Indonesia President emphasises need to balance health, economy amid pandemic
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on August 16 underlined that there was a need to strike a balance between health and economic interests amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia's largest country, Reuters reported.
Workers of the Red Cross spray disinfectants to streets in Bekasi (Photo: VNA)
Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo on August 16 underlined that there was a need to strike a balance between health and economic interests amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia's largest country, Reuters reported.
In his annual state of the nation speech, the President said the pandemic has indeed significantly slowed down Indonesia’s economic growth, but it must not hinder the process of structural reforms of the economy.
The country needs to find the best combination between public health and economic interests, Widodo said.
The Indonesian economy pulled out of recession in the second quarter with 7 percent annual gross domestic product growth, but the rise in coronavirus cases and the mobility restrictions threaten the recovery momentum in the next quarter.
The restrictions are due to be in place until August 16 on Java and August 23 on the other four main islands.
Though infections have started to plateau in the most populous island of Java, the coronavirus has been spreading to other parts of the archipelago, authorities have said./.
The Trade Office of Vietnam in Indonesia has advised Vietnamese importers to not trade with 34 Indonesian mining companies whose coal exports have been suspended by the local government for failing to meet domestic market obligations.
The Counter-terrorism Squad, Densus 88, of Indonesia’s National Police arrested four more suspected terrorists in Banten and West Java provinces on August 15.
The Indonesian government pledged to secure supplies and stablise prices of eight COVID-19 treatment drugs, President Joko Widodo said in an address at the parliamentary on August 16.
The Indonesian government aims to cut the State budget deficit to 868 trillion IDR (60.38 billion USD) from 939 trillion IDR, accounting for 4.85 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) next year.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Workers of the Red Cross spray disinfectants to streets in Bekasi (Photo: VNA) 
