Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has required the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to control rice prices which had increased in 79 regions nationwide.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the 2023 Regional Heads and Regional Leadership Forum National Coordination Meeting in Bogor, West Java on January 17, 2023. (Photo: ANTARA)
Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia♈n President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has required theState Logistics Agency (Bulog) to control rice prices which had increased in 79regions 🌳nationwide.
Speaking at the 2023 National Coordination Meeting ofRegional Heads and Regional Leadership Forum in Bogor, West Java, on January 17,the President said he has warned Bulog about hike in rice prices which has affectedlives of many people, especially the poor. Jokowi requested Bulog, relevantministries and agencies, regional heads, and Bank Indonesia (BI) to continue tomonitor the prices of goods and services in the field.
He urged all parties to be careful against the increase in prices of goods andservices, as currently, the world is facing a threat of a rise in inflation.
Apart from rice, the President noted that several commodities also experienced an increasein prices, such as eggs in 89 regions, tomatoes in 82 regions, and broilerchicken meat in 75 regions.
He appealed to district heads, mayors, and governors to visit marketsfrequently to check whether the data fit the situation on the field.
According to the President, currently, inflation, or an increase in the pricesof goods and services, has become a threat to all countries. He noted thatIndonesia'⛎s inflation is still under control, at around 5.5%./.
Indonesian Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said she was optimistic of overall economic growth of 5.2–5.3% in 2022, with a possibility of growth in the range of 5.0% in the fourth quarter.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) on January 16 reported that the country’s trade balance in 2022 sees a surplus of 54.46 billion USD while its trade surplus in 2021 was just 35.33 billion USD.
Indonesia is scheduled to host the World Hydropower Congress (WHC) 2023 in Nusa Dua, Bali, from October 31 to November 2 under the theme “Powering Sustainable Growth”.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the 2023 Regional Heads and Regional Leadership Forum National Coordination Meeting in Bogor, West Java on January 17, 2023. (Photo: ANTARA) 
