News Lelemuku

JAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed Indonesian Minister of Agriculture Syahril Yasin Limpo to start exporting rice next year.

For the record, the Government has 4,776,000 tons of rice stock despite a deficit between national rice production and consumption in November and December.

According to Syahril, regarding preparation to export rice, Ministry of Agriculture will take several steps starting from seedlings, land preparation, irrigation, so the quality of rice to be exported is on par with that from other countries.

“We have to use trade diplomacy and trade agriculture and I am confident that I will be able to carry out the President’s instruction,” Syahrul said, adding that as many as 100,000 tons up to 500,000 tons of rice will be exported next year.

The Minister added that March and April next year will see the peak of the harvest season with rice production expected to reach more than 4,255,000 tons of rice.

“Therefore, if rice stocks in March alone reach 6,752,000 tons and the consumption is 2,400,000 tons every month, we will have an overstock of rice at 6,800,000 tons,” Syahrul said.

The Minister also ensured rice stocks and food security ahead of Christmas and New Year this year, including those stored in at the warehouse of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), trade warehouses, and in markets with the total amount reaching approximately 4.7 million tons. (Setkab)

HARARE, LELEMUKU.COM - A senior United States official working in Zimbabwe has questioned development aid figures released recently by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube in the 2020 national budget statement, saying the funds are less than what his country provided in the 2019 financial year.

In an interview in Masvingo on Tuesday, Deputy Ambassador Thomas Hastings, said the amount of financial aid to Zimbabwe this year was understated by the government.

“… They recently released the total amount of money that we gave in 2019, it was about $330 million. So, it was a bit more than it was in the budget report that’s the total amount that includes our work with PEPFAR (U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), it includes work that we have provided this year for food relief, people who are faced with food insecurity because of the drought and other causes it includes drought and any other causes and it also includes the assistance that was given to people who suffered the consequences of Cyclone Idai. So, putting all the numbers together it was over $330 million this year.”

Thomas said Zimbabwean authorities should include all the development aid provided by the United States in 2019.

“Well, it’s important to include all of the programs and that’s why we recently put the information out there to make sure that the total amount of our assistance was made on to the people of Zimbabwe.”

He could not be drawn to comment on suggestions that the undervaluing of the development aid provided by the Zimbabwean government was being deliberately done by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

“I don’t know about that, you have to talk to the Ministry of Finance about how they came up with all those numbers … when you take the amount of work we do with health, with food assistance and Cyclone Idai and emergency relief, that’s how much it totaled.”

In the budget statement, Ncube indicated that Zimbabwe this year obtained development support from USA amounting to $252,722,653.

Information secretary Nick Mangwana and Finance Minister Ncube were unavailable for comment as they were not responding to calls on their mobile phones.

The Chinese government recently questioned figures indicating that they provided only $3,631,500 for development support instead of over $136 million.

In response, the Zimbabwean government promised to look into the issue. In a statement posted on the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services’ Twitter handle, the government said, “Govt has noted the query raised by @ChineseZimbabwe regarding bilateral aid figures captured in the 2020 National Budget Statement. Necessary consultations are underway to establish a common accounting position. We thank the Chinese Govt for their support.” (VOA)

JAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - In a bid to formulate good regulations to support small businesses in the country, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) welcomed the representatives of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) associations at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (18/06/2019).

The associations participated in the meeting are the Indonesian Micro and Small Businesses Association (Hipmikindo), the Indonesian Small and Medium Enterprises Association (AKUMINDO), the Indonesian Micro, Small and Medium Industries Association (Akumandiri), and the Indonesian Micro and Small Businesses Association (Hipmikimdo).

“There are currently around 62.9 million MSMEs in Indonesia. I think we have to seize the opportunity to develop these industries,” President Jokowi said.

On the occasion, the President would like to hear opinions from the associations regarding types of incentives they need from the Government. However, he warned them that although incentives are needed, too many incentives may weaken their entrepreneurial skills. (Setkab)

TOKYO, LELEMUKU.COM - Inpex Corporation announced today that it has signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with Indonesian authorities (the authorities) on behalf of the contractors with the endorsement of Shell Upstream Overseas Ltd. (Shell) on the basic principles regarding a revised Plan of Development (POD) for the Abadi LNG Project (Project).

The Project involves developing the Abadi gas field in the Masela Block located in the Arafura Sea, Tanimbar Islands, Maluku Province, Indonesia. Inpex, as the operator of the Project and on behalf of the project’s contractors, Inpex and Shell has been engaged in discussions with the authorities with the aim of submitting the revised POD.

The HOA outlines the terms agreed upon with the authorities following discussions held after the completion of Pre-FEED work on a revised POD to achieve an economically competitive project. The cost estimation in the revised POD of the Project which will include the construction of onshore LNG plant, gas pipeline, and offshore facilities, is contained in the agreed terms of the HOA.

The signing of the HOA acknowledges agreement between the parties of a revised POD that is sufficiently economically competitive. Inpex will now commence the process of submitting the revised POD for approval as well as amending and extending the Masela Block production sharing contract (PSC).

“The execution of the Heads of Agreement, which follows a series of constructive discussions with the Indonesian government, positions the Abadi LNG Project as an economically competitive project by international standards. Inpex appreciates and values the proactive intervention of His Excellency Ignasius Jonan, Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources and the Indonesian government, and looks forward to maintaining close and cooperative relations,” said Takayuki Ueda, President & CEO of Inpex, who attended the signing.

Utilizing the knowledge and experience gained through operating the Ichthys LNG Project, Inpex will continue to work closely with its partner Shell to make the necessary preparations to commence FEED work after receiving approval of the revised POD and reaching an agreement with the authorities on the PSC amendments and extension.

Commenting on the signing, Clare Harris, Shell’s Executive Vice President, Venture Development said, “The Heads of Agreement is a significant milestone in the development of the Abadi project, an important economic opportunity for Indonesia. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and support of Inpex as the Joint Venture aims to develop a competitive project.”

The Project is the first large-scale integrated LNG development project operated by Inpex in Indonesia and follows on from the Inpex-operated Ichthys LNG Project in Australia. The Project is expected to produce approximately 9.5 million tons of LNG per year.

The Abadi gas field features excellent reservoir productivity and has one of the world’s largest reserves, raising expectations of efficient development and stable LNG production operations over the long-term.

The Project will provide significant contributions to the Republic of Indonesia and bring multiplier effects to Indonesia particularly in the eastern region. The impact of this matter on the company’s consolidated financial results for the year ending December, 2019 is nil.

Inpex Corporation is Japan’s largest exploration and production (E&P) company, and a mid-tier E&P player just behind the world’s oil majors. Inpex is currently involved in approximately 70 projects across more than 20 countries, including the Ichthys LNG Project in Australia as Operator.

Through sustainably growing its oil and gas development business, developing a global gas value chain business and reinforcing its renewable energy initiatives, Inpex aims to become a leading energy company and continue providing a stable and efficient supply of energy to its customers. (Inpex)

KARANGANYAR, LELEMUKU.COM - President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo on Thursday (2/5) inaugurated the Gondang Dam located in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java Province.

The dam will irrigate approximately 4,680 hectares of rice fields, both in Karanganyar Regency and Sragen Regency.

According to President Jokowi, the Government will build another dam in Karanganyar area. “Next, we will build the Jlantah Dam here,” he said.

Furthermore, the President expressed hope that the Gondang Dam can also be a power plant to produce electricity and as a source of raw water in Karanganyar Regency and its surroundings and potentially a very good tourist attraction in the future.

“Hopefully it will give a good economic impact for Karanganyar Regency and its surroundings,” he added.

Also attending the inauguration were First Lady Ibu Iriana, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, and Deputy Governor of Central Java Taj Yasin Maimoen. (Setkab)

JAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - Indonesia has recorded a trade balance surplus of US$540 million in March this year, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS).

The total value of exports in March this year was recorded at US$14.03 billion, an 11.71% increase compared to that of last month.

Meanwhile, the total value of imports in March reached US$13.49 billion, rose by 10.31 percent compared to that of last month or declined by 6.76 percent compared to that of the same month last year, BPS Head Suhariyanto said in a press conference at the BPS office, Jakarta.

Suhariyanto went on to say that the increase in exports was driven by an increase in non-oil and gas exports by 13 percent to US$12.93 billion. Meanwhile, oil and gas exports fell 1.57 percent from US$1,110.2 million to US$1,092.8 million.

“The decline in oil and gas exports was driven by the decline in oil output exports of 10.44 percent to US$82.4 million and crude oil exports of 23.37 percent to US$120.3 million, while gas exports rose by 3.35 percent to US$890.1 million,” Suhariyanto said.

The biggest increase in non-oil and gas exports in March 2019 against last month, according to Suhariyanto, was recorded in mineral fuels at 24.21 percent or amounting to US$401.3 million, while the biggest decline was in jewelry/gems at 4.84 percent or amounting to US$31.8 million.

Other commodities whose export value also increased include iron and steel amounting to US$186.7 million (40.38 percent); ore, crust and metal ash amounting to US$162.9 million (110.41 percent); paper/cardboard amounting to US$69.9 million (21.32 percent); and organic chemicals amounting to US$69.9 million (33.41 percent).

In addition to jewelry/gems, others commodities also declined including pulp/leftovers from food industry amounting to US$27.3 million (38.12 percent); iron and steel objects amounting to US$9.6 million (9.81 percent); locomotives and railroad equipment amounting to US$8.2 million (76.55 percent); and salt, sulfur, lime amounting to US$6.2 million (18.30 percent).

The increase in non-oil and gas exports in March 2019 compared to that of last month, Suhariyanto added, occurred in all main export destination countries, namely China (28.47 percent); Japan (13.52 percent); Taiwan (55.77 percent); the United States (8.47 percent); (10.37 percent); South Korea (8.21 percent); Thailand (5.73 percent); Malaysia (3.98 percent); Italy (17.56 percent); the Netherlands (5.24 percent); Australia (8.51 percent); Germany (6.54 percent) and Singapore (0.72 percent).

“Of the total figure, non-oil and gas imports in March 2019 reached USD11.95 billion, increasing by 12.24 percent compared to that of last month and fell by 2.29 percent compared to that of the same month last year. Oil and gas imports in March 2019 reached US$1.54 billion or declined by 2.70 percent compared to that of last month,” said Suhariyanto.

The biggest increase in non-oil and gas imports in March 2019 compared to that of last month, according to Suhariyanto, was machinery and electrical equipment amounting to US$11.2 million (17.04 percent), while the biggest decline was marine vessels and floating buildings of US$47.8 million (67.32 percent).

The decline in oil and gas imports, Suhariyanto added, was driven by the decline in the value of oil and gas imports of USD72.2 million (6.68 percent) and USD51.8 million (27.05 percent) respectively. Meanwhile, the value of crude oil imports increased to US$81.2 million (26.03 percent).

In the meantime, the three largest non-oil and gas import goods suppliers from January to March 2019 were China with a value of US$10.42 billion (29.01 percent), Japan of US$3.97 billion (11.05 percent), and Thailand of US$2.42 billion (6.75 percent). Non-oil and gas imports from ASEAN countries were recorded at 19.21 percent, while those of the European Union were at 8.37 percent. (Setkab)

CHICAGO, LELEMUKU.COM - Normally, U.S. airlines compete to sell tickets and fill seats during the peak summer travel season. But operators of the grounded Boeing 737 MAX are facing a different problem: scarce planes and booming demand.

The grounding of Boeing Co's fuel-efficient, single-aisle workhorse after two fatal crashes is biting into U.S. airlines' Northern Hemisphere spring and summer schedules, threatening to disarm them in their seasonal war for profits.

"The revenue is right in front of them. They can see it, but they can't meet it," said Mike Trevino, spokesman for Southwest Airlines Pilots Association and an aviation industry veteran.

Southwest Airlines Co, the world's largest MAX operator, and American Airlines Group Inc with 34 and 24 MAX jetliners respectively, have removed the aircraft from their flying schedules into August. United Airlines said Monday it would remove its 14 MAX jets through early July.

Southwest's decision will lead to 160 cancellations of some 4,200 daily flights between June 8 and Aug. 5, while American's removal through Aug. 19 means about 115 daily cancellations, or 1.5 percent of its summer flying schedule each day.

Low-cost carrier Southwest, which unlike its rivals only flies Boeing 737s, had estimated $150 million in lost revenue between Feb. 20 and March 31 alone due to MAX cancellations and other factors.

Airlines have said it is too soon to estimate the impact of the MAX grounding beyond the first quarter, but the extended cancellations signal that they do not expect a quick return of Boeing's fast-selling jetliner. The 737 MAX was grounded worldwide in March following a fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash just five months after a Lion Air crash in Indonesia. All on board both planes were killed.

Boeing is under pressure to deliver an upgrade on software that is under scrutiny in both crashes and convince global regulators that the plane is safe to fly again, a process expected to take at least 90 days.

Peak travel months

The timing of a prolonged grounding could not be worse for Northern Hemisphere carriers. Planes run fullest during June, July and August, when airlines earn the most revenue per available seat mile, according to U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

In a letter to employees and customers Sunday, American Airlines' top executives said they believed the MAX would be recertified "soon" but wanted to provide their customers reliability and confidence during "the busiest travel period of the year."

American was cancelling about 90 flights per day through early June, but runs more flights and has less fleet flexibility in the peak summer travel months.

"We're not denying that it's going to be a challenge for us," American spokesman Ross Feinstein said. "That is why if we have to extend cancellations based on aircraft availability we will do so as far in advance as possible."

A decline in seat capacity could mean higher last-minute summer fares, particularly for business class travelers, aviation consultants and analysts said.

United has largely avoided cancellations by servicing MAX routes with larger 777 or 787 aircraft, but the airline president, Scott Kirby, warned last week that the strategy was costing it money and could not go on forever.

"We've used spare aircraft and other creative solutions to help our customers, who had been scheduled to travel on one of our 14 MAX aircraft, get where they are going. But, it's harder to make those changes at the peak of the busy summer travel season," United said Monday.

Deliveries frozen

Overall the MAX represents just 5 percent of Southwest's total fleet and even less for American and United, but the strain on fleets increases as additional MAX deliveries remain frozen.

Southwest has 41 MAX jets pending delivery for 2019, while American has 16 and United 14. They are each working with Boeing and regulators to ensure the aircraft's safety before flying it with customers and employees.

Meanwhile, operators have added a flight or two to other aircrafts' daily schedules and deferred some nonessential maintenance work. Some airlines are also weighing extending aircraft leases and bringing back idled planes, but with unclear MAX timing, no option is clear-cut or cheap, consultants said.

United is due to publish first-quarter results on April 16, followed by Southwest on April 25 and American on April 26. (VOA)

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM -  The United States is acknowledging that many countries are not heeding warnings about the possible security risks in allowing Chinese tech giant Huawei to build the next generation of high-speech wireless networks known as 5G.

The trend is particularly clear in Southeast Asia, where even U.S. allies are racing ahead to partner with Huawei and launch 5G networks in the coming years.

In February, Thailand launched a Huawei 5G test network in Chonburi. Thai authorities indicated that the affordability of Huawei's 5G services offset potential concerns over cybersecurity.

In the Philippines, its Globe Telecom is rolling out the nation's 5G network in partnership with Huawei.

In Malaysia, the country's leading communications and digital services company Maxis signed a memorandum of understanding with Huawei to cooperate and accelerate 5G development.

This week, six former top U.S. military officials, including two who were commanders for the U.S. Pacific Command, issued a blunt warning of a future where a Chinese-developed 5G network could be widely adopted among American allies.

"There is reason for concern that in the future the U.S. will not be able to use networks that rely on Chinese technology for military operations in the territories of traditional U.S. allies or emerging partners in Europe, Asia and beyond," said the former military leaders in a statement.

"The immense bandwidth and access potential inherent in commercial 5G systems means effective military operations in the future could benefit from military data being pushed over these networks," they added.

And U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday warned some European countries could soon find themselves cut off from U.S. intelligence and other critical information if they continue to cultivate relationships with Chinese technology firms.

"We've done our risk analysis," Pompeo said, following a NATO ministerial meeting in Washington. "We have now shared that with our NATO partners, with countries all around the world. We've made clear that if the risk exceeds the threshold for the United States, we simply won't be able to share that information any longer."

For U.S. officials, the threat posed by a Chinese-built communication network could not be clearer.

"Huawei is not a state-owned enterprise. But Huawei is a Chinese company and what we do know is several things. One, broadly speaking, Chinese companies will respond to requests for demands from the Chinese government. Telecommunications is a vital part of national backbones. It has military security implications. It has financial and economic implications," said Dean Cheng, a senior research fellow of Washington-based Heritage Foundation.

​Cheap. Fast. Secure?

Huawei insists that it would not turn information over to Chinese authorities if they demanded it, but few outside analysts believe any Chinese company would stand up the country's authoritarian government. U.S. officials are even more direct.

"What we do is in our national interests, we see with companies like Huawei that are supported, if not directed, by central authorities in China. We see challenges and potential threats to the sanctity, the security of our systems in our networks, and the best we can do with our friends and partners and allies, is to share our information, share our experience," Patrick Murphy, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told VOA at a recent seminar at the U.S. Institute of Peace.

That message clearly has had a mixed reception, especially after years when the United States' vast electronic eavesdropping capabilities have drawn criticism.

Richard Kramer, founder of Arete, a technology research firm based in London, said leaks from U.S. security agencies in recent years have revealed close cooperation between the federal government and U.S. telecoms and tech firms around intelligence gathering.

The U.S. position, he said, seems to be: "We don't want China to spy on us, but we want to be able to spy on them."

Will pressure backfire?

Even in countries where there are open political concerns over the growing power of Chinese influence, too much U.S. pressure could backfire, said Anthony Nelson, Director of the East Asia and Pacific practice at the Albright Stonebridge Group, a global business strategy firm.

"Southeast Asian countries that are looking to balance their military relationships with the U.S. and China are not motivated by Washington's security concerns, with the notable exception of Vietnam," Nelson said.

Vietnam has had tensions with China in recent years over disputed territory and trade issues. Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S., Ha Kim Ngoc, told VOA that all companies operating in the country need to respect Vietnam's sovereignty.

"We have one principle: They need to respect our sovereignty, national sovereignty," said the ambassador at the recent USIP event. (VOA)

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - U.S. regulators charged Volkswagen and former CEO Martin Winterkorn with defrauding investors during its massive diesel emissions scandal.

The charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission come two years after the German automaker settled with the U.S. over criminal and civil charges, as the company tries to distance itself from one if its darkest eras.

The SEC said that between April 2014 and May 2015, Volkswagen issued more than $13 billion in bonds and asset-backed securities in U.S. markets when senior executives knew that more than 500,000 vehicles in the country grossly exceeded legal vehicle emissions limits.

Volkswagen made false and misleading statements to investors and underwriters about vehicle quality, environmental compliance, and the company's financial standing, which gave Volkswagen a financial benefit when it issued securities at more attractive rates for the company, according to the SEC.

“Volkswagen hid its decade-long emissions scheme while it was selling billions of dollars of its bonds to investors at inflated prices,” said Stephanie Avakian, co-director of the SEC's enforcement division.

In September 2015 Volkswagen installed software on more than 475,000 cars that enabled them to cheat on emissions tests, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The software reduced nitrogen oxide emissions when the cars were placed on a test machine but allowed higher emissions and improved engine performance during normal driving.

In 2016 the Justice Department sued Volkswagen over the emissions-cheating software and the Federal Trade Commission sued the company, saying it made false claims in commercials promoting its “Clean Diesel” vehicles as environmentally friendly.

Winterkorn resigned saying he took responsibility for the fraud, but insisted he personally did nothing wrong.

Volkswagen said Friday that the SEC is simply repeating unproven claims about Winterkorn.

“Regrettably, more than two years after Volkswagen entered into landmark, multibillion-dollar settlements in the United States with the Department of Justice, almost every state and nearly 600,000 consumers, the SEC is now piling on to try to extract more from the company,” the company said in a prepared release.

The company has paid some $20 billion in fines and civil settlements. It has also pleaded guilty to criminal charges in the United States and several managers, including Winterkorn, were charged there.

The surprise charges from the SEC arrive as the German company attempts to distance itself from the scandal. On Tuesday the automaker said that it planned to ramp up production of electric vehicles over the next ten years, to 22 million, and reduce its carbon footprint over vehicle life cycles by 30 percent.

Volkswagen's pivot to electric vehicles comes as it seeks to comply with new limits on carbon dioxide emissions in Europe, and a push by China for more low-emission vehicles.

The SEC's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, charges Volkswagen AG, its subsidiaries Volkswagen Group of America Finance, LLC and VW Credit, Inc., and Winterkorn with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws.

The SEC seeks permanent injunctions, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest and civil penalties. It also wants to bar Winterkorn from holding any corporate officer or director positions. (VOA)

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - Some fun and interesting facts about Tuesday's nominations for the 91st Academy Awards:

• After more than 30 years and some two dozen films, Spike Lee received his first Academy Award nomination for best director for "BlacKkKlansman." It's also the first time one of his movies has been nominated for best picture.
• Glenn Close's best actress nomination for "The Wife" is her seventh, and could finally mean her first Oscar. She has more nominations without a win than any other living actor or actress.
• "Black Panther'' is the first Marvel movie - and the first superhero film of any kind - to be nominated for best picture. Its $700 million box-office take is more than the earnings of the other seven best-picture nominees combined.
•  "Roma" is the first Netflix film to be nominated for best picture.
• Sam Elliott's first Oscar nomination - for best supporting actor in "A Star Is Born" - comes 50 years after his first acting credit, on the TV series "Judd, for the Defense."
• Rami Malek, nominated for playing Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody," is the only first-time Oscar nominee among the men up for best actor. He's up against multiple nominees Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Viggo Mortensen and Willem Dafoe.
• Yalitza Aparicio's nomination for "Roma'' comes in her first role as an actress.
• This is the second of Hollywood's four versions of "A Star Is Born," to get a best picture nomination, along with the 1937 original. The 1954 and 1976 versions each got several Oscar nominations, but not for best picture.
• No women were nominated for best director this year. The number of female directorial nominees in the 91-year history of the Oscars remains five.
• Eighty-seven countries submitted movies to be considered for best foreign language film. Five got nominations : Germany, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico and Poland.

- Bob Hope hosted the Oscars a record 19 times. No one is scheduled to host this year's ceremony. (VOA)

JAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono has expressed the Government’s commitment to improve infrastructure and facilities in four tourism strategic areas (KSPN), namely Lake Toba, Borobudur Temple, Labuan Bajo, and Mandalika.

Those four tourism strategic areas are part of the Twelve National Tourism Strategic Area (KSPN) known as “the New Bali”.

Basuki added that with adequate infrastructure and facilities, it is expected that tourists will stay longer in Indonesia. He also said that infrastructure development in those areas also takes into account disaster risk management.

In the meantime, Head of Center for Strategic Areas Development (BPIW) of Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing Hadi Sucahyono said that BPIW continued to coordinate with a number of related agencies such as the Geological Agency and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

“Infrastructure development in the KSPN is planned in an integrated manner, including by structuring the area, improving road access, providing raw water and clean water, managing waste and sanitation, and improving residents’ occupancy through an infrastructure development master plan prepared by the Regional Infrastructure Development Agency,” he said.

The master plan for the development of KSPN, he added, is made for the next ten years with more details made in a five-year plan, while an evaluation is carried out annually. “Key tourism areas become a top priority in our infrastructure development,” Hadi said.

“The focus is on the development of four KSPN given the number of tourists visiting the areas continues to increase. Investment is a key driver to boost economic potentials of the regions,” Hadi said, adding that infrastructure development is not only to attract tourists but also to improve quality of life of the communities and to boost local economic potentials.

“The Ministry supports the development of infrastructure that is not only beneficial for tourists but also for low-income communities,” Hadi added.

In Mandalika, the Government has made several efforts to re-structure Kuta village by repairing six roads, pavements, drainage systems, and public open spaces equipped with a playground that can be enjoyed by the locals.

The Government has also provided assistance for low-income communities with decent housings through 200 self-help housing programs in Central Lombok regency, which can be used as homestays. Moto GP circuit will also be built in Mandalika with the five-star hotel standard around the area.

In Lake Toba, the Government has improved access from Silangit airport to both the outer ring and the circumference in Lake Toba, including by dredging the river channel and building Tano Ponggol bridge as well as the Lumban Pea and Lumban Julu integrated rest area.

In Kampung Ujung, Labuan Bajo, which is the hub to cross to Komodo Island, eateries have been built, equipped with accessible roads and drainage.

In Borobudur Temple, the Government has revamped a number of tourist destinations near the temple such as Mendut Temple, Pawon Temple, and Puthuk Setumbu. The Government has also improved access from the new airport in Kulonprogo. (Setkab)

JAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - Coordinator of Special Staff to the President Teten Masduki said that President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo is not angry on Bukalapak CEO Achmad Zaky’s controversial tweet.

“The President is not angry and accepts his (Zaky) apology,” Teten told reporters after accompanying President Jokowi in a meeting with Zaky at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Saturday (16/2). The President asked the CEO of Bukalapak to be more careful and despite the wrong data used, he agreed with the issue raised by Zaky.

Teten expressed hope that the meeting can stop the recent commotion which according to him is ‘economically unfavorable.’

The Government has provided a lot of support in terms of, for example, regulation and financing in order to help many start-up companies to grow. Therefore, the President is concerned that the recent #UninstallBukalapak hashtag movement on Twitter would hurt e-commerce business in Indonesia.

For the record, Bukalapak is one of the four Indonesian unicorns (start-up company with a current valuation of US$1 billion or more) that developed during the administration of President Jokowi. The other three are Go-jek (ride-hailing and logistic service), Traveloka (airline ticketing and hotel booking service), and Tokopedia (online marketplace).

“These four companies, which are also listed in 10 strongest startups in Southeast Asia, are our pride,” Teten said. (Setkab)

LOS ANGELES, LELEMUKU.COM - First it was the furor over a proposed new "popular" film category, then it was the fiasco over planned host Kevin Hart, and last month the organizers of the Oscars were accused of intimidating celebrities not to present at rival award shows.

Last week, another storm erupted when, as part of a pledge to shorten next Sunday's Oscars ceremony, plans to present awards for cinematography, film editing, live-action shorts and makeup/hairstyling during commercial breaks were slammed as insulting by actors, directors and cinematographers. Five days later, the plan was scrapped.

It's been a tough 12 months for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as it battles to restore its annual Oscars show to a must-see event after the U.S. television audience slumped to an all-time low last year.

"This year, the bigger question than who will win at the Oscars is what the heck is going on at the academy?" said Tim Gray, awards editor at Hollywood trade publication Variety.

"There have been a slew of bungles," Gray added. "I feel they are flailing around and acting out of desperation."

Under pressure from the ABC television network to trim and liven up the ceremony, the academy has seen many of its efforts backfire.

Bungles include a retreat in September over a proposed new "popular film" category, the withdrawal in December of Oscars host Kevin Hart because of past homophobic tweets, and an accusation in January by the U.S. actors union that the academy was pressuring celebrities not to appear or present at award ceremonies other than the Oscars.

The Oscars is the last in a long Hollywood season that sees award shows and celebrity-packed red carpets every week over two months.

"The academy is caught between its role as a venerable institution that confers honors for the ages on film and the demands of the hurly-burly of social media, the 24/7 news cycle and the demands of the ratings," said Sharon Waxman, founder and editor in chief of Hollywood website The Wrap.

'People really care'

The academy did not return a request for comment for this story, but said in a letter to members last week that show producers "have given great consideration to both Oscar tradition and our broad global audience."

ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke told reporters earlier this month she believed that the publicity around the Kevin Hart withdrawal showed the Oscars was still relevant.

"I, ironically, have found that the lack of clarity around the Oscars has kept the Oscars really in the conversation, and that the mystery has really been compelling," Burke said. "People really care."

The missteps have all but drowned out initial kudos over this year's diverse Oscar nominations list, which range from art house films like "Roma" to superhero blockbuster "Black Panther" and crowd-pleasing musicals "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "A Star is Born."

Awards watchers say the Academy's efforts to deliver a compelling show for viewers next week still risk falling flat.

"The Academy is dealing yet again with what appears to be a leading film that is a very small film, in Spanish, and in black and white, that has not been seen by that many people, Waxman said, referring to best picture front-runner "Roma."

Recent best-picture winners include small art-house films "The Shape of Water" last year and "Moonlight" in 2017.

"That is the more fundamental problem the Academy is facing with this telecast," Waxman added.

Variety's Gray said that, for the movie industry, the Oscars ceremony is always an enjoyable family get-together.

"The Oscars should also be fun for the viewing audience," he said. "We will see if they are." (VOA)

TOKYO, LELEMUKU.COM - Inpex Corporation announced that the LNG Tanker Oceanic Breeze called for the first time at Inpex’s Naoetsu LNG Terminal (the Terminal) located in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, delivering a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Inpex-operated Ichthys LNG Project (the Project) in Australia.

Oceanic Breeze is owned by Oceanic Breeze LNG Transport S. A. (OBLT), a joint venture between Inpex Shipping Co., Ltd. (Inpex Shipping) (30%) and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (K-Line) (70%), and designated to transport the 0.9 million tons per year of Ichthys LNG entitled to INPEX.

Oceanic Breeze’s transportation and delivery of Ichthys LNG to the Terminal marks a significant milestone in Inpex’s development of a global gas value chain business, positioned as one of the company’s business targets outlined in Vision 2040 announced in May 2018.

Going forward, Inpex will continue to strive to serve its customers with safe and stable supplies of natural gas, an environmentally friendly fuel.

Inpex Corporation is Japan’s largest exploration and production (E&P) company, and a mid-tier E&P player just behind the world’s oil majors.

Inpex is currently involved in approximately 70 projects across more than 20 countries, including the Ichthys LNG Project in Australia as Operator. Inpex aims to become a leading energy company and continue providing a stable and efficient supply of energy to its customers. (Inpex)

LONDON, LELEMUKU.COM - Nissan announced Sunday it has cancelled plans to make its X-Trail SUV in the UK — a sharp blow to British Prime Minister Theresa May, who fought to have the model built in northern England as she sought to shore up confidence in the British economy after it leaves the European Union.

Nissan said it will consolidate production of the next generation X-Trail at its plant in Kyushu, Japan, where the model is currently produced, allowing the company to reduce investment costs in the early stages of the project.

That reverses a decision in late 2016 to build the SUV at Nissan's Sunderland plant in northern England, which employs 7,000 workers. That plant will continue to make Nissan's Juke and Qashqai models. The announcement Sunday made no mention of any layoffs relating to the X-Trail SUV decision.

"While we have taken this decision for business reasons, the continued uncertainty around the UK's future relationship with the EU is not helping companies like ours to plan for the future," Nissan Europe Chairman Gianluca de Ficchy said in a statement.

Less than two months before Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union on March 29, Britain still doesn't have an agreement on what will replace 45 years of frictionless trade. This has caused an enormous amount of concern among businesses in Britain, which fear the country is going to crash out of the vast EU trade bloc without a divorce deal, a scenario economists predict would hurt the U.K. economy.

The Nissan decision, first reported by Sky News, is a major setback for May's Conservative government, which had pointed to Nissan's 2016 announcement that Sunderland would make the SUV — months after the country's Brexit referendum — as proof that major manufacturers still had confidence in Britain's economic future.

Nissan's announced its plans to build the X-Trail and Qashqai models in Sunderland after the government sent a letter to company officials offering undisclosed reassurances about its ability to compete in the future.

British politicians have sharply criticized May's Brexit deal and voted it down in Parliament.

May's government has refused to rule out a no-deal Brexit, saying the threat strengthens her hand with EU negotiators. Parliament voted last week to give May more time to try to iron out a compromise with the bloc.

Nissan's change of heart comes just days after Britain's carmakers issued a stark assessment about Brexit's impact on the industry, warning that their exports are at risk if the U.K. leaves the EU without an agreement.

Investment in the industry fell 46 percent last year and new car production dropped 9.1 percent to 1.52 million vehicles, in part because of concerns over Brexit, the Society of Motor Manufacturing said.

The group's chief executive, Mike Hawes, described the threat of a no-deal Brexit as "catastrophic."

He says the drop in investment is only a foreshadowing of what could happen if the U.K. leaves the EU on March 29 without a deal.

"With fewer than 60 days before we leave the EU and the risk of crashing out without a deal looking increasingly real, UK Automotive is on red alert," Hawes said Thursday. "Brexit uncertainty has already done enormous damage to output, investment and jobs." (VOA)

OSLO, LELEMUKU.COM - Inpex Corporation announced that through its subsidiary Inpex Norge AS, it has been awarded exploration licenses PL1027 located in the western Barents Sea offshore and PL1016 located in the northern Norwegian Sea offshore the Kingdom of Norway as part of Norway’s Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2018 licensing round.

The annual APA licensing rounds aim to promote the further exploration of blocks in previously explored, mature areas by allowing tenders to be submitted for any acreage within predefined areas where licenses have not been awarded.

The licenses provide the groundwork for Inpex’s third and fourth exploration projects in Norway following the company’s acquisition of exploration license PL950 in 2018, and are expected to contribute to the further enhancement of Inpex’s global project portfolio.

Inpex will next follow the required administrative procedures involving Norwegian government authorities, the operators of the licenses and partners prior to assessing the possibility of discovering hydrocarbon deposits through exploration activities.

PL1027 is located in the western Barents Sea approximately 250 kilometers offshore Norway and covers a surface area of approximately 1,220 square kilometers where the water depth is approximately 440 meters.

PL1016 is located in the northern Norwegian Sea approximately 250 kilometers offshore Norway and covers a surface area of approximately 1,310 square kilometers where the water depth ranges between approximately 350 and 1,000 meters.

Additionally and also as a part of the APA 2018 licensing round, Inpex was awarded a 40% participating interest in exploration license PL767B, an extension area to exploration license PL767 in which Inpex acquired* a 40% interest in 2017.

Oil and natural gas exploration activities in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea began in the 1960s, resulting in the discovery of numerous large-scale oil and gas fields. Thereafter, exploration activities have expanded north to the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. In recent years, oil and gas fields estimated to hold reserves of several hundred million barrels of oil equivalent have been discovered in succession in the Barents Sea, which is considered to be a promising area where further hydrocarbon discoveries are believed possible.

The acquisition of these licenses is aligned to Inpex’s pursuit of the “sustainable growth of oil and natural gas E&P activities,” one of the growth targets outlined in the company’s “VISION 2040” announced in May 2018.

Through Inpex Norge AS, which it established in 2014, Inpex will continue to proactively pursue full-scale oil and natural gas exploration and development activities in Norway. The impact of this award on the company’s consolidated financial results is minimal. (Inpex)

BRUSSELS, LELEMUKU.COM - The European Union on Wednesday warned countries running lucrative schemes granting passports and visas to rich foreigners to toughen checks on applicants amid concern they could be flouting security, money laundering and tax laws.

EU countries have welcomed in more than 6,000 new citizens and close to 100,000 new residents through golden passport and visa schemes over the past decade, attracting around 25 billion euros ($28 billion) in foreign direct investment, according to anti-corruption watchdogs Transparency International and Global Witness.

In a first-ever report on the schemes, the EU Commission said that such documents issued in one country can open a back door to citizenship or residency in all 28 states.

Justice Commissioner Vera Jurova said golden visas are the equivalent of "opening the golden gate to Europe for some privileged people."

"We want more guarantees related to security and anti-money laundering. We expect more transparency," she told reporters in Brussels.

Bulgaria, Cyprus and Malta offer passports to investors without any real connections to the countries or even the obligation to live there by paying between 800,000 and 2 million euros ($909,000 to $2.3 million).

Twenty EU states offer visas in exchange for investment: Britain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

Investment can range from 13,500 euros to over 5 million euros ($15,350 to $5.7 million) in the form of capital and property investments, buying government bonds, one-time payments to the national budget or certain donations to charity.

Cyprus toughened up vetting procedures last year after it was accused of running a "passports-for-cash" scheme. It said passport numbers would be capped at 700 a year.

The Mediterranean island introduced the scheme in the wake of a 2013 financial crisis that brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy and forced it to accept a multibillion-euro rescue program from creditors. One Cyprus lawmaker has estimated that the scheme generated around 4.8 billion euros ($5.4 billion) between 2013 and 2016.

In compiling the report, Commission researchers struggled to obtain clear information about how the schemes are run, the number of applicants and where they come from, as well as how many are granted or refused visas. They noted that EU countries exchange little or no information about the applicants.

But the report did find that the security checks run on applicants are insufficient, and it recommends that EU computer databases like the one controlling Europe's passport-free travel area be used routinely. Tougher "due diligence" controls are also needed to ensure that money laundering rules are not circumvented, while more monitoring and reporting could help tackle tax evasion.

Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said the Commission "will monitor full compliance with EU law."

"The work we have done together over the past years in terms of increasing security, strengthening our borders and closing information gaps should not be jeopardized," he warned.

The Commission proposed setting up a working group with EU member countries to study the schemes by year's end.

The report angered Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, who underlined that, over the past five years, the number of citizenships granted by Cyprus under its scheme amounts to 0.3 percent of the EU's total.

He said that Cyprus has the toughest citizenship criteria among all 20 countries, "and despite this, Cyprus is being targeted."

"These double standards must finally come to an end and I want to be strict about this," Anastasiades said.

Malta welcomed the Commission report, but said it has "reservations on a few issues," notably that people it accepts under the schemes undergo far more rigorous checks than others granted residency or citizenship. It also underlined that physical presence in Malta is mandatory. (VOA)

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - A furloughed Kentucky IRS worker with Type II diabetes says she's struggling to buy insulin because of the shutdown and so has started a GoFundMe to raise the needed cash.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Tuesday that Herlean Younce has worked at the IRS office in Covington for nearly 30 years and now says her paycheck is being held hostage. Younce, a married mother of three, says she needs her medication as "that whole staying alive thing is really important."

Other furloughed area workers and those who are working without pay say they are dipping into savings, asking others for money and relying on payment deferments and plans as the shutdown heads into its second month. (VOA)

BERN, LELEMUKU.COM - Japan's prime minister says China's slowing growth, Brexit woes and U.S.-China trade disputes pose risks to the world economy, while decrying the World Trade Organization as "behind the curve" and in need of reform to help ease trade tensions.

Shinzo Abe used his return to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, after five years to hail the benefits of two "mega deals" in trade— on the Pacific Rim and between Japan and the European Union— at a time when populism and isolationism have elbowed in on an era of globalism.

"The world economy is gradually and moderately improving. I think without a doubt this is taking place," he said. "Worldwide, however, there are risks. U.S.-China trade friction is one of those risks and Japan traditionally has said tit-for-tat trade-restrictive measures are of no benefit."

Abe said the WTO needs to be changed, calling for a trading system that protects intellectual property rights. That was a veiled reference to China, which the Trump administration and others say is cheating on trade rules and stealing intellectual property from Western companies.

"Major changes are taking place and the WTO is behind the curve— it's not keeping up with pace," Abe said in a brief question-and-answer session with the forum's chief. "We have to make the WTO into a more credible existence. We need to reform it."

Abe's appearance and a later speech by Germany's Angela Merkel were shaping up as a one-two punch by major leaders in favor of global cooperation. A day earlier, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo extolled their governments' renewed focus on national self-interest.

Meanwhile, several other leaders— like those of the United States, Britain, and France— decided to not travel to Davos to deal with political troubles back home, including the U.S. government shutdown, Brexit, and popular protests.

China was set to get its say, too— and possibly retort against Western complaints about its trade policies. Vice President Wang Qishan was set to speak later Wednesday, the second day of the elite Davos gathering.

Away from the Swiss slopes, efforts were looming to defuse the U.S.-China tensions on trade. A high-level Chinese delegation is expected to visit Washington on Jan. 30, as the two sides seek to strike an accord to end their conflict.

However, Hong Kong's Beijing-backed chief executive said Wednesday she's ``quite worried'' that the rules-based system that has governed global trade for decades is under threat.

Carrie Lam said any erosion of traditional rules could lead to rising political tensions.

Worries over the future of the rules governing global trade have been stoked over the past couple of years, particularly since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump. His administration has taken umbrage against China and the two countries have imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions worth of traded goods, igniting a trade war that could seriously hobble the global economy.

Merkel, meanwhile, was to address the gathering amid growing uncertainty in Europe over Brexit after British lawmakers last week voted down Prime Minister Theresa May's deal with the European Union. Since then, speculation has risen that Britain could crash out of the bloc without a deal or that end up extending its date of departure from the current March 29. (VOA)

BEIJING, LELEMUKU.COM - The Chinese government has granted Ivanka Trump's company preliminary approval for another five trademarks this month, as her father's administration pushes ahead on trade negotiations with China.

Four trademarks, including child care centers, sunglasses and wedding dresses, were approved on Sunday. A fifth, covering brokerage, charitable fundraising and art valuation services, was approved on Jan.6, according to online trademark office records. The applications were filed in 2016 and 2017. If no one objects, they will be finalized after 90 days.

Ivanka Trump's expanding intellectual property holdings have long raised ethical concerns, particularly in China, where the courts and bureaucracy tend to reflect the will of the ruling Communist Party.

Ivanka Trump's lawyers in China did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Critics argue that by asking a foreign government for valuable intellectual property rights, White House officials could open themselves to pressure in government negotiations. There is also concern that the family's global trademark portfolio would open the way for lucrative business opportunities once Donald Trump leaves office.

"The sheer number of foreign trademarks Ivanka Trump has gotten while working in the White House would be troubling enough, but the fact that she just got one for charitable fundraising when her father's namesake foundation — which she served as a board member for and is closing in scandal following a New York Attorney General investigation outlining numerous legal violations — is especially troubling," Jordan Libowitz, a spokesman for watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said in an email.

Ivanka Trump closed her fashion brand in July. Her representatives assert that trademark filings are a normal business practice and are needed to protect her name from copycats seeking to capitalize on her fame.

Companies apply for trademarks for a range of reasons. They can be signs of corporate ambition, but many also are filed defensively, particularly in China, where trademark squatting is rampant.

China has said it treats all trademark applications equally under the law. (VOA)