In developing its sports tourism potential, Indonesia holds many championships or sports events, and one of the closest is the F1 Powerboat (F1H2O) World Championship in Lake Toba, North Sumatra, on February 24-26. Lake Toba, one of the most spacious lakes in the world, offers a great destination for athletes to compete, and tourists to enjoy the scenic view.
President Joko Widodo (L) inspects the road expansion and a bridge development in Tano Ponggol, Samosir, North Sumatera as a part of preparing the Toba Lake in North Sumatera as a world class tourism destination in Indonesia.
Assistant Deputy for Sustainable Tourism Development at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Kosmas Harefa, stated that the preparation for the F1H2O World Championship in Lake Toba reached 70 percent as of January 24. “It is expected that the preparations are in accordance with the target and all the main gates will have been completed by February 10,” Harefa said in a virtual gathering.
The F1 Powerboat is the world’s largest motorboat racing competition for powerboats, on par with Formula 1 or MotoGP. Harefa revealed that one of the facilities’ constructions, which is a centralized parking location, can accommodate three thousand to four thousand cars. “Currently, the Toba District Government, supported by the North Sumatra Provincial Public Works Office, has prepared a vast parking lot,” he added. According to him, the number of visitors is targeted to reach 20 thousand to 25 thousand, by promoting the event intensively.
Meanwhile, Minister of Youth and Sports Zainudin Amali said Lake Toba as the host of F1H20 is very ready to organize this activity, as proven by the venue readiness and other supporting facilities. “The government has prepared many F1 Powerboat post events, to support the economy of the Toba people,” Amali, who serves as the Chairperson of the F1H2O National Committee, said.
Lake Toba Cooler
He also ensured that the F1 Powerboat at Lake Toba will pamper the visitors, as he claimed the location is cooler than Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the previous F1 Powerboat event was held on December 16, 2022. “In Sharjah, the venue was an artificial lake and the weather was very hot. This is very different from Lake Toba where the air is cool and not artificial,” he explained. He emphasized, the government has been preparing this event very seriously and hoping for support from various parties to make F1 Powerboat 2023 a success.
Moreover, he expressed hope that the F1 Powerboat implementation can result in the emergence of new water sports racing athletes in Indonesia. “We hope that this international event at Lake Toba can find new athletes and hopefully, they can excel,” Amali said. He added, the event can promote local micro, small, and medium enterprises and show the world’s trust in Indonesia in holding international events.
Unique to the world
State-owned tourism holding firm InJourney said that the F1H20 circuit in Lake Toba is the most unique in the world. “This circuit is quite unique because the track is on the lake. We have carried out the homologation (verification of the track’s safety), and the circuit length is 2.2 km. Its shape is unique because Lake Toba is a volcanic lake,” InJourney’s Marketing and Consumer Experience Director Maya Watono said on Wednesday.
Furthermore, InJourney President Director Dony Oskaria said that the F1H20 will involve the local communities. Oskaria explained, the shores of Lake Toba can serve as places for the spectators and local people are allowed to collect fees as long as they are registered as InJourney official partners. InJourney also involved 500 students as event organizers and will give them certificates.
Minister Amali said the F1H20 event can encourage Lake Toba as one of Indonesia’s super-priority tourism destinations, just as Lake Toba has gained the trust of the F1 Committee to host F1H2O for the next five years or until 2027.
By Kenzu Tandiah, Ed: Rahmad Nasution COPYRIGHT (c) ANTARA 2023
The second G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting expects Indonesia’s G20 Presidency to bring about a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati stated.
The second G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting expects Indonesia’s G20 Presidency to bring about a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati stated.
“(G20) members hope that the current geopolitical situation, particularly related to the war in Ukraine, will be handled,” Indrawati noted at a press conference of the second G20 FMCBG meeting on Thursday.
The expectation is based on the fact that the global situation has worsened and changed rapidly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the Russia-Ukraine war, she remarked.
Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has a very dynamic implication, including on the energy, food, and fertilizer price hike, she affirmed.
Indrawati said Indonesia, which currently holds the G20 presidency, will continue to conduct intensive communication and consultations with all G20 members to address the very dynamic situation.
“The G20 good governance is actually based on consultations as well as cooperation,” she remarked.
Indonesia continues to hold discussions with all G20 member states to find ways to get out of the various global economic risks that result not only from the war in Ukraine but also from the pandemic, she stated.
The minister emphasized the current need for an exit strategy since several countries were under the threat of high inflation while the global energy and food price hike will increasingly create a challenging situation for policy makers.
According to Indrawati, G20 members are concerned about inflationary pressures that tend to prompt several central banks to raise the policy interest rates that will eventually lead to faster-than-expected global liquidity tightening.
Hence, the higher level policy becomes the focus to fulfill the exit strategy-related commitment that is well-calibrated, planned, and communicated to support recovery and reduce the potential impact of a spillover, she stressed.
The collective and coordinated actions are not only aimed at mitigating the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war but also at controlling the pandemic. The actions will remain high on the list of G20’s priorities, she stated.
G20 members have recorded an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in several regions that burdened growth, extended supply disruption, worsened inflationary pressure, and slowed down global recovery, she remarked.
Written by Astrid Faidlatul H, Suharto, Editor: Fardah Assegaf (c) ANTARA 2022
State-owned PT Pertamina (Persero), an energy company that has been active in the global arena, reaffirmed its commitment as a company that cares about the environment, social aspects and good corporate governance, setting the energy transition program as the company’s top priority.
President Director & CEO Nicke Widyawati outlined Pertamina’s strategic initiatives for developing environmentally friendly and sustainable energy at the Indonesia – Dubai Expo media briefing on Friday. (ANTARA FOTO/ADWIT B PRAMONO)
“Pertamina is committed to being known not only as a global energy player but also as an environmentally friendly company, socially responsible and upholding good corporate governance,” said Nicke Widyawati, CEO of PT Pertamina (Persero) at the Indonesia Pavilion – Dubai Expo, on Friday (18/3).
Pertamina has played an important role in the transition of Indonesia’s energy industry by targeting the energy mix and reducing emissions, with a comprehensive reduction of GHG emissions by 30% before 2030. In addition, Pertamina will prioritize the development of New and Renewable Energy (EBT) to address environmental problems, which is in line with Indonesia’s Energy Mix by 2030.
Pertamina also supports Indonesia’s G20 Presidency, which targets energy transition as one of its main priorities. As part of the Business 20 Task Force on Energy, Sustainability, and Climate, Pertamina shares the priorities of G20 Indonesia as a catalyst for green recovery, along with the principles of energy security, energy equity and environmental sustainability.
Strategies include the development of green refineries and bioenergy, and the commercialization of hydrogen, while Pertamina has also continued to increase the use of new and renewable energy as well as implement carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) to increase production in several fields, she informed.
Widyawati said that Indonesia’s geothermal resources are abundantly spread across the Ring of Fire. Hence, she believes that these resources could be a strong backbone to accelerate the energy transition, which is in line with the government’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions.
“We believe that by realizing strategic programs in collaboration with many partners across countries, energy sustainability is not merely just a discussion, but also a concrete action in which the impacts can be experienced by everyone,” said Nicke, concluding her remarks.
