OPINION

A global maritime event was held in the city of Qingdao, Shandong, a couple of weeks ago. The East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Qingdao Forum is an event that supports the United Nations’ initiative “Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development” or “Ocean Decade 2021-2030”. Started last year, the forum did not include “East Asia” in its 2022 title.

This year’s Hajj culminates with four million pilgrims from around the world performing wuquf, the most important rite of Hajj, on Mount Arafat. 

A new term is lately becoming popular in the US: “Biden-omics”, but what is it all about? How does it look? Now, while we try to keep watch on the news, we can only make a guestimate. 

State-Owned Enterprises have recently been in the public spotlight, following the arrest of the Managing Director of Waskita Karya as a corruption suspect. Recently, another allegation surfaced, regarding malfeasance in SOE pension funds. Layer by layer, abhorrent Indonesian SOE problems are bubbling to the surface. 

Mayapada Bank is embroiled in a scandal involving illegal access to bank credit. The allegation points to businessman Ted Sioeng, who is suspected of receiving a working capital facility of IDR 1.3 trillion from 2014 to 2021. 

For those following policy developments of advanced economies’ central banks, the decisions by the respective Boards of Governors of the US Federal Reserve Bank (Fed), the European Central Bank (ECB), and the Bank of England (BoE) could be seen as confusing indeed. Fed Chair Jerome Powell just announced that the Board decided to delay its policy of raising the rate, currently at 5.25 per cent.

Jakarta, IO – Taxes are the guardian of state sovereignty. At least America, Germany, Japan, and several developed countries in the world have proven this. Citizens of developed countries obediently pay taxes as an orderly source of state revenue. State revenue is government capital directed to build the nation and prosper the people. The guaranteed welfare of citizens is one of the characteristics of a sovereign state. When the condition is sovereign, it cannot be dictated by anyone. 

The Indonesian Manpower Minister has signed Ministerial Decree 88/2023, with guidelines for the prevention and handling of sexual harassment in the workplace, on May 29, 2023. The Decree is meant to act as a compass, with technical pointers on preventing and handling work sexual abuse, to maintain orderly and productive relations in the workplace. 

In 2015, the late Professor Agus Dwiyanto of Gajah Mada University, who also headed the State Administrative Agency (LAN) from 2012 to 2015, wrote on the first page of his book Contextual Bureaucratic Reform: Returning to the Right Path that bureaucratic reform programs tend to be caught in formalism and excessive documentation rather than substantive and cultural transformation. 

Before departing for his country, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took the time to meet with Indonesian businessmen who are members of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN). The meeting with the business people – and other national stakeholders – merits mention because it carries the potential to boost growth in trade, culture and other relations between the two countries.

As 52 percent of local roads have been categorized as “damaged”, the central Government has allocated an additional IDR 32.7 trillion to repair and rehabilitate the roads in the regions in 2023. One of the main causes of road damage is the weight of overloaded and over-dimensional trucks. Therefore, the Government should, first and foremost, build a weigh-bridge facility to attempt to control this issue. The budget allocation from the central government is expected to solve road damage issues in the regions.