Indonesian President Joko Widodo has underscored the need for the country to improve its Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) in the infrastructure sector, which is ranked 51st in 2023.
At the ceremony to mark the 78th Public Infrastructure Service Day on December 4, he said Indonesia’s position in infrastructure competitiveness globally has improved from 2015 to 2023, albeit not significant.
Indonesia’s ranking in the GCI, which is assessed by the Institute for Management Development (IMD) Competitiveness Center, was based on several indicators, including cost efficiency in logistics.
To improve cost efficiency in logistics, the Indonesian government has, since 2015, doubled the allocation of infrastructure budgets to build roads, ports, airports, clean water installations, dams, irrigation, as well as health facilities, schools, and cheap markets.
According to the leader, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) has built 42 dams, with the work to construct 17 dams underway until 2024.
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PUPR Ministry has so far built a total of 1.2 million hectares of irrigation lands and 2,143 kilometers of toll road infrastructure.
He also noted that the government has built 8.2 million houses under the One Million Houses Program.
The president also remarked that the government has built 5,700 km of roads in the last nine years.
In addition, the PUPR has contributed in the work of supporting infrastructure in international agendas, such as renovating the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK) for the 2018 ASEAN Games, and improving the venue for the G20 Summit, the location of the ASEAN Summit, and several tourism destinations./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency
Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines has been diagnosed with Covid-19, necessitating a five-day isolation period, as announced by the Malacañang on Tuesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the announcement was made through a Facebook post, stating, ‘President Bongbong Marcos has tested positive for Covid-19. Upon medical advice, he will observe a period of isolation for five days.’ The PCO also mentioned that President Marcos would continue to perform his duties remotely.
The PCO has committed to providing updates on Marcos’ health status as they become available. Despite the diagnosis, Marcos intends to fulfill his presidential duties via virtual meetings. The statement from the PCO clarified, ‘The President remains fit to carry out his duties and will be continuing his scheduled meetings via teleconference.’ This marks the third instance of President Marcos testing positive for Covid-19, with previous infections in March 2020 and July 2022.
In light of his diagnosis, President Marcos has called for heightened vigilance and precautionary measures during the holiday season. He has urged the public to get vaccinated and to wear masks in crowded areas. This call to action comes amid a recent increase in Covid-19 cases in the Philippines, with 1,340 new infections reported between November 28 and December 4, surpassing the 1,218 cases recorded in the previous week, according to the Department of Health.
Earlier this year, in July, Marcos issued Proclamation 297, which lifted the state of public health emergency that had been declared due to Covid-19. The decision followed the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) noting a decrease in Covid-related deaths and hospitalizations, as well as increased population immunity to the virus. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus concurred with the committee’s advice in May, declaring that Covid-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
