Thursday, August 10, 2023

1) Govt prepares scheme for tackling hunger in Central Papua


2) Govt to use tech to strengthen Central Papua tuber crops 

3) Police Chief sends aid to drought-affected residents of Central Papua  

4) Indonesia Won't Stop Downstreaming Despite Freeport's Lawsuit Plan: Jokowi

5) Why are world leaders racing to the Pacific Islands?

-------------------------------------


1) Govt prepares scheme for tackling hunger in Central Papua 
 20 hours ago


Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has prepared a scheme to handle hunger in three sub-districts of Puncak District, Central Papua: Agandugume, Lambewi, and Oneri.

The residents of the three sub-districts are facing hunger brought on by drought, which has led to crop failures.

"Now, all the processes continue to be carried out, be it for short-term, medium-term, and long-term," Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, said here on Wednesday (August 9).

He informed that under the short-term handling effort, the government is ensuring that the needs for food, medicine, and other basic services in the three sub-districts are fulfilled for the next three months.

The government has distributed thousands of tons of basic necessities. Food stocks have been placed in Sinak Sub-district, which is the closest to Agandugume Sub-district.

"Including the handling of pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and under-five children, for the next three months, (the needs) are fulfilled. For food, there is no problem for the next three months until the agricultural conditions in the three sub-districts are recovered," the minister said.

In the medium term, a food barn will be readied in Agandugume and a road constructed from Sinak to Agandugume.

Earlier, the journey from Agandugume to Sinak had to be made on foot and took two days and one night to complete. Currently, using the air route to deliver supplies is not possible because the runway is too short and there are very few pilots currently flying to Agandugume Airport.

"At least two-wheeled vehicles can go smoothly from Sinak to Agandugume, so supplies of goods are no longer transported on foot. It would be even better if (it is accessible for) four-wheeled (vehicles)," he said.

Furthermore, the government is also revitalizing Sinak Airport, a task that will involve extending the runway from 1,200 meters to 1,600 meters. Currently, Sinak Airport can only be used for Caravan and Twin Otter aircraft.

"Thus, bigger aircraft like Hercules and CN would be able to land there," Effendy said.

Another effort will be Base Transceiver Station (BTS) construction. According to the minister, one of the causes for the delays in handling efforts has been the difficulty in getting telecommunications signals.

Meanwhile, long-term handling will cover strengthening community involvement, increasing the availability of health workers and allocating the affirmation fund.

According to the minister, through the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP), the need for health workers can be fulfilled by Papuan children.

"There is no way we appoint those outside (Papua). We have prepared a budget through the LPDP," he added.   

 


Related news: Aid distribution to drought-hit Papua running smoothly: BNPB

Related news: Six residents in drought-hit Papua died of hunger: minister


Reporter: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Tia Mutiasari


—————————————————————


2) Govt to use tech to strengthen Central Papua tuber crops 
 9 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government will use technology to strengthen tuber crops in Central Papua, increase their added value, and provide storage facilities in order to realize food security in the province.

This was conveyed by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, after a meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Presidential Palace here on Thursday.

"According to President Joko Widodo's directive, we will transfer appropriate technology to increase the added value of local food, especially tubers," he said.

He informed that President Widodo has instructed the government to transfer the appropriate technology to Central Papua as a long-term solution so that tubers, which are a staple food in the province, can be stored in food warehouses.

He noted that a famine caused by food security disruption in Central Papua has killed six people so far.

Extreme weather, which has led to drought, and freezing temperatures in the region have caused food crops to fail.

Effendy also asked the President's advisor for economic affairs, Arif Budimanta, and the rector of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Arif Satria, to determine the appropriate technologies that can be applied to support food security in Central Papua.

He also asked them to pick tuber varieties that can withstand seasonal anomalies so that those varieties can be planted in the province.

"Because of the season (anomalies), the tubers rot. The existence of appropriate technology is expected to build food security," he explained.

In addition to technology transfer, the government has prepared a medium-term solution, which is building a food warehouse in one of the affected regions — Agandugume district.

The government will also extend the runway of Agandugume Airport so that large aircraft can land there to allow greater logistical assistance distribution.

Meanwhile, other long-term solutions include strengthening community involvement, increasing the availability of health workers, and allocating an affirmation fund.

Related news: Govt prepares scheme for tackling hunger in Central Papua
Related news: Minister lauds TNI for delivering drought aid to C Papua 
Related news: Transportation Ministry aids drought victims in Central Papua's Puncak


 

Reporter: Mentari G, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala


———————————————————


3) Police Chief sends aid to drought-affected residents of Central Papua  
13 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) - National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo sent humanitarian aid in the form of essential commodities and warm clothing to residents in drought-hit Central Papua.

Head of the National Police Public Relations, Inspector General Sandi Nugraha, stated here on Thursday that the Police Chief sent 264.7 tons of rice, 1,500 packages of essential commodities, and warm clothing.

Each package of essential commodities contains five kg of rice, instant noodles, sweetened condensed milk, sardines, and sweet soy sauce.

Some one thousand adult jackets and 150 child jackets were also sent by the Police chief.

All the assistance was directly handed over to the impacted residents in Central Papua.

In distributing the Police Chief's humanitarian assistance, the National Police cooperated with the military (TNI), National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), and the Puncak District Government.

Nugraha stated that a plane transported the aid from Timika District, Central Papua, to the impacted site in Agandume in about 40 minutes and to Sinak in around an hour.

"In Agandume, the assistance would be distributed through land routes or on foot to Lambewi and Oneri, with an estimate of half a day," Nugraha remarked.

Earlier, the BNPB said the drought that occurred in Puncak District, Central Papua, was influenced by winter in Australia.

The agency stated that the drought occurred due to extreme weather and not because of the ongoing dry season in Indonesia.

The extreme condition has halted the growth of plants, and fog and ice had emerged in some of Central Papua's highlands, such as in the sub-districts of Agandugume, Lembawi, and Oneri, due to the cold air.

Such weather also damaged tuber crops that are the staples of the people there. 


Related news: Govt prepares scheme for tackling hunger in Central Papua
Related news: Transportation Ministry aids drought victims in Central Papua's Puncak
Related news: Minister lauds TNI for delivering drought aid to C Papua 
  

Reporter: Laily R, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala


———————————————————


4) Indonesia Won't Stop Downstreaming Despite Freeport's Lawsuit Plan: Jokowi

Translator Dewi Elvia Muthiariny
 Editor Laila Afifa 
10 August 2023 18:29 WIB

TEMPO.COJakarta - Mining giant Freeport planned to contest the Indonesian government’s rules on the export duties for copper concentrate. In response, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo insisted that the downstream policy would continue despite the lawsuit.

“The downstream will not stop. After [the export of raw] nickel is banned, [the export of raw] copper, cobalt, bauxite, and others will follow,” he said at LRT Dukuh Atas Station in Central Jakarta, Thursday, August 10, 2023.

Jokowi said no country or organization could stop Indonesia's determination to pursue downstream industrialization because it would bring many benefits to the country.

The government, he added, still wants to export semi-finished and finished goods to add value to the natural wealth exported abroad. “I want our exports to be semi-finished goods and finished goods because we want the added value here,” he remarked.

Previously, PT Freeport Indonesia filed a lawsuit after Finance Minister Sri Mulyani released a regulation stating that copper concentrate exports would continue to be subject to duties of 5 percent to 10 percent. This rule would still apply even if the company's smelter construction exceeded 50 percent.


Freeport Indonesia claimed it had adhered to the special mining business permit (IUPK) agreed upon in 2018, which exempted the company from export duties if the smelter construction reached 50 percent. In March 2023, the government lifted the company’s export obligation as the construction progress hit 50 percent. However, in July 2023, the Finance Ministry revised the regulation.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH

Editor's Choice: Jokowi Responds to Criticism of Downstream Nickel Benefiting China


———————————————————

(Note A bit about Indonesia's relation with Pacific in article).

5) Why are world leaders racing to the Pacific Islands?

It’s not just the US and China. India, Indonesia, South Korea and others are scrambling for influence in a strategically vital region.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.