National General Elections Commission (KPU) Fery Kurnia said.

          He urged every party to help maintain the unity of Indonesia in order to have a quality pilkada implementation.

          In the meantime, Acting Governor of Jakarta Sumarsono has reminded all bureaucratic elements of the Jakarta Administration to be neutral during the implementation of the Jakarta pilkada process.   Those who were not neutral would be fired.

          He, himself, would keep a distance from the three pairs of the candidates for the sake of neutrality, he said.

           "I belong to the candidate No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, but I have to keep a distance from the three pairs," he said.

            He also called on the candidates and supporters to implement a peaceful pilkada.

            The next gubernatorial election in Jakarta is expected to be both exciting and interesting, since important political figures are sponsoring each candidate pair.

            The three pairs are considered competent, with every candidate having their own characteristics, qualities, and shortcomings. Further, most of them are relatively young, and they represent different races, tribes and religions.

            Ahok and Djarot are supported by former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, who is concurrently chairperson of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDIP).

           The Baswedan-Uno duo has been nominated by ex-presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, who is also chairman of the Gerindra Party.

          The Agus-Sylviana pair is being promoted by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is chairman of the Democratic Party and the father of Agus.

            President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has expressed hope that the Jakarta pilkada, as well as other elections to be simultaneously organized across many regions, will be conducted peacefully and democratically.

            The government has pledged to remain neutral, including in the Jakarta pilkada, said Jokowi, who had paired with Ahok, with the support of PDIP, during the Jakarta gubernatorial election in 2012.

            "The president has said that everything has to run democratically, in choosing a leader who is capable of building  Jakarta, because Jakarta needs a strong leader who has a large commitment to making major contributions for Indonesia to become a great country," Minister/State Secretary Pratikno told the press in Jakarta on September 28.

          The General Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) has reminded the candidates to campaign honestly and avoid money politics or they will have to face disqualification as a consequence.

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(f001/INE)
EDITED BY INE

(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 29-10-2016 14:56:39

INDONESIA BRACING FOR FLOODS, LANDSLIDES AS RAINY SEASON PEAKS by Fardah

 Jakarta, Oct 29, 2016 (Antara) - Moderate to high intensity rainfall will hit areas across Indonesia this November.

          South Sumatra, Bengkulu, Lampung, Bangka Belitung, North Sumatera, Banten, West Java, Jakarta and surroundings, Central Java, East Java, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, Maluku, West Papua and Papua Provinces will witness rainfall.

        The country is, however, expecting the rainy season to peak in January and February 2017, especially in Jakarta and its suburban areas, according to the Meteorological, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

         Therefore, the agency has urged people living in disaster-prone areas to remain vigilant and prepared to deal with any disaster and prevent casualties.

          BMKG Chief Andi Eka Sakya explained that rainfall has been 50 percent of the normal this year, though because of natural phenomena such as Dipole Mode and La Nina, the country has been experiencing high intensity rainfall.

          "Besides, there is monsoon (a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation), and there is also a tropical cyclone and low pressure in the region," he noted.

        Despite the La Nina, the peak rainy season in January and February 2017 is forecast to be less wet than that in early 2016, BMKG Deputy in Charge of Meteorology Yunus Swarinoto said.

         However, it tended to last longer, according to Mulyono R Prabowo, head of the Public Meteorology Center of BMKG.

INDONESIA, PALESTINE EXPLORE CLOSER TRADE, CULTURAL COOPERATION By Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 28 , 2016 (Antara) - Indonesia and Palestine have always shared a strong relationship and forged close cooperation despite the geographical distance between them.

         Palestine was among the first nations to have recognized Indonesia's declaration of independence on August 17, 1945, and Indonesia has been a staunch supporter for Palestine's liberation from the occupation of Israel.

         "As long as Palestine does not gain its independence, Indonesia will keep challenging the Israeli occupation," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had said in his opening remarks at an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in Jakarta on March 7, 2016.

         The president's observation was a direct quote from the response of the country's founding father President Sukarno given to a reporter, who asked him in 1962 as to why Indonesia did not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

         So far, all seven Indonesian presidents have been consistent in supporting Palestine's struggle for independence.

         Such a stance is, in fact, in line with the country's Constitution, UUD1945, which states that Indonesia is against colonialism on Earth.

         Under the Jokowi administration, Indonesia realized its long overdue plan to open an honorary consulate in Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine, in March 2016.

         Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi had traveled a long way from Jakarta to Amman, Jordan, to inaugurate Maha Alkhus Hussein, who is also known as Maha Abu Shusheh, as Indonesia's first-ever lady honorary consul to Palestine, on March 13.

         In October this year, Maha made her visit to Jakarta in her capacity as the honorary consul. She came to Indonesia with a 42-member business delegation.  

ABU GENERAL ASSEMBLY URGES BROADCAST MEDIA TO EMBRACE MULTICULTURALISM By Fardah

  Jakarta, Oct 27, 2016 (Antara) - "Unity in Diversity" is the national slogan of Indonesia, which has a population of 254 million people, of which 300 ethnic groups speak 740 languages, and reside on the country's 17,000 islands. 
   This slogan was successfully presented before 700 participants of the 53rd General Assembly of the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) held in Bali, on October 23 and 24.

        Indonesia believes that the "Unity in Diversity" concept is crucial for pluralistic content to promote peace amidst global issues, such as conflict, poverty, and social and political problems.     
   "Multiculturalism is crucial for world peace and has been adopted by ABU for broadcasting in Asia and the Pacific," Mohammad Rohanudin, president director of the Indonesian state-owned radio station RRI, said recently.     
   In his welcome speech, Rohanudin emphasized the protection of diverse audiences in the region, and urged broadcasters to further promote unity and a sense of togetherness among the people of the region.

        At the conclusion of the General Assembly, the participants adopted the Bali Declaration on "Broadcasting for All: Multiculturalism And Diversity."
  The Bali Declaration considers and recognizes that broadcasters have a responsibility to provide audiences in the Asia-Pacific with knowledge and information on how to improve people's lives.

        It also appeals to ABU members to devote substantial and increased radio and television broadcast airtime during both peak and lean periods, and to utilize the media to celebrate and embrace all forms of multiculturalism and diversity.

WILL INDONESIA APPLY PHILIPPINES-STYLE METHODS IN ITS WAR AGAINST DRUGS? --- By Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 27, 2016 (Antara) - Reports about attempts to smuggle drugs from China and neighboring Malaysia continue to surface despite the Indonesian government's all out war against drugs. 
   Indonesia's National Narcotics Agency (BNN) recently dismantled an international drugs distribution network by seizing 12,488 grams of crystal methamphetamine that had been allegedly smuggled from Malaysia.

        The authorities thwarted another attempt to smuggle in drugs in mid-August when a Chinese national was found carrying 990 grams of contraband.

         During 2015, police arrested 50,178 suspects in 40,253 drug-related cases and confiscated 23.2 tons of marijuana, more than one million ecstasy pills and 2.3 tons of crystal methamphetamine.

        There were 5.9 million drug users in the country in 2015, most of them teenagers, according to the BNN.

        Indonesia is among the few countries that have the harshest drug laws in the world. It executed 14 drug convicts, mostly foreigners, in 2015, and four others in July 2016.

        President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasized that notwithstanding protests by several countries and parties at home, he would not grant clemency to drug convicts, seen as responsible for the death of nearly 50 Indonesians, mostly young men, every day.

        In February this year, he had called on all stakeholders to declare a war against drug abuse and drug trafficking and ordered that every point of entrance - airports, seaports and border areas - must be closed to drug smugglers.

TRANSFORMING IORA INTO ARENA OF COOPERATION IN INDIAN OCEAN REGION by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 26, 2016 (Antara) - The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) has transformed into a premier arena of cooperation within 20 years of its existence in the Indian Ocean region.

         The group carries a solid and firm commitment to promote cooperation and closer interaction among its members.

         Established in Mauritius in March 1997, the association includes South Africa, Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Uni Comoros and Yemen.

         Since 2011, the group has been focusing on six areas of priority, namely maritime safety and security, trade and investment facilitation, fisheries management, disaster risk management, academic and science and technology cooperation, and tourism and cultural exchanges.

          Moreover, in 2015, IORA had also agreed to elevate the regional cooperation to a new level by working on IORA Concord and convening IORA Summit in 2017.

         Given the facts that the Indian Ocean is the world's third largest ocean and a critical highway for global trade, IORA has become a strategic forum.

         Furthermore, the region is brimming with abundant natural resources, including minerals, fishes and oil and gas, which have not been tapped optimally.

KETAWAI ISLAND SCENERY CHARMS FOREIGN YACHTERS by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 24, 2016 (Antara) - The annual international maritime event Sail Karimata Strait concluded in North Kayong, West Kalimantan, on October 15.

         But the journey of the participating foreign yachters continued up to Ketawai Island, an uninhabited island having the natural beauty of white-sandy beaches with amazing underwater scenery.

           Ketawai Island is located in Central Bangka District, about 18 kilometers from Pangkalpinang, the capital city of Bangka Belitung Islands Province. The island is renowned for its crystal clear waters, colorful fishes and coral reefs. 
     Because of its amazing panorama, the island has been included in the list of places recommended to be visited as part of the Sail Karimata Strait activities, which include Jambi, Riau Islands and Bangka Belitung Islands Provinces.

         Since the last few days, as many as 22 yachts from eight countries had anchored in Ketawai Island beach.

         The yachts were from Germany, France, US, Sweden, Australia, Switzerland, Italy and Singapore.       
    Five of them had arrived on October 15 and later left for Tanjung Pinang, while 17 just arrived few days back and planned to stay until October 24, Mukhlisin of the local organizing committee of the international maritime event, said on October 23.

         The Ketawai administration also organized traditional cultural and art performances to entertain the visitors.

EAST NUSA TENGGARA TO HOLD ITS OWN VERSION OF TOUR DE TIMOR by Fardah

 Jakarta, Oct. 21, 2016 (Antara) - East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province has decided to organize the Tour de Timor (TdT) biking and touring event of its own version.

        The event was initially planned to be organized jointly with Timor Leste to provide riders a complete tour of Timor Island.

        As per the initial plan, the TdT was scheduled to start in Dili, the capital of Timor Leste, and finish in Kupang, the capital of NTT (Indonesia).

         The Timor Island is divided into two, namely West Timor, which is part of Indonesia's NTT with Kupang as its provincial capital, and East Timor, which is also known as Timor Leste, with Dili as its capital.  
    But the idea to hold the joint tour by the two neighboring countries could not be implemented this year as Timor Leste had organized its own Tour de Timor version last September, in which bikers from 12 countries participated.

          In fact, Timor Leste has been organizing this annual international biking and touring event since 2009.

          As for NTT, the TdT will be organized for the first time on November 29 this year,  and start from Mota Ain, Belu District, instead of Dili, as previously planned.

        The tour will cover four stages with stops in Atambua, Belu District; Kefamenanu, North Timor Tengah; Soe, South Timor Tengah; and Kupang.

         The route will also include Mota Ain, Wini and Motamasin, located in Malaka District.    
     "There is a change in the tour's starting point. It was earlier planned in Dili, but this was changed later. We have decided to have Mota Ain border area as the starting point," Marous Ardu Jelamu, head of the East Nusa Tenggara tourism and creative economy office, said in Kupang, recently.

EXPANDING INDONESIAN EXPORT MARKETS TO AFRICA AND SOUTH ASIA by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 21, 2016 (Antara) - The 31st Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) this year surprised many as several Asian and African countries dominated business transactions, replacing the US and European countries which used to be traditional major buyers during previous TEIs.

         The country's largest export exhibition recorded transactions worth US$974.76 million, with five nations emerging as the largest contributors, including India, Malaysia and Egypt. The two others were Switzerland and France.

         At US$ 826.52 million, goods transactions topped the list, followed by the service sector at US$48.23 million.

         In all, 15,567 potential buyers from 125 countries participated in the expo. Of these, 110 countries had indirect transactions with domestic businesses.

         At TEI 2016, the potential buyers came not only from Indonesia's traditional export destinations, but also from countries in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Central Asia.

         During the expo, for instance, 56 buyers from India booked transactions worth US$82.845 million for products such as spices, furniture, handicraft, and medical equipment, plus US$ 460,000 for investment or joint ventures.

         TEI 2016 was expected to be a turning point in national export performance, according to Indonesian Trade Minister Engggartiasto Lukita.

PREPARING BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR PAPUA ISLAND by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 21, 2016 (Antara)-  Some 2.7 million families living in 12,569 villages across Indonesia reportedly still have no access to electricity in the current modern era.

          Most of them living literally in the dark are villagers in Papua and particularly in border areas. In the district of Boven Digoel located in the border of Papua Province and Papua New Guinea, for instance, at least 26 kampongs have no electricity.

         Indonesia's easternmost island of Papua comprising Papua and West Papua Provinces, have indeed been beset by shortage in power supply.   
   Electricity projects have been long left idle  and construction of some of them that had started since 2008, were delayed.   
   Now, under the Joko Widodo (Jokowi) administration, the government has gradually coped with the problem by building new power generating plants.

         Because the operation of the power infrastructure projects  in Papua and West Papua  would not only reduce problem in power supply in the two provinces, but also help boost the regional economy.

         Across the country, the government has planned to build new power plants with a total capacity of 35,000 megawatts by 2019.

         Indonesia's State Power Utility PT PLN has set a target of supplying electricity to all sub-district capitals in the outermost islands and border regions by 2019 and increasing the rural electricity operational hours to 24 hours a day.

WONDERFUL SAIL 2 INDONESIA TO PROMOTE BANGKA BELITUNG TOURISM by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 20, 2016 (Antara) - Some participants of Sail Karimata Strait, this year's version of Wonderful Sail 2 Indonesia series,  have moved from North Kayong, West Kalimantan, to Bangka Island, Bangka Belitung Province, Sumatra.

          They will be attending more cultural events and enjoying the beautiful panorama.

          The Bangka Belitung Province, together with Jambi and Riau Islands, is co-hosting the Sail Karimata Strait with President Joko Widodo attending the peak event in Datuk Island Beach in the Sukadana sub-district, North Kayong, on Oct. 15.

          The Sail featured a national seminar on maritime affairs, organized in Jambi on August 25, 2016, and will witness the Belitung Festival on October 22 and the Riau Islands Maritime Festival on October 29.

          Currently, seven of the 30 yachts with some 110 crew members from 14 countries have arrived at the Bangka Island.

          Yachters from Italy, France, Australia, the Philippines, the Netherlands and the US are participating in the Oct 19-24 event in Bangka Belitung.

          Deputy District Head of Bangka Rustamsyah hoped that the Sail Karimata Strait will help promote tourism.

          "I am optimistic that all those countries which attended the Wonderful Sail 2016 at Parai Tenggiri Beach in Sungailiat will result in more tourists visiting the Bangka Island," he stated on Oct. 20
     He hoped that some 100 foreign ship crews joining the rally will inform their fellow citizens about the natural beauty of Bangka.

FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL LEVIES AS PART OF BUREAUCRATIC REFORM by Fardah

  Jakarta, Oct 19, 2016 (Antara) - Illegal levies, whether they involve a large amount of money or a very small one, are all targeted in a fight against illegal levies, initiated by the Indonesian authorities as part of bureaucratic reform.

        Such an indiscriminate measure is in accordance with an instruction provided by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) who has reiterated his resolution to fight every illegal levy, even when it involves merely Rp10 thousand (less than US$1).  
    Jokowi said the efforts to eradicate illegal levies were launched, so that people would have peace of mind and services in government offices would proceed well at a faster pace.

          He reiterated his assurance that Indonesia would be free of illegal levies in driving license, ID, land certification and other licensing services.

          "Illegal levies must be stopped. People must only pay the official ones. If they have to pay Rp50 thousand officially, they have to do it. But if it is free, they must never be ordered to pay," he said.    
    Jokowi also pointed out that he would check, control and monitor the issue to assure that public services would proceed well and would be free from illegal levies, even small ones.

          The government has set up a team of "Saber Pungli" (cleanly sweep illegal levies) to effectively fight the issue.

          According to Wiranto, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, the majority of members of the task force would be drafted from the National Police.

            The task force will also introduce an online service for filing complaints regarding such malpractices.

          Besides, the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reforms Minister Asman Abnur has issued a circular directing that the malpractice of illegal levies be stopped immediately.

SECOND-PERIOD TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM TO TARGET SMEs, PROFESSIONALS by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 19, 2016  (Antara) - The second phase of the tax amnesty program that began on October 1 and will last till December 31, 2016, offers a redemption tariff of three percent.

         This is slightly higher than the two percent tariff offered during the first phase from July 18-September 30, but less than five percent that will be imposed during the third phase (January 1 to March 31, 2017).

             A total of 405,405  tax payers declared their assets with redemption payments totaling Rp93,49 trillion and the declared assets reaching Rp3,826.81 trillion as of Oct. 12.

        Of the total redemption funds accrued, most came from individual tax payers, numbering 321,893. Redemption funds reached Rp83 trillion (88.78 percent) and assets declaration reached Rp3,322.26 trillion.

         The number of corporate tax payers reached 83,512 with total redemption funds reaching Rp10.49 trillion (11.22 percent) and declared assets reaching Rp504.55 trillion.

          The first phase was considered successful compared to similar programs carried out by several other countries.

          At present, the Finance Ministry, particularly the Tax Directorate General, will identify professionals who can potentially participate in the current tax amnesty program.   
     Nine categories of professionals have so far been identified as potential participants in the tax amnesty plan, including doctors, tax consultants, lawyers, architects, accountants, notary public, appraisers, provincial governors and deputy governors, commissioners and directors of board of state-owned companies.  

serabi

Serabi Solo
Penulis: Fatmah Bahalwan
Bahan:
600 ml santan kental
1 sdt garam
1 lbr daun pandan
250 gr tepung beras
1 sdt ragi instan
75 gr gula pasir
1 btr telur
Bahan Areh:
150 ml santan sangat kental
1 sdt garam
Topping pilihan:
Keju, Nangka, Meisis cokelat
Cara membuatnya:
Masak santan, garam dan daun pandan hingga mendidih, dinginkan.
Dalam wadah, campur tepung beras, gula pasir dan ragi instan, aduk rata. Ditengahnya beri telur dan sebagian santan, aduk rata sambil terus dituangi sisa santan hingga habis.
Kopyok-kopyok adonan menggunakan balloon whisk hingga terlihat berbuih-buih banyak. Diamkan selama 90 menit.
Panaskan wajan serabi, dengan api kecil. Tuangi 1 sendok sayur adonan ditengahnya, lalu gerakkan sendok kebagian pinggir wajan agar terbentuk bibir serabi.
Biarkan hingga serabi matang dan terlihat berlubang-lubang sarang. Lalu siram dengan 1 sdm Areh. Beri topping sesuai selera. Tutup wajan, matangkan serabi. Angkat.
Sumber: http://ncc-indonesia.com/2014/02/serabi-solo/

INDONESIA STRIVES FOR FOOD SUFFICIENCY BY 2018 by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 17, 2016  (Antara) - Food security and resilience have been an ongoing issue for Indonesia, which was once a major rice exporter in Asia, but now relies heavily on rice imports to meet the public's staple food requirements.

         Food security has been given serious attention because it is also an important social objective. Relying on food markets outside the country to meet the needs of Indonesia's growing population is recognized as not healthy.

          The Indonesian government, therefore, is striving for food self-sufficiency, which is expected to be realized in 2018.

         Thousands of military personnel have been deployed to help farmers in various regions plant rice and other crops. 
   "Food-sufficiency is expected to be realized within three years, for which the efforts started a year ago," Vice President M Jusuf Kalla asserted recently. 
    In order to reach the target, several steps have been implemented, including improvements in irrigation methods, along with seedling and fertilizer preparations.

         Some results are expected to be seen as of this year, as Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said the country is expecting to have a surplus of 400,000 tons of rice this year.

        "There would be a surplus of 400,000 tons and, God willing, there would be no more scarcity in supply of this staple food product," Amran said on the sidelines of a food exhibition in early October.

         The minister said, based on a survey by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the country's rice production rose significantly this year.

NATIONS MUST WORK TOGETHER TO FIGHT FISHERY CRIMES by Fardah

  Jakarta, Oct 13, 2016 (Antara) - Illegal fishing is linked to other criminal activities and can be addressed effectively only if there's a global collaboration to combat it.

         The issue of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and related crimes, such as drugs smuggling, human trafficking and the smuggling of arms and protected animals, were among the topics discussed at the Second International Symposium on Fisheries Crime, or the FishCRIME Symposium, held in Yogyakarta on October 10.

         Seas are a source of income for 520 million people across the world and provide food to 2.6 billion people.

        However, illegal fishing practices have reduced the world's fish stock by 90.1 percent, said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in his opening remark at the symposium.

         Unregulated fishing is a serious threat not just to the fishery industry, but also to the environment.

         Indonesia's experiences are proof that illegal fishing activities cannot be ignored. The country suffers economic losses to the tune of US$20 billion annually because of unregulated fishing. The crime has also threatened the existence of 65 percent of the country's coral reefs.

         Data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in 2014 said Indonesia ranks second among the world's largest sea fish producers, with its total catch amounting to 6 million tons, or 6.8 percent of the world's sea fish catch. "We believe that this figure is below Indonesia's maximum potential, (which is affected) due to IUU fishing practices," Jokowi said.

         Jokowi called for a global collaboration to fight illegal fishing, which has become a serious, organized transnational crime.

INDONESIA'S TRADE EXPO EYES LONG-TERM BUSINESS TIES by Fardah

   Jakarta, Oct 13, 2016 (Antara) - The 31st Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI), the country's largest trade exhibition, held on Oct. 12 to 16, aims to establish business ties that will lead to long-term cooperation, rather than just direct business transactions.

           This year, the expo's theme is "Indonesia: Source of Natural and Creative Products." 
   At the opening alone, the expo recorded business commitments worth Rp2.6 trillion (nearly US$200 million) from 14 countries.

          The ministry had set a business transaction target of $800 million for the expo. In total, it hopes to see service and investment transactions worth some $1 billion during the expo.

         Last year, TEI recorded transactions worth $909 million.

         As many as 1,100 sellers, including SMEs, and 15,562 buyers from 152 countries, are taking part in the expo, where the country's prime products, such as furniture, creative economy items, fishery and agricultural products, and food and beverages, are on display.

       Countries such as China, Nigeria, Malaysia, India, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Papua New Guinea, and Bangladesh have sent large delegations to participate in the event.

         The presence of such a large number of foreign buyers could help open up new markets for the export of Indonesian products.

        Penetrating the African and Indian markets, among other things, would be ideal for Indonesian products in the long term.

FOUR MORE INDONESIAN GEOPARKS AIM TO BE RECOGNIZED AS UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARKS by Fardah

 Jakarta, Oct 11, 2016 (Antara) - Blessed with beautiful nature, Indonesia has some 40 national geoparks across the country, and at least four are to be proposed to become UNESCO Global Geoparks.

         The four geoparks are Mount Rinjani in West Nusa Tenggara, Lake Toba Caldera in North Sumatra, Ciletuh Waterfall  in West Java, and Merangin pale botany park in Jambi on Sumatra Island.

          In fact, proposals for Mt Rinjani and Merangin geoparks have already been submitted and the results will be announced by UNESCO in April 2017.

           Indonesia currently has two UNESCO Global Geoparks, namely Batur in Bali, which was recognized by UNESCO in 2012, and Mount Sewu in Central Java.

         Located in northeast Bali, Batur Global Geopark includes two volcanic calderas and presents a complete volcanic landscape, with caldera walls, cones and craters, geothermal phenomena such fumaroles, hot springs, a lake, lava flows, pyroclastic flows and tephra.

         Two cataclysmic eruptions that occurred 29,000 years and 20,000 years ago produced an outer-caldera and inner-caldera, from
which the grand landscape scenery originates.

          Between 1804 and 2000, Mt. Batur erupted at least 22 times, forming a strato-volcano, which is one of 127 active volcanoes in Indonesia, and an important component of the Pacific `ring of fire¿.

          The double-calderas, with a crescent-shaped volcanic lake being 7 km long, 1.5 km wide, and located 1,031 m a.s.l., was called the finest caldera in the world.

GOVERNMENT MOOTS STEPS TO BOOST BATIK INDUSTRY by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct. 5, 2016 (Antara) - In an effort to preserve the national culture of Batik and promote it among the Indonesian people, especially the youth, the Industry Ministry is encouraging batik art and also coordinating with the Education and Culture Ministry to make it a part of activities in the vocational high schools.

        The wide range of colours, designs and materials has always made Batik popular among young and old. All Indonesians are proud of and love wearing batik clothes.

        To promote batik further among the younger generations, the government is encouraging the youth to become batik artists, designers and craftsmen. It is noted that the young people understand better the taste and preferences of their fellow citizens. 
    "We are coordinating with the Education and Culture Ministry to include a lesson on batik making as an extra-curricular activity in the vocational high schools," said Gati Wibawaningsih, Director General for Small and Medium Scale Industry of the Industry Ministry.

    He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the "Batik as National Cultural Heritage" expo, on October 3. The expo was organized to mark National Batik Day that is celebrated every year on October 2. Furthermore, the Indonesian Batik Foundation has launched a program titled "Batik of My Creations," said the chairperson of the 2016 National Batik Day Commemoration Organizing Committee, Nita Kenzo.

NORTH KAYONG WELCOMES INTERNATIONAL YACHTERS AND JET SKIERS by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 6,2016 (Antara)- North Kayong District, located in West Kalimantan Province, is the first region on Kalimantan Island to host a peak ceremony for the international maritime event Sail Indonesia 2016, known as Sail Karimata Strait.

         The previous Sail Indonesia events were held on Sumatera, Sulawesi or Papua islands.

          Sail Bunaken was held in North Sulawesi in 2009, Sail Banda in Maluku in 2010, Sail Wakatobi-Belitung in Southeast Sulawesi and Bangka Balitung in 2011, and Sail Morotai in North Maluku in 2012.

     Additionally, Sail Komodo was in East Nusa Tenggara in 2013, Sail Raja Ampat in West Papua in 2014, and Sail Tomini was held in the provinces of Central Sulawesi and Gorontalo in 2015.

          The Sail Indonesia series are aimed at promoting Wonderful Indonesia tourism, which seeks to lure 12 million foreign tourists in 2016.

         The Tourism Ministry has identified marine tourism as having a huge potential, though it has been overlooked.
   As the world's largest archipelagic nation, some 70 percent of Indonesia's territory is water, with 17,480 islands and a 92,000-kilometer long beach and coastal areas, the second longest after Canada.

        It also has some 5.8 million square kilometers of marine territory, which constitutes a huge marine tourism potential.

        Indonesian authorities have eased entry permits for yachts in certain seaports, hoping that yachting tourism will increase by 2019.

         According to statements made at the Yacht Forum held in Jakarta last year, the Tourism Ministry is expecting 4,000 yachts by 2018.

TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM TO HELP IMPROVE TAXATION SERVICES, DATA BASE by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 4, 2016 (Antara) - Indonesia's Tax Amnesty Program, the first phase of which came to an end on Sept. 30, has turned out to be the most successful such initiative in the world.

          Indonesia's amnesty scheme's success surpassed even the experience of Italy and Chile that had carried out a similar program earlier.    
    Moreover, the program which began in July 2016, has lent a momentum to reforms in the taxation system, particularly when it comes to improving the tax data base and services.

        Until Sept. 30, Rp97.2 trillion were accrued as redemption funds from the tax amnesty program, while the total declared and repatriated funds reached Rp3,621 trillion. The repatriated funds amounted to Rp137 trillion.

        A total of 347,033 people who had evaded taxes earlier participated in the government's tax amnesty program in the first phase, according to the Tax Directorate General of the Finance Ministry.

        These figures were obtained from the provisional data collected till Sept. 30, Hestu Yoga Saksama, the spokesman of the Tax Directorate General, said.

         A total of 14,135 tax payers obtained a Text Identification Number (NPWP) for the first time.

          The government's nine-month tax amnesty program had set a target to collect Rp165 trillion worth of redemption funds, Rp4 thousand trillion worth of declared funds, and Rp1 thousand trillion in repatriated funds.  

INDONESIAN PILGRIMS GRATEFUL FOR SMOOTH 2016 HAJJ IMPLEMENTATION by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 2, 2016 (Antara)- Tens of thousands of Indonesian pilgrims who have started returning home after performing Hajj pilgrimage this year, are grateful that the implementation of the spiritual journey was relatively smooth, safe and incident-free.

       This year, nearly two million pilgrims from more than 150 countries have converged in Saudi to perform Hajj, which is quite successful compared to last year's pilgrimage which was marred by a stampede that killed at least 769 pilgrims. 
   Some 155,200 Indonesian Muslims have taken part in the regular Hajj scheme organized by the Indonesian government in 2016. In addition to, several thousand others have performed Hajj through non-regular schemes, or through other countries.  
   Up to Oct. 1, a total of 87,902 Indonesians comprising 86,827 regular-scheme pilgrims and and 1,075 Hajj officers have returned homed in 215 flight groups. Besides, 9,479 non-regular Hajj pilgrims have also landed safely in Indonesia.

        The process of the home return from Saudi to Indonesia will be carried out until October 15, Nurul Badruttamam from the Indonesian Hajj Organizing Committee, said.        
    The fifth pillar of Islam urges all Muslims to undertake a pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, at least once in his/her lifetime. It is obligatory for every Muslim, regardless of gender, to make the pilgrimage if he/she is physically and financially capable of doing so.