BALANCING INFRASTRUCTURE PUSH WITH CONSERVATION IN LABUAN BAJO by Fardah

Jakarta, 22/11, 2020 (ANTARA) - Infrastructure and facilities are being installed in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai district, East Nusa Tenggara, as part of efforts to turn it into a super premium destination that will host world leaders besides the well-heeled.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), who visited Labuan Bajo in January and October this year, has designated it as one of the 10 top priority tourist destinations, tagged Beyond Bali, along with Borobudur in Central Java, Lake Toba in North Sumatra, and Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara.

Indonesia is scheduled to take over the presidency of the G20 and the chairmanship of ASEAN, and the government is intent on preparing Labuan Bajo as the venue for the G20 Summit and the ASEAN Summit in 2023.

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama Kusubandio has urged hotels and restaurants in Labuan Bajo to implement health protocols based on Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability (CHSE) standards.

The CHSE certification is crucial for the tourism industry, particularly hotels and restaurants, to reclaim tourist confidence.

"This is aimed at offering a sense of security and comfort to tourists when they visit a destination that applies the health protocols. This certification has been aligned with world tourism organizations, such as the UNWTO and CTTI, as well as the Health Ministry," Kusubandio explained.

With construction in progress, the Komodo National Park has temporarily shut down the Loh Buaya tourist resort, which is situated within the Komodo National Park. The area has facilities for tourists, including cottages, a cafeteria, a shelter, and trails, and has become a popular location to observe wildlife.

It was deemed necessary to temporarily close Loh Buaya to enable the process of rearrangement of the natural tourism facilities and infrastructure on the island, a task that has been entrusted to the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, head of the Komodo National Park, Lukita Awang Nistyantara, explained on November 15, 2020.

Furthermore, the tourist resort has been temporarily closed from October 26, 2020 to June 30, 2021 for improving services and ensuring the safety of tourists, Nistyantara remarked.

Indonesia aims to turn into global halal hub by 2024 by Fardah

 Jakarta, Nov 20, 2020 (ANTARA) - The future market potential for halal products is huge as the Muslim population is growing, including in Europe and America, and is projected to cross 2.2 billion by 2030, according to observers.

 

The global halal market has reached US$1,294.5 million in 2020 and is expected to touch US$1,911.3 million by the end of 2026, reflecting a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 5.7 percent for the 2021-2026 period, according to Global ‘Halal Market’ 2020 Research Report, released last August.

 

The global halal food market was valued at US$1,140 million in 2018 and is estimated to reach US$1,590 million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 4.3 percent in the 2019-2025 period.

 

Brazil, Australia, Japan, North America, and China are among the main halal product producers in the world. But, Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim majority country and the fourth most populous nation in the world, is yet to exploit the potential of the halal business.

 

In 2019, Brazil’s halal product exports were valued at US$5.5 billion and Australia's at US$2.4 billion, Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said recently, referring to data from the 2019 Global Islamic Economic Report.

 

A professor of Islamic economic law, Amin has set his sights on transforming Indonesia into a global halal product hub by 2024.

 

"We must be able to exploit the potential of the world's halal market by increasing our exports, which currently only account for 3.8 percent of the global halal market," he noted.

 

In 2018, the global demand for halal products stood at US$2.2 trillion, and it is projected to touch US$3.2 trillion by 2024. Amin is hopeful of Indonesia’s chances of emerging as the largest halal producer in the world.

Indonesia aiming for COVID-19 immunization in Dec end by Fardah

Jakarta, Nov 17, 2020 - Over the past few months, the Indonesian government has been proactive in procuring COVID-19 vaccines from various sources as it believes that when the people are healthy, the economy will also be sound.

During a limited cabinet meeting to discuss the plan for procurement and implementation of immunization at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on October 26, 2020, President Joko Widodo called on his rank and file to not delay the completion of the timeline for vaccination by being heedful of several supporting factors.

He ordered officials to immediately formulate a region-wise vaccination plan and map out individuals who need to be vaccinated, including those who will be vaccinated for free and those who will pay for it.

"Everything must be planned and prepared in detail," the President emphasized.

The head of state also called for training and simulations, both for health workers and security personnel, and even volunteers who would later be involved in administering vaccines.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, disclosed that the COVID-19 vaccination program would likely start in the third week of December, 2020.

The initial vaccination program will target about nine million people, including healthcare workers and law enforcement officials, in Jakarta and Bali, among others.

"We are keen to see Bali become a green zone [with low risk of COVID-19 transmission], which is our target. We are optimistic of Bali becoming a green zone at the start of next year, as we will commence vaccinations in the third week of December," Pandjaitan remarked.

While the vaccination plan is under way, the Task Force for COVID-19 Response said it has ensured the country’s stocks of COVID-19 medications are sufficient and will last till December this year.

LEMPENG PISANG

               

Bahan :
10buah pisang masak
8 atau 10 sdm tepung terigu
1butir telur ayam
100g kelapa parut (nggak pakai juga nggak apa2)
60ml santan

3 sdm gula pasir
1sdt garam
Mentega secukupnya

Cara memasak :
Hancurkan pisang atau potong kecil-kecil (tidak perlu sampai hancur)
Masukkan telur, tepung terigu, gula dan garam, aduk rata. Tambahkan kelapa parut sambil di aduk-aduk hingga tercampur rata, adonan akhir cenderung kental.
Panaskan wajan anti lengket (teflon) yang sudah dioles mentega, dengan api kecil.
Tuang adonan pisang, ratakan. Tunggu hingga matang (seperti gosong) lalu balik dan tunggu hingga kedua sisinya matang sempurna. Sajikan selagi hangat

Government convinced Job Creation Law will boost public welfare by Fardah

Jakarta Nov 7, 2020 (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) finally signed the Job Creation Bill on November 2, 2020, officially making it Law Number 11 of 2020 on Job Creation that spans 1,187 pages and 15 chapters.

"Alhamdulillah, I profusely thank all Indonesian people and Allah SWT," Presidential spokesman Fadjroel Rachman stated after the signing.

Rachman affirmed that the Job Creation Law was for all Indonesians and the future of onward Indonesia.

The country's first omnibus law covers areas, including on improvement of the investment ecosystem and business activities; employment; protection and empowerment of cooperatives and UMKM; ease of doing business; national fiscal policy; and research and innovation support.

Widodo proposed the bill after being re-elected as Indonesia's president for the 2019-2024 term. At his swearing-in ceremony on October 20, 2019, the president had urged the Parliament to complete deliberations on the omnibus law within 100 days.

The government completed the draft of the omnibus bill on February 12, 2020. On October 5, 2020, the House of Representatives (DPR) had endorsed the Bill on Job Creation following deliberations since April 2, 2020.

The government claimed that all stakeholders in the country were involved in the drafting of the bill, including the Manpower Ministry, experts, businessmen, and labor union representatives.

However, following its Parliamentary approval, the law was rejected by several labor unions, activists, and university lecturers, who opined that it would be detrimental to the interests of workers and endanger the environment.

The president blamed disinformation and social media hoaxes for the widespread opposition to the Job Creation Law.

INDONESIA SERIOUS ABOUT HOSTING 2032 OLYMPICS: WIDODO TO TELL IOC by Fardah

 

Jakarta, 5 Nov 2020 -President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is scheduled to visit Switzerland to demonstrate Indonesia’s seriousness and readiness to host the 2032 Olympics.

 He plans to personally convince the Olympic International Committee (OIC ) to choose Indonesia as the host of the world’s foremost and largest sporting event.

 "We have successfully organized the Asian Games and Asian Para Games in 2018. This raises confidence and improves the world’s perception that Indonesia is capable of being a good host for international events," he emphasized during a virtual limited cabinet meeting to discuss Indonesia's bid for hosting the 2032 Olympics, at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on November 3, 2020.

 Jokowi had first voiced his intention of hosting the Olympics on September 1, 2018 while receiving OIC president Thomas Bach and chief of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Syekh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java.

 On February 19, 2019, Indonesia made its 2032 Olympics bid official, with the dispatch of letters from President Widodo and the Indonesian Olympic Committee to the IOC in Lausanne.

 Indonesia's bid to host the 2032 Olympics is not meant for showing off, but rather aimed at raising the nation's image and dignity, Jokowi said.

 "This is because we have to make this candidacy a momentum to organize ourselves and to improve various aspects that have been lacking so far," he added.

 He said he has instructed his staff to prepare sports infrastructure, improve coaching for athletes, and increase global visibility for Indonesia as a potential host for the 2032 Olympics, among other things.

 The selection process to host the 2032 Olympics will be held in 2023, and the results will be determined in 2024.

  The 2032 Olympics will be a Summer Olympics. Paris (France) and Los Angeles (United States) have won the ticket to host the Olympics in 2024 and 2028, respectively.

 Indonesia is expected to compete with Australia, Germany, Korea, Qatar, and China for hosting the 2032 Olympics.

 While speaking to reporters, Thomas Bach, who had attended the closing ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, had said: "To answer your question, yes, I think Indonesia's chances (of hosting the Olympics) are quite high."