Day: August 1, 2023

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Manpower Ministry is pushing the Hong Kong authority to increase the minimum wage for Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI).”I urge the Hong Kong authority to consider increasing the PMIs’ minimum wage in 2023, considering the development of current basic needs,” Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah noted in a statement received here, Monday (July 31). During a bilateral meeting with Secretary for Labor and Welfare Department of Hong Kong, Chris Sun Yu Han, Minister Fauziyah also requested basic rights for the other PMIs from the Hong Kong authority, such as easy, fair, and fast visa processing and uninterrupted rest both day and night. ccording to the minister, sufficient rest will have a positive impact on the health and working ability of PMIs. “I want the Hong Kong authority to be able to stipulate regulations regarding working hours and rest periods for foreign domestic workers,” she remarked. However, in the recruitment and placement of PMIs, the minister said that the employer had to pay a placement fee. The Hong Kong authority has determined the cost components to be borne by the employer and written in the Standard Employment Contract. Meanwhile, Indonesia also determines the placement fee components that can be charged to employers. “What has been stated in the Standard Employment Contract, not only the cost component according to Hong Kong regulations but also the cost component according to the worker’s origin country,” she remarked. t the meeting, Minister Fauziyah also expressed her keenness for the Hong Kong authority to open up opportunities for PMIs to work in the formal sector that requires high level of skills, such as nurses, elderly nurses, and jobs in the hotel sector. “I believe that through cooperation between Indonesia and Hong Kong, especially in the field of manpower, it can get stronger and be sustainable,” she stated. Fauziyah noted that the Indonesian government also continues to carry out intensive protection and diplomacy efforts to improve the protection of PMIs’ rights, including those working in Hong Kong.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – State-owned courier and logistics company PT Pos Indonesia has succeeded in inviting 1.5 million Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to join the Pos Aja digital platform as of July 2023.”We have 1.5 million MSME users. We are pushing the MSME population to three million this year,” Pos Indonesia Director of Courier and Logistics Business Siti Choirina told ANTARA in Jakarta on Monday (July 31). MSME players, who have joined, have various businesses, ranging from culinary to fashion and craft products, which are dominated by actors in Java. Choirina said that Pos Indonesia, as the oldest logistics service provider in Indonesia, is keen that MSMEs adopt a digital service called Pos Aja to enable them to upgrade their grades more quickly. She revealed that the company also has a champion team whose job is to approach MSME actors. The team and several related parties were tasked with providing training on online sales, starting from how to transact in e-commerce, marketing products, and managing halal certificates. “We help take care of halal certificates because we have ULBI (University of Logistics and International Business), which also functions to issue halal certification. It can be helped until a certificate is issued,” she said. Pos Indonesia also offers warehouse services as a solution for MSMEs encountering difficulty in organizing their products, as they do not have a special warehouse at home. “When they use warehouse services from Pos Indonesia, we make sure the products are safe, and the quality is maintained. This also makes it easier for MSMEs to make deliveries when there are orders sent directly from our warehouse,” she explained. She noted that Pos Indonesia, through Pos Aja, helped prepare MSME actors to be able to target the international market. Pos Indonesia, by utilizing hundreds of its overseas hubs that are integrated with 228 countries, provides special training for MSMEs to better understand international trade rules. “If no one teaches them, they feel complicated. For example, sending abon (shredded and fried meat) has various ingredients. You have to state what kind ofabon it is because in some countries there are those who refuse imports of processed fish and so on,” she explained.

Source: Antara News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Griffith University epidemiologist Dicky Budiman stated that the emergence of SARS-COV-2 that causes COVID-19, with over 100 mutations in Indonesia, has little chance of triggering a spike in cases like the start of the pandemic.”If in the future, there is a mutation, theoretically and historically, it is quite difficult for a variant to eventually return to the state it was at the start of the pandemic. The possibility is small,” Budiman noted in a virtual statement here on Tuesday. He cautioned that the endemic of COVID-19 did not mean that the virus that caused the cases had disappeared. The declining mitigation system in Indonesia opens up the possibility for the SAR-COV-2 virus to continue to mutate. s long as there is still infection, Budiman said there is a chance of mutation of SARS-COV-2 in several areas due to the effect of reinfection in the community. “However, the impact does not pose a serious potential because mutations that have a serious impact are mutations that cause significant severity or death,” he remarked. “This means that the virus can penetrate the immune barrier, both hybrid and vaccinated. That has not happened now,” he further noted. Budiman explained that the immune system is a very complex system in the human body, so it is not easy for a virus, which is not new anymore, to trigger a more serious impact. However, he is wary of mutations in the MERS variant or the SARS virus that first surfaced in the world. “If MERS or SARS mutate, it can have a serious impact,” he emphasized. He appealed to the public to not panic, as the current mutation of COVID-19 does not have a serious impact. However, he appealed to at-risk groups to remain vigilant by carrying out booster vaccinations. In addition, the general public is advised to prevent transmission by wearing masks, avoiding crowds, and improving the air quality. “That is important to prevent mutations that can be detrimental,” he stated. On a separate occasion, spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Health Mohammad Syahril noted that the scientist’s report on the finding of the most mutated version of COVID-19 in Indonesia was proof of the existence of SARS-CoV-2 in the midst of an endemic. The variant in question is a derivative of the Delta variant strain that was taken from a patient’s swab in Jakarta. “We always say that COVID-19 is still around, and the possibility of mutating is still there. We always urge the public to remain vigilant even in this endemic era,” he stated. s long as the vaccination is going well, Syahril said the public does not need to worry about any variants that appear, unless there is a large enough gap between the number of variants and vaccine recipients. Warwick University virologist, Prof. Lawrence Young, found 113 mutations of the Delta variant from a COVID-19 patient in Jakarta. “This virus continues to surprise us and complacency is dangerous. It highlights the problems of living with the virus,” Young told Daily Mail on July 30. The virus from the patient was submitted to the global genetic research database in early July, and the virus is believed to be from a chronically infected case.

Source: Antara News Agency

Yogyakarta (ANTARA) – Head of the Earthquake and Tsunami Center of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Daryono stated that the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) is an area prone to earthquakes.”The DIY region is tectonically an area prone to earthquakes,” Daryono remarked while delivering his presentation at the opening of the 2023 ASEAN Disaster Management Simulation (ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise/ARDEX) here on Tuesday. Parts of the DIY area have experienced the effects of earthquakes and could experience another earthquake. Daryono said that past earthquakes could serve as lessons in designing a mitigation system to minimize the impact of disasters that might occur in the future. “Concrete structural and non-structural disaster mitigation efforts must be realized in order to reduce the risk of earthquakes and tsunamis that may occur in the future,” he stated. He noted that seismic activity in DIY was very active. Based on the seismicity map of Java Island and its surroundings, the sources of the earthquake megathrust — south Java and the Opak Fault — are very active in triggering earthquakes with varying magnitudes and epicenter depths. Daryono also showed a map depicting the scenario for an earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.7, which would be highly damaging. He said that if there was an earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.7 originating in the southern megathrust zone of Bantul District, DIY, then the shaking could reach an intensity scale of MMI VII to VIII. On the MMI scale VII, earthquakes can cause moderate to severe damage to buildings that are not well-constructed. Meanwhile, earthquake shocks on the MMI scale VIII can cause heavy damage to buildings with weak construction and cause the walls to fall off from the frames and the walls of the house to collapse. RDEX 2023, which takes place in Yogyakarta City and Bantul District on August 1-3, 2023, has the theme of “Facing the Threat of the Opak Fault Disaster in DIY and its surroundings, Realizing One ASEAN One Response.”

Source: Antara News Agency

Shenzhen, China (ANTARA) – XL Axiata Indonesia and Huawei, celebrated a significant milestone with the successful conclusion of its Strategy Alignment Summit. The summit brought together the Huawei high-level management team, and the esteemed CEO, and the Board of Directors of XL Axiata Indonesia to chart a clear and united path towards a shared vision for the future. The Strategy Alignment Summit served as a platform for key stakeholders within the organization to engage in open and collaborative discussions. Through this summit, Huawei sought to ensure that all participants were aligned on strategic goals and priorities, fostering a culture of teamwork and cooperation to drive the XL Axiata Indonesia company’s growth and success. The summit’s agenda covered critical aspects, including a comprehensive review of the current strategic position, setting a visionary path for the organization, defining strategic goals and priorities, and formulating actionable initiatives. Breakout sessions facilitated cross-functional collaboration, allowing diverse perspectives to converge and contribute to innovative solutions. “Huawei will match key technologies based on the characteristics of various industry scenarios, implement system engineering, and work with XL to help enterprises quickly obtain new capabilities and create new value, thus accelerating the development of the digital economy,” said Tianfeng Member of the supervisory board and senior vice president of Huawei. “At a new starting point, Huawei will work with XL in a wider range of fields, strengthen business cooperation and technological innovation, and jointly lead the future.” “We are thrilled with the positive outcomes of the Strategy Alignment Summit,” said Dian Siswarini, President Director and CEO of XL Axiata Indonesia. “The collective efforts and insights shared during the summit have brought clarity to our vision and strategy. With this summit, we are confident in steering XL Axiata Indonesia towards a prosperous future.” The highlight of the summit was the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Huawei Indonesia represented by ;bandgtuo Hailong, CEO of Huawei Indonesia and Dian Siswarini, President Director and CEO of XL Axiata Indonesia, solidifying Huawei’s mutual commitment to XL Axiata Indonesia’s shared vision and strategic goals. “Signing the MoU represents a moment of great unity and spirit of cooperation,” said I Gede Darmayusa, Board of Director and CTO of XL Axiata Indonesia. “This document embodies our shared responsibility in driving the company’s growth and delivering value to our stakeholders. Together, we will rise to meet the challenges and seize opportunities that lie ahead.” “Through the Strategic Collaboration MoU signing, which consists of Cloud, Managed Service, Enterprise, Digitalization, Talent Transformation, and Sustainability initiatives, Huawei is confident that it can move forward together with XL Axiata to the next level of success, leading the future together,” said Steven Wangbenzhi, CNBG Director of Huawei Indonesia. “The Cloud is the Future, and its impact extends beyond business. Embracing the cloud today means laying the foundation for a more efficient, innovative, and sustainable tomorrow.” The success of the Strategy Alignment Summit underscores XL Axiata Indonesia’s dedication to strategic planning and forward-looking initiatives. By aligning all levels of leadership, the company is poised to maximize its potential, innovate, and achieve sustainable growth in the dynamic telecommunications industry. For more than 23 years, Huawei has kept true to its ongoing commitment, ‘Huawei I DO’. It is doing so by, among others, continuing to support the economic growth and progress of the nation. As part of its “I Do” Collaborate commitment, Huawei is sharing its experience and expertise in various cutting-edge ICT technologies to ensure Indonesia stays strong on a safe path in accelerating digitalization. Huawei has particularly committed to strengthening the digital ecosystem through a program to prepare 100,000 Indonesian digital talents in the period of 5 years, which currently has reached over 83,000 beneficiaries.

Source: Antara News Agency